#he is going to be there waiting for echo and emerie right?

[kriffclone]

Shadow Agent in these last TBB chapters

[hugmekenobi]

S3: The Bad Batch (15)

Chapter Fifteen: The Calvary Has Arrived

Gif by @theworstbatch

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Ever since Eriadu, Clone Force 99 had been a fractured squad. Months have passed but you're finally back with the Batch but Omega is still out there and you won't stop until you find her again.

Chapter Summary: It all comes down to this final fight on Tantiss

Masterlist for S1 and S2

<Previous Chapter

Chapter Warnings: Limited (Y/N), swearing, canon-typical violence, injury descriptions (blood, cuts, blacking out and bruising, loss of limbs, choking), needles and injections, Hemlock being extra cruel and evil, detailed torture and pain descriptions, mentions of self-sacrifice, begging and heavy angst, reader has a bit of a low moment, death, 'fixing' a death, I alter how the hangar fight goes ever so slightly, the Force and medical supplies suiting my needs, happy endings with nice emotions and light PDA

Word Count: 15.8K (Terribly sorry)

Author's notes: It's here! It's a rollercoaster! And Jen and Brad, we all know how it really went, okay? Happy reading!

Night had fallen by the time Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair had made more progress towards the base but even then, it was slow going. Patrols had increased and Wrecker’s injury was affecting him far more than he would like, they kept needing to stop to attend to it.

“Ow.” Wrecker complained as Hunter stuck him with another med patch.

“Did you think wrestling that creature was a good idea?” Crosshair snarked.

“At the time, yes.” Wrecker replied stubbornly.

“The base is five klicks away. Can you make it?” Hunter offered his hand out to Wrecker to get him back on his feet.

“Ha. Try and stop me.” Wrecker responded as he grasped Hunter’s hand.

Hunter waited a second to make sure the coast was clear before he led the way again.

--

Hemlock worked on drowning out the persistent blaring alarm as he walked down the corridor. His lack of success with you and Tech should not matter. He had enough to know how this squad operated. He still had everything under control. He stopped in front of the oncoming patrol group. “Guard the vault until the security lockdown is lifted.”

“Dr. Hemlock, one of the insurgents has been captured.” Scorch informed him.

Hemlock followed him down the side corridor towards the cells.

--

Hemlock opened the prison door to see a familiar face. He massaged the palm of his gloved hand as he entered the room. “Aligning yourself with insurgent clones…” He sighed, “Not a good look, Rampart.”

“You’re surprisingly calm, considering this secure and secret facility has been compromised.” Rampart said with a cool countenance. “I can’t imagine the Emperor will be pleased about that.”

Hemlock wasn’t about to let this failure of a man get under his skin. “All that time you spent on Kamino, yet you learned nothing about how clones think. I knew Clone Force 99 would eventually attempt to recover Omega and their Jedi. Their failure is inevitable.”

“The Jedi, I understand. But all this for the young clone too. I fail to see how she’s of value to you.”

Hemlock resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course, this fool didn’t understand. “What I am working on is beyond your understanding. Something so vital to the Empire, it makes me indispensable. Unlike yourself.” He waltzed out the cell.

--

“The longer this lockdown continues, the higher the chance you’ll be discovered.” Emerie advised cautiously as Echo kept working through the system. “We need to move. Now.”

“Why can’t I find any record of the vault Omega’s held in? Or this different cell you were talking about.”

“These databanks are heavily encrypted. The vault and the cell are several levels down. Hemlock keeps them under heavy guard, but I can get you inside.”

Echo unplugged and reattached his hand as he faced Emerie. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because I was wrong about this place. And-” She inhaled sharply, “I’m trying to do the right thing.”

The sincere way in which she spoke allowed Echo to view her in a new light. He gave her a respectful nod before he donned his trooper helmet and signalled for her to lead the way.

--

“You want us to do what?” Eva double checked as Omega finished telling them the plan.

“It’s how we’re going to escape.” Omega reminded them.

“But it sounds dangerous.” Sami said worriedly.

“My squad I told you about? They’re here. If we can get out of this room and find them, we can all go home.”

“What about your friend?” Jax asked.

Omega had to push you to the back of her mind, as much as it pained her to do so. “My first objective is to get you all home first.”

Home. The word felt so foreign to them now.

“You really think this will work?” Eva asked softly.

“I’ll make sure of it.” Omega promised. “I’ve been trained for this. Let’s get into position.”

Doing as she said, each of the kids took up a seat at a different table to wait on Sami’s signal that they were clear to start.

Sami looked up at the window to see Dr. Scalder step away which was when she tapped her puzzle piece on the table.

Omega readied her tool as Jax and Eva approached the supervising droid.

“My game is broken.” Eva held the device out to the droid. “Can you fix it?”

Omega snuck up behind the droid and stabbed the droid’s power centre. The three of them manoeuvred it into her cell where she could get to work on reprograming it.

Eva and Jax kept an eye out for Sami’s signal and Eva saw the Pantoran knock over the stack of pieces which only meant one thing, “Dr. Scalder is on her way. Hurry.”

“You’ve done this before, right?” Jax asked as Omega seemed no closer to getting whatever it was that she needed to do to the droid completed.

“Yes, but not on this type of droid.” Omega hissed as she hurriedly worked on the wires in the droid’s main control panel.

--

Dr. Scalder entered the lab and asked the specimen still at the table, “Where are the others?”

Sami stayed silent and held Bayrn close to her.

“Sp-39, I asked you a question.”

Sami pointed behind Dr. Scalder as she saw the three of them approaching.

“We w-were with the droid.” Eva said quietly, her head hanging in automatic submission.

Dr. Scalder sighed in exasperation. “Another scan wasn’t scheduled. Tell me what you were really doing.”

“Eva’s telling the truth.” Omega said calmy as the droid drew closer to Dr. Scalder. “We were with the droid.”

“Dr. Karr has been too lenient with you all. Return to your alcoves. A few days of isolation should remind you-” That was all she got to say before a needle pierced her skin and she fell unconscious.

“It worked.” Sammi gasped as Bayrn released a few happy babbles.

“You did great.” Omega praised. “Now, we have to hurry. Droid, guard the door. Sami, prep the sling for Bayrn.”

Omega dashed into her room and used her tool to get under the first panel before she could tear the rest down. Turning to the others and seeing that Bayrn was now secure on Jax’s back and Eva had her doll strapped to her, Omega asked, “Ready?”

“Ready.” Jax confirmed.

Omega led them into the walls as part to of their escape was underway.

--

Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair paused again as another ship passed overhead.

“He’s gonna need another med patch.” Crosshair advised Hunter as he heard Wrecker’s strained grunt and the way he kept bringing his hand to his chest.

“We’re out.” Hunter said regrettably. Seeing Wrecker so hurt was a rare thing and it made the decision to carry on forward to Tantiss that bit harder.

Wrecker got to his feet with a groan. “I- I can make it.”

Hunter and Crosshair shared a concerned look, but they followed in their brother’s insistent footsteps through the jungle yet again.

--

Emerie led the way to the vault, with Echo walking a few paces behind.

Echo took in the corridor awash with red beams of light. “The kids who are held in here, where’d they come from?”

“The Empire used bounty hunters to retrieve them. Their genetic material was required for certain medical testing. I didn’t know about them until recently. I couldn’t help them. Until now.” Emerie paused by the vault door.

“Well, how do the two of them fit into all this?” Echo asked as he thought about you and Omega. “These kids, are they like-”

“I believe they could be, yes. As for Omega, she’s vital to Hemlock’s main objective for the Emperor. Project Necromancer.”

“And (Y/N)?”

“Hemlock wanted her blood for the same purposes as these children, but he also had ulterior motives that his focus has shifted more towards. He stopped taking her samples a while ago.”

“Shifted to what?” Echo asked warily.

Emerie swallowed, “He wants her to join his operatives. He thinks he can… condition her the same way.”

All of what Emerie said made his blood run cold. “Don’t like the sound of that.”

--

“Everybody good?” Omega asked to the group behind her as they all squeezed along the path she had found to their destination.

“Bayrn’s getting restless. H- He won’t be quiet for much longer.” Jax warned.

“Don’t worry. Things are about to get very loud anyways.” Omega stopped and peered through the slats in the wall and saw that the Zillo Beast and the number of personnel watching it was still the same as what it had been when she’d first came upon it. “Wait here.” She removed the grate and sneakily clambered out and made her way to where the controls that were keeping the beast contained were situated.

However, just as she reached it and was determining which buttons did what, she heard Bayrn’s wails echo throughout the chamber, and she knew she had to hurry. She sussed out what controls would get her what she needed and when the button lit up and she pulled on the lever, she heard the winning sound of the system powering down.

As the troopers rallied to try to contain the now very awake and active Zillo Beast, she darted back and hid with the others in the wall once more and had the joy of watching her plan come to fruition.

The chaos and destruction that unfolded was something she knew Wrecker would be proud of.

--

Emerie opened the main vault door but was taken aback by what greeted her. “What’s going on in here?” She inquired as Dr. Scalder was escorted past- groaning and clutching at her head. But what concerned her more was the intense conversation occurring between Dr. Hemlock and Scorch.

“Omega and the specimens have escaped.” Hemlock informed her, rage simmering in his voice. “Due to Dr. Scalder’s incompetence, they exploited a weak point in within the walls. She will be dealt with.”

Just as he said that there was an intense rumble that shook the entire facility and the lights flickered off and on again.

“The Zillo’s loose in the containment level.” Scorch revealed as the information came through his comms.

Whatever was happening had not been what he’d anticipated, clearly, he’d been wise to seek the information from you and Tech, it was just an unfortunate setback that he had been unable to acquire it but no matter, he was still in control. Now that he knew Omega was out, he could go back to what he already knew about their ways. “Shut down the reactor and send a diversion to secure the transport hangar.” Hemlock said sharply. “Check on SP-42, Dr. Karr. Then find Omega. Consider your fate now tied to hers.” He exited the vault.

“SP-42?” Echo murmured, already knowing and fearing the answer.

“Yes.” Emerie confirmed quietly as the other troopers departed. She waited until everyone else left before she spoke to Echo in a louder voice, “I don’t understand. Where could the children have gone?”

Echo may not have understood a lot about the goings on in Tantiss but there was one thing about this that he did know for certain. “Omega. She released the Zillo.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because it’s exactly what I’d do.” He replied with a cheery sense of pride. “She’s splitting their numbers and creating a diversion. Come on.”

The two of them jogged out of the lab and Emerie led the way to you.

--

Echo followed Emerie as she took another sharp turn down a corridor and then opened a set of doors that led to another small, tight corridor with a door a few metres down.

Emerie rifled through one of the compartments in the walls outside the cell and took out your lightsaber which she clipped to her belt before she grabbed the proper medkit. Then, she grabbed a small set of keys from her person and cautiously opened the door, “(Y/N), it’s Emerie and Echo. We’re here to get you out.”

Echo’s mouth went dry as he saw you for the first time since Teth and he took in the dirtied and blood-stained uniform. It was definitely better that he found you like this instead of Hunter but even then, he was still having to steady his own breathing.

“Emerie, I don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, but you’re supposed to stick me with the needle before you say things like that.” You croaked through dry and cracked lips as you kept your eyes shut.

Echo took in the mix of fresh and fading bruises on your face and the way your body was racked with exhaustion. Emerie’s prior information did not even come close to accurate- this wasn’t conditioning, it was torture. “You just allowed this to happen?” He questioned angrily as he snatched the key from Emerie and strode over to your slumped form.

“Oh, now that’s good. He almost sounds like him.” You complimented with a weary sigh.

“I didn’t mean to- Hemlock- he was-” She stopped any attempt at defence because no matter what, she’d played a part in this. “I did what I could to help her.”

“Open your eyes and look at me.” Echo implored as he undid your chains and took off his helmet.

“No.” You whimpered. “It’s a trick. It’s always a trick.”

“It’s not a trick.” Echo reassured you as he rested both hands on your shoulders. “Open your eyes.”

“Echo doesn’t have two hands.” You said, aggressively shaking your head as you kept your eyes tightly shut.

“Look at me.”

“No.”

“Look at me.” Echo pleaded. Time wasn’t on his side here and he needed you back with them.

He sounded so real; you couldn’t help yourself. You slowly opened your eyes and took in the familiar face and the eyes that were filled with worry as they looked at you. “Echo?” You whispered; your tone filled with uncertainty.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“You’re here? This is real?” Even though Omega had told you this would happen, you hadn’t allowed yourself to fully believe it.

“It’s real. And the others are on their way.” He confirmed with a small reassuring smile.

You flung your arms around him and as he returned your embrace, you already began to feel more alive than you had since arriving here.

“Come on, we gotta get you on your feet.” Echo supported you as you shakily stood up.

“Where’s- where’s Omega?” You said through gritted teeth as your body protested the movement. You knew she had a plan of her own but with Echo and Emerie here, you had to wonder why she wasn’t with them.

Emerie gave you a round of E-bacta shots to get you closer to the level of fitness they needed you to be.

At the first injection, you automatically flinched away from her and into Echo’s side.

Emerie paused and chastised herself for being so thoughtless. She held up her hands in a pacifying gesture and apologised, “Sorry. It’s just bacta to help you heal quickly.” But she waited for you to give the okay before she went any further.

You regarded her suspiciously and made no moves to allow her to carry on. You were on edge, just waiting for the familiar effects to set in and for this to all come crashing down around you.

Echo felt your body go rigid as you leaned into him. He’d never seen you like this and it unnerved him. He was so used to seeing you remain unphased, no matter what came your way. Whatever torture Hemlock had done to you had left far more than physical marks. “I saw her grab the med supplies. She wants to help.” He reassured you gently.

You glanced at his face but saw honesty and so you nodded to Emerie to continue.

Once you were more relaxed, Echo answered your question. “Omega’s already helped us out. Her plan to release the Zillo Beast has worked very well so far. Their forces are a bit stretched and frantic at the moment.” He informed you proudly.

“Oh, she’s brilliant.” You murmured with affectionate admiration.

Echo nodded in agreement as Emerie finished tending to you.

“Hey, wait a minute, you do have another hand?!” You gawped before wincing as the final injection entered your skin- the pricks were still a painful reminder of what you had endured here.

“Not exactly the time for that.” Echo reminded you.

“We cannot linger here. We need to keep moving.” Emerie agreed hastily as she put the medical supplies away.

You nodded sheepishly. “Yup, you’re right, you’re right. Keep that for later.”

Echo picked up his helmet and put it over his head. “Can you walk?” Echo asked.

You rolled your sore shoulders as you took a steadying breath and nodded. “The bacta is working. Let’s go.” You called on the Force to help you find that extra bit of strength as you all exited the cell.

--

The three of them stopped again and Crosshair used his binoculars to scan ahead. He saw a squad of troopers with lurca hounds and everything he’d been trying to supress since arriving back here came rushing back. His hand trembled and his breathing came to him in short pants. He couldn’t do this. His brothers couldn’t do this; he wouldn’t let them. “They’ve got heavy patrols guarding the perimeter with lurca hounds.”

“Told you we should’ve brought Batcher.” Wrecker joked feebly, groaning in pain and bracing himself against a tree. He noticed the helmeted looks of concern that were sent his way from both his brothers. “Stop looking at me like that! I’m fine!” He insisted through another groan.

“No, you’re not.” Crosshair disagreed strongly. “Change of plans. You two, head to the communications array and try to contact Rex.” He drew his sniper rifle. “I’ll infiltrate the base myself.”

“Not happening.” Hunter objected.

“Yeah, we’ve handled worse situations than this. Countless-”

“Wake up, Wrecker.” Crosshair snapped. “Clone Force 99 died with Tech.” His voice dropped slightly, “We’re not that squad anymore.”

Wrecker and Hunter reflected on that for a moment and Crosshair was right, they weren’t, it was true. But they’d become something more, hadn’t they? Something that meant far more than just a squad title for a war effort. And Tech, alive or dead, was a part of that too.

“I’ve been inside that mountain. I know what we’re up against. If we all go in, we’re not all making it out.” Crosshair continued. “(Y/N) and Omega need you both. So, I’m doing this alone. It’s- it’s what I deserve.” He said, almost to himself.

Hunter wasn’t going to accept that or even entertain the possibility. “Don’t even think about Plan 99, Crosshair. They need all of us, and so do those clones.” He stood facing his brother, so he knew, even with his helmet on, that he meant every word.

“We’ve always known the risks. And so did Tech.” Wrecker placed a hand on Crosshair’s shoulder.

The sounds of the lurca hounds in distress got their focus back and Hunter looked through his binoculars just as the hounds were running away from their handlers.

“What’s going on?” Wrecker asked.

A deep banging and screaming of dying troopers answered his question as the Zillo Beast emerged from the base with a piercing roar.

Crosshair knew that could only be the result of one of three people. “Whose handiwork?”

“Omega’s.” Hunter and Wrecker said in unison.

“If she’s giving us a way in, let’s not waste it.” Hunter said before setting off towards the base again.

--

Satisfied that it was safe to emerge, Omega removed the grate and led the way over to the ladder that ran up the entirety of the base.

“You want us to climb up t-that?” Jax asked nervously.

“The Zillo got out this way. So can we.” Omega replied but she saw a familiar but fearful reluctance on Jax’s face. “What’s wrong?” She asked kindly.

“I’m not good with heights.” Jax admitted. “I- I guess I’d make a poor soldier.” He said shamefully.

Omega’s eyes softened. “My brother Wrecker hates heights too. And he’s the strongest soldier I know.” She touched Jax’s shoulder in reassurance, “Just stay focused on what’s ahead, not what’s below.” She waved them all over and led the climb up the ladder.

--

“The Zillo breached the bay doors and fled to the jungle after wiping out two full divisions of troopers.” Scorch said as he entered the control room. “We need reinforcements.”

Hemlock kept his hands behind his back but clenched his covered hand into a fist. “Send the shuttles after the Zillo.”

“But, sir, without air support, the rogue clones could exploit our weakened defences.”

“Of course they will. Do it.” Hemlock strode out of the control room.

--

Hemlock entered the training room and powered up the system. Even though he hadn’t wanted to use them just yet, the situation called for it and it was time they had a true test. Even though they’d only come up against you, Hemlock had no doubt that they were ready and could get him the results he needed. He watched with a dark smile as they emerged from their capsules.

He said nothing to them yet, he just motioned for them to follow him out but as he did so, he was interrupted by Scorch again.

“Sir, the Jedi has escaped.” Scorch told Hemlock. “Should I send a squadron to look for her?”

Hemlock massaged his gloved palm harder as he felt that rage flare up again but then a remarkable sense of calm overcame him, and a new idea emerged from the clarity. Perhaps this was the way to go after all. “No need, Commander. Send a squad to accompany the operatives to the hangar bay and when she is found, I want her alive. I want all of Clone Force 99 alive.” He nodded to his soldiers to leave for the hangar.

Now, you all would do the work for him.

All he had to do was wait.

--

The three of you waited until the corridor was clear before you followed Emerie around the corner and down towards another door.

Emerie slid her datapad into the panel and programmed the door to open, but it only opened a fraction before the system shorted out.

Echo peered through the gap and saw the wreckage ahead. “We’re on the right track. Omega definitely came through here.”

“And went where? How are they getting around unseen?” Emerie asked.

Echo followed up path of chaos up the way. “What’s at the top of this shaft?” He moved out the way so Emerie could look.

“It leads up to one of the transport hangars.”

“Any chance you know a shortcut?” Echo checked.

Emerie nodded and made to leave the area.

You didn’t follow them, instead you puffed out a short breath, “This isn’t going to work.”

Echo and Emerie paused and looked back at you.

“I can’t stay with the two of you. The fact we haven’t been caught yet is incredibly fortunate but the longer I’m with you, the more likely it is that’ll happen. We can’t risk either of you being discovered.”

“Well, what do you suggest?” Echo asked.

“You two can go find Omega and those kids, I’ll find Hunter and the others.”

“You don’t know the way.” Emerie pointed out.

“Sure I do.” You motioned through the gap in the door. “Just follow the mess and head straight up, right? I can get there quicker than you can now that I’m free and feeling a lot better.”

“There will be soldiers and you’re not 100%. And there’s no clear way through either.”

“I’m a lot more capable when I’m not bound and tortured.” You argued pointedly.

“It’s still not a viable-”

“Echo…” You tilted your head in his direction. “Please tell her.”

Echo nodded to you and then spoke to Emerie, “She can do it. Plus, you won’t really be able to stop her. There are only two that could, one of them is somewhere in this base and the other is doing his best to get here.”

“He’s right. You’ve helped heal me and I think you’ll find I can be far more stubborn and irritating when I’m not in a permanent state of pain.” You said with a simple shrug.

Emerie sighed but conceded the matter. The debate wouldn’t get them anywhere and, thanks to the bacta, you were on the mend. Plus, you had skills that would aid you in this task. “Very well. You’ll need this.” She handed you your weapon.

You took your lightsaber from her with a nod of thanks.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I should’ve done more to stop him.”

You offered her a slight smile. “Well, you did stop me bleeding out that one time so…”

Emerie wasn’t about to let you let her off the hook so easily. “I should’ve done more.” She repeated seriously.

“You’re doing more now.” You said, dipping your head in acceptance of her words.

Echo rested his left hand on your shoulder. “Be careful.”

You placed your own hand on his upper arm. “You too.” With that, you used the Force to widen the gap in the door and hurried through it.

Echo and Emerie began their more traditional route.

--

You took in the levels of destruction ahead of you and you had to hand it to both Omega and the Zillo Beast, they definitely didn’t do things by halves.

Calling on the Force, you jumped to the next highest safe point you could reach, and kept that going when you could, climbing quickly when you couldn’t, and the hangar was drawing closer by the minute.

You knew it wouldn’t be long before you saw them again.

But you also knew it would be far from over when you reached them.

--

Blasters drawn, the three of them had managed to reach the transport hangar and sneak their way in. The entire hangar was decimated, with bits of it’s interior now reduced to piles of scrap metal. Fires were dying all around them.

Just as Hunter was assessing the situation, he dodged the blaster bolt aimed right at his head.

They all took cover behind some scrap metal and looked ahead at the emerging squad of troopers.

“What now?” Wrecker grunted.

Crosshair was the first to peer out and he saw the stormtroopers but that wasn’t what unnerved him. The sight of four operative soldiers standing on a pile of wreckage is what alarmed him. They couldn’t handle this.

“How many?” Wrecker asked as he saw Crosshair press himself back against the scrapheap.

“Too many.”

“W-we can take ‘em.”

Crosshair steadied his shaking hand. “No we can’t. Not in your condition. We need to fall back.”

“Crosshair-” Hunter tried to argue, not trusting that Crosshair was planning.

“Go! I’ll be right behind you.” Crosshair placed a sticky bomb on the end of his rifle and fired it at a fixture hanging over the main area of the transport bay.

As they began their retreat, the troopers starting firing on them and advancing towards them.

They could only be on the defence as they fired back.

--

You heard blaster fire above you and- breathing hard after the strenuous climb- with one final jump, you reached the ruined transport hangar. Some wreckage blocked your path but you used the Force to push it out your way and the sight that greeted you had your stomach lurching. Troopers were everywhere and, although you had been blindfolded the entire time, you knew the four armoured soldiers making their way through the hordes of soldiers were the operatives Hemlock had pitted you against and were what he wanted you to become. You knew yourself that you still weren’t ready for this type of combat, but you couldn’t do nothing.

You took a revitalising breath as you centred yourself and blocked the lingering pain you were feeling from your mind before you ignited your lightsaber, the shining blue blade giving you that added strength you needed.

With a Force-aided leap, you sailed over the heads of troopers and placed yourself between them and the clones behind you.

--

For a moment, time stood still.

Hunter stopped falling back as he heard that familiar ignition sound and his head snapped towards the source and his breath caught in his throat as he saw you.

It was you. Standing in a soiled prison uniform but in a wash of blue light that stood out from the ember flames was you.

However, something was off as you blocked the blaster fire and struck down the troopers around you. Your movements weren’t quite as fluid or easy as they typically were. You moved stiffly, almost cautiously, and it was obvious to him that you were hurting. He could only let the worst imaginings take hold of him as he thought about what had happened to you and his blood boiled as anger raged through him.

Hunter got a hold of himself and fired at a trooper that was taking aim for your back.

At the sound of a body dropping next to you, you turned and followed the path the shot took, and sharp gasp left your throat.

Everything else around you slowed down and faded into the background as you caught his helmeted gaze. The paint, like his brother’s, had been stripped from his armour, but it was him. He could wear a hundred disguises, decorate his armour in a hundred different ways and you’d know it was him. You’d know him anywhere.

Time swiftly righted itself swiftly again once Crosshair’s bomb went off, shaking the already weak integrity that remained of the hangar. The entire room trembled.  

You cut through the final trooper before you turned off your saber and jumped over the falling ceiling beam. You saw the top of where the hangar bay doors used to be begun to collapse which threatened to block their way out and so you called on the Force and held the structure in place. You could buy them enough time to get out and then you could follow.

But you sensed the oncoming threat a second too late.

One of the larger operatives tackled your waist and you both went sliding along the floor.

--

Hunter and Wrecker watched as the once steady structure started to fall once more. Clearly, whatever help you were providing was no longer available. Now, the approaching gunship was their main concern.

Hunter shoved Wrecker out of the line of fire but the resulting explosions behind him threw him across the room where he clattered into a heap of wreckage and the knock-on impact from the blast saw more falling pieces land on top of him. Darkness engulfed him.

Crosshair killed the pilot and began to run over to the two of them.

Wrecker dashed over to where his brother had fallen, “Hunter!” He removed the metal and picked him up, but he didn’t get very far before a weighted bolas wrapped around his legs, causing him to trip and drop Hunter.

Crosshair caught up to Wrecker, holstered his sniper rifle, and took the vibroblade from the side of Wrecker’s leg and worked on cutting through the rope but he saw another operative heading straight for him. He wasn’t able to draw his blaster in time. The blow landed and sent him careening backwards.

Wrecker couldn’t do anything to help his brother either. The operative that had tripped him up and hit Crosshair now towered above him and pressed his electrostaff straight into the gash in his chest and the pain was excruciating. His entire body was engulfed by the electric current and he didn’t have the energy to fight against the man above him or the hurt anymore, it all got too much, and he succumbed to the darkness.

Stars danced in front of Crosshair’s eyes as his back hit against another piece of debris and his head snapped back against the metal, but he saw that Wrecker was in trouble and he made himself stay awake as he searched for his weapon which he saw a few metres to his right. But his attempts to grab it were thwarted instantly. Crosshair groaned as a foot stamped down on his wrist before he could reach his blaster.

CX-2 caught the vibrosword from his counterpart before he looked down at the pathetic form beneath him, “You should be more careful with your shooting hand.”

Those were the last words Crosshair registered before he saw the blade descend and he felt a deep, searing pain and his sight went black.

--

You and the operative that had attacked you had been engaged in a fight all on your own whilst that had all gone down.

The operative had gained the upper hand in the tussle and your lightsaber had escaped your hold in the struggle.

Right now, you were doing your best to stay conscious as the operative straddled your chest and wrapped his hands around your throat, squeezing hard.

You powerfully facepalmed the underside of his chin so his neck whipped back, stunning him for a second but it was a much needed second.

With that second, his hold on your neck loosened and you were able to remove his hands from you. You pushed him off you and to the side of your body where, with a ragged breath, you got to your feet.

You stomped down hard on his stomach as he attempted to sit up. With one hand, you used the Force to keep him flat on the ground- his futile struggles spurring you on. With the other hand, you called your lightsaber to your it and activated your blade as you swung it down…

“Stop.”

Your blade hovered over the operative’s chest as you angled your head in the direction of the recognisable voice. Your breathing left you in short, uneven pants as you glared at him.

“Surrender or his head goes next.”

Your mouth went dry as you saw what the operative from Pabu was talking about. Crosshair’s shooting hand had been cut clean off and now the long vibroblade weapon was resting over his neck.

“Put your weapon down, or they all die.”

You scanned for the other two and saw another operative standing over Wrecker with an electrospear pressing down on what appeared to be an open chest wound and Hunter lay limp and unmoving on the ground.

The only reassuring thing about this situation was that they all were still breathing. Unconscious, but still alive. And that’s how you wanted to keep them.

You clenched your jaw and ground out a defeated breath as you disengaged your weapon and released your hold of the soldier beneath you.

Your operative got to his feet and snatched your weapon from you and, with a hard punch to your jaw, took your arms behind your back and held your wrists together in a strong and unnecessarily tight grip.

You were too dazed to do anything to resist it.

They moved you all out and back into Tantiss base.

--

Omega reached the top of the level that led to the transport hangar. As they’d all drawn nearer, they had heard the sounds of blaster fire, but it had all stopped now. She only hoped that meant Hunter and the others had gotten through.

She headed off for the hangar bay, the children following behind.

--

Echo and Emerie exited the lift and made for the but both of them slowed as they saw a group of operatives go down the corridor.

There were three soldiers unconscious on hovercrafts.

You were pushed along behind them, your arms held securely behind you by one of the soldiers, a fresh purple bruise on your jaw.

Emerie glanced at Echo and even with the helmet on, she could tell he was worried, “Is that the rest of your squad?” She asked as they all rounded the corner.

“Yeah.” Echo said, his voice low. “Where are they being taken?”

“I don’t know. But Hemlock will keep them well guarded.”

“I can handle that. But we have to find the children first.”

Emerie waited a second in case he wanted to change his mind. She could tell his mind was still with all of you, but he was pushing through for the current objective. “The science hangar is up ahead.”

--

Omega guided the others into the room and took cover by a crate as they all took in the destruction. Whatever had happened here wasn’t solely due to the Zillo Beast anymore- a firefight had occurred here too.

“Do you see your squad?” Eva whispered to Omega.

“Not yet.”

“Hey! You don’t belong here. Call it in.”

Omega jumped to her feet and started to back away from the two troopers, but two stun blasts shot above her head towards the men. She turned back around to see her rescuer was another stormtrooper.

“Causing chaos, Havoc 5?”

“Echo?” Omega gasped happily.

Echo removed his helmet and smiled, “Hey kid.” He then saw more children come out from behind Omega. “And other kids.”

“The shuttles in bay four are still operational.” Emerie informed him as she came back from checking them out.

“You’re helping us, Dr. Karr?” Eva said in surprise.

“I am. But we must hurry.”

Echo put his helmet back on and he and Emerie led the way to the shuttle at a run.

As they reached the shuttle, Omega paused and looked around her. “Wait. Where are Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair? And (Y/N), we’ve got to free her!”

“We got her out, but we split up and now, they’re all detained together.” Echo told her.

“You mean captured?”

“For now.” Echo turned to Emerie and slotted his blaster under his arm. “Can you fly that shuttle?”

“Yes. Why?”

Echo brought out a datacard and gave it to her. “Take the kids to these coordinates. We’ll meet you there.”

Sami, Jax and Eva all looked at one another anxiously.

“You’re not coming with us?” Jax asked Omega.

“There are more prisoners inside, including my family. I can’t leave without them.” Omega welcomed their group embrace and rubbed Bayrn’s head. “Don’t worry. Emerie’s taking you someplace safe. We’ll meet you there.” The kids let her go and stepped away.

“Here.” Emerie passed her datapad to Omega. “This will help you access all wings of the facility.”

“Look after them.” Omega instructed her sister.

“You have my word.” Emerie promised. She placed her hand on Omega’s shoulder. “Be careful, Omega. And…” Emerie took a short breath before she shared her final bit of what she hoped was useful intel. “And if you can, check out the maintenance closet in the prison level. It isn’t what it says, Hemlock spent almost as much time there as he did with your Jedi friend, and he didn’t tell me why. But he never did anything without a purpose. He’s hiding something there; I just don’t know what.”

‘Tech was more resistant to my methods this time.’ Hemlock’s words echoed in her head, and she couldn’t help it, theories and hope started to stir in her. She nodded to Emerie before she and Echo took off back to the base and back to the rest of you.

“You ready?” Echo asked as the door opened just as the shuttle with Emerie took off and away to safety.

She’d succeeded in her initial objective. Now it was time for the next one. “Let’s complete the mission.”

--

This was no nightmare.

This was no illusion.

This was no trick.

This was not a figment of your imagination.

You were not under the influence of any injection or serum.

There was no denying what you were hearing and seeing now.

There was no blocking out this type of agony that you were experiencing.

Hunter’s moans and screams of pain as the electricity crackled against his temples and jolted through the rest of his body were real.

It was all horrifyingly, heartbreakingly real.

And no matter how much you struggled against your captor’s hold, you were helpless to do anything but watch and listen.

There was no convincing yourself that it wasn’t happening.

And you knew would do anything to make it stop.

Hemlock studied the room. Your hands were now bound in cuffs in front of your body, but one operative still kept a vice-like grip on your shoulder. Hunter and the others were in their capsules, bound and powerless. Crosshair and Wrecker were still unconscious, and Crosshair’s right wrist was being sealed off by a droid. He ignored you for the moment, your time would come soon, for now, his attention lied with Hunter. He signalled for the machine to be turned off.

Hunter panted heavily as the torture finally stopped. Everything hurt, his limbs burned, his head felt like it was going to explode- and that was just from this. He could still fill a deep soreness in his ribs from the blast in the hangar bay. And right now, it may have stopped but he still felt the current in his veins, so the pain endured. He could barely keep his eyes open. He attempted to free his hands from the binders, but they were too tight. Then, he heard Hemlock’s cool, quiet voice.

“The last time we crossed paths, you had just lost a member of your squad. And it appears history may repeat itself. CT-9904 resisted my conditioning in the past, but I’ve made alterations to my methods. Something your… partner can attest to. If you all survive, you will make fine operatives.”

Hunter followed Hemlock’s gaze to where Wrecker and Crosshair were and the wave of guilt that he felt upon seeing what he’d brought on them made way for new type of hurt to enter the mix. Then his sights found yours and he saw the fear and distress in your eyes at Hemlock’s words. He had rarely seen you look so genuinely terrified and yet whatever else Hemlock was talking about got that from you.

“No!” You shouted as you violently fought against the hand holding you back. You couldn’t bear it if they suffered that fate or had to go through anymore of this.

Hemlock ignored you and approached Hunter. “And if not, well, there’s no shortage of clones to test on next.”

“We’ll survive. But you won’t.” Hunter said with as much strength as he could muster.

Hemlock regarded the clone pitifully and indicated to the operative to start the process once more.

Hunter couldn’t help the anguished shouts that left him as he felt that electric fire deep in his body once more, each nerve felt like it was burning away.

“Stop! Stop hurting him!” You cried out as you pulled against the hand on your shoulder. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from him. You wanted to take his pain away.

Hemlock turned to you and hummed out a pleased laugh as he saw the torment on your face. He had you right where he wanted you. “Do you know I finally figured something out?”

You breathed heavily as Hemlock touched the recent bruise on your jaw but did nothing to stop him in case it made things worse for the rest of them.

“You didn’t succumb to my methods because they weren’t real. I was foolish to think a Jedi such as yourself would be so easily fooled by mind games. You needed the element of doubt removed and look at the results. One glimpse of the real thing and see how you quickly you fall apart.” Hemlock said smugly.

You weren’t looking at the doctor, you were looking past him to at the man you loved with every part of you.

The man who had brought you into a crazy, wonderful family.

The man who had shown you more patience and care than you had ever deserved.

The man who had enabled you to open your heart to everything he had to offer and who had shown you that attachment could be a beautiful thing.

The man who had your heart and soul.

But was now being put through the worst kind of pain he could experience.

And then you looked to the others. To the ones who had welcomed you instantly and who had risked everything for you and Omega and who were now hurting and endangered because of it.

And it was tearing you apart. “Just let them go. Let him go. Stop this, Hemlock, please.” You choked out.

Hemlock nodded again to get the operative controlling the machine to stop. He wanted the clone awake for this.

Hunter gasped in limited relief as the electricity turned off once more. He fought through the pain to keep his eyes open as he saw Hemlock beside you, a cruel yet somehow gleeful smile on the man’s face that worried him in a way he hadn’t experienced before. There was something deeply unsettling about the sight of him standing so close to you like that.  

“You know, from our time together, I can see why you would fall for her.” Hemlock commented to the clone. “She showed remarkable durability and resolve. She was quite a challenging subject.”

Hunter clenched and unclenched his hands as he watched Hemlock. It wasn’t just the physical torture that had his body feeling this much pain. After what you’d told him about Christophsis, he’d never wanted you to go through that hell again, but you had. He’d been far too late.   

“But of course, such feelings are a weakness, all too easy to exploit. Oh, you should’ve heard her cry out for you, just begging me to end your suffering.” Hemlock pretended to ponder the next decision. “Then again, perhaps you can.” He stood in front of you.

Your blood ran cold as you saw the look in Hemlock’s eyes.

“You wish for his pain to stop?” Hemlock asked you, a wicked and calculated smile on his face.

“Yes.” You said, your voice scarcely above a whisper.

“Beg.”

“No.” Hunter rasped as he heard the demand.

You shoved down the bile that rose in your throat at the thought. “Please.” You breathed.

“Not so resistant now, are you?” Hemlock taunted cruelly. “But I don’t think you mean it.”

“Don’t do it.” Hunter ground out weakly.

But you would. You would do anything. You kept your attention on Hemlock. “I’m begging you, please, please don’t hurt him anymore.”

“More.” Hemlock commanded, enjoying the distraught etched on your face and the pathetic attempts the clone gave at breaking free to stop this.

You didn’t need the pressure on your shoulder that came from the operative by your side. You did it freely. You didn’t care about the humiliation, you only cared about making it end. On your knees, you glanced up at Hemlock, your voice hoarse as you pleaded, “Please. Please stop hurting him. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Hemlock caressed the side of your head. “You know what I want.”

The sight of you begging on your knees for that man caused him more pain than any machine could. Hunter, as weak as he was, still attempted to get out of his prison. You shouldn’t have to do this, not for him.

You did. You knew precisely what he was after, but you automatically shook your head in refusal.

Hemlock simply snapped his fingers.

Hunter tossed his head back and writhed and yelled in pain as the electricity coursed through his body once more.

“No, stop! Please!” You begged. You couldn’t take it anymore.

Hemlock held his hand up and it ceased once more. “Well?”

You swallowed tightly. And it wasn’t just Hunter you wanted to save; you had a family you needed to protect. “I join you, they don’t.” You negotiated quietly, hating the words as they left your mouth.

Hemlock considered the options in his head. Getting a Jedi under his command would be yet another testament to his work and that was worth more to him than these clones. It was a sacrifice he could make. “Join me and I will allow them to remain prisoners here. No conditioning required.”

You knew that was the best you were going to get for them right now. You squeezed your eyes tight as you resigned yourself to what you were about to do and ignored Hunter’s pained and faint protests. “I’ll join you.” You barely got the words out, but you’d said them now. You opened your eyes to that sadistic and twisted grin, the one from your nightmares. The one that he'd wear once he made some kind of monumental breakthrough in his research. And this time, it was warranted. He’d done it. He’d finally broken you.

Another Imperial entered the room. “Doctor, there is an incoming transmission from Governor Tarkin.”

Hemlock signalled back to the operative stood by Hunter’s capsule.

A raw and tormented scream left Hunter’s throat as his senses were overloaded once more.

You rushed to your feet and went to lunge for the doctor, but the operative held you back. “No! You said-”

“Think of it as a reminder of what will happen if you change your mind.” Hemlock said icily as he left the room.

If it weren’t for the bruising grip on your upper arms, you would’ve collapsed to the ground, but you were left with no choice but to stand there and live with what you’d decided and to hear Hunter’s cries.

--

The lift opened to the prison level and before the troopers on guard had time to react, Echo shot them both. He picked up the loose blasters and he and Omega advanced down the corridor.

More troopers came at them, but Echo easily took care of them whilst Omega slid the datapad into one of the terminals.

“Hey, kid. What’s going on?”

Omega turned to the clone that addressed her from behind his cell door. “We’re breaking out.” With that, she programmed all cell doors to open. “Here.” She tossed the clone a spare blaster she had acquired. “I’ll look for the others.” She told Echo, mentally including the so-called maintenance closet in that statement.

Just as she looked down one corridor, she saw another familiar face. “Nala Se!” She ran over to the Kaminoan.

Nala Se knelt down to the girl’s level. “Omega, why did you come back to this place?”

“I had to, but it’s okay. We’re all getting out this time.” She reassured her old mentor before she carried on past her, anxiously scanning for any sign of you all.

--

Omega hadn’t seen any of you, but she had found the door Emerie had referred to. She knew perhaps the hope she was feeling in her heart was foolish, but she couldn’t help it, it was who she was. And she’d rather know for sure than spend the rest of her life regretting that she never tried. She held her breath as she opened the door.

Omega’s exhale left her with an indistinguishable surprised and elated sound as she saw the figure.

He may have a supportive brace encasing his entire right leg.

He may be without his goggles.

He may look dishevelled and weary.

But there was no mistaking his face.

This was her brother. The brother she never thought she would see again. The one that had given up everything for them. Yet, somehow, he was standing there before her.

Omega stared at the man that had turned to face her when the door opened. “Tech?” She gasped, scarcely believing it. She needed him to speak, to confirm that she wasn’t seeing things.

Tech’s eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t dared take Hemlock’s words as the whole truth, but he recognised the child immediately and… and he felt alive again. “Omega?”

Another joyful sound left her throat as happy tears welled in her eyes. She dashed forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Did it not work?” Tech whispered as he rested his hands on her back. He recognised the prison uniform. And he didn’t remember a lot since Eriadu, especially with the months spent enduring Hemlock’s manipulations, but he had thought the rail car had gotten away at least.

“No, it- well-” She stopped. “The main thing to know is Crosshair did betray the Empire and he’s back with us. We can catch you up on the rest once we’re out of here.”

The news about his brother made him sigh in relief. They had been without Crosshair for far too long and Hemlock’s lies had been the only moments he had to imagine what having him back would feel like but the happy emotions it brought had all been spoiled and tainted by Hemlock’s cruelty. Now, he could allow himself to feel that happy again and he could be confident in knowing it was true. Then, he remembered the last part of Omega’s statement. “Out of here?” Tech repeated, the very concept had felt like a distant desire for such a long time.

Omega smiled at him, “Come on, Echo is waiting. We’re breaking everyone out.”

Tech released a long, relieved breath, “An excellent idea.” He concurred. He followed her- a slight limp in his gait now- out of the cell that he hadn’t been sure he’d ever leave.

--

“We gave up hope that anyone was coming to help us.”

Echo held his helmet and addressed the clone that had first spoken to Omega when they’d arrived, “We’ve been looking for this base for a while.”

“Echo, I searched all the cells. They’re not here. But I did find someone else.”

Echo turned at the sound of Omega’s voice but what he saw had his jaw dropping and his helmet fell from his grasp. He said nothing as he walked towards his brother and clasped him close. “I don’t believe it. How- I mean- you called out the plan- we saw you fall.”

Tech hadn’t quite expected the hug, but he welcomed it all the same. It felt good to accept that fighting against Hemlock this time had been worth the pain. This was a truth he could trust. “You forget that my intelligence did not cease to exist after I shot that connection hinge.”

Omega smiled as she heard that loveable cockiness in his voice.

Echo released his brother but kept his eyes on him. “Are you okay?” He asked, voice fuelled with concern.

Tech grew more solemn again. “As much as could be expected. However, I’m afraid to say that I have failed our squad. Hemlock, he wanted information about you all. I resisted when I could but- but his methods were rather… effective at getting the results he wanted.”

Echo had seen what Hemlock’s methods could do so in a short space of time and Tech had been here for months. So, the very fact that he had even held out at all was something to admire. “Don’t worry about that.” Echo reassured him. “All that matters is that you’re alive.”

Tech gave him a grateful bow of his head before he straightened his spine. “I see that I am not the only one with a new look.” He commented lightly, gesturing to his brace and Echo’s mechanical hand.

Echo allowed himself a short chuckle, “Yeah, well, the situation called for it.”

Tech nodded in understanding before he scanned the group of clones around them all. “But where are the others?” Tech asked, fully realising that amongst these newly freed clones, there were four faces that were missing. And the worry that flashed across Echo’s face did nothing to ease his own anxieties.

Giving Tech’s shoulder one final squeeze, he spoke to the rest of the clones surrounding them. “The rest of our squad were grabbed by Hemlock’s operatives. Where else would he take them?”

“Well, they could be in the training room. It’s where Hemlock conditions the clones he deems useful.”

“I think I know where that is.” Omega said, grabbing the datapad. “Follow me.”

“Are you joking?” Rampart shoved past Echo. “The wisest course of action is to leave while we can.”

Echo glared at the man. “Clones don’t leave our brothers behind. And Hemlock’s also got someone who is just as important to us as any other clone.” He moved Rampart out the way and kept his speech for his fellow clones. “Listen, I know you’ve all been through enough. You deserve your freedom. But Omega and I can’t do this alone. Is anyone willing to stand with us?”

The clone that spoke to Omega spoke first, ���I will. I’ve got one more fight left in me.”

That spurred others on. Soon more rallying shouts were declared throughout the group.

“Good.” Echo said appreciatively. Then he turned to Tech and took a reluctant breath, “Tech…”

Tech recognised that look but hearing that the rest of you were in danger had his loyal and protective instincts as a member of this squad come rushing back to him. “I want to go with you.” Tech insisted. “They need our help.”

“You’re not 100%. We lost you once, it’s not happening again.” Echo said firmly. “Get the injured to the hangar and secure a shuttle. You can help them there.” He gave Tech a spare blaster. “We’ll see you soon.”

“Very well.” Tech said with a heavy sigh. Deep down, he knew that his current situation made him more of a liability for such a high stakes mission. He needed to recover properly and get back to form and he could start by helping the rest of these clones.  

Echo put his helmet on once more. “I’ll trigger an alert in a different wing and reroute their troops. The rest of you, grab any weapon you can.”

Tech led the way with the injured, hoping that this would all come to a better conclusion that Eriadu had.

Before Omega left with Echo and the rest of their team, Nala Se’s voice stopped her.

“Omega, I must not allow my science to remain in the Empire’s hands.” She knelt down and placed a large hand on Omega’s shoulder. “The only way you will be free is if Hemlock is gone and the databanks are destroyed.”

“Then let’s get to the lab.” Omega said determinedly.

“No. Your place is with them.” Nala Se nodded to the clones.

Omega dipped her head in both a farewell and in understanding. “You’ll need this.” She gave Nala Se the datapad and watched her walk away before she joined up with Echo and left the cells.

Rampart watched the scientist go, a fresh plan of his own forming in his head as he made to follow her.

--

Hemlock walked back to the training room, working on dampening his simmering anger and irritation. The conversation with Tarkin had not been a productive one and now he was faced with having to deal with the lousy Imperial face-to-face.

He had it under control. Tarkin would just be another nuisance he had to deal with.

--

“The training floor’s two more corridors over.” Omega said to Echo as they eliminated the guards by the hall terminal.

Echo used his scomp to bring up schematics. “The pneumatic tube system runs throughout this base. Think you can use it to get eyes inside that room?” He opened a panel in the walls.

“It worked in the vault.” Omega ran over to the gap and crawled into the narrow space.

“Relay what you see, but stay out of sight until we’re in position.” Echo ordered before she disappeared. He handed her a comm.

“Rodger that.”

--

Nala Se had taken a grenade from a downed trooper as she made for the lab. She had accepted what her course of action would lead her to.

Covertly following her, Rampart grabbed a blaster from another body.

--

Nala Se entered the lab but just as she finished bringing up the databank and blood samples, a blaster clicked behind her, and she was staring down an unhappy looking Admiral Rampart. She activated the bomb behind her back, no one was going to stop her from doing what needed to be done. And if she took this Imperial down with her… well, that was an added bonus.

--

Omega peered out into the room from behind the ceiling grate. All was quiet. You were standing up, your hands in binders with an operative holding on tight to your shoulders, whilst the others were knocked out and in some type of capsule prison. “Echo, I have a visual on them. There’s an operative on guard but I don’t see the others.” She whispered into her comm. “I might be able to free them if you give me a big enough distraction.”

“We’re on our way.”

--

Echo and his group of clones entered the training room but as soon as they entered, the lights dimmed, the floor lit up in a harsh red light and parts of the floor rose up to form obstacles. They were ambushed by the other operatives in seconds.

--

You couldn’t understand why the operative holding you suddenly let you go to activate the downstairs area, but the sounds of blaster fire soon told you why.

You hoped Echo’s plan was going to work.

--

Omega managed to sneak into the room without incident. She caught your eyeline and motioned for you to be quiet as she went over to the main control box. She worked on Wrecker’s first, and she succeeded in removing one of the wrist cuffs. Before she could work on anything else, she felt eyes on her and she let out a fearful gasp as she saw the operative staring at her.

You acted quickly. You ran in front of the operative and saw your lightsaber attached to your belt. You lunged for it but with your hands bound, you were limited in what you could offer and a powerful kick to your chest sent you tumbling to the floor. Winded and gasping for air, you could only watch as Omega’s stun blasts did nothing to stop the advance of the soldier and he took a hold of her arm and dragged her into the centre of the room. You got to your feet just as Hemlock entered the room with the operative from Pabu.

“A glaring weakness in clones is their loyalty to one another.” Hemlock said to the young girl. “Thank you for proving my point.” Then Hemlock beckoned you over to him as you both walked towards the window.

“Now that you’ve joined our ranks, perhaps it is time to see what sort of matters you will have to deal with.” Hemlock said to you. He wouldn’t free you yet, not until he knew for certain that this matter was officially over and dealt with. Your attachment for the clones remained and therefore the margin for error was still too great so for now, you remained in cuffs and his prisoner.

You forced yourself to ignore Omega’s shocked gasp as she heard that.

“Shall we see if they fare better than you did?” Hemlock allowed the firefight to continue for a couple minutes before he pressed the buttons that would introduce his special toxin into the room.

You could only watch on in horror as the clones without helmets started to cough and choke whilst they desperately clutched at their throats before they collapsed to the ground.

“Perhaps an unfair comparison given that I didn’t use this for you but alas, sometimes such things are necessary. You will find that often the most pain gets the quickest results, but with your skills, you will make quick work of things, I am sure.”

“You joined him?” Omega said in dismay.

“I had to.” You croaked, your throat closing up as everything you loved fell apart around you.

--

Having entertained Rampart and his delusions of Imperial redemption for long enough, Nala Se didn’t fear the blaster bolt that entered her chest and as the light faded from her eyes, she took comfort in the fact that this final act of hers would bring peace to Omega’s life.

Rampart heard the rapid beeping of the grenade that rolled free from her hand as she fell, but before he could do anything, his life left him in a flash of blinding white light.

--

Having been the only one with the safety of a helmet to resist the gas, Echo was on his own against the three operatives.

He staggered forward as a knife entered the back of his shoulder. His blaster was knocked out his grasp, so he used his mechanical hand to defend against the swings of the sword from the operative that had cut him, and he succeeded in throwing the black-armoured clone against one of the walls, so his helmet came off and he too feel victim to the gas.

However, Echo didn’t have long to recover before he was knocked to the ground but just as he reached for his blaster, it was kicked away, and he glanced up to see another operative pointing a blaster at his head.

--

Hemlock kept his sights on the scene below. “Their efforts have failed.” Hemlock stated. “Predictably so.”

You were shoved back to stand in the middle of the room with Omega.

Omega glanced at you, but your face was a blank slate. Your posture was slumped and heavy with defeat. You had no fire, no fight in you.

“Sir, there’s been an explosion in the central lab. It’s been destroyed.” Scorch revealed as he entered the training room.

This news snapped you out of your fatigued and defeated state. Hemlock wasn’t untouchable and he knew it. You remembered the nervousness you’d picked up on when he’d first told you they were coming to the base, and you saw the way his body tensed after Scorch’s words. For all his victories and apparent calmness, he knew you were the people that could get to him which was why he’d done everything he could think of to tear you apart. The thoughts sent a surge of strength and resolve through you. What the fuck were you doing? This was your team, your squad, your family. You’d all never stop fighting for each other so why had you? You’d given up so easily and that wasn’t who you were, how could you have lost sight of that? You glanced over to Omega and nodded.

Omega felt hope rise in her chest as she saw the familiar spark and determination in your eyes. She then stole a look behind her to see Wrecker slowly waking up. “You failed too.” She said smugly to Hemlock. “Your data’s gone.” And she wasn’t just talking about the samples, she knew Tech was safe too.

Hemlock whipped his head around to face the two of you. He had what he needed; he could start again. “But I still have you both.”

Picking up on Wrecker’s movements too, you got ready to fight once more. “Hey, Hemlock?” You waited until his eyes arrived on you. “Go to hell.”

Hemlock glowered at you but before he could do anything more, Omega spoke once more.

“And you’re forgetting one thing. We have them.” Omega said proudly.

Chaos erupted.

Wrecker ripped himself free of his capsule and used the portion covering his legs as a shield against the blaster fire before he launched it towards the operatives, the impact of the piece of metal against one of the control towers took down the entire system in the process.

Crosshair and Hunter groggily woke up their confinement also loosened.

Wrecker shakily got to his feet and pushed against the electrospear that the operative shoved towards his chest. He ignored the pain of the electrical current and kept his focus entirely on meeting the soldier strength for strength.

You dashed over to Hunter and rested your bound hands just beside his head “My love, I need you to stand for me.” You murmured with urgency. You placed your hands under his neck and then moved them gently still to his upper back to support him.

Hunter strained to open his eyes as he took in your still slightly blurry form, but he never failed to recognise you or your voice. He nodded and inhaled sharply as he slowly rose with your encouragement.

Whilst you did that, Omega made a break for a loose blaster, but Scorch grabbed her. She struggled against him, but she was forced to stop as Hemlock paired them together with a set of cuffs.

“We’re leaving. Get the Jedi.” Hemlock said to Scorch, passing him a hypodermic with a sedative inside it. He then snatched a blaster from CX-2 as well as the set of controls he kept on his sleeve for his ship. “Deal with them.” He directed the operative before he dragged Omega out,

Scorch came over with as he saw you attempting to aid the clone sergeant to his feet. He speedily stabbed the needle into your thigh and pressed down on the plunger.

You reacted swiftly and slapped his hand away before you landed a kick to his gut, but you felt the broken skin and as you removed the needle from your leg, you saw that the tip of it was wet, and you knew that you hadn’t been fast enough. Some of it had entered your system. A wooziness overcame you and you swayed on your feet as you fought against it.

Scorch recovered from the blow you dealt him and as he saw the unsteady way you stood as well as the lack of clarity behind your eyes, he knew he had done enough to get you compliant. He grabbed your wrist and forced you out of the room as he hurried to catch up with Hemlock.

--

Seeing that Hemlock was escaping with you both, Wrecker thrust the spear above him and kicked the operative back.

Hunter wearily worked on standing up straight and finding the strength to go after you and Omega.

“Get them back.” Wrecker said to Hunter before he let out a roar and charged at the operative he’d been fighting. He tackled his waist and smashed through the cracked window.

--

The gas dissipated and Echo glanced up to see the glass of one of the windows had cracked and there were flashes blaster fire. Whatever was happening above him was the disruption he needed.

And that distraction developed as Wrecker came crashing through the window.

In the mayhem, Echo was able to divert the blaster pointed at his head to the second operative standing behind him and take cover. Even with one operative dead, he was still outnumbered but two more rounds fired past him to disband the operative forces. Echo turned and saw that Wrecker- despite being flat on the ground- had been the one to fire the shots but he was still in danger. Echo fired a series of shots to the operative that Wrecker had forced out of the window and that operative also fell dead to the ground.

But Echo couldn’t ease up. Another operative had recovered from the disruption and attacked them again. Echo opened fire back as he took cover behind one of the obstacles.

Wrecker was slower to react. The shot he took to the inside of his leg as he rolled for shelter was yet another painful sign of how out of it he was. But he needed to get it together, Echo still needed him, and he wasn’t going to let his brother down.

Echo carefully moved around the room. He knew there were two operatives remaining and they made themselves know quickly. Now that the danger of the gas was gone, he had removed his helmet to aid in his breathing but as he walked around the side of one of the wall obstacles, a wave of blaster fire was sent in his direction, and he quickly pressed himself back against the wall. He searched for another way to somehow get behind the operative who had fired on him but as he did so, he felt a threat approaching his own back. As he turned, he saw the operative with the vibroblade weapons lunge for him and his blaster wasn’t primed to take the shot to stop it.

With a loud shout, Wrecker got to his feet and picked the operative up by the neck and smashed his head through one of the walls. That took up the last of his energy, his legs gave out and he fell to the ground with a deep groan.

Seeing his brother go down so heavily alarmed Echo deeply which was why he wasn’t the one to kill the final operative that had emerged. No, those shots came from one of the clones who had rallied by his side for this fight. He gave him a grateful nod before he knelt by Wrecker’s side. The clone could barely keep his eyes open, and he was breathing in short, sharp pants, his pain was obvious. “Wrecker, where are the others?” Echo asked as he looked on worriedly as his brother.

“They’ve- they’ve gone after-” Wrecker broke off with a low groan and couldn’t finish the thought. He was too exhausted and sore to focus on anything other than staying awake.

Echo put it together. “I can help you get there but I need you to get to your feet.” Echo urged as insistent but as caringly as possible, but Wrecker made no move to stand. “Come on, Wrecker, you can do it.” He thought of the first thing he could think of to get him there. “Tech’s alive. He’s waiting at the shuttle.”

“If that’s supposed to cheer me up, it’s a bad way to do it.” Wrecker managed to grunt.

“I’m serious. Omega found him.”

Wrecker glanced at Echo and a brief rush of adrenaline hit him as he saw the serious and honest look on Echo’s face.

“It’s true. I saw him.” The other clone added as he came over to offer his help.

Wrecker allowed himself to believe that because it was now the only thing giving him the strength to even think about getting up. With a determined moan, he got to his feet.

Echo, along with the other clone, supported Wrecker as they all made their way to the shuttle.

--

Hunter had managed to stand and grab the spear that the operative had left behind, but everything was still blurring together in one dark and incoherent shape. He couldn’t fully tell one sense apart from the other, everything was too sore and disjointed.

But he knew there was still an operative up here and he had to focus on finding him.

Crosshair was also beginning to get to his feet and as he saw CX-2 creep next to his pod and aim his blaster at Hunter, Crosshair kicked his arm which caused the shot to go array.

Tracking the sound, Hunter threw the spear in the direction it had come from and heard the sharp blade meeting it’s target as CX-2 was speared in the gut and the power behind Hunter’s through saw doubly sure that he was dead as he was flung back into the power grid and electrocuted.

Hunter grabbed the fallen rifle and spoke to Crosshair through gritted teeth, “I’ll go get them. You should stay here.”

“Not a chance.” Crosshair grunted as he properly got to his feet.

Hunter picked up a second blaster and handed Crosshair the sniper rifle.

Supporting each other, the two of them hobbled out the room to go catch up with you and Omega.

--

The night air was cold as a storm raged on.

Thunder rumbled above you.

Lightening flashed through the black clouds.

The pouring rain pelted against your skin.

The wind whipped across your face.

But as unpleasant as it was, it did help get you out of your sedative state. You just had to wait for the right moment and so long as Scorch had a blaster pressed to your back and Omega was cuffed and attached to Hemlock, it wasn’t the right moment, so you pretended to still be as compliant as you had been when being led through the corridors out of the training room.

Hemlock led the way across the exposed and narrow walkway towards the landing platform. He was almost there. He could rebuild once he got away. He ignored the girl’s struggles and protests as he dragged her further along and pressed the button on the control sleeve that would bring the ship to them. Just as the ship was preparing to land, two blaster bolts hit the right and left engines and the ship erupted into flames.

You used as your moment to take care of Scorch. You smacked the back of your head into his visor and turned on your heels to grab his blaster.

In the push and shove struggle, both of you teetered towards the edge of the bridge. One particularly nasty shove from Scorch saw to it that you fell over the top, but you still had a hold of his blaster, so he toppled over with you.

You just about managed to take a scrappy hold of the one of the bars that formed the boundary of the walkway, Scorch fell past you into the abyss below. The metal was slick against your fingers and being cuffed wasn’t making holding on any easier, your grip was haphazard at best. Which was why you weren’t surprised that you couldn’t keep a secure hold and you slipped downwards, your fingers catching the edge of the platform.

You saw the scene unfolding across from you and you wished there was more you could do to help but all you could do now was fight to keep your head up as your legs dangled aimlessly. You called on every piece of strength you had to hold on and wait this out.

--

Hemlock thrust Omega in front of him and wrapped his arm around her neck as he held the blaster to her head. You were out of the picture for now, his main adversaries remained further down the bridge. “That’s far enough!” He threatened as he saw the clones

Hunter shook the rain from his eyes as he and Crosshair paused to figure out the next best course of action. He had to trust that you would hold on for long enough. Right now, his priority was Omega. He knelt down and kept his blaster trained on Hemlock.

Crosshair did the same, only he rested his rife on Hunter’s shoulder as he peered down his scope.

The two of them synchronised their breathing as the storm echoed around them but that didn’t distract them. Their entire focus was on the two people down the walkway.

“You won’t get past them.” Omega said, no fear in her voice.

“They won’t risk hurting you.” Hemlock said through heavy breaths. “And it’s not only you they have to consider.”

“Neither will you. You need me alive.” Omega countered. “And she’s a lot stronger than you think.” She said, knowing that no matter what, you would be fine.

Hemlock brought her to the edge of the bridge opposite to where you were hanging. “If I go over, then you go over.” He then bellowed down to the clones, “Drop the blasters!”

But Omega wasn’t going to entertain that outcome. Hemlock’s arrogance would be his downfall. She reached into her sleeve and grabbed the tool she had stolen from Emerie’s supply kit.

--

Hunter saw what Omega was doing and understood her plan. “Shoot the binders.” He told Crosshair.

“I- I- I can’t.” Crosshair stammered. He had rarely practiced with his left hand as the trigger hand and these conditions were less than ideal to make such a precise shot. “They’re too close. If I’m off- I can’t risk Omega.”

“She knows what to do, Crosshair.” Hunter said. He trusted Omega and he trusted Crosshair. He had all the confidence that his brother could make the shot. “Wait for her, then take the shot.”

Crosshair let that faith and his own desire to rescue Omega guide him as he rested his finger on the trigger. He could do this. He knew he could. He inhaled and exhaled steadily as he waited on her.

--

Omega stabbed her implement into Hemlock’s thigh and used his surprise to step away from him and she raised their cuffed hands in the air.

When Crosshair’s shot met it’s mark and separated them, she crouched down as she heard six shots hit Hemlock’s chest and she watched his body fall over the side.

--

Releasing a thankful sigh, you braced yourself on your forearms as you worked on hauling yourself back up. You felt a supportive hand tug at your arm and angled your gaze to see Omega doing her best to help you back onto the bridge.

Once safely situated and cuff free thanks to Omega’s tool, you stayed propped on your knees and braced your hands on your thighs as you caught your breath and looked at the young girl and all it took was that glance from you. She crashed into you, and you squeezed her close. “Are you alright?”

Omega squeezed you back and nodded into your neck. “Yeah… I’m okay.” She said through an exhausted but relieved sigh. “Are you?”

“Yeah, kid, I’m okay.” You said, your throat tightening as you realised what was about to happen next. It had been the thing that had gotten you through every night since arriving here. And it had been the thing you had so nearly given up and lost.

You both pulled apart at the same time.

You got to your feet and followed her gaze towards the two men still kneeling further down the bridge. You didn’t need to check with her, you both started running together.

Naturally, you reached them just before Omega did and you didn’t really slow down in your approach.

With adrenaline overpowering your own lingering pain and tiredness, you- getting caught up in the excitement of seeing Hunter again- foolishly forgot about his injuries and all but launched yourself at him. You collided against his chest with a happy cry and flung your arms around him and pulled him close to you.

“Ow ow ow.” Hunter mumbled with a sharp wince as he braced himself against your strength, but he couldn’t help himself, he clung to you just as tightly.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Your words were muffled from where you pressed your face in the crook of his neck. You went to pull away instead, but he wasn’t letting you yet, in fact he readjusted his hold to keep you right where you were.

Hunter breathed you in and let himself get lost in the feeling of holding you and feeling you against him. The familiar shape and scent of your body providing him the comfort and security he needed to alleviate part of the pain he was feeling with his senses. He nuzzled into your neck and used one hand to cradle the back of your head whilst his other arm still kept you tight to him.

The two of you held onto each other like you were terrified it was all a dream and you might be taken away again. The bridge was cold and wet against your legs but after all that had just happened, it hardly mattered now. The rain continued its deluge against your body, but you didn’t care. All you cared about was this moment right here and now.

Only when his body did truly start to protest against the strain, did Hunter relax his arms.

You released your own arms and hid your face in your hands as the emotions of the time that had passed hit you all at once. Sobs mixed with laughter left your throat and racked through your body as you realised that he was safe. That Omega was safe. That they all were safe.

Hunter gently took your hands away and carefully held your bruised face. He used his thumbs to softly wipe some of the rain and tears running down your cheeks. He brushed some wet strands of hair tenderly away from your face before murmuring, “I love you.” A kiss to your forehead. “I love you,” A kiss to your cheek. “I love you,” A kiss to your other cheek.

You stared into his brown eyes as you got yourself under control and they grounded you so completely as you saw the feeling behind them. “I love you too.” You gasped breathlessly. You threaded your fingers in his damp strands and-more mindful of his injuries- leaned forward.

Hunter went to close the gap but the sound of someone managing a strained but somehow still very pointed cough caused you both to stop and you turned your head to see Crosshair and Omega waiting expectantly.

“What? No hugs for us?” Crosshair said with a light-hearted, albeit pained, smile at the two of you.

You huffed out a chuckle and together, you and Hunter slid into their embrace, and you all wrapped your arms around one another. You shared in that moment until Omega decided to break away.

You all got to your feet, but you noticed how unsteady both Crosshair and Hunter were.

With Omega looking out for Crosshair, you focused your attention on Hunter. “Lean on me.” You instructed him as you placed his arm around you, and you took on his weight as you all made your way to the transport hangar.

--

You all reached the shuttle and slowly walked up the ramp but the person you saw tending to Wrecker’s wounds had you all forgetting any remaining aches and pains.

All three of you inhaled sharply and stopped short. You shared a look to make sure you were all in agreement with what- or rather-who you were seeing.

“Yeah, you’re not seeing things.” Wrecker told you all with a cheery disposition.

Echo had a small yet delighted grin on his face as he took in the stunned yet happy reactions from all of you.

“Oh… did I not mention that?” Omega kidded, a joyous smile on her own face.

“Tech?” Crosshair all but whispered.

“You’re alive?” You and Hunter said together, emotion overwhelming both of you as you spoke.  

“You sound surprised.” Tech said with a small smile. What did catch him by surprise though was the way he was dragged into a large group hug with all six of you.

And as the shuttle took off and you all had that minute together, you were hit with a remarkable sense of home.

--

The shuttle landed in Pabu and the rescued clones steadily departed the shuttle first.

Echo, Omega and Wrecker were the first of you all to leave with Echo wanting to check on Emerie and Omega wanting to check on her friends from the vault.

Tech made to go too but hesitated as he caught the attention of a familiar face.

Phee’s eyes widened. She walked up the ramp and took in the messy yet totally recognisable man in front of her. “Well, brown eyes, it’s about damn time.”

Tech made to adjust his non-existent goggles but caught himself. “I was- uh- rather occupied for a while.”

Phee raised her chin and smiled. She came up the ramp and linked arms with the clone. “Now your survival is an adventure I want to hear all about.”

You could’ve sworn you saw the faintness of blushes on Tech’s cheeks.

“Well, it involved a grappling hook and some pretty fast thinking. I was falling…”

You, Hunter and Crosshair watched them walk away and you caught the completely astonished expression on Crosshair’s face. It was possible he was more taken aback by that than by seeing Tech come back from the dead.

“I have a question.” Crosshair asked as he stared at the fading figures.

“What’s that?” You said, pretending to have no idea as to why he looked so bewildered. You welcomed Hunter’s arm that looped around your waist and the look he gave you told you that he was willing to play along.

“We just spent the duration of that journey getting medical attention and catching Tech up on everything that had happened since you all ignored Plan 88, right?”

“Right.” Hunter agreed, ignoring the playful jab.

“And I was on Pabu and with you all a good while before everything went to shit.” Crosshair said.

“Uh huh.” You concurred, a slightly teasing smile on your face as you waited for him to get to the point of his question.

“So, please explain to me why no one thought to tell me about that.” He pointed with his left hand towards Tech and Phee. “Since when did Tech get- I mean how- just what exactly is that?”

“Oh… that.” You feigned a sudden realisation. “Huh, I guess they did get pretty close whilst we were staying here. How many dates was it before we had to leave, Hunter?”

Hunter matched your teasing tone. “Yeah, I don’t know. At least three or four- not that Tech truly realised that’s what they were. We really didn’t tell you?” He asked Crosshair, a smirk on his face.

“You two are impossible.” Crosshair groused before he walked down the ramp, muttering under his breath.

You laughed quietly as you watched him leave.

Hunter let out a low chuckle too as he brought you in closer to his side and he pressed his lips to the top of your head before you both walked out the ship.

--

Emerie observed the children from afar and was pleased to see them chasing the animals of the island and interacting with the Omega and the other young clones. “They’ve adapted quickly.” She said as Echo approached her side.

“Kids are resilient.”

“A childhood’s not something we ever had. Our lives have never been our own.”

“Until now. I’m heading to Pantora to help get some of the clones settled. I’m sure Senator Chuchi would find whatever you have to say very helpful for our cause.”

“I have a lot to make up for. I’d like to help out however I can.”

Echo rested a hand on her shoulder before he made for the shuttle once more.

Emerie followed a few paces behind.

--

As you and Hunter were making your way from the shuttle, Omega called out your name.

You paused and turned to see she had brought a group of kids over with her.

“These were the children I was telling you about. This is Eva, Jax, Sami and Bayrn.” She introduced each child in kind before she introduced you and said to them, “And this is my friend I told you about.”

“Hello.” You said warmly as they looked at you, both with curiosity and nervousness.

“I um, I filled them in on everything. I hope that’s okay.”

You nodded. “You contact Rex, I’ll catch up.” You said to Hunter whilst Omega went to go find Batcher. You crouched down in front of the remaining children. “Omega told me a lot about you too. I hear you all helped with her escape plan, that’s pretty impressive.” You said sincerely, keeping your voice tender and kind.

“Omega was the one that led it. It was all her. We didn’t do too much.” Jax said.

“A team is only as good as everyone in it. You all had a part to play, and you did it well.” You cleared your throat as you readied yourself for the next part. “Now, I know Omega has told you that I’m a Jedi, and did she tell you what that means?”

All of them nodded.

“Okay, that’s good. And I have to ask, have any of you ever like an object moved without you touching it, or you were somehow able to jump higher than you expected?”

You knew Baryn couldn’t really understand and wasn’t paying much attention as he babbled away in Sami’s arms, but you figured he was there for the same reasons as the rest of them nodded again.

“We’re going to look out for you whilst we work on getting you back to your families, but life will always be a bit different for you now, and you’ll still have to be careful. But I can teach you some things whilst you’re still here that should help and once you’re home, if you or your parents have any more questions, you’re welcome to come back.” You offered, smiling at them as they nodded. “Alright, that’s all from the grown up for today. Carry on exploring.” You said fondly before you stood up and went to rejoin Hunter and Omega

--

You, Hunter and Omega had taken up position by the weeping maya tree with Batcher lying by Omega’s side. You all watched as the clones walked around freely and the children from the vault got to enjoy being kids once more and it was a delightful sight to take in.

“With Hemlock gone and his data destroyed, they’re finally safe.” Omega said with relief.

“Mm-hmm.” Hunter agreed and released a relieved sigh of his own as the impact of that statement properly hit him. “And so are both of you.”

“Will it take long to find their families?”

“Rex and I are working on it, but we’ll look after them until then.”

“And that brings the adoptive parent tally up to eight- nine including Gungi.” You kidded affectionately before you laid down next to Hunter and rested your head in his lap.

“Like you didn’t just offer them that exact thing whilst I was speaking to him.” Hunter retorted playfully as he brushed the backs of his fingers across your cheek.

You stuck your tongue out at him before the sound of the shuttle powering up grabbed all of your attention. You raised your head and saw Echo getting ready to depart with some of the clones that wanted to continue the fight. All four of you dipped your heads and smiled in farewell.

“What about the rest of the clones?” Omega asked as she watched the shuttle leave. “Will they stay here on Pabu?”

“Well, it’s up to them. They’re free to follow their own path.” Hunter exhaled tiredly but kept his voice light as he said, “We’ve all fought enough battles for one lifetime. Now we get to choose who we want to be.”

“Like what?” Omega asked.

You smiled at Hunter and placed your head back down in his lap. You closed your eyes and let the sun’s warmth seep into your skin.

“Whatever we want, kid.” The girl leaned against his arm and his voice and face softened at the action, “Whatever we want.”

Then, as the Tech, Wrecker and Crosshair came to sit down with the three of you, Hunter stared down at your utterly content form and stroked a hand past your brow and through your hair.

He had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to be next.

Post S3 oneshot>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @arctrooper69, @andreaaxy, @notgonnaedit, @dominoeffectsworld, @allthingsimagines , @nightmonkeysstuff , @jellybeanstacey0519 , @callsign-denmark , @superbookishhufflepuff , @qvnthesia , @justsomerandompersonintheworld

[danikamariewrites]

Okay but being mated to Az, Cass, and Nesta but you don’t know and a foreign dignitary comes to stay at the House of Wind with the four of you and Rhys asks you to seduce/be flirty with them and the three of them are absolutely feral trying to keep their jealousy down

Just One Night

Nessian x Azriel x reader

A/n: I’ve been dying to write another fic with these four! They would absolutely want to kill Rhys for this especially Nesta.

Warnings: possessive Nessian & Azriel

Today is the day. Nesta had decided for the group that today they would tell you about the bond. She was just waiting for you all to get out of a meeting with Rhys and her sister. The last thing Nesta wanted was to confess the bond - and her love for you - in front of Rhys.

Nesta heard the angry footsteps echoing off the marble floor of her mates before she saw them. Setting her book down she tilted her head curiously at their disgruntled looks. The males dropped into their respective arms chairs letting out dejected sighs. Nesta stood with her arms crossed and a raised brow as she looked between the two.

“Well.” She said sharply. Azriel let out a low growl from the back of his throat. She felt his annoyance down the bond and looked to Cassian for an answer. Sighing through his mouth and rubbing the bridge of his nose Cassian bites out, “Rhys is having her seduce the emissary from Montesere. Cyrus Yarrow.”

When they looked up at Nesta those silver flames were dancing with anger in her eyes. Her left one practically twitching. “He’s having her do what?” She growled. Nesta turned on her heel, black dress flaring dramatically. Cassian grabbed her wrist before she could go give Rhys a piece of her mind.

Her fist balled. The first and only warning Cassian would get to release her. Letting go his open hand hovered cautiously. “Wait. She, just…she took the job. She knows what to get from the guy and we won’t let it get farther than that, yeah?” Nesta cracked her neck, letting out an annoyed sigh. “Fine.”

“You don’t want to be overbearing, Nes.” Azriel said. That deep, even voice relaxing her. “You’re right.” She looked back at her mates as Azriel waved her over. His arms open for her. Without hesitating Nesta sat on Azriel’s thigh, resting her head against his chest. “I know you’re impatient,” he says against her hair, “the Mother knows we are too, but we want to make it special for her.”

———

Pulling out the garment bag from your closet a knock sounded at your bedroom door. “Come in!” You hear whom ever enter, shuffling around the room. Nesta poked her head in your closet. You smile at her, “Hey you.” She gives you an equally dazzling smile. For a moment you swear something like love sparkles in her eyes.

Your heart leaped at the thought then quickly sunk. Remembering how in love she is with Cass. Blinking rapidly you plaster that smile back on your face. “What’s up?” You ask lightly. “I thought we could get ready for the ball together.”

You nod vigorously. “I would love that.” You and Mor used to get ready together - Feyre too - until she found Emerie. Usually when Rhys gave you a job for the evening you liked to get ready alone. Being alone lets you think through your plan for the night. Being with Nesta will be a nice change though. She was able to distract you from the awaiting nightmare of Cyrus.

Cyrus Yarrow was renowned for the females he chose to surround himself with. Always beautiful and charming. He was also quite demanding and handsy when he found something he liked. A shiver runs down your spine causing you to shake, your chin dropping to your chest.

Looking back up you saw Nesta had moved closer to your face. Her hand poised to draw with the kohl on your lid. “Are you ok?” You give her a small nod. “Stay still,” she giggled. A warmth bloomed in your chest at the sound.

———

The ball was in full swing. Nesta had stolen you for the first dance before you were swept away by Cyrus. Azriel had grabbed her waist before she could kill the male, dragging her into a waltz she could do in her sleep. Cassian was sending waves of calm to her down the bond. He stepped in for Az once the song was over. Also so Azriel could keep an eye on you for the night.

“Remember what Azriel said, Nes.” She gave him a curt nod, looking over her shoulder for you as they spin around the floor. “Hey,” Cass demanded, taking his hand from her waist to grip her chin. “She is fine. She is capable. I know the instinct to protect her and be by her is intense, we’re feeling it too. But tomorrow, he will be gone.” “Yeah.” She mumbled. Cassian pressed a quick kiss to Nesta’s lips before dipping her dramatically.

Azriel watched from the shadows as you entertained Cyrus. His party from Montesere was nothing like him. Kind and proper as they chatted with Mor and Feyre. His eyes bounced between the groups wanting to make sure that his court was safe. Feyre stood up straighter. A shocked and confused look pulling at her features.

He met his High Lady’s gaze and she tapped on his mental shield wasting no time in updating her spymaster. Cyrus no longer held the power they were told about. His Lord had stripped his title a week ago. This relieved Azriel. It meant he wouldn’t feel guilty about pulling you away from work and that Rhys wouldn’t give him a tongue lashing.

The Shadowsinger was about to step in and save you from Cyrus’s awfulness when a panicked feeling froze him in place. His shadows had reported Nesta and Cassian were safe. He even spotted them smiling and laughing as they danced.

When the realization hit Azriel that it was you projecting your feelings down the bond ran to you, sending his shadows ahead to pull Cyrus off of you. The look of disgust on your face had his instincts to protect you screaming at him to go.

Azriel drew Truth Teller, holding it to Cyrus’s neck. “Back away from my mate.” Azriel said practically roared. The fae around them stopped, gasps sounded through the crowd as they stared. You clung to Azriel’s arm through the whole ordeal. As the word mate left his mouth you stared up at Az, your eyes twinkling with love.

You had always had a crush on Azriel. But Nesta, you thought to yourself. No, you’d let her go. You have Az now. “Mate,” you repeat. Azriel stilled as the realization of the word he just spoke dawned on him. He slowly turned to look at you. The corners of your lip turning up at the his shock.

“Yeah, umm…” His gaze drifted behind you. You followed his gaze to find a stunned Cassian and a fuming Nesta. “Az?” You ask softly. The party had resumed around you as the couple stepped closer. Cassian placed his hands on Nesta’s shoulders in a calming manner. “Why don’t we all go talk somewhere else.” Cass suggested. “Why do we all,” you trail off as Nesta grabs your hand to drag you out of the ball room.

You kept looking between Nesta, Azriel, and Cassian as she leads you to the living quarters of the House of Wind. Her iron grip never leaving you. Entering the main living room Nesta drops your hand making a beeline for the bar cart housing one of Rhys’s expensive bottles of whiskey. Pouring herself a finger she downs the amber liquid in one go.

“I thought,” she started, her tone dangerously calm, “we wanted to make it special. To do something sweet for our mate.” Nesta flashed her perfect canines in a saccharine smile at the males. Azriel’s jaw tightened. His head dropped, clearly frustrated with himself.

You hold his hand with both of yours. Running your thumb across the back of his hand in calming circles. Nesta’s words caught up with your brain. Our, she had said.

You looked at her with wide eyes. “Our? As in all three of you are my mates.” Cassian couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah sweetheart. You have all three of us. We’ve been waiting to tell you and we wanted to make it special. Cyrus just got in the way.” You covered your mouth as happy tears lined your eyes. That warm feeling in your chest that appeared with Nesta earlier returning. The bond glowing fiercely as it branched out to all three of them.

You sink on to the plush couch taking in the information. You have been blessed with three mates. Each one you were madly in love with. And you get to love them all for the rest of your life!

Cassian came to sit beside you. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders pulling you into his side. You could sense the apology on his lips before he could even say it. Cassian has always been too apologetic for his own good. You grabbed his hand resting on his thigh. “I’m not mad. I am incredibly happy to hear this.” Cassian’s head dropped to rest on yours. Azriel takes the spot next to you wrapping his arms around your waist pressing a kiss to your cheek.

You stare at Nesta who hadn’t moved an inch since you entered the room. You wave her over to join couch snuggles, tugging on the bond to entice her. Nesta ran at you. Jumping to straddle your lap and pushing Cass and Az off you. You hugged her tightly inhaling her scent of fire and steel masked by the vanilla and almond perfume she wears.

“I love you so much, y/n.” She whispered just for you to hear. “I love you, Nes. With all my heart.” You whispered back, just for her to hear.

[jerzwriter]

This series tells the story of how Tobias and Casey's second child, Brooke Vivian Carrick, came to be. In this third part, the first trimester is behind them, and the happy couple spreads the news—first to their two-year-old daughter, Samantha, and then to their friends.

Book: Open Heart (Post Series) Pairing: Tobias x Casey Carrick (F!MC) Characters: Samantha Carrick (F!OC), Ethan Ramsey, Jackie Varma, Sienna Trinh, Aurora Emery, Bryce Lahella, Jordan Carrick (M!OC) Rating: Teen Words: Part 1: 685 / Part 2: 1,009 Summary: See above. A/N: I have artwork for this series, and I hoped to have it posted by yesterday (August 30th is Brooke Vivian Carrick's birthday in my little world). But my real life world interfered, so it's coming, but a little later. lol Participating in @choicesaugustchallenge Day 7 (Sunshine) and Day 11 Barbeque.

Series Masterlist Tobias x Casey Masterlist Full Masterlist

“We’ve got to tell her,” Casey insisted. Her second pregnancy was not at all like her first. The first time, she couldn't wait for her 'bump' to show, and it seemed to take forever. This time, she swore it appeared just after the two little lines formed on the pregnancy test. Her two-year-old daughter, Samantha, had already announced, “Mommy is big now,” to everyone they knew.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Tobias agreed. “I think my Mom has been trying to hold back her excitement a little since Sammy doesn’t know yet."

Casey’s eyes went wide. “Wait a second. You think that your Mom... your over the top Mom... your I’m sending an interior decorator over to design the new nursery, even though you just ended your first trimester, and the party planner wants to talk to you about the baby’s first birthday party Mom... has been holding back?  If that’s the case, we may want to reconsider telling Sammy... ever."

“Come on,” Tobias smiled. “You know she’s only going to get worse regardless. Let’s let Sammy in on the news. Then we have six months to help her prepare for her little sister coming home.”

“Sister or brother,” Casey reminded.

But Tobias just shrugged. “Yeah, whatever." He had no doubt they were having another little girl.

It was a quiet afternoon at home, sunshine pouring in their living room window when they decided to share the news with Samantha. All of Sammy’s favorite stuffed toys were arranged on the living room floor, and the toddler’s curls bounced as she played and danced with them. Her contagious giggle echoed throughout the house when Daddy made her teddy bear break dance.

Casey’s heart warmed at the sight of them. Their lives had changed drastically over the past few years, but they wouldn’t have had it any other way. She looked at Tobias, and he nodded. It was time.

"Sammy," she said gently. "Mommy and Daddy have something exciting to tell you."

Sammy looked up with wide eyes, her little hands clutching her teddy bear. "What, Mommy?"

Tobias reached out and took the little one’s hand. "You're going to be a big sister, sweetheart.”

“Yep,” Casey smiled, cuddling close to Tobias. “Mommy’s growing a new baby in her belly.”

Sammy blinked, her expression pensive as she took in the news. She looked between her parents, then pointed to Casey’s belly. “In there?” she asked.

“Yep. That’s why Mommy's getting bigger,” Casey smiled. “It’s the baby growing in me.”

“Oh,” Sammy said, turning back to her teddy bear. "That's nice.”

Tobias and Casey shot each other an amused look. Sammy was more excited than this when they told her they were ordering pizza.  

“Sammy,” Casey chuckled softly. "Do you know what this means, sweetie?"

Sammy looked up again, her big brown eyes curious. "More toys?"

Tobias laughed, pulling her into his lap. "It means you'll have a little sister to play with all the time."

Casey playfully elbowed Tobias. “A brother or a sister!” She corrected. “We don’t know yet.”

Casey held back a laugh as Tobias once again muttered, “Whatever,” under his breath.

"Does Pietro know?" Sammy asked.

Tobias pulled the precocious child onto his lap and smiled. "We'll tell him as soon as he's done with his nap," he said.

"Okay. We play now, Daddy?”

Casey leaned in to kiss Tobias on the cheek, both amused with their daughter’s nonchalant reaction.

"Of course we can, sweetheart," Tobias replied. “And what do you think about ordering pizza to celebrate?”

“PIZZA!” Sammy screeched, jumping to her feet. Her little body began dancing to music no one else could hear. “Yes! Yes! Pizza! Daddy, we order pizza now!"

“Right now," Casey laughed, pulling out her phone to order. As she waited for them to answer, she turned to Tobias with a smile. "Well, now we know what to do when we bring the baby home."

“What's that? Order pizza,” he smiled.

“Nope, dress her up as a slice of pepperoni.” Casey grinned.

Tobias's eyes crinkled as his grin widened; all the joy he was feeling sparkled in his eyes. “You said her,” he whispered with a satisfied grin.

Casey placed a hand on her little bump, “Well, see," she chuckled. "But for now, let’s order the pizza!”

Telling their friends:

The following Saturday found Tobias in his happy place, telling stories and holding court as he worked the grill in their cozy Boston backyard. Tobias and Casey’s barbeques had become a staple in their friends’ lives, but they hadn’t hosted many in the past couple of months, making this one feel even more special.  

Casey sat at the table with her friends, Jackie, Sienna, and Aurora, pouring each of them a glass of delicious virgin Sangria, but Jackie appeared to take offense.

“Virgin? In this house?” she teased.

Tobias glanced at Casey over his shoulder with a grin. “I told you," he winked at his wife. "Jackie! There's wine in the cellar; feel free to spice it up."

With a playful huff, Jackie fetched a bottle of Pinot Noir and liberally topped off everyone’s glasses. When she reached Casey, however, Casey placed a hand over her glass.

“I’m good,” Casey smiled as her friends exchanged curious glances.

Tobias turned the last steak over, pleased with how perfectly they were coming along. He loved having the grill to himself today. The mere mention of Ethan's goddaughter, Sammy, bonding more with her uncles Jordan and Bryce had Ethan scurrying over to join the trio on a blanket on the lawn. It was a rare victory for Tobias in their ongoing rivalry over who was the true king of the grill.

After the food had been served and everyone’s bellies were full. Bryce mentioned something about dessert, which was met with groans and a napkin tossed his way.

“I think we should let the food settle before we move on to that,” Casey smiled. “I need to make some room to properly enjoy Sienna’s brownies.”

Tobias caught Casey’s eye, and they shared a conspiratorial smile. Taking her hand, he cleared his throat to capture their friend's attention. “Casey and I actually have a way to pass the time. We have an announcement to make."

“I’m pregnant,” Casey beamed. “We’re having another baby.”

Jackie smirked, recalling a conversation from a few months back. “Well, it didn’t take you long, did it, Carrick?”

Tobias turned to her with a grin. “Was there ever any doubt?”

As the guys shook Tobias’s hand and bro-hugs were had, Casey could barely peel Sienna off of her while Aurora rolled her eyes and shooed Sienna away to give everyone a turn.

“So, baby number two,” Aurora giggled. “Looks like you’re well on your way.”

“On my way?” Casey asked, laughing. “On my way to what?”

“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t remember,” Aurora said with a grin. “That day when we first met Tobias at the deli. You don’t remember what you said on the walk home?”

Casey blushed, hiding her face as Tobias jumped in. “Oh, she remembers.”

“Do we really have to revisit that?” Casey pleaded.

“Sure do!” Aurora grinned, turning to face the others. “If you think trying to save a man from dying was enough to keep these two from falling into lust at first sight, you’d be wrong! They were all but salivating over each other. It was just so... them! Then, on the walk home, Casey's going on and on about how hot he was and how she was going to have his first six children - or something like that."

“Casey!” Sienna chuckled.

“What?” Casey blushed. “He’s hot. But to make things worse, I said that just as Mr. Big Ego over here rolled up in his Jaguar. I prayed he didn’t hear, but on one of our first dates, I told him I always wondered if he had…”

“And I was all too happy to let her know I did,” Tobias finished, chuckling. “I just wasn’t sure who the lucky bastard was. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that I was more than pleased to know it was me.”

Ethan groaned, dragging a hand over his face as everyone laughed. “A classic Carrick beginning.”

“So, apparently, Casey was prophetic,” Jordan laughed.

“Not quite,” she corrected. “Because, as Aurora said on that day, there’s no way I’m having anyone’s six kids. Two will be just fine."

“Honey,” Tobias whined playfully. “Come on, you know I always said we should make our own softball team.”

“Keep dreaming, babe.”

“Yeah,” Jordan winked. “Practice makes perfect, big bro, but maybe stick to the practice part.”

“Please, I think he knows that," Jackie teased. "If not, the world would have already been overrun with little Carrick spawns before Casey even came along."

“Yeah, and then these two would be adding dozens more,” Sienna chuckled.

“Guys!” Ethan said, exasperated. “They just announced they’re having a baby. Do we really have to go there?”

“What’s wrong, Ramsey?” Bryce laughed. “Does the world-renowned doctor need a refresher on where babies come from?”

Ethan pulled a twenty-dollar bill out from his pocket and threw it on the table with a sigh.

Tobias raised an eyebrow. “What’s that for?”

“Baby Carrick #2’s therapy fund. I’ve already put a decent amount in Sammy’s account, but with you two as parents, this little one is going to need it, too.”

The yard was filled with the hum of friends laughing in agreement, reaching for their wallets and purses to add to the growing pile.

“You guys are too much,” Casey laughed. “Our little ones are very lucky to have us as parents – and all of you as their family, too.”

“You got that right,” Bryce said, giving Casey a congratulatory kiss on the cheek. “Everyone, raise your glasses! To Tobias and Casey - congratulations on your first planned pregnancy. We wish you all the best.”

“Bryce!” Casey laughed, giving him a playful shove.

As night fell and the fairy lights flickered on, casting a warm glow over their little urban oasis, the backyard buzzed with well wishes and joy. Sammy had dozed off in her playpen, with her protective cat Pietro by her side. For now, the little one had no idea what all the excitement was about, but for everyone else, it was the perfect end to a perfect day.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[ilcuoreardendo-fic]

From Here on Out (Echo x Reader)

I needed a little break from plotting my Echo x Jedi!OC fic, so here you go.

Takes place at the tail end of the series finale. (All because I saw a post asking what you were going to do with your clone now that you knew they were living out a long life on Pabu. Well, Echo's obviously not staying on Pabu.)

_________________

“What are you doing?”

You’d recognize that voice anywhere, challenging and firm but always with a soft-edge. For you. Even when you exasperate him. As you’re sure you’re doing right now.

You close the container of blaster power cells you were double checking, tuck it into the weave of the storage shelf. You pick up your pack, sling it over your shoulder and glance at him as you turn. He looks strange in the shiny white armor, without his neural interface. He’s staring at you; it’s too soft to be a glare, but he’s not pleased.

He’ll get over it.

“What’s it look like?” you say, heading toward the cockpit. “Coming with you.”

He sighs. His footsteps are heavy behind you. You feel his stare as you tuck your bag under the console, settle into the copilot seat.

He says your name and the way he says it, softly, like you’re something precious and fragile, makes your heart clench.

You take a breath, spin the chair to face him, looking up at his face, pale and stern. You remember the first time you met him.

The job Cid had arranged had gone sideways; you’d gotten the intel but the client had decided you wouldn’t live to possibly share it with Cid (which, admittedly, had been the plan). The Batch was sent to extract you.

Even now, what stands out isn’t the fear for your life amidst the ear splitting ring of blaster fire but Echo’s weight bearing you to the ground, his eyes, dark and serious and concerned, as he asked if you were injured; the warmth and breadth of his hands as he’d checked for himself before you’d caught his hands, assured him you were okay and watched the sweet blush spread over his nose.

“No, Echo. I stayed with the others when you decided to leave with Rex. I understood what you needed to do and that you needed peace of mind. And then I waited on Pabu because you were concerned about the coming dangers. But you realize danger came here?” You can still smell the ozone of blaster fire, the choking smoke of burned down homes and livelihoods. You can still hear the screams.

Echo looks guilty and that’s not what you’re after.

You stand, go to him, put your hand on his face, palm cupping the edge of his jaw, fingers tracing the shell of his ear. He leans into your hand. A reflex. His arm slips around you.

“I just want to protect you.”

“I know. But the galaxy isn’t a safe place. You can’t protect me. And I can’t protect you. But we can work together. We can be together. You wanted to do more? So do I. And we can do more. And look out for each other while we are. For as long as the Force or the universe or whatever will let us. And isn’t that something?”

“Sweetheart…” With a sigh, Echo closes his eyes, presses his forehead to yours. “You always make too much sense.”

“You think you’d listen to me more often, then.”

“I’m afraid I’m not very logical when it comes to you.”

“Well,” you murmur, “we can work on that.” And you kiss him, softly, almost tentative. It’s been a while and it almost feels new. His lips are warm, surprisingly soft. And he makes a noise that, if you were somewhere more private, would have you shoving him up against the wall.

Someone clears their throat and you both start, turn to the doorway where Emerie stands. You’d met her briefly when she first arrived, before getting lost in the logistics of getting the children she’d brought with her what they needed and preparing for the imminent arrival of the rescued clones.

She’s looking at the two of you—your hand still on Echo’s face, his right arm around you, scomp pressing into your lower back—with surprise but seems to catch herself, schooling her features into a neutral expression. “All of the clones who are coming to Pantora are on board,” she says and disappears back into the ship.

You glance at Echo. “Time to go.”

“You said your goodbyes?”

“I have the hug-bruises from Wrecker to prove it. Omega has my comm code. I promised to visit.”

He smiles, small, a little nervous. Genuine. “All right.”

You settle into your seats and mere moments later you’re passing through the atmosphere of the planet and into the blackness of space.

Once you get the clones settled on Pantora, with Senator Chuchi, he says, you’ll rendezvous with Rex and his remaining men and start talking plans, from rebuilding what was lost on Teth to the next blows you’ll strike against the Empire.

Echo gets the ship into hyperspace, reaches over and takes your hand. He raises it to his lips, places a warm kiss on the back of it. As he looks out at the starlight, he weaves his fingers with yours, giving your hand a squeeze.

You know what that is. A silent promise.

Everything you’ll do from here on out, you’ll do together.

[totallyunidentified]

Friendly Fire

This is the longest thing I've written yet.

I started this right after episode 14 came out early Wednesday morning.

Enjoy my little Echo ficlet/Prophecy

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 14 OF TBB SEASON 3

When they finally make it inside Tantiss, Crosshair's hand is shaking worse than ever. He had tried everything he could to not return only for his worst nightmare to happen. He’s back and Omega was there because of him. Because of his misfire. He had hoped that he wouldn't have had to even talk about Tantiss again but here he is. They run through corridor after corridor simply taking out whatever stormtroopers they come across, they can’t afford anything going wrong. 

“We have to find Echo!” Crosshair calls to Hunter and Wrecker as they keep up their search. They had gone completely com silent so they have no idea where the reg could be. 

Emeri had led Echo to the vault. Despite her warning him, he’s shocked at the conditions the children are being held in. 

They walk in together and another female doctor walks up to Emeri looking at her with thinly veiled disdain 

“Doctor Karr you are aware that stormtroopers aren't allowed in the vault with the specimens. I shall have to report this to Dr. Hem-,” 

Before she can finish her sentence Echo is astounded when Emeri pulls her arm back and knocks out the other doctor in one hit. 

“I guess you really are a clone!” He comments as she uses the incapacitated doctor’s datapad to turn off all the security measures. 

Omega, seeing Emeri take action, immediately jumps on top of the medical droid and reprograms it telling it to shut down. She then jumps off and rejoins the other children moving to stand between them and the man in a stormtrooper uniform in front of her. 

Echo sees Omega standing in front of four other children as if she's guarding them. She’s watching him suspiciously and he realizes he’s forgotten to take off his helmet. 

“Echo!” Omega almost sobs before throwing herself in his arms. When he wraps his arms around her, Omega notices he has two hands holding her. When he lets go she grabs his robotic hand and twists and turns it trying to get a better look at it.

“This is new,” Omega comments and starts to ask but Echo just shrugs. 

“It grew back on its own,” Echo says with a straight face making Omega arch her eyebrow at him. 

“Suuuure” Omega says, rolling her eyes and grinning at him. She turns to Emeri,

 “So you finally decided you wanted to help us?” 

Emeri looks down at the floor frowning and then back up at Omega

 “I- I am a clone like you. I realize my actions have been counter to what I should have been doing, but I swear I’m ready to do better” Omega smiles at her and gives her a quick hug, shocking Emeri

 “I have…never gotten one of those before.”

“Better get used to it” Echo quips, turning to the rest of the kids in the vault. 

“…Hello. Are you guys ready to get out of here?” 

The kids look at each other and nod apprehensively. The Pantoran girl holding the baby moves closer behind the green boy, hiding. 

“We’re just kids, how are we supposed to help get us out?” she asks in a quiet voice. She's scared, they all are. Echo can see clearly. He remembers a similar situation on Kamino; while these kids weren’t soldiers, they still had something about them. Echo just had to make them see that.

Echo kneels down to see eye to eye with the kids.

“You guys are here because there’s something special about you right? Even the Imps could see it. They needed you for a reason, just like right now I need you to be brave. I need you to have courage. Be strong. You have the hearts of clones and the strength of the Jedi. Whatever it is that makes you special was in their blood and is in your blood. It’s in Omega’s blood, which I'd say is close enough to make you honorary clones. You aren’t some helpless children, you are strong and have heart! Now we need to get out of here!”

Echo starts to herd all of the kids plus Emeri to the doorway to get them out of there. 

“Wait!” Omega stops Echo. “I know a way we can get out of here. I have a distraction planned.” 

”Do you?” 

“Uh huh. The Zillo beast that they have in one of the containment areas, we can free it and let that distract the rest of the base.”

Echo just stands there for a moment and grins “You know, you remind me so much of someone that it almost scares me. He came up with these hair-brained schemes all the time too”

Omega stands up just a little straighter. “He sounds like fun”

“He was.” 

Echo turns to Emeri “You take the kids to the hangar and wait for us there.”

“Ok I’ll try. Come along, we have to hurry!” 

They run out of the vault together before Emeri points Echo and Omega in the right direction to go before urging the children to walk faster in the other direction.

As they run to the Zillo beast enclosure, Omega can't help but ask,”Where are the others?” She fears the worst but is relieved when Echo slows, “They are here…somewhere. We've gone com silent since we got here,” Omega nods at this, understanding the need to be untraceable. They fall into silence as they run through hallway after hallway with no interruptions. 

“After this…I want to be done. I want to find somewhere even more remote than Pabu and just stay there. Maybe we can find wherever Cut and Suu went! You and Rex can even join us. I'm sure Hunter wouldn’t mind,” Omega says to break the silence.

“...Omega, We-” 

“You have your mission, I know. I just want us to all be together again.” 

“Rex and I won't be done until all our brothers are free. If I'm honest even after that I don't know if I'll stop fighting for what I feel is right. There are the makings of a larger rebellion against the Empire, maybe I'll join them. I’m a soldier, ’Mega, it’s what I’m made for.”

“Yeah, but…” 

“Listen, after we get you out of here we can talk more about it but we need to find the beast and your brothers first.” 

Crosshair, Hunter, and Wrecker knew that they needed to find Omega then Echo, and fast. They run through the hallways and corridors turning corners and shooting the stormtroopers with barely a second glance. “Nothing from Echo?” Crosshair asks yet again. “Nothing!” Hunter answers as the men keep running, finding fewer troopers as they get deeper into Tantiss. Echo guides Omega through the halls keeping his new hand on her shoulder, his real hand holding his blaster. 

Crosshair is starting to panic. Omega is nowhere to be found and Echo hasn't checked in yet. He must have gotten off the ship and be somewhere in the facility. 

Omega and Echo are running towards a corner.

Crosshair comes to a T in the hallway 

They turn the corner. 

Crosshair sees a stormtrooper with a blaster in one hand and Omega grasped by the shoulder in the other.

Crosshair acts on instinct and doeswhat he had been doing the whole time they were running through Tantiss. 

His sister is in danger again. This time he wouldn’t fail her. 

His aim is sure and his hand steady as he immediately raises his rifle. 

The stormtrooper raises his hands as if to try and stop him but Crosshair has had enough, he briefly notices the strange stiffness of the trooper’s right hand but his mind is moving too fast to stop on that thought. 

He just wants to get Omega, find Echo, and get back to Pabu

He wants to leave Tantiss and blow the place to the Maker.

All these thoughts run through his head in a split second. 

Crosshair does what he does best: he shoots.

And this time. He doesn’t miss.

Hitting Echo in the chest. Directly over his heart. 

Crosshair watches the stormtrooper collapse. 

Omega screams and pushes Crosshair away when he runs to grab her.

He doesn't understand.

Until she takes off the stormtrooper’s helmet.

Crosshair can only watch in horror as Echo’s face is revealed. Somehow he is even paler than before. He lies on the ground and Omega puts her hand over his wound desperately trying to help.

All three clones rip their helmets off, dropping them to the ground. 

When Crosshair tries to step forward to try to help, Omega yells at him to just stay back. She sits on the ground beside Echo, he’s practically in her lap

Just this once Crosshair wishes that his hands had shaken.

The one time he wished he could have…Crosshair didn’t miss.

Echo knows he isn't going to make it. 

He can’t help but chuckle to himself over the way that this had occurred. It sounded all too familiar to what Rex had told him so long ago on Anaxes after he had been brought back. 

Rex walks into the room where Echo is getting a final look over by Kix and the other medics. Echo looks up at his captain, his brother. “Finally decided to tell me huh?” Rex can only nod and raises his hand to the back of his neck, his nerves all over the place. “Echo listen, I-,” Echo puts his hand up stopping him. “I know. You can tell me how but it won’t make a difference. He’s gone. He would've been here if he wasn’t. Just, just tell me he went down fighting,” Rex grimaces and brings his hand down putting it on his shoulder. He makes eye contact with Kix who moves to clear everyone else out of the room before leaving himself. “You know Fives, was there any other way?” Rex and Echo chuckle remembering Fives’ personality. “Tell me Rex…” Echo says seriously after a moment. Rex sighs but moves to sit next to Echo on the bed. “In the end…Fives didn’t die on the battlefield. I’m sorry Echo, but he was killed by a brother. By Fox. At the time we had no idea about the chips, but somehow Fives found out. We- I didn't believe him, I was there when it happened and he- well he died in my arms,” Rex says this without looking at Echo. When he finally does he sees Echo’s face not filled with anger as he suspected, but with sorrow? Even a bit of pity. “It isn't your fault Rex. You had no way of knowing, not even the Jedi knew and they were supposed to know everything.” Rex had looked at him and nodded. Echo had wanted to say more but couldn't, internally reeling about how Fives had been killed by a brother, and how he had died assuming he was the last domino to fall. 

Returning to the present, Echo’s eyes focus back on Omega and her hand on his chest. Once again reminding him of another blond clone who had left their handprint on his chest. 

Echo’s eyes move across the room and land on Crosshair, who can’t even look at him. “Hey Cross… I’d say that intel earned your hug.” And suddenly all the men are surrounding Echo and Omega. Crosshair has his hand on Echo’s scomp. He leans over and puts his forehead to Echo’s and whispers “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be, I would've done the same thing,” Echo says firmly and hopes that Crosshair believes him.

Crosshair can’t look at Echo as he stands up and turns away from him, wiping his hand across his eyes. Erasing the tears that Crosshair would refuse to say came. Hunter and Wrecker can’t even say anything. It’s Eriadu all over again. This time they are in a medical facility without their medic, and they can’t do anything to save Echo. Both take their turn to say goodbye and to put their own foreheads to Echo’s as the tears stream down both their faces. They’d gotten so used to crying around each other they barely even noticed it anymore. Unlike Crosshair who was still hiding his face.

Omega looks up just above where Echo is lying. Tears streaming down her face she swears she feels a familiar presence, one she had felt years ago as a young child back on Kamino. She looks back down at Echo who is looking at the same spot, a slight smile on his face. 

“Took you long enough you Di’kut,” Echo chuckles wincing. “You know, Fives, I never thought I'd be the last Domino to fall. Can’t say I’m glad for it.” 

Omega is the only one to hear this. Her other brothers stay back knowing that there is nothing they can do. She looks at them, scared, “Who is Fives?” The men all freeze. They all feel their stomachs drop. She looks back down towards Echo who is already watching her. The rise and fall of his chest is slowing. “Vod’ika, I-I’m… I don't want to go but, My brothers, they’re here. Fives, Rose, Hevy, Cutup, Droidbait, 99... They say I can march with them.” Echo’s eyes are glistening, unfocused. He wants to go with them but he has so much to do here. Omega can see his struggle and pushes her feelings away. 

“It’s ok Echo. You are done fighting, you can march with them.  We will be ok.” Omega’s eyes are full of tears but she doesn’t let them fall. She lays her head on Echo’s chest holding his hand in one of hers and putting the other hand on his chestplate. Feeling as his breaths grow shallow, his heartbeat slows and eventually fades away. Echo’s hand slowly lets go of Omega’s but grabs onto his twin’s. Echo barely notices the lack of metal weighing him down as Fives helps him up, grinning as he pulls Echo into a hug before he turns and leads Echo away with an arm around his neck. 

Omega looks up at Echo’s face. She doesn't think she ever saw him look this peaceful before.

The final domino. Fallen. But rising to join his brothers as they march on to forever.

[coralseacourt]

Undeniably yours Part 4 by @coralseacourt

Summery: A girl falling through darkness into a world of fae, landing right in Hybern’s Throne room. Azriel finding his mate but not wanting her. Rhysand’s & feyre’s bond severed for good. What else could go wrong?

Azriel x Reader x Rhysand

Part1, part2, part3, part4, part5, part6, Part7

Part 4

It had been days.

Days of Rhys not visiting, after our flight across Velaris and the abruptly ending of it.

He had not shown himself or gave me any notice of what to do with myself.

After day two I had found a library, which magically appeared and hadn’t been there before. Starting to read a book sounded like a good plan for the time being.

I came across priestesses that seemed to work here, one had introduced herself as Emery before quickly disappearing.

Since then I had only gotten the silent treatment, which might have been because of the friendship Nesta had with them. Emery had told me about their friendship.

I just finished my morning routine and slipped out of my room to make my way back to the library like I had done the past week, when I encountered Nesta leaning against the wall across from my bedroom.

What should I do? Wait for her to say something or walk away? I scooped around awkwardly.

Her eyes narrowed while starring at me.

“You know, if I were you I would stay in this Room.”

I blinked a couple times confused.

Stay in the room? Was I not allowed to come out? But Rhys , he had seen me and not mentioned anything.

I cleared my throat

“Why would I do that ?”

“Good that you ask. Let me explain.” She pushed herself off the wall and came closer until we almost touched.

I had to look up.

Her smile turned mocking, she seemed to like the feeling of her looking down on me.

“You are not wanted here, you are a burden. A danger.

Not one single person in this court wants you in our Court . So if I in fact were you, i would take my problems and uncertainties and would not leave come this room.”

She stepped closer and I swallowed stepping back and meeting the door behind me.

“And you know accidents do happen.” Her eyes started to gleam dangerously.

She turned with an hair flip and walked away chuckling.

I had to keep the tears in that were threatening to spill.

Without another thought I went back in to my safe haven.

Is that why Rhysand didn’t visit me anymore?

Was I danger?

Did he know something I didn’t about myself?

I whimpered and pulled my arms around my middle.

I knew it was ridiculous to feel betrayed by the thoughts of Rhys thinking of me like that, but I couldn’t help it. It hurt .

I needed to know more about myself. Needed to know what happened before I came here?

I walked to my bed and sat down with crossed lega , closing my eyes and calming my breathing.

There had to be something other than darkness.

I concentrated .

what was before the dark? What pulled me here? I started to whisper lowly, “please there has to be something.”

And then there was a string of light .

Like something pulling me in the right direction. I could smell something.

Wood? Night air? Water?

And then there were pictures.

A dark figure on top of me , the smell of Alcohol.

Me fighting him. What did he want? I felt my body tingle lightly like it was charging with something.

Then I saw myself falling in to water.

Cold,Deep,Dark.

Dark, dark, dark it was echoing in my head.

I m cold and alone.

It started to hurt.

My chest it burned like ice and fire combined.

I started screaming, the pain it was unbearable. I only barely felt someone shaking me , touching my face.

Then nothing. I felt like floating in darkness. Until even that disappeared and I didn’t exist no longer.

When I woke up , I felt the hardness underneath me. Not my bed. I opened my eyes and found trees? Burned trees?

And I was alone.

How did I got here? I slowly stood up.

“It was about time that you woke up.”

I knew this voice my heart started racing and I looked around. There out of the shadows came azriel like an angel born to revenge.

I stopped breathing for a moment and my fear seemed to overwhelm me. Nesta’s words halled in my mind.

“ Accidents can always happen.” But I needed to know.

“What happened?” I asked not sure I would like the answer to that question.

“What happened? What happened is that you almost blew up Velaris with whatever powers you possess.” He hissed.

“What happened is that you charged yourself up with magic, bright shining light that streamed out of you. If I hadn’t brought you here who knows what would have happened. “ He was raging literally fuming of anger.

I could feel it.

“Powers? What powers? I have no powers. I only tried to remember who I had been before.” I bit my lip and my hands formed to fists from frustration and anger. “ Then look around, look at the trees.”

Burned trees. I did this?

“ You know I don’t want to be here anymore then any of you want me here.

I rather would stop to exist than be in this lonely place with people that want me dead.”

Tears streaming down my face but my head held high I turned around and walked away.

“Where the hell do you think you are going.” He growled in the same moment that he appeared in front of me.

“Why can’t I just go someplace else if I m not wanted here? What difference is it gonna make?” The last words I had screamed at him.

“You are dangerous, anywhere you go. Do you not understand that? Especially now that we know that you have magic.”

He grabbed my shoulders and I flinched a lthinking of the memories that had overpowered me .

His eyes were boring into mine like he could erase me through his look alone. “ Why do you treat me like I m your biggest enemy? What have I done to warrant that? “ I pulled away and had to look away from his face.

He let out a long breath , showing me how annoyed he really was with me for not understanding.

“ I don’t care enough about you to see you as anything. You are just a burden.”

He grabbed my hand while saying,” Let’s go.”

And with that we disappeared both into his shadows.

The moment we got out i found myself in a different place than where i had lived the last couple weeks.

We were in a comfortable greeting room with lush cushions, and tasteful arranged bookshelf’s.

A tray with what I assumed was liquor standing on a side table.

Why bring me here?

Did he bring me here to kill me ? Just like Nesta had said?

“Nesta said what?” Came an angry voice from the doorway.

Rhys .

Did he read my mind? He stormed towards me and ripped me from Ariel’s arms that had somehow found there way around me while going through the shadows.

“Y/n , what did she say to you? “

He seemed angry. With me? “I m not angry with you but you need to tell me what she said. Or better show it to me, in here” Pointing and then softly touching my forehead.

His thumb sliding over it and down to my cheek.

A growl came from Azriel , but I ignored it not wanting to give him any more of my attention.

So I showed Rhys what happened , because all I could feel standing in front of him was trust, warmth , comfort.

“I shouldn’t have removed the glamour so early.” He whispered quietly while starring at me.

“I knew she would be trouble , I just did not know how much.”

“Glamour? What’s that?”

“I had the house of wind where you stayed, glamoured for you so you could only go to certain parts. Just until I was sure I could trust you. “.

Oh that’s how I suddenly found the library.

As much as it hurted to hear that , the more I understood what an excellent High lord he really was .

To protect his court but still trying to help me.

“ Azriel what happened up there? Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”

He pulled me behind his back while facing the Shadowsinger.

Grabbing my Hand and holding it tight, like he tried to hold himself back from the anger that was now directed at Azriel.

I glimpsed around him to see better and found that he wasn’t even looking at Rhys.

He was starring at our connected hands.

“ Tell me Rhys, why is it that you haven’t tried to contact feyre? “ I could hear Rhysand’s heartbeat go faster. “ We are not mated anymore , so how do you think I should do that? No spy is able to get to spring, no message will reach. What exactly do you want me to do?”

“ How about anything else than taking the next best female that you can find to your bed?”

Rhys stilled and the tension was wired.

“ You might think you know it all, but if you ever speak to your High lord or your brother that way again , then I can promise you that the consequences will be swift and harsh. Out of my eyes now”. He growled the last words.

“ I might not have been as welcoming as you to her,” he narrowed his eyes ,

“but maybe I should change that.” And with that he disappeared.

part 5

continued in part 5….

Tags: @hnyclover

[shedoessoshedoes]

Casual

my hand slipped. inspired by this post i made :)

read on ao3

wc:2k

It was past midnight by the time Cassian slipped away to stumble up the stairs to the karaoke stage. No one had sung yet tonight–everyone who usually did was very drunk and it usually took until about then for some brave soul to pour their heart out via an ABBA track to the entire bar. He didn’t mind. He would break the ice. Soon, everyone would want to sing along, too. 

He swipes through the tracks, heading immediately past his typical go-tos. Tonight was not a night for “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” Tonight was a night for–a-ha. He hiccuped as he queued the song and got into position, and wiped angrily at a tear he could feel beginning to form. She would come back, he told himself. She was just scared. And besides, a situationship did not deserve this kind of emotion. Even if it had been with the most beautiful, intelligent, perfect woman he had ever met. Even if he thought that Nesta Archeron loved–he cut himself off.

“No!” he said out loud into the microphone, but before anyone could react, his song was starting, and there was nothing left to do but sing. 

At a table in the back corner, Feyre, Elain, Rhys, and Azriel were just realizing that they were missing someone. Rhys kept insisting Cassian probably just went to get more drinks. Feyre didn’t agree.

“You know how he is when he’s drunk, Rhys! What does he do? He doesn’t drink more, I’ll tell you that much. What does he do?” 

“He talks about Nesta,” Rhys replied, mumbling into his drink. 

“Exactly!” she shot back, hands flying up in the air. “And why are Elain and I here instead of with Nesta and Gwyn and Emerie right now?” 

“Because Nesta knew that he would be sad and that you would keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t cry himself to death.” 

“And what will she do if she finds out we lost him because we were making out?” Feyre asked. 

Rhys sighed. “She’ll chop my dick off and then kill me. But why weren’t you two watching him?” he turns to Elain and Azriel. 

Elain squeaked as Azriel’s hand disappeared underneath the table. “We were in the bathroom,” he replied smoothly. “Cassian told us he’d wait right here.” 

“Well obviously that was a lie!” Feyre squawked. “Nesta just started trusting me again, and if we lose him–everyone split up! We can all check the bar and if he’s not here then–” 

“Feyre,” Elain cut in. “I think I found him.” She nodded up to the stage and Rhys’s mouth dropped open. Cassian appeared to be fighting back tears, and a melancholy introduction began to echo through the bar. 

“Oh my God, he’s singing a breakup song,” he yelped and jumped up, pulling Azriel with him. “Come on, Azzy! Someone needs to record this blackmail.” 

Azriel turned pleading eyes on the girls, but was dragged away before they could do anything to help. 

Elain leaned over so Feyre could hear her over the noise of the surrounding tables. “Do you think it’s odd that Nesta is so worried about Cassian’s feelings that she sent us to take care of him instead of having us stay with her? Or that she needs a girl’s night after a situationship break-up with someone that she claims she has never had any sort of feelings for?” 

Feyre shrugged. “I think she still doesn’t trust that I won’t repeat everything she says back to Rhys,” she said, an edge cutting into her voice. 

Elain hummed in response, and leaned back in her seat before jerking up abruptly. “Is he–is this Casual?” 

“No way.”

“I really think it is.”

“Call Nesta. Now we know for sure he’s in love with her.” 

“Is she in love with him?” 

“Feyre. Call. Her.” 

Sure enough, on stage, Cassian was launching into his first verse. “And you said, sweetheart, no attachment,” he sings, more than a little off-key and with the wrong words. He hiccups. “But we’re knee-deep in the passenger seat, and you’re eating me out, so is it casual now? Huh? Is it? Two weeks and your mom invites me–” 

Azriel climbed up on stage and whispered into his ear. “Fuck, Az, no, I’m not going home! I’m singing! If it’s casual, it’s casual now.” 

Fully crying, Cassian continued. Rhys’s flash was on now, and he was sure this was the best video he’d ever taken of his brother. 

“...maybe we’d have an apartment and you’d show me off to your friends at the pier. I know, baby, no attachment,” Cassian sobbed, and the bar sang along. “But we’re knee deep in the passenger seat…” 

At the table, Feyre and Elain had managed to get ahold of Nesta via Emerie and Gwyn. “Listen!” Feyre exclaimed to the three of them. “He is crying on the karaoke stage! Would any man do that for someone he didn’t love?” They can hear murmuring in the background, Nesta talking to her friends, and then a door click shut. 

Gwyn comes back towards the speaker of the phone. “I think she’s scared,” she said quietly. “I know she said she didn’t feel anything towards him, but she’s been crying all night. I think he was getting so important to her that she wanted to protect herself.” Emerie voiced her agreement. 

“She’s never had anyone to take care of her,” Elain replied. “Everyone who was supposed to didn’t. Just…tell her we love her and that we don’t think Cassian will ever hurt her like our parents did–like Feyre and I have.” 

Emerie spoke next. “For what it’s worth, I think she loves him too. We’ll talk to her.” 

They said their goodbyes, and turned back towards the stage of the bar, where Azriel was now trying to physically remove Cassian from the stage and Rhys had turned on his phone light to wave back and forth. A few other tables had followed suit. 

“It’s hard being casual when my favorite bra is in your dresser, and it’s hard being casual when I’m on the phone talking down your sister,” at this, Cassian knelt down on the stage and put the microphone down, burying his face in his hands. The rest of the bar continued singing for him. Feyre glanced over at Elain, most likely thinking of the time three months ago when Cassian had, in fact, talked Nesta’s sister down as Feyre had spiraled. 

The song began its outro and Cassian took a deep breath, gathered himself, and stood back up. “Fucked you in the bathroom when we went to dinner, your parents at the table, you wonder why I’m bitter.” He stopped to visibly gulp back more tears. “I hate that I let this drag on so long, and I hate myself.” Each word was punctuated with a sob. He finished the song and collapsed into Azriel’s arms, burying his face into Az’s neck. Rhys hopped up onstage and the two brothers half-carried Cassian back to the table and the girls. Cassian slumped back in his seat. 

“Do you want to go home, Cass?” Feyre asked gently. “Any one of us would be happy to take you.” 

He shook his head petulantly. “I’m not going home without Nes.” 

Rhys sighed. “Cassian, I don’t think she’s coming tonight.” 

“Well, she’s not the love of your life, now is she, Rhysie? I’m telling you, she’s coming to get me as we speak. My song will convince her that I love her and that I’m so sad.” Cassian’s words were slurring together, and with that, he dropped his head to rest on his arms on the table. 

The other three looked at each other. “Did you convince her to come?” Azriel whispered. The girls shook their heads. 

“We’ll just wait until he’s really asleep and then we’ll get him in an Uber before he can realize he’s going home,” Feyre decided. 

Another thirty minutes passed. Rhys got them more drinks. The time inched closer to two. They were about to call it good and drag Cassian home when someone spoke from behind them. 

“Please tell me he isn’t dead.” Nesta said, deadpan, as she walked to Cassian’s side, laying cool fingers on the side of his face, as the rest of the table gaped at her. 

“Nesta!” Elain greeted her. “I’m so glad you came.” 

Cassian was beginning to wake up, and shifted so one eye was open. When he saw Nesta, he got up so fast he fell back down. “Nes!” he said, far too loudly. “You’re here! See, everyone?” He turned to his friends. “She’s here!” He looked back at Nesta, and very seriously took her face in his hands. “Nes, I told them you were coming, even though you tried to break up with me and I was so sad, and no one believed me, but look! You’re here! That is some soulmate shit right there, sweetheart, how else would I have known you were coming? But I was so sad, so I had maybe a little too much to drink.” At this, he tried to show her how much he’d drunk, pinching his fingers together clumsily. “Which I shouldn’t have done because I should have trusted the power of our love. I’m so sorry Nesta, will you please, please forgive me?” 

A smile ghosted over Nesta’s face. “We can talk about it later. Do you want to come home?” 

“Yes!” he shouted, throwing an arm over her shoulder. “But really, I’m already home, because you’re my home, silly.” 

Nesta mouthed a goodbye over her shoulder and began to lead Cassian to the door. “Which is why I was so sad when you said we couldn’t date anymore–” 

“To be clear, Cassian, we weren’t dating,” Nesta said, but Cassian waved her off. 

“That’s what you thought, sweetheart. But I knew what was really going on!” 

“And what was that?” 

“You were falling in love with me. But then you got scared. That’s why I was so sad. I don’t want you to be scared about loving me.” 

“Do you know you sang a song about how sad you were?” 

He nodded solemnly. “I thought it would let you know how serious my love is.” 

Nesta laughed. “Well, it certainly did that.”

Cassian gasped then, as though realizing something. “You said we’re going home, Nes. Does that mean you’re asking me to live with you?” 

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” 

“Okay,” he responded dreamily.  “I’m so happy I don’t have to be mad at you anymore. It was so hard.” 

Nesta laughed again, and Cassian smiled so widely his face could have split in half. 

She drove them back to her apartment, and Cassian promptly walked over to the bed, flopped down, and fell asleep. Nesta went through her nightly routine quickly before wrestling a half-asleep Cassian into bed and climbing in next to him. He pulled her into his body and mumbled something that Nesta thought was supposed to be an ‘I love you.’ She pushed that familiar wave of fear down. 

She’d talked with Gwyn and Emerie for a long time that night, and she’d decided that she was going to take her therapist’s advice and trust that Cassian would be waiting for her when she’d admitted that she’d fallen. Their no-strings-attached arrangement had been all her idea, and she had been terrified earlier that afternoon when she’d tried to break up with him. He’d become so important, and that scared her, but Cassian, she thought, was better than letting the fear get the best of her. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, curled into him, and fell asleep. 

Cassian woke up to a pounding headache and flashes of the night before running through his mind. Nesta trying to break up with him, the trip to the bar, singing, Nesta coming to get him, him confessing his love–wait. He pushed up onto an elbow, and sure enough, there was Nesta, asleep beside him. A broken sound pushed itself out of his throat and she opened her eyes as it did. 

“Sweetheart,” he said, voice breaking. “You’re here.” He presses kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, down her neck, across her ears, everywhere he can reach. “I love you.” 

“I know,” she whispered, face buried into his neck. “You sang a song to the whole bar about how sad you were.” 

He groaned, rolling off of her. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?” 

She shook her head. “But it did convince me that you really were serious about this. That you weren’t telling me that you wanted to date me just to break up with me” 

“I’m more serious than a heart attack, sweetheart.” 

“Mmm, then you’ll be glad to hear that I love you, too.” 

Cassian smiled, crushing Nesta in a hug and pressing her into the mattress. He kissed her, and they whispered love yous into each other’s mouths, and it was everything either of them could have ever dreamed of.  

[xecutivecucumber]

Executive Cucumber's Thoughts on The Bad Batch 03×12!

Spoilers under the cut

Let start out by saying holy heck that was the cool down episode I needed. My sister watched it before me and was able to tell me that Tech/CX-2 wasn't in it for a significant amount, so I was able to get past my disappointment and not be stressed out during the episode. Yes, I'm still on the 'Tech is CX-2 Bandwagon.' I do think they should have revealed him to the audience earlier, because I have to actively avoid Bad Batch social media (*cough*reddit*cough*) for my own mental health because of the negativity around the idea. It's really draining.

Anyway, on to the actual episode!

Today I realized that I might be triggered by Omega being trapped at Tantiss because of some past experiences. (And yes, if you've read my fics you know that I've done it to her too, but I have control over that and I think the problem is the lack of control I have)

Hi Tech! I love you! Please be un brainwashed soon!

I want to murder Hemlock. I don't know if I've ever hated a Star Wars villain like this before. It feels so personal.

It devastates me that they're going to take Omega's clothes away. Clothes that were given to her by people who love her. Ow.

Also you're playing a dangerous game, not keeping those binders on her, Hemlock.

'Is everything all right, Dr. Karr?' 'No, the Jango parent gene got awakened in me and that does not go away'

Why does Emerie think she HAS to do this?

I'm a little disappointed we didn't see Hunter find out about Omega. He's probably just in 'go' mode, honestly. Adrenaline and all that.

Crosshair is so proud of Omega oh my gosh.

PHEE MY QUEEEEEEEEEN

Oh my gosh Tech told Phee about Crosshair. That implies that had more time than we saw. That makes me so happy and sad.

Phee talks about Tech with such fondness. You can tell how much she cared about him. I feel like I'm watching a widow who's processed her grief but still talks about her husband because she loved him.

Also, looking at Phee, she doesn't really have any implied make up on. She's very natural. Good for her.

...Rampart looks kinda good with a beard.

Okay Tech would find the stunt Phee pulled extremely attractive.

This is the closest we've gotten to the original Batch we've gotten in a very long time. It feels good to see them go mission mode with Crosshair.

This is reminding me of Eriadu and I don't like it.

Crosshair asking Wrecker if he remembered whatever plan and then patiently waiting for him to remember lives rent free in my head he's so sweet.

WRECKER'S THEME IS BACK BABY

Also, Crosshair's theme is played in this really fun way?

Crosshair should be allowed to kick Rampart in the balls. As a treat.

Rampart you snake. Crosshair should have shot him in the leg instead of stunning him.

My sister pointed out that the juggernaut represents how the Batch is right now. You cannot stop them.

Man, it's nice to not to be as conflicted when the TK troopers die, as opposed to when clones were sent against them. Quick thought though, does Wolffe have all the remaining clones?

Man these guys get BRUTALIZED.

Them throwing around passed out Rampart is amazing and should continue to happen.

Okay Wrecker has his knife out HE IS READY TO TORTURE A MAN.

Frick you Rampart. He is the worst replacement for Omega.

Aww they probably didn't bring Batcher on the mission to protect her. (Plus she a half trained dog and it was a stealth mission)

And then the boys spent the next hour arguing over who has to call Echo and tell him.

Hemlock you FOULE you're giving Omega ALLIES. Also why are you telling her all this. She will use it against you.

Gall, I hate Hemlock.

Again, I really needed this cool down episode. Though I'm afraid the final three episodes are going to hurt. THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHOW WHY IS IT STRESSING ME OUT SO MUCH. ALSO WAITING A WEEK FOR EPISODES ALSO SUCKS. A LOT.

[rose-of-the-grave]

Two Can Share

Pairing: Gwyn x Azriel

Hey! I hope you like this. I'm the author(please don't repost)

Masterlist. Read on Ao3

Warnings: kissing, mating bond, getting together, drinking

Word Count: 2,775

Description: After having a little too much to drink Gwyn accidentally stumbles into the wrong room.

Gwyn stumbled through the hallway to her room, drunk giggles echoing from the room she had just left. Tripping over thin air, she reached an arm out to steady herself against the wall. She tried to keep walking but ended up kicking something solid. Cursing, she shook her foot. Trying to dislodge the pain. She had run into the stairs. Hesitantly she took a shaky step. Then another. And another. She kept on climbing the stairs, pausing whenever she felt dizzy. Which was nearly every step.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she made it to the top. And was faced with what seemed to be an endless hallway. She couldn’t focus enough to even see the end of the hallway.

She walked, or more aptly stumbled down the hallway. She counted the doors on her right. Or wait, on her left. Normally she slept in the dormitories with the other priestesses but Nesta had offered her a permanent room to stay in.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 

There it was. Or wait, was it seven doors down? Oh, who cares. It’s not like any of the rooms were occupied. Emerie and Nesta were still downstairs drinking. Cassian was in the capital and Az was on a mission.

Right. Azriel. He’d been gone for weeks. All she knew was that he was in Vallahan gathering information for the High Lord. She missed him so much. She missed their late night practice sessions, she missed talking with him, she missed spending time with him. Every night when she couldn’t sleep she had been going to the practice ring and had gone through the same motions he had been teaching her before he left. The stars glittering above her, the moon illuminating her surroundings so didn’t trip. She missed him.

She missed his smile, and although he rarely did it, his laugh. She missed the way his eyes would light up whenever she got something right. She missed how at ease she was when she was with him. Over the last few months they had become friends. And maybe, just maybe, they were on their way to becoming something more. She needed to see him. She loved him.

No. Those thoughts were what had prompted her to indulge so much tonight. What she needed was sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. Maybe in the morning she’d feel better prepared to take on her traitorous thoughts.

Twisting the handle to her room, she entered her room. There in the middle of it was a bed. A great big bed that looked so welcoming and cozy. Without changing she plopped down on the bed, face down. Reaching up she grabbed and hugged her pillow. Turning over onto her side, she promptly fell asleep.

The minute Gwyn opened the door, he had awoken. Not because his shadows had warned him, the little traitors, but because he had been having difficulty sleeping. In his exhausted state he hadn’t been able to speak. He watched as she fell face down on his bed, readjusted, and then fell asleep. Careful not to wake the sleeping figure, he slid out of bed. He pulled on some clothes.

Sighing, he dragged a hand down his face. Walking over to the chair in the corner of his bedroom he picked up the book he had been reading earlier. Placing a pair of glasses that had been enchanted to allow him to see in the dark on his face, he opened the book to where he had stopped.

He read for a few hours until his vision started to blur and he regretted not finding somewhere else to sleep. Determined to be more alert he put the book down and stood up. His muscles groaned at him.

Walking to the kitchen he made some coffee and a scone that had been made yesterday. Nuala and Cerridwen had probably made them. He bit into it, swallowing it down with the bitter taste of the coffee.

When he got back to his room Gwyn had sprawled across the massive bed. Her red hair was the only indication of where her head was underneath the blankets. By this point rays of golden light were peaking over the mountains in the distance, illuminating Velaris. Pale light streamed through the windows of Azriel's room. The light brought out the strands of gold in Gwyn’s hair, it looked like golden flames, licking against his sheets. If anyone had asked him his opinion on fire it would have been decidedly negative but any comparison of Gwyn’s hair to flames seemed to ignite a warmth in his heart.

His love for the priestess had not been a lightning strike, stunning him into silence. It had been a slow realization that had crept up on him over the last few months of spending more and more time together. At first they had bumped into each other when neither could sleep but after it became obvious that their insomnia was not going away, he had suggested they train at night. It would allow him to teach her his more specific skill set and gave him the opportunity to take his mind off of the previous few months, particularly Solstice.

Over time their late night training sessions became the best part of his day, the part he looked forward to the most.

Just as his love had grown for Gwyn, so too had his hesitancy to tell her how he felt. This wasn’t the first time he had been in love, or at least thought himself in love and look how that had turned out. He had been obsessed with Mor for centuries and it took him just that long to admit what he had long known. She didn’t see him like that. It had hurt at first, but the signs had all been there, he had simply ignored them.

After meeting his High Lady’s older sisters, he had also found someone new. Elain, the middle sister, was everything kind and gentle and it had been difficult to believe himself worthy of her. It had been only right that she be his mate. Her younger sister and her older sister were both mated to his brothers. Three brothers for three sisters. But like Mor, he was just ignoring all signs to the contrary. When the youngest Vanserra had said those fateful words in Hybern it had hurt but it also felt like everything clicked.

How could Elain be his mate? He wasn’t worthy of her and he never could be. 

That night when they kissed and then Rhys had stopped them had only been about attraction. If he was being honest, when his brother and High Lord had told him to stay away from Elain his issue hadn’t been that he didn’t want to stay away from Elain so much as it had been that it had been Rhys telling him to. It had felt like a confirmation of his own darkest thoughts. That he wasn’t good enough.

In the months following everything had been so busy that he hadn’t had time to really think about that night. Then, like a ray of light in the darkness, came Gwyn. They had already been friends for a while at that point but things had changed between them. When he started training her their friendship deepened to the point where he realized that his infatuations with Mor and Elain had been just that. Infatuation.

There were times he supposed when he thought that there might be something more between him and Gwyn. Almost as if he was being drawn to her by something not quite of this world. He didn’t dare to hope that it was the mating bond. It was probably just his imagination.

“What are you thinking about with that intense look on your face?” Gwyn’s words were enough to shock him out of his thoughts.

He had been looking out into the distance, unfocused, but now all of his attention was on the veritable goddess who lay in his bed, wrapped in sheets. Her auburn hair created the impression of a halo above her angelic face. Her eyes met his and he smiled. She returned for a split second before she groaned.

“Ow! My head.” He chuckled. “It’s not funny!”

“No, it’s not.” He assured her, still smirking.

“Quiet. Please. Too loud.”

Lowering his voice a bit, he said, “I’ll get you some water.”

“No. Coffee.”

“Sure. I’ll be back soon.” He made to leave when the sound of a mug appearing on the bedside table reached his ears. Looking back, he saw Gwyn sipping what appeared to be coffee from a blue mug that he distinctly recalled being down in the kitchen last he checked. It looked as if Nesta hadn’t been lying when she said that the House was sentient.

“Why are you in my room?” She asked, blowing the steam rising from the mug nestled between her hands.

“I think you mean what are you doing in my room.”

“What?”

“This is my room.”

Looking around the room Gwyn saw that it was indeed his room. All of a sudden last night came back to her in a flash. Drinking with Nesta and Emerie. Leaving to go to her room. Stumbling into bed. Drunk Gwyn could have easily miscounted the rooms. But she could have just as easily been trying to do what Sober Gwyn desperately wanted to.

At least Az didn’t think anything of it. He just found her predicament amusing. How would he react if she told him that what she wanted most, enough that her subconscious was meddling, was him? She wasn’t blind. She had seen him with her friend’s younger sister. Nesta herself had mentioned it in passing about the two of them.

Pushing the blankets off of herself, she stood up. Still holding her coffee she walked towards the door. Towards him. He walked with her, opening the door.

She turned to look at him with a soft smile.

“Thanks for letting me stay here. It was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.” Then, without giving herself time to think, she stretched up onto the tips of her toes and brushed her lips gently against his cheek before walking through the door. She left him there stunned. Lifting a hand to his cheek, he let his fingertips graze the very spot where her soft lips had kissed him.

He stood there, rooted to the spot, amazed.

Before he could even come up with a plan for what to say he ran out of his room and down the hall, chasing Gwyn.

At the sound of his rushed steps she turned around to face him.

“What…?” Before she could finish what she was going to say he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

He poured every emotion, every feeling of longing that he’d ever felt for her into that kiss. Her smile flashing before his eyes. He didn’t care that he probably didn’t deserve her. He loved her and he was going to tell her in the only way he could without having a way out if things went south. At least if she rejected his kiss he could pretend it never happened. He didn’t quite think he could if he voiced how he felt for her and then she rejected him.

But then, something magical happened. She kissed him back! He smiled into the kiss causing them to break apart. Gazing intently into her eyes he leaned in to kiss her cheek before walking away. Her hand somehow entwined with his pulled him back.

Smiling at her he knew that they would need to talk later.

“Kiss me.”

Fuck that, later can wait.

She leaned in and this time her hands crept up into his hair pulling him down. He met her kiss with equally as much passion and need. All too aware of their surroundings thanks to his shadows he pulled away once more and led her into a room that just happened to be a library. It was a small, cozy room with a few shelves of books, a comfortable looking couch, and a fireplace that warmed up the room deliciously.

He walked them backwards towards the couch, his lips never leaving hers except to come up for air. They tumbled back onto the couch, giggling like a pair of horny teenagers. In that moment he needed to tell her. 

Pulling away to look in her lovely face, he smiled at her low whine. Taking her face in his hands he said those three little words that he had never said to anyone before. He might have wanted to but he had never screwed up enough courage to. She made him feel like he could be brave.

“I love you.”

Her eyes flashed with some unknown emotion.

He hoped this wasn’t a mistake.

“You don’t have to say that.” She said, not meeting his gaze.

Lifting her chin with his hand, he said, “I mean it.” He wanted her to believe him. He wanted her to feel just how much his love for her had consumed him. “I love you with all my heart. With every breath I take, with every beat of my heart. I love you.”

She smiled softly. “I love you too.”

Then leaning up she kissed him, slowly and sweetly. Taking one of his hands in hers she placed it on her hip. Deepening the kiss, she bit his lip. Growling, he took control twisting them so he was above her, careful not to put his full weight on her.

“Is this okay?”

Instead of responding she simply drew him even closer. 

They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t even notice the time until Rhys spoke into Azriel’s mind.

Where are you? You’re already five minutes late.

He shot back a quick, be there in a minute. Before pulling away from Gwyn, regrettably.

“I’m supposed to be in a meeting with Rhys right now.”

She frowned but urged him, “Go. Don’t keep him waiting longer. I have to get back to the library soon anyway.” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Can I see you after?”

“Sure. I should be finished in time for our usual late night training sessions. I can meet you in the training ring?”

Not wanting to push her he simply nodded instead of asking if she wanted to meet him here instead where they could maybe talk instead of practice.

“Or,” she continued, playing with a strand of her hair instead of looking at him. “I could meet you in your room and we could talk?”

His heart warmed at her words. “Of course.” Getting up from the couch, he walked over to the door and was about to leave when he looked back at her. “I’ll see you then.” His voice, full of promise.

--------------------------------------------------

After sorting through books and reshelving for what had felt like hours Gwyn was finally free to go. Walking along the hallway to Az’s room she couldn’t help but grin. He loved her.

The door opened the instant she went to knock.

He smiled at her, opening the door wider so she could come in. The door hadn’t even closed full before she was back in his arms kissing him. Walking together, they fell on his bed. After kissing for a while, she pulled away to catch her breath. Her eyes met his and that’s when she saw it. He looked at her in awe, lifting a hand to her cheek, cupping it almost reverently. A thread of gold streamed between them, binding their two hearts together. It didn’t feel surprising, it felt like she had always known. In an instant she saw every interaction between them in a whole different light. Every time she had felt inexplicably drawn to him now made sense. Her entire world had been spinning but now it had snapped into focus.

Was this how it felt for his brothers? He wondered. He was overwhelmed with his love for her. It was the most amazing feeling in the world to realize that Gwyn was his mate. He was destined to be with the person who he was in love with. No more heartache, no more wishing for a mate. He had never felt luckier.

Breaking the silence he asked, “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

“Yes, but only if you actually sleep in the bed tonight.”

He blushed.

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“And I’m grateful but from now on, the two of us can share. That is, if you want to.”

“I would love to.”

“Then it’s settled.”

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Ep. 12 "Juggernaut" Review

This episode was certainly fast paced. I wished it was a teensy bit longer because I want more of my boys. That being said, the juggernaut sequences were absolutely fantastic. Everything from Hunter's crazy maneuvers to the TK troopers actually being competent were phenomenal. I loved seeing the crazy ride that our boys took as they raced against the Empire's forces and the lack of road. It reminded me of the tank chase in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Thankfully, both Indy and the Batch make it out (thank you Phee).

Also, shoutout to that one Steve Blum voice cameo for random imperial. He's awesome.

As usual, spoilers below

My discord friend and I both theorized that Rampart would return as a prisoner with information and boy, were we right. I'm just gonna say it, Rampart is hot with the scruffy look. Yes, I still hate his guts and he's still an ahole. But I have a thing for the scruffy look. This is because James Norrington was one of my crushes in Pirates of the Caribbean. I don't make the rules, ok?

Ngl, it was cool to see him return. Prison hasn't been kind to him, but it's clear he hasn't changed one bit. He might give up info out of spite, but his views on others he perceives as lesser haven't changed. I wasn't surprised when he had no clue what an Ugnaught was nor when he referred to Crosshair by his number. Unlike Kallus or Cross, who both learned from their mistakes (and obviously had honor), Rampart remains greedy. Although he offers information, he could sell the Batch out in exchange for freedom. We'll see how well that goes. Crosshair was right to be wary.

Side note: seeing Rampart being thrown around like luggage when he was stunned was hilarious. He deserved it though.

Speaking of Cross, his snark was golden. You tell them Cross. Snark aside, Crosshair is not ok. Even mentioning Tantiss is a trigger for him. He doesn't want to go back nor think about anything related to the place. But we all know he will because Omega needs him. She saved his life and he loves her dearly. But I'm glad Hunter and Wrecker didn't hold it against him. Although, I wished we got more dialogue on that whole situation. At least both of his brothers know that Cross didn't hand her over willingly or what not. And Cross trusts that Omega's choice wasn't without reason. Also, Cross' theme kicks in after his hand starts trembling and he needs a hug. He's been through so much.

The interaction with Phee was also really sweet. Crosshair finally got to hear the iconic "Brown Eyes." And the fact that Tech clearly talked about Crosshair in a positive light to Phee makes my heart melt. Tech doesn't know how much Crosshair has changed, but that love he had for him never went away. I am in tears. I also have no doubt that Tech would be impressed with Phee's stealthy drop off of the boys.

Something else I enjoyed was seeing the brothers work together like to good ol' days. It really reminded me of the earlier seasons and CW and just how much I missed it. Season 3 has been so heavy and dark that moments like these make me happy. Cross and Wrecker using battle plans while Hunter drives was so much fun to watch.

And then there's Hemlock. I can't wait for him to fall off Tantiss and die. He's so creepy and gross. I cringe whenever I see his stupid face. The way he showed Omega the children and was like "this is your new home" just made me want to hate him more.

And Emerie! She feels so trapped between her duties and affection for Omega. But she will choose a side in the end and I have a feeling it'll be Omega. My theory is that Omega will encourage her to help her and the children escape. Emerie will provide assistance and probably be killed by Hemlock.

someone please tell me how Echo is doing off screen. I love you sweet Echo; just stay off screen and you'll be safe. but also come back bc i miss your presence

Anyways, that's all for now. We're in the endgame now fellas. 3 more episodes. I will post some theories. Until next time, take care!

[inkstainedhandswithrings]

TBB S3 Ep 12 Thoughts!!

Gotta remember to look up what the title means

But starting off with rainy Tantiss and dark music

Setting the tone and I’m here for it!!

Ah yes

There he is

hemcock

I guess this joke is getting old but at this point I refuse to spell his name correctly

Yanno bitch really showed up with an undercut and an eyebrow slit right from the get go, like some well payed criminal

I never noticed that tbh

Ey yo Tech don’t shove your sister like that

The eye contact between omega and Emerie right of the bat got me like 👀

Girls are cooking

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re save.”

Right.

Damn occupied pabu hurts my heart

But hey batcher and hunter are okay

Crosshairs hand tremor acting up in a stressful convo with his bros

🥺🥺🥺🥺

my heart

Crosshair having potential info on Tantiss and not sharing it is… complicated. On the one hand he had the option to save his brothers and actively chose not to. On the other hand it is very clear that Crosshair suffers from PTSD as a result of the trauma he sustained there. Trauma is rarely something that allows you to act based on logic or even your own morals. It puts you in survival mode, not because you’re not strong enough to withstand it, but because it’s necessary. That’s why it’s called survival mode. Very likely every instinct within him told him not to return there and that can be hard to overcome. But he’s willing to take that step for Omega. Severe and unyielding, indeed.

Also, Omega not having that issue, not being scared to return to Tantiss isn’t a show of her strength or Crosshair’s weakness. They had different experiences and have different brains, therefore they process and deal differently. Crosshair is not the weaker link because he was unable to muster up the courage to return before now. He’s simply in a different place than she is.

PHEE AND AZI!!!

“Tech told me all about your sparkeling personality.”

PARDONNE MOI???

I BEG YOUR BIGGEST PARDON

JUST TECH???

NOT “YOUR BROTHERS TOLD ME ALL ABOUT…”???

NO JUST TECH HUH??

SPENT SOME ALONE TIME WITH HIM DID YA PHEE???

Also Phee and Cross bickering hihihehe

They have good sibling energy already (sister in law vibes huh)

Why did Hunter sound like Rex during the briefing?

Like he just put his “man in charge” hat on for the first time

Phee just straight up turning the ship off to get in undetected is such a Tech thing tbh

Obsessed

Gotta watch that again

Beautiful

Oh wait fuck RAMPART is WORKING THERE???

Serves him right

I love seeing this trio work together tbh

Hunter, Cross and Wrecker bring such a different vibe without Echo, Tech and/or Omega there and idk why or how to describe it but I am here for it

“Anything?”

“Yup.” *clocks him* “Clear.”

Baby <3

“You remembered. How touching.”

Queen💅😪✨

“Are you here to kill me?”

“Tempting. But, no.”

FUCK ME.

KING SHIT 👑

Rampart is still a whore then, huh?

“Oh, please. You’re not going to kill me.”

“Not yet.”

GO OFF

“We’re in this together.”

Yo buddy saying shit like that seems like a nice way to loose some teeth

“This is your new home.”

The fact that they left us on THAT line

OW

Fr most of my thoughts on this are Crosshair brain rot and if I wasn’t so busy today you’d get to read it. (No u probably PROBABLY won’t get it another time bc I am adhd and I either forget or don’t have the motivation later so… lots of good thoughts get lost in the void unfortunately)

[tending-the-hearth]

okay so as much as it pains me to think about it i am writing out my theory about the deaths that will happen in the finale:

first off, getting this out of the way because i'll start crying if i think about it for too long, echo is going to die. they're setting up too many parallels between him and fives, plus with the writer for the finale having written the citadel arc, it's going to happen no doubt.

echo is going to die in the first half of the finale. not right at the beginning, but it'll be at one of the main crucial moments. it'll give us as the audience time to mourn his death before the episode is over, and it'll give the rest of the batch the fire they need to destroy tantiss. emerie's not going to betray him, they've set too much of a connection between her, omega, and the other kids, but i do think echo is going to die protecting everyone. he's going to reunite with omega first, and as they're escaping, that's when he's going to die. my little shriveled angsty heart thinks that it's going to be clone x who kills him, then we MIGHT get the reveal of who clone x is. if it's tech, he's going to trail after omega, if it's dogma, i think echo's death would snap him out of whatever brainwashing's been done, and it'll be just... so angsty.

now onto the one that could go two different ways:

the first is hunter and wrecker both dying together by either staying behind to blow up tantiss, or to hold off the troopers so omega and crosshair can escape with the kids and the other prisoners. either way, i think it's going to be a scene of crosshair having to physically pick up omega to pull her onto the shuttle where emerie and the kids are waiting, both of them in tears, omega screaming for hunter and wrecker as they just face forward to make sure their siblings escape.

OR they could go the other way, and have crosshair die. which would be upsetting, given that he's gotten some fantastic character development in this show.

if he is the one to die, i think it will be protecting his brothers and sister. maybe he'll stay behind to buy hunter and wrecker time to get everyone on the shuttle, or it'll be during a standoff with hemlock, something where he gets one final line in about his loyalty always being to his siblings, to his team.

i do fully believe it's going to be crosshair and omega left at the end of the show, just the two of them, BUT if cross does die, i hope they do it in a way (like i hope with echo) that honors his entire arc and his development.

either way on wednesday i am going to be in so much pain because no matter if i like it or not, echo's going to die, and i don't know how i'm going to cope with this

[skellymom]

thoughts on the new bad batch trailer?

(i saw it had come out thru @techs-goggles9902 and couldnt be bothered to watch it for hours and now i have im so excited)

~ Jamie <3

Heeeyyyy, @fionajames <3

I just posted a spoiler...looks like someone is back w/their brothers...*cough* Mosshair *cough*

Please take my analysis with a grain of salt as Disney can post flashback scenes, scenes that might look to be part of a whole sequence but are two separate/several ones to throw us off. Plus these is plenty that they AREN'T probably including in the trailer. Should be interesting if there will be a second trailer for S3.

I don't see too much serious evidence that outwardly points to Tech. HOWEVER, I do see two "maybe" possibilities in the trailer and they are both wearing helmets:

Timestamp 1:03, The "X" Clone Trooper shown in the second half of the trailer. Now I have seen one trooper who unalived himself in the last season w/Senator Chuchi and Rex, so we know there are clones still actively working for the Empire. And, if you look REALLY close, Timestamp 0:36, there are more X Clone Troopers in the trailer scene right before the one w/Omega getting scanned. It's a shot from the top of the room showing what looks like 3 X Clone Troopers and a droid. Could one of them be Tech? Don't know.

Timestamp 1:14, The scene with the Imperial armored soldier in the cockpit of his ship lifting his left arm up. Did Tech steal a stormtroopers armor to save his brothers? Remember Tech's "hand signal" callback to S1? Is he signaling to The Batch? Or, also in Tech fashion, is he flailing because of an explosion as Tech sometimes does? Or, is it just a random stormtrooper and not Tech?

Looks like we get Fennec, Rex, Echo, Phee, Howzer, Cad Bane, Ventress, Palpatine, and Scorch.

The scenes in the trailer that REALLY has me scratching my head:

Timestamp 0:28 shows an Imperial Transport ship crashed and smoldering on a large hill. Is it the same ship from Timestamp 1:07? Faraway shot of several figures walking away: The one at the top of the hill looks like Omega. There is a figure either rolling down the hill: Wrecker? Although, silly me who works with dogs...it almost looks like a dog running down the hill. And a figure at the bottom that I at first thought was Crosshair...but then it kinda looks like Rex with the shadowy person walking next to them on the other side. It looks like Phee's hair. Or did this ship only carry Omega as seen in Timestamp 1:23? Did she meet someone on the planet to help her hide? Someone with a dog (I just remember the wonderful scene with the space puppy licking Omega's face and how happy her laugh sounded)?

Timestamp 0:33 is that Crosshair in the left hand side of the screen walking calmly in the opposite direction (that everyone else is running)? Is he settling a score? Is that Clone Trooper "X" (possibly Tech?).

What does the "il" uniform patches on each side of Omega's shoulders mean. I checked the Aurebesh language keys online. Doesn't match up with anything.

Who is CX-1??? Timestamp 1:15. Boba Fett????

Timestamp 1:21, who is the dude in the white and grey armor??? Wait...OH SHIT...is THAT WOLFFE???

I DON'T trust Emerie. She's creepy. Sorry. Not all the clones are tight with one another. I worry she's in secretly with Hemlock.

Are Fennec and Cad Bane working with The Batch? Or against them? Is Ventress teaming up with The Batch against Palpatine? Or is she truly fighting them at the end? Or is that just two separate scenes meant to look like they go together?

And, something that makes me sad: Both Hunter and Wrecker look older, more aged. They are still so handsome. However, with the stress of what they have gone through, plus their advanced aging...well, how long do they have left? The still of Echo doesn't look like he aged at all. Could it be that he isn't as accelerated due to what the Techno Union did to him? Or were The Batch genetically altered to be so specialized...but live even shorter lives than the Regs?

[iellarenuodolorian]

Gonna rant about a few Bad Batch things real quick…ish

Tarkin wants the Batch eliminated. He’s wanted that since they defected. And now we’ve got this whole thing from Eriadu which makes Tarkin hate clones even more so…I’m expecting Tarkin to play a big part in this season.

The Emperor wants Nala Se to finish up her cloning research. So, in the Celebration trailer we get Rex telling Hunter that “she’s vital to whatever they’re doing on Tantiss”. The “she” in question initially makes me think Omega because Hunter then says “Omega’s been waiting for us, I’m not making her wait another day.” So are they somehow still in contact!?

Is the “she” Nala Se, the chief cloning engineer who is responsible for creating the genotype for all of Jango’s clones and who Palpatine has captured to help make him a Force sensitive clone so he can rule the Empire forever (ya’ll do know that’s his plan right?). Or is the “she” Emerie???? I seriously doubt the last option, but I’m beginning to think it’s Nala Se. And that’s who Ventress is after. And I honestly wouldn’t blame Ventress for wanting to kill her either.

Nala Se will also be a big part of this season. And I SWEARRRRR if she tries to be “good” I will be CONSTANTLY reminding ya’ll that she does NOT care about the clones. SHE IS PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING FIVES 😤😤😤😤 she could have let the secret about the chips out and maybe more of them would have lived and maybe she would have died (because Palpatine killed her for failing him) but THAT WAS HER CHOICE AND FIVES IS DEAD!!!!! I will never forgive her for that.

Dr Hemlock I’ll kill with my bare hands, all on my own. He’s gonna be terrifying, and I’ll be so worked up every time I see him on the screen during an episode. I’m NOT excited to see how dark he is. Maybe this will give me some new ideas about how to torture him as I slowly kill him….I’ve had more than 300 days to ponder exactly what I’d do. It’s a pretty gruesome list. If Cid decides to show her face, I have a similar list for her of what her torture will look like.

One positive hope is that IF Nala Se does decide to switch sides and save the clones that Rex is going to recruit the Batch to help save all the other clones because Omega is somehow the key to getting all of them out and safe and with their accelerated aging turned off.

All I’ve wanted for the Batch to show us is that the clones have ALWAYS deserved better and that after the war, some of them managed to find a small shred of peace fighting for whatever family they found and fighting for a cause THEY chose. Part of me hopes the next show will be the Clone Rehab program and some of them finding a happy ending!?! (can we have a happy ending, JUST THIS ONCE DAVE!?!?) (even Doctor Who has a few episodes where “just this once everyone lives!!!!”)

I will also never forgive them for letting us see Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair working together in ONE MISSION! We got the original four rescuing Echo and the short mission after that where we see them all adjusting to maybe adding Echo. And then we have Kaller, but we don’t get the planning or the initial set up, just the badassery that is them completely destroying a shitload of droids like it’s a walk in the park. And then Crosshair’s chip goes off and everything is wrong. We have ONE halfass mission of all of them together and I feel so short changed on getting to see THE BAD BATCH in action being a whole ass army, just the five of them.

So, Crosshair and Omega might escape, but I still want to know who the 5th enhanced clone is. It’s not Omega, Tech changed his mind in 1.10 about her being enhanced saying that shes the other half of the pure genetic replication of Jango’s original genetic material. Remember, Venress leads another mission on Kamino trying to steal Jango’s DNA code from the DNA vault on Kamino. Omega is vital to some part of Nala Se’s research on making a Force sensitive clone for Palpatine, or maybe something else entirely. So, will we find out who the final member is or was that a throwaway line in 1.1 when Tarkin asks Nala Se how many enhanced clones she has left and she tells him five.

I’m also wondering if Bane will be sent after Omega again when she escapes and if Fennec will be the one keeping an eye on her for Nala Se (like what happened in S1). And Hunter and Bane better not have another showdown, we know Bane survives until after the second Death Star blows up. So that showdown won’t look good for Hunter….again….

It bugs me that Hunter has FINALLY realized that he can’t run and hide from the Empire. Pabu is going to get taken from them, and maybe thats the final straw for Hunter. Echo was right to try and push Hunter to realize that they needed to be gathering allies and resources. If they can keep Omega from the Empire’s hands, that means Palpatine won’t get the clone he needs to be immortal and that the Rebellion stands a chance. And if they have enough resources to keep Omega safe, they can try and relax and give her as normal of a life as possible during the terror of the reign of the Empire.

I read the Legends series “Republic Commando” books before Batch started and had hopes that at least the plot lines of the clone rehab program and figuring out how to turn off their accelerated aging to give the clones a chance at a normal life would be brought to Canon. Instead I’ve gotten nothing but pain and sadness and a broken family. You have 15 episodes to give yourselves a chance to save it all!!

[twinsunstars]

Thoughts on The Bad Batch Episode 15 - The Cavalry Has Arrived - A Discussion Post (PART 2)

LINK TO PART 1 OF DISCUSSION

(SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVE NOT SEE THE FINALE YET! all screencaps from www.cap-that.com! https://www.cap-that.com/starwars/the-bad-batch/315/)

Nala Se heads to the central lab, attempting to destroy her work to prevent the Empire from getting their hands on it. Little does she know, Rampart had picked up a blaster and aimed it at her head. He takes a look at the data, wanting to know everything about Project Necromancer.

Little does he know, Nala Se held a bomb, pressing the button to get it warmed up.

Echo and the clones reach the "training room", attacking the troopers inside. A heated battle ensues while Omega heads up to try and free Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair. She gets spotted by one of the CX troopers, getting caught just as Hemlock and Scorch return. Hemlock releases the poisonous gas he had used on Crosshair last season on the clones, causing them to faint.

Rampart is fascinated by the data about Project Necromancer and downloads it onto the datapad to take to the Emperor to regain his status. Nala Se is shot by Rampart, as the bomb lands near Rampart's feet and goes off, the lab getting blown to bit. Nala Se finally met her end, and so did Rampart.

Like many theories, I was expecting Rampart to potentially do a Kallus and become a Rebel, but guess it was never meant to be lol.

The Batch wake up, attacking the troopers. Hemlock uses binders to keep Omega with him, taking CX-2's ship controls from his arm and his blaster, heading off. I screamed when CX-2 was killed by Hunter in fear that it was Tech because of my delusional self, but turns out it's not. Hunter and Crosshair go off to find Omega.

Hemlock (with Scorch) takes Omega outside to escape, right when it starts pouring rain. CX-2's ship comes over after Hemlock turned it on, but its engines get shot as Crosshair and Hunter make their way onto the runway. Hemlock holds Omega close to him and stands near the railing, holding a blaster at her head to threaten them. Omega isn't afraid; she knows Hemlock won't kill her, and she trusts her brothers.

Hunter tells Crosshair to shoot the binders once the time is right, and Crosshair is scared to accidentally hit Omega. Omega gets the thin sharp tool she used a lot earlier secretly out of her sleeve, ready to make her move. Hunter and Crosshair wait for her, as Omega stabs Hemlock hard in his leg, causing him to break away from his grasp on Omega. Crosshair manages to shoot the binders to free Omega, and Hemlock gets shot a total of six times before falling off the railing, meeting his end.

They had did it. They won. Omega smiles at her brothers, relaxed. She sees Crosshair's missing hands, tears welling up in her eyes. She draws Crosshair in for a hug, as the three share a warm hug in the rain. The three head back, ready to go live freely.

Just as everyone had left, the Empire arrived. Tarkin lands on Mount Tantiss as the troopers examine the mess. Tarkin receives word that Hemlock and several troopers died in the attack, and no data from his project is left. Tarkin couldn't care less; he immediately shuts down Mount Tantiss and moves all of Hemlock's money for Project Necromancer to Project Stardust, funding the Death Star.

Back safely on Pabu, the clones relax, getting to eat many Pabu delicacies. The kids play around with Mox, Stak, and Deke, getting treats and Eva chases the moonyos. Echo and Emerie watch, and I love how pretty Emerie looks as always, especially without her glasses. I'm guessing she can always see without them, they were just glasses that allowed her to see specific things in them like a built-in screen. Emerie is happy the kids are enjoying themselves, and Echo gets ready to head to Pantora to help the other clones. He suggests that Emerie could come and help, and Emerie is willing to do anything to atone for her mistakes.

Hunter and Omega sit with Batcher under the tree, happy that everyone is safe. Omega worries for the kids and the clones, but Hunter tells her that everything will be okay and the kids will be returned safely eventually, and the clones can do whatever they want now. He tells her that they can be whatever they want, and Omega relaxes, falling asleep on Hunter's arm. Crosshair and Wrecker join, their journey of fighting finally over.

Years pass, and an adult Omega heads into the caves of Pabu, reaching her ship. Someone said older Omega looks like Tech, and now I'm crying. An older Hunter sits nearby with Batcher, and Omega smiles, knowing he would be here. Omega wants to join the Rebellion in their growing fight, and Hunter is afraid of letting her go, just wanting to keep her safe. Omega knows, and she's ready to go off on her own. The two share a close hug, and Hunter sends her off.

Omega is ready to set off on her own adventures after living safely on Pabu. She takes Gonky, Lula, and Tech's goggles with her, so that he can always be with her. She salutes to Hunter, flying off into space. Batcher whines, already missing her. Hunter knows she will be okay; she's their strong girl.

I know I've said this so many times in other posts, and I've never been a parent, but Omega is really like the daughter I watched grow up. She was so young and naive in the first season, and now she's grown up and ready to fight on her own. I get teary-eyed every time I look at how big she is now and when she leaves. I hope we can see more of rebel Omega.

I cried numerous times after I saw the finale that day, unable to stop myself from remembering the happy ending we got and my little Omega all grown up, and the fact that my favorite comfort show is really over now. I'm not going to lie, I was writing this and my eyes started balling out tears again, the piano notes in the credits playing in my head. I miss them so much. I really hope we can see Omega and the Batch again in future Star Wars media. For now, the Bad Batch has given us so many treasured memories, and it was really one hell of a ride.