the-lucky-batch

[the-lucky-batch]

Ballast: I am a piñata and life is the stick that beats me

Cypher: did one of your machines explode again?

Ballast: yeah :(

Jackal, whispering to Ryder: you owe me 20 credits

Ryder, grumbling as he hands them over: I’ll win a bet some day

Jackal: keep dreamin’ princess

[the-lucky-batch]

AHHHH MORE LUCKY BATCH FINALLY

I’m so excited for this one!!!

Speeder Rides

The nightmares flooded his mind again. The red flashing lights, the blaring alarms, the yells from all the men around him. The sight of CT-2019���s ship exploding, the silence when CT-1882 tried to comm him. The fear that flooded his senses when CT-1882 commed General Lyle to tell him the bridge was damaged washed over him again. The horror he felt when his escape pod was the only one to leave the venator as he watched it explode. The utter loneliness of realizing that everyone he’d spent his life with, everyone he’d fought by from the beginning, suffocated CT-0017 in his sleep.

Ryder wakes up with a jerk, his body trembling and covered in sweat as he tries to breathe normally. His heart is racing, and he takes deep, shuddering breaths as his mind processes the nightmare.

Ryder climbs down from his bed as quietly as he can, but he doesn’t realize that someone else is awake as well. As Ryder silently leaves the room, Jackal crawls out of bed to follow. Ryder moves quickly, much to Jackal's surprise. It’s like he’d rather be anywhere but here, and Jackal knows that’s probably true.

He’d been trying to fall asleep himself when he’d heard Ryder above him. Mumbled words about needing to escape, calling for General Lyle, CT-1882, and CT-2019. He knew that those were people from Ryder’s original battalion, the ones that had died on Ryder’s last mission with them.

Jackal had almost gotten up to make sure Ryder was okay during the nightmare, but before he could, the clone had climbed down from his bunk and left the room, causing Jackal to be even more worried.

Jackal isn’t sure how to approach him, not wanting to scare him or make him feel cornered. He wants Ryder to feel safe, to know that he has someone there for him.

As he enters the hangar after Ryder, Jackal watches as he went right up to the speeder they’d given him. Ryder pauses, taking a deep breath as he seems to debate getting on.

“Can’t sleep?” Jackal asks, startling Ryder slightly. Ryder looks at him for a second before turning and climbing onto his speeder.

“Yeah, something like that,” he replies.

“Where are you going?”

“I…don’t know…” There’s a moment of silence, Jackal questioning if he might be pushing too much, but decides to ask another question.

“Mind if I join you?” Ryder looks at him again, studying his expression. Jackal was battleworn, like most of them in the Lucky Batch. He’d seen enough pain to last more than a desired amount of lifetimes. He’s lost his own brothers, and was no longer a part of his own original battalion.

“Sure,” Ryder finally answers, and Jackal climbs on behind him.

“So, you just going to fly around until we find somewhere or run out of fuel?”

“Yeah, that’s what I usually do,” Ryder says before starting the speeder. “Uh, just a heads up, sometimes I can be a little…reckless.”

“Reckless flying? Ha, sounds like me,” Jackal jokes, and Ryder gives a huff of amusement.

“Just try not to fall off,” Ryder says before he starts to fly out. At first, Jackal wasn’t sure whether Ryder was being serious, as he went slow and was gentle with his movements. But once they were out of the hangar and into traffic, Ryder proved he wasn’t joking.

Jackal instantly grabs onto Ryder, holding back a startled yelp as Ryder speeds through the flying lanes. Lights and colors flash by as they maneuver around tight corners and busy lanes. Jackal is sure Ryder’s speed is much faster than what is regulated, but that doesn’t matter to him. He’s too focused on not slipping off as Ryder points the speeder nearly straight up and flies up the side of a building.

“Kriff, Ryder! If you didn’t want me with you, you could have just said no! You don’t have to try and get me to fall off!”

“Sorry,” Ryder chuckles, leveling the speeder out as they reach the top, “but I did give you a warning.” Jackal just huffs in response, letting go of Ryder as they slowly fly over the top of the building. He takes a moment to look out over the city, admiring the lights of Coruscant’s night.

Ryder also gazes around, letting his mind be filled by the sounds around and below him, instead of the sounds of his nightmares. He lets out another deep breath, closing his eyes to try and find peace in the city.

“Hey, uh…you okay?” Jackal asks, noticing Ryder’s mood shift. Ryder peers around at Jackal before flying over to another building. He knows Jackal is trying to help, and he’s grateful for that. He just doesn’t know if he’s ready to say it out loud.

“I think…I think I need a little bit more time before I can talk about it,” Ryder responds after another minute. Jackal nods, resting a hand on Ryder’s shoulder.

“Well, Ryder,” Jackal says, smirking as he uses the clone's newly acquired name, “we’re here for you. I’m here for you. And I’m your new bunkmate, so I will listen to anything you need to say, and I will help you with everything I can.”

“Thanks, Jackal,” Ryder says, turning slightly to give him a small smile.

“Now, is there a favorite place you like to fly to? Maybe a spot that really helps you?”

“Well, seeing General Jinn always helps.”

“Ah, you mean Heather? Yeah, my partner Urania is good friends with her. She tells me about some of their fun adventures and shenanigans. I have to say, I’m a bit surprised someone like you is with someone like Heather.”

“What do you mean?” Ryder asks, slightly offended by the comment.

“Oh, I just mean, you’re kind of quiet, not really…adventurous? She just seems a bit more ‘hey let’s do this crazy, probably not good, idea’ and you seem more ‘hey, maybe we should consider the consequences first,’ if that makes sense.”

“I mean…I was more like her before the…” Ryder trails off, a shudder taking over as his nightmares burst to the front of his mind again. He grips the handles on the speeder tighter, and speeds up as if he’s trying to outrun the memories.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jackal says, gripping Ryder’s shoulder. “We all have a past. I wasn’t always a pilot, you know. I used to be a medic for the Wolfpack. But, things happened, and I ended up here as a pilot. And yeah, I miss the boys, more than anything. But I also have a new family here. I’ll never forget my past, but I’ll use it to grow. I’ll remember it and the people who taught me the important things. I’ll cherish the memories I have, and know the bad happened for a reason.” Ryder listens closely, absorbing Jackal’s words carefully. He knows he’s right, but he can’t help but feel like his past is too painful.

“Ryder,” Jackal says, more serious now, “you’ll never be the man you once were. I don’t know if you’ve accepted that, but if you haven’t, you need to. You’ve gone through too much, changed too much. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep changing. Let your past help you become the man you want. I, for one, think you’re going to become an incredible guy. Well, not that you aren’t already, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do,” Ryder chuckles. “Thanks, Jackal. That really helps, and means a lot.”

“Hey, it’s what brothers are here for. You’re my vod, and you can’t get rid of me,” Jackal says, giving Ryder a wide grin.

“Are you saying I should try and get you to fall off?” Ryder jokingly asks, but Jackal just grins even wider.

“Oh, you’ll know what I mean soon enough,” Jackal responds. “Just be careful if you ever bring Heather around, I can’t promise to be on my best behavior.”

“I’ll definitely remember that.” They laugh before falling silent again, each one falling into their own thoughts as Coruscant passes by. They’re in a quieter part of the city now, the place Ryder always imagines moving to with Heather after the war. If she wants to stay here, that is. If not, he’d follow her anywhere she went.

Maybe they’d stick with Jackal and Urania as well, perhaps flying off planet to live in a shared home, raise their families together, if they had them. The thought made Ryder smile, imagining building such a close bond with a brother that they choose to spend their lives together. Already, Ryder was feeling safe around Jackal. He felt like he could talk to him, and so he did.

“I had a nightmare. It’s a recurring one. About the venator,” Ryder began to explain.

“I assumed so, I heard you mumbling names and warnings.”

“Yeah. It’s just all…I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s like it happened yesterday.”

“I know what it feels like, for something to stick with you for so long, to feel so new, even after it’s been months.”

“I’m scared,” Ryder admits, making sure Jackal can’t see his face.

“Scared? Of the nightmares, or something else?”

“I just-I don’t want to go through that again. I don’t want to lose you guys like that.”

“Ryder,” Jackal says in a firm tone, “as the pilot of the Clover, I promise you will not have a bad venator experience again. And as your self-proclaimed new best and favorite vod, I promise you won’t lose me, or any other Lucky Batch member.”

“As much as I appreciate the promise and dedication, I won’t believe it until I see it.”

“Wow, way to be a pessimist,” Jackal says, rolling his eyes with a laugh.

“I'm just saying, it’s a war, and we don’t know how long it’ll go on for. We don’t know what will happen, who we’ll lose.”

“Well, you won’t lose me. I swear to the Maker on that,” Jackal says. “And if I’m wrong, if that swear is broken, you can have Grizzer after I steal him from Fox.”

“You’re going to steal Grizzer?” Ryder questions, not believing that Jackal will actually do it.

“Yup. That’s one of my bucket list items. Steal Grizzer from Fox and never give him back.” Ryder huffs, shaking his head at Jackal’s bizarre idea.

“Well, good luck with that, I guess.”

“Oh, you’re helping me,” Jackal says.

“No way, I’m not messing with Fox, or any of the Coruscant guard.”

“Oh come on, it’ll be fun!”

“Nope.”

“I’ll convince you.”

“No you won’t.”

“You’ll be helping me and you won’t even know it.”

“Lies.”

“I’ll prove you wrong.”

“No you won’t.”

“Want to bet on it?”

“Actually, yeah I do. If you steal Grizzer with my unknowing help, I’ll let you fly my speeder for a standard month.”

“Deal, and if I don’t get your unknowing help, I’ll let you fly the Clover for a standard month.”

“Deal,” Ryder says, turning to shake hands with Jackal. Jackal has a mischievous glint in his eyes, and Ryder can tell he already has a plan forming in his head.

“It won’t work.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do. And even if it does, I’ll just say you cheated.”

“Cheated? How would I cheat on manipulating you to unknowingly help me steal a massif?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll find a way to prove you did.”

“Yeah, alright, whatever you say, Ryder.” They both chuckle, peering out into the city. The sky is becoming brighter, and they haven’t realized how long they’ve been out.

“Maybe we should get back, I think it’s daytime,” Jackal says.

“Yeah, there’s just a slight problem,” Ryder says, looking down at the gauges on the speeder.

“Please don’t tell me what I think you’re going to tell me,” Jackal says.

“We’re almost out of fuel.”

“How far do you think we can make it before it stops?”

“I don’t know, let’s find out,” Ryder says. He steps on the gas again, and after a few seconds the speeder stalls before it stops.

“So, we got a few extra feet.”

“I guess we’re walking then,” Ryder says, jumping off before Jackal groans and climbs off as well.

“I’m not helping you push that,” Jackal states, walking ahead of Ryder.

“Hey! You were the one who asked to come along with me, so you get to help.”

“But you’re doing perfect! Look at you! All strong and-ow! Hey!”

“Well, if you’re not going to help, and if you’re going to walk in front of me, I might ‘accidentally’ hit you.”

“Fine, I’ll help,” Jackal grumbles, going to the other side and helping Ryder push the speeder back.

Once they reach the hangar, it’s almost midday and the rest of the Lucky Batch is waiting for them.

“Where have you guys been?” Ballast asks as they walk in.

“Out in the city. Ryder decided to use up all the fuel before heading back.”

“You asked if I was going to fly around until we ran out, and I said yeah that’s what I normally do,” Ryder says.

“Yeah, but I wasn’t being serious,” Jackal counters.

“Well I was.”

“Raffle has been looking for you,” Boots interrupts as he walks over.

“Better be prepared for the fly swatter, he’s not in a good mood,” Cypher adds.

“I’m telling him it was your idea,” Jackal whispers to Ryder as they head in to find Raffle.

“Yeah, well I’m telling him you’re planning on stealing Grizzer.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Jackal says, narrowing his eyes at Ryder. They share a tense moment, staring at each other before they both break into a run.

“RAFFLE! IT WAS RYDER’S IDEA!” Jackal yells through the halls.

“JACKAL’S GOING TO TRY AND STEAL GRIZZER FROM FOX!”

“DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, HE’S LYING!”

“NO I’M NOT, I HAVE IT ON RECORDING!”

From down the hall in his room, Raffle sighs and puts his head in his hands. He doesn’t have the energy for this today. When they both burst into his room, he just mumbles to them about going to find something else to do, that he’d deal with them later. The two then look at each other before running off again, and Raffle can’t help but hope they’re not going to get up to any mischief.

Ahhh I wrote this when I should have been writing two other things, but I had this idea and I wanted to make it! This includes some snip-it’s of headcanons about me and @maygalodon’s characters that we have formed together!

Ryder and Heather belong to me, Jackal and Urania belong to @maygalodon, Ballast belongs to @radbatch, Boots belongs to @lusiawonder, Cypher belongs to @stereotypicalpicnicmat, and Raffle belongs to @lynnpaper

The lucky batch! @lavenderstaars @lynnpaper @foxlock @maygalodon. @oo-hazel-oo @mango-peachjuice @radbatch @letsunity @burnthashbrown27 @generaltano @catboy-tech @cosmicghostie @namesmox @monako-jinn-stories @longearedowlfromouterspace @lusiawonder @just-another-dreamerr @the-lucky-batch

[the-lucky-batch]

The Lucky Batch as Vines Pt 3 everyone!

Taglist:

@lavenderstaars @lynnpaper @foxlock @maygalodon @oo-hazel-oo @mango-peachjuice @radbatch @letsunity @burnthashbrown27 @generaltano @catboy-tech @cosmicghostie @monako-jinn-stories @longearedowlfromouterspace @lusiawonder @just-another-dreamerr

[the-lucky-batch]

37th Battalion (The Lucky Batch☘️)

I’m still absolutely mad at this writer’s block that had settled in my brain like a little bastard but i managed to finish this super short ficlet before it consumed me :,)

Kenhla’s first impression of Sparks ( @cosmicghostie )

First Impressions

The first time she’d talked to him one on one, in one of those moments when ranks and titles were nothing more than armors they had taken off for a moment to breathe, it’d been in the mess hall of the cruiser at ungodly hours of the night cycle.

She hadn’t really expected to find anyone there at 3 am. Battles were exhausting, and the day after they were over, the clones usually collapsed in their bunks to recover, the Clover silent for once. That’s why as she finally reached the mess’ door, ready to pick a cup or two of caff to keep her company while she wrote reports, the Force signature of someone already inside had her brow shifting into a confused frown.

The door slid open with a quiet swoosh and, when her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in the room, she spotted a figure slouched on a corner, his back turned towards her. There was a sad shadow clinging to his shoulders, weighing him down, and a sigh escaped his lips before he took another sip from what, Kenhla was sure by the smell, was very strong caff.

By the way his thoughts were scattered in his head, the togruta had an inkling on what the powerful dose of caffeine was helping him avoid.

“Trooper,” she called softly, walking towards him with casual steps and sitting on the bench across from him.

He looked up at her, yanked back to reality by her voice, and scrambled to set his drink down, hand clumsily reaching up for a salute.

She’d been right: he was one of the latest recruits.

“General, I—“ he stammered, eyes shifting as he tried to explain what he was doing outside the barracks at this hour, fighting the tiredness that was obviously heavy on his body. She noticed the dark bags under his eyes, and chastised herself for not paying closer attention to the new clones’ faces and habits.

“At ease,” she told him, and smiled reassuringly as he hesitantly put his hands down, unsure. She nodded at the half-empty mug sitting before him, already cold. “Is it good?’

The clone hesitated, trying to understand what exactly she was trying to do. “Uh, yes, sir.”

“Liar.” She grinned, stretching her arms casually behind her to try to ease the knots on her back. “They always send us the worst, most low-quality caff in the entire galaxy. Kriffing thing is so bitter it took me seven cycles to become numb to the taste.” She scrunched up her nose. “I’m surprised you haven’t gone to see Pepper yet; you definitely should. Trust me, your guts will appreciate it."

The soldier couldn’t help but snort at her comment. Kenhla could see the tension slowly easing as he gradually realized her presence was not something to be weary of, but a casual gesture of comfortable interaction between two sleepless people.

“I've had better, that's for sure.” He gave the remaining caff at the bottom of the cup a resigned look. “But this’ll do.”

“Cheers to that, soldier.” She nodded, the glint in her eyes drenched in sarcasm.

The Jedi chuckled as he downed the last dregs of the beverage, his face twisting in disgust as the caff personally attacked his senses. She got up, and gestured to the kitchen with her head in quiet invitation.

“What’s your name, trooper?” she asked him as he stood up, scooping the now empty mug from the table. “Your actual name?”

“Sparks, sir.”

Kenhla patted his shoulder with a smile. “Well, Sparks, feeling up for another cup of terrible, cursed caff?”

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes with dread, yet he followed her to the supply room to get more of the awful thing. “Can’t wait, General.”

“Atta boy.”

I want to write one for each of the boys but writer’s block is being a little bastard and i want to scream aaaaaa

@lavenderstaars @lynnpaper @foxlock @maygalodon @oo-hazel-oo @mango-peachjuice @radbatch @letsunity @burnthashbrown27 @generaltano @catboy-tech @cosmicghostie @namesmox @monako-jinn-stories @longearedowlfromouterspace @lusiawonder

[the-lucky-batch]

Cypher, comming Boots: don’t come back to the venator

Boots: why?

Cypher: Sparks is passive-aggressively doing the dishes he asked me to do six hours ago. It isn’t safe here anymore

Creator of Cypher @catboy-tech / @stereotypicalpicnicmat Creator of Boots @lusiawonder Creator of Sparks @cosmicghostie

The rest of the Lucky Batch! @lavenderstaars @lynnpaper @foxlock @maygalodon @oo-hazel-oo @mango-peachjuice @radbatch @letsunity @burnthashbrown27 @generaltano @namesmox @monako-jinn-stories @longearedowlfromouterspace @just-another-dreamerr

[the-lucky-batch]

Jackal: confidence is key

Raffle: Jackal, we are locked outside of the venator because you LOST THE KEY

[the-lucky-batch]

Rayella doesn’t have a favorite uncle, but she can usually be found sticking to Jackal’s side

THIS AMAZING ART WAS DONE BY THE WONDERFUL @maygalodon

A little scene to go with this:

Heather, seeing Jackal playing with Rayella: your Jango-gene is showing

Jackal: no it’s not! I don’t even like kids!

Rayella: 🥺

Jackal: … you’re the one acception

[the-lucky-batch]

The Lucky Batch!☘️

AHHH FINALLY AFTER LIKE A MONTH I FINISHED THIS FIC!!

Prank Wars

“Shh! Here he comes, here he comes!” Boots snickers to Thumbs, who is nervously fidgeting with his fingers. “Relax, Thumbs. It’s just a small one, he won’t be that mad.”

“Hmm, okay,” Thumbs replies. He waits as the Jedi gets closer, and Boots slaps a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. Thumbs lets out a snort-like sound and averts his eyes, body shaking as he holds in laughs. Other clones sitting around the mess hall began to take notice of the Jedi as well, some doing better than others to hide their amusement.

“Mind if I sit here?” Mace asks, motioning to the seat across from Boots and Thumbs. Kriff, they were going to lose it.

“Sure thing, General Windu,” Boots manages, briefly looking at the Jedi before quickly looking away again.

“How has Clone Force 37 been lately?”

“We’ve been great, sir. Ballast hasn’t blown up nearly as many things as he usually does,” Boots replies. Thumbs just sits quietly, panic flowing through his veins mixed with amusement.

“Are you okay, Thumbs? I sense some struggle within you,” Mace asks. Thumbs has to use all his strength to drag his eyes forwards to look at the Jedi. When he goes to open his mouth to speak, all that comes out are laughs.

“Is there something funny?” Mace questions, looking behind him and expecting to find a scene.

“W-well, General,” Thumbs says, biting his lip to try and calm his laughter, “you have a little something right…here…” he says, motioning in circles around his eyes. Mace’s brows furrow before he looks in the closest mirror like object. His mouth drops slightly and he quickly turns back to face the clones before him. The two clones had put ink on the Jedi’s macrobinoculars earlier, and now there were turquoise circles around his eyes.

“I’m going to assume it was someone from your Lucky Batch that did this?” Mace says dryly as he looks back at the clones, his expression much less amused than the rest of the room.

“We wouldn’t know anything about it,” Boots lies. Mace’s eyes narrow before he leaves the room, heading to a refresher to wash off his face. Little does he know, that’s the paint they use for their armor, which has a tendency to remain stuck on skin for weeks.

~~~

“Careful! Don’t step on it, Ballast!” Jackal says as he places down the bubble wrap.

“Well why did you start on that side? How are we supposed to get out without stepping on it?” Ballast retorts. Jackal purses his lips for a second, realizing his mistake.

“Okay, we’ll just pick it up and then put it back down when we leave,” he responds before going back to covering the rest of the floor. The clones had been in the Jedi’s room almost all day, and the amount of area they’d managed to cover with bubble wrap was amazing. No spot was safe from them, not even the refresher.

“Okay, I think we can start our exit now,” Jackal says as he looks over the room. The two clones worked to finish their “project”, laying down bubble wrap until they reached the door. Once outside, they high five with smug looks on their faces. Then they hear him coming, and dive around the corner that happens to be right next to Mace’s room. They listen intently before they hear his door open, and the sudden shriek from the poor man when “pop”s erupt under his step.

The clones break out in laughter as they listen, Ballast losing his balance and falling from behind their cover. He looks up and makes eye contact with Mace, who is standing in his doorway.

“Run!” Ballast yells at his brother before he pushes himself up and sprints away down the hall, away from the angry Jedi.

~~~

“I feel like this is a bit mean,” Ryder says as he stands with his brother.

“It was a bit mean to make us all clean the entire Jedi temple for Ballast and Jackal’s prank,” Skip responds.

“Yeah, but, I’m still new. I don’t want to be transferred because of this. I don’t want to lose another family,” Ryder argues.

“Hey,” Skip said, placing a gentle hand on Ryder’s shoulder, “you won’t lose us, and you won’t be transferred. I promise, okay?”

Ryder nods, but he’s still hesitant with their idea.

“Just be glad I’m going for one of my more laid back pranks,” Skip adds. “Okay, here he comes. Act natural.”

Ryder picks up his mug and takes a sip of his drink.

“General Windu, good morning!” Skip says as the Jedi walks in. He nods to the clone, a brief acknowledgment as he wanders over to the pot of caf.

“Is this stuff fresh today?” He questions, looking at it suspiciously. “I had some the other day that was at least a standard week old.”

“Fresh as a cucumber,” Skip says.

“Fresh as a cucumber?” Ryder questions, the saying not making any sense.

“It’s the first thing that came to mind,” his brother shrugs, eyes flicking back to Mace as he poured a cup of caf. They both watch as the Jedi takes a big swig, his face pleased for a few seconds before it slowly changes. They can see the moment the hot sauce kicks in, and Mace’s gaze quickly finds theirs.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Skip chuckles as the Jedi’s expression grows angry, “it’s a special blend of ours. We like to add a bit of hot sauce to our caf.”

“Hot sauce?” He breaths out, the heat in his mouth burning furiously.

“Yeah, it adds a nice kick,” Skip responds. “Right, Ryder?”

“Uh, yeah. It really gets things nice and hot,” he adds.

“W-water,” Mace chokes out. He looks around frantically for a sink. When he does, he pours out the coffee and turns it on to fill his mug with water. But nothing comes out.

“Oh, the water isn’t working in here for some reason,” Skips says. Mace’s eyes went even wider before he ran to the fridge.

“I drank the last of the milk, sorry,” Ryder adds. “But I think this might help.” Ryder hands Mace a bottle of vinegar, and the Jedi looks grateful for him at first. When he takes a swig, however, his eyes dart to Ryder’s, and the clone feels his soul leave his body.

“Run!” Skips yells before grabbing his brother and sprinting from the room.

~~~

“Okay, just loop that string through there and…done!” Sparks straightens up and turns to high-five his brother. Cypher has a mischievous and happy grin from setting up the trap with Sparks.

“Ballast may be the mechanic, but I’m the engineer,” Sparks says while admiring their work. “And my stuff doesn’t explode.”

“Well, hopefully it’ll work,” Cypher replies.

“Oh, it’ll work, don’t worry about that. You just have to worry about Mace finding out it was us,” Sparks snickers. He gives the discrete system one last look over before ushering his brother out of the room. They slip around the corner and peek around, waiting for the Jedi to appear.

Sparks can’t help but giggle excitedly as he waits, anticipation for the scene.

“Shh, shh, here he comes!” Sparks whispers before slinking out from their hiding spot and into the hall. As Mace reaches his door, the two clones walk slowly and casually down the hall, careful to not miss anything.

“Hey, it’s about to happen,” Cypher says while nudging Sparks.

As Mace enters his password, the boys hold their breath and watch. The second he steps into the room, he triggers the wire.

Air horns blast as confetti and glitter flies into the air, a bucket of slime tipping over and pouring onto Mace.

Laughter erupts from the brothers as they stand just past Mace’s door. They were keeling over, bodys trembling from their amusement.

“Find something funny?” An angry voice asks from behind them. They immediately stop laughing and look at the Jedi before each other. They make a silent agreement before bolting in different directions. If they split up, Mace wouldn’t be able to catch both.

He didn’t even end up chasing either of them, just angrily sighing before stomping back into his room.

~~~

Rane worked by himself, that much was common knowledge. So it was no surprise that he was going to prank by himself.

It was the middle of the night, and after casually watching the Jedi over the course of the week, he had been able to find out the code to his quarters. And now he was enacting his master plan.

“Alright, little buddy. I know this isn’t exactly a good place to be releasing you, but I need you to trust me, okay?” Rane looks down at the spider in his hands, and it stares back silently.

Rane quickly types in the code to the Jedi’s room and slips inside, shutting the door behind himself. He creeps his way over to the bedroom door before pausing. He looks down at the spider again before slowly opening the door. He peers inside to see Mace snoring into his pillow. He stifles a laugh before slowly bending down.

“I need you to go over and crawl onto him. Try to wake him up, if possible.”

The spider merely stares back silently again before Rane sets him down. He closes the bedroom door before rushing out the main door and into the hall. He silently waits outside of it, hoping that it wouldn’t be too long before he gets a reaction.

Just as he is about to open the door and check on the spider, he hears a scream come from inside. He claps a hand over his mouth as he doubles over in laughter. Never, in his existence, would he have thought Mace’s voice could go so high.

“AHHHH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OUT!” Mace screams from inside his room. Footsteps approach the other side of the door, and Rane barely has time to jump out of the way as the Jedi runs out into the hall.

“General Windu! Is everything alright?” Rane asks as seriously as he could muster. Mace looks at him with sheer terror in his eyes before it changes.

“You. You did this,” he says, pointing a finger at Rane as an angry expression settles on his face.

“Did what, sir?” Rane asks, still trying to act oblivious.

“The spider. This was your doing. How did you get inside my room?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir.”

“I’ll give you one more chance to come clean. Just admit that this was you, and I’ll let you go.”

Rane stares at him blankly before his eyes dart to the ground. The spider was crawling out and towards Mace again.

“Like I said, sir. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mace’s eyes narrow before they shoot wide again. He looks down to see the spider crawling up his robes, and he screams as he runs away, shaking his robes violently to try and shake it off. When it does fall to the ground, Rane picks it up and carries him back to the barracks.

“Gotta return you to Foxy,” he says as he makes his way back.

~~~

“Okay, do you think this is enough?” Jack asks as he motions to the tray of cookies.

“That’s perfect!” Foxy says, Pepper nodding beside him.

“Okay, so just tell me one more time how-“

“Maker, Jack. Okay, so, we are going to put your cookies out as bait,” Foxy says, Jack nodding along as he listens, “General Windu is going to see the cookies, and he’s going to go over and eat one,”

“Right,”

“And then, we’re going to release the ants,”

“Okay this is where I get confused.”

“What are you confused about?” Pepper asks.

“The ants are just going to know where to go?”

“Yes.”

“And just in case, we’ll leave a trail of crumbs to lead them over to where they need to go,” Foxy added.

“Alright, let’s just hope this works,” Jack says while turning to the door of the Jedi’s quarters. He quickly types in the password Rane had given them, and they sneak inside. Jack took his cookies over to the table where they would bait Mace, Foxy laid a trail of crumbs over, and Pepper checked on the ants.

“Alright, everything is set up,” Foxy says as they all meet back up at the door.

“Ants are ready,” Pepper confirms.

“I can smell the cookies from here,” Jack says proudly. “There’s no way General Windu will be able to resist.”

“And now we wait,” Foxy says, leading them out the door and down the hall. It was just their luck that Mace happened to be returning to his room as they walked.

“General Windu,” Pepper nods, earning a brief nod from the Jedi.

Mace pauses for a second to turn and look at the retreating clones, suspicion running wild. He dismisses it though, as he didn’t expect Jack or Pepper to ever attempt to prank him.

As he enters his room, he’s immediately overcome with the smell of fresh cookies.

“Maybe this is an apology,” he thinks out loud. He smiles and walks over to the kitchen where he finds the cookies waiting. He eagerly grabs one and sniffs it, making sure nothing smells out of the ordinary. When he’s satisfied that they’re harmless, he takes a bite. His eyes shoot open and he swallows before hurriedly taking another bite.

“Maker, I know Kenhla said Jack’s baking was good, but this…this is-“ his sentence was cut off by him shoving another cookie into his mouth. As he goes to grab a third, he lets out a shriek as he feels something run across his hand. He looks down and sees ants crawling over to the cookies.

“What the-where are all these ants coming from?” Mace says, suddenly becoming frantic. “No no no! Not the cookies!” He watches as the ants scramble over the treats, taking chunks off them and carrying them away.

“I wanted to eat those,” Mace whines as he falls on his knees, facing down sadly.

“Should I make him another batch? I kind of feel bad,” Jack asks. The clones had snuck back over and we’re standing outside the door, listening to Mace inside.

“No! The whole idea of the prank was that he didn’t get the cookies!” Foxy says.

“You can give him a cookie sticker,” Pepper says, pulling one from his pocket.

“Good idea!” Jack says, taking it over and slipping it under the door. He suddenly hears footsteps approaching, and before he can stand up, the door whooshes open.

“…cookie sticker?” Jack asks hesitantly, watching as Mace’s gaze turns deadly.

“Come on, Jack!” Pepper says, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him away from the seething Mace.

“What about my ants?” Foxy yells.

“Get new ones!” Both Jack and Pepper respond as they flee the scene.

~~~

Kenhla walks into the room to find all her clones sitting in a circle while Raffle walks around them, fly swatter in hand and smacking each on top of the head as he passes.

“You,” *smack, “are,” *smack*, “NOT,” *smack*, “allowed,” *smack*, “to,” *smack*, “prank,” *smack*, “Jedi,” *smack*, “that,” *smack*, “aren’t,” *smack*, “in,” *smack*, “your,” *smack*, “battalion!” *smack*. “ESPECIALLY,” *smack*, “NOT,” *smack*, “MACE,” *smack*, “WINDU!” *smack*.

“What’s going on?” She asks her Padawans.

“Raffle found out about the prank wars the others had on Master Windu,” Brisk explains.

“I thought they were pretty funny,” Luna giggles.

“STOP SMACKING ME!” Skip says as Raffle rains down a bunch of swats.

“I KNOW THIS WAS YOUR IDEA!”

“BUT THE OTHERS HELPED! AT LEAST SWAT THEM MORE AS WELL!”

“Oh, don’t worry, I will,” Raffle says before moving into the next person, which happens to be Jack.

“Hey! I didn’t want to do this!” Jack defends.

“BUT YOU STILL DID!” He says before moving on again.

“Sorry, Ryder. I gotta do this,” Raffle says, almost apologetically.

“S’alright. I understand.”

“Maker, don’t make me feel bad about it,” Raffle says as he quickly swats the newest member.

“How long has he been swatting them?” Kenhla asks.

“About 20 minutes,” Brisk responds.

“And you’ve just been sitting here?”

“I made popcorn!” Luna says while holding the bowl out towards her master. Kenhla smiles and takes a piece, popping it in her mouth and settling down with her padawans to watch the clone Captain reprimand his batch.

The Lucksters!

@lavenderstaars @lynnpaper @foxlock @maygalodon @oo-hazel-oo @mango-peachjuice @radbatch @letsunity @burnthashbrown27 @generaltano @catboy-tech @cosmicghostie @namesmox @monako-jinn-stories @longearedowlfromouterspace @lusiawonder @just-another-dreamerr

[the-lucky-batch]

Sparks: it’s not going to work

Ballast: yes it will. Just close the door for me, okay?

Sparks: fine, but if you get in trouble, I never helped

Ballast: I’m not going to get in trouble

*later that night, Sparks is hiding in the fridge*

Raffle, getting up while everyone else is asleep and goes into the kitchen:c h e e s e t i m e

Raffle,opening the fridge:

Ballast: HA! I caught you-Captain?!

Raffle: I wasn’t getting the shredded cheese!

Ballast: you’re the one who’s been eating it?!

Raffle,unconvincingly: n-no!

Ballast: EVERYONE! WAKE UP! THE CHEESE THIEF IS RAFFLE!

Raffle: BALLAST IF YOU DONT SHUT UP I WILL HIT YOU WITH THE FLY SWATTER!

Ballast: RAFFLE IS A CHEESE THIEF! RAFFLE IS A CHEESE THIEF!

[the-lucky-batch]

Skip: I’m fine

Pepper: you’ve been stabbed

Skip: I’ve been stabbed before

Pepper: YOU DON’T BUILD UP AN IMMUNITY TO STABBING

[the-lucky-batch]

Jackal: could you guys at least try and see this from my perspective?

Ryder: *gets off his walker and crouches down*

Cypher: *kneels down*

Foxy: *sits on the floor*

Jackal:

Jackal: I hate all of you

[the-lucky-batch]

The Lucky Batch

It's been a very long time since I've written any Lucky Batch content, so be prepared for an influx of it!!

Part One

Midnight Wanderings, Part Two

It had been a week since Foxy's encounter with the pretty lady at 79's. He was itching to go back and see if he could find her. His leg bounced as he sat cleaning his rifle, a smile curling his lips as he thought about her. She had approached him so boldly, but when he had engaged her, that boldness had melted away into something much softer and sweeter. It intrigued him to no end.

When they had sat down to drink, she was full of life and wit, giving back everything he gave. She was very capable of handling herself, but blushed at each of his compliments.

"Lost in thought, Foxy?" his batch twin, Pepper, asked with a knowing smile on his face. "Dreaming about some little lady, I reckon."

Foxy rolled his eyes and scoffed, dropping the smile on his face to achieve a more stern expression. "Not at all, I was merely thinking about about the time you ate pepper spray. And liked it. You pyscho."

He was promptly smacked across the back of the head by Jackal. "It's certain now, you are thinking about someone! You never look that stern unless you're hiding something. Come on, spit it out, who's the lucky girl?"

"Unlucky, I'd say," Captain Raffle muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes toward the sky.

Foxy shot him a small glare, then shrugged. "Look, it's not a big deal. I was talking to her at 79's, we hit it off, and that's the end of it. You know how hard it is to see a specific person twice at 79's. Near impossible. I think it would be best if I just left it in the past."

Ballast's eyes lit up with realization and he guffawed, sitting up straight. "You mean Eliaelle? Di'kut, she's a mechanic! She's setting up her shop about a block down from 79's, I could even point it out to you."

He dared not hope? He buried his excitement down underneath the realization she might not even be interested in clones. Least of all him, a misfit. But it was that shred of hope that made him ask, "Could you take me there?"

A wide grin split Ballast's face. "Say when."

Tags: @lavenderstaars @lynnpaper @mango-peachjuice @namesmox @lusiawonder @monako-jinn-stories @just-another-dreamerr @cosmicghostie @oo-hazel-oo @generaltano @radbatch @letsunity @longearedowlfromouterspace @maygalodon

[the-lucky-batch]

Skip, running into the room: okay, this is COMPLETELY hypothetical-

Raffle: no it’s not

Skip:…

Skip: so this may or may not be hypothetical-

Raffle: what did you do

Skip:…

Skip: IF I was to set the Clover on fire, would you like to know before or after the fire is put out?

Raffle:…

Raffle: Skip why do I see smoke?

Skip:…

Raffle: Skip, WHY DO I SEE SMOKE?!?!

Skip: so you’d like to know before?

[the-lucky-batch]

the weight down in the deep of you: a lucky batch fic ☘️

(guys!! i finally wrote a thing!!! feat. why ballast's name is ballast and why jackal loves throwing his prosthetic arms so much. hope you enjoy!!!)

A ballast is the secret, vital core of a ship: the weight down in the deep of you that keeps a vessel upright in dark water. - Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two

    The sun hung low and hazy in the sky and most of the clones of the 37th battalion were still sleeping in their camp when a terrifyingly loud, terrifyingly explosive sound erupted from nearby the ship. 

    “What the kriff--” Jackal moaned, jolting awake. He held his head. He hated loud noises at the best of times; and it was even worse to be rudely awoken by one. 

    “Was that an attack?” another voice sounded. It was Ryder.

    “I don’t know, di’kut,” Cypher responded groggily. “Why don’t you go out and look?”

    Several of the Lucksters stumbled out of their tents into the cool morning air and looked around. It didn’t look like they were in immediate danger, but there was some smoking coming from Ballast’s workstation.

    On closer inspection, the entire workstation--as well as much of the dark, sandy ground--was covered in soot and ash. The greatest amount was collected on Ballast’s face. At least he’d had the sense to wear goggles. 

    “Oh, hey boys,” Ballast greeted his batchmates cheerily as they came over. “Just a faulty wire. Sorry if I woke you. I’m going to see if there’s any replacement parts on the ship.” 

    He walked off, whistling a sprightly tune as he went. His brothers shared glances between them, shaking their heads.

    “Does anything rattle that guy?” Rane wondered aloud. Jackal glanced toward Ballast’s retreating frame, a small smile gracing his features. 

    “You don’t know the half of it,” he replied, a faraway look gracing his features as a memory overtook him.

    The air was so thick with blaster fire, it was nearly impossible to see. This was not ideal for the clones of the 37th Battalion, who wound their way through a massive and labyrinthine Separatist facility. They were on mission from the Jedi council to retrieve a particular set of data for the Republic. The security around the facility was so great that they needed all hands on deck to help keep them at bay while others infiltrated the facility, which was why Cypher and Ballast found themselves winding their way through the dark hallways along with Jackal and Ryder. Jackal and Ryder were used to the front lines, but Ballast and Cypher were not usually in the thick of things like this. They’d been raised and trained for battle, but their talents typically had them supporting the other soldiers in other ways.

Now, they found themselves hunkered down in a side hallway while droids bore down on them from either side and they wouldn’t have time to retreat back the way they came before the droids caught up to them. Jackal held his head, struggling with the noise of the blasters. Ryder pat himself down wildly, trying to find which of his weapons still had any fuel left. 

    The familiar clicking of empty blasters sounded from Cypher’s pistols. “This is bad. This is terrible, disastrous, catastrophic!” he shouted over the noise as he hunkered down in the hallway. 

    “Keep it together, Cypher,” Ballast said, his voice steady despite the hammering in his chest. He’d never been in a position like this before, but he knew they all needed to stay calm if they were going to make it out alive. Still, he was painfully aware that they were outnumbered and outgunned. Glancing around, he noticed a control panel on the opposite wall. They could use that to short the circuits and get the doors shut to cover their retreat. But they didn’t have enough ammo left to cover him while he worked on it. His heart pounded furiously, his stomach was in his throat, but he forced himself to take a breath and clear his mind. There was a solution. There had to be, and he would find it. 

    A blaster bolt came frighteningly close to their position of cover and Jackal threw his arms up over his head, his metal prosthetic hitting Ballast in the process. Wait….there it was! The solution!

    “Jackal!” Ballast hissed to his brother. “Your prosthetic. We can use it to short that panel and get the doors closed!”

    “You want to use my arm?” 

    “I’ll make you a new one!”

    Jackal’s eyes went wild for a moment before settling with a fierce determination. “All right,” he said, tugging on his prosthetic with his other arm. It came free in his hand and he passed it over to his brother. “But this had better work!”

    “Yeah, I hope you know what you’re doing, Ballast!” Ryder cried, firing off a couple more of his few remaining shots. It wouldn’t be enough to last them if it didn't.

    “So do I,” Ballast replied through gritted teeth as he whipped out a couple of tools from his pockets, opened the sockets of the prosthetic, and set furiously to work. 

    What felt like an eternity but was really only a few moments later, Ballast handed the prosthetic to Ryder. The fist was closed except for the pointer finger, which was extended. “You’ll have to be precise with this shot!”

    “Wait, wait, wait!” Jackal cried, reaching for the prosthetic. Ballast was worried he’d changed his mind about using it, but he merely folded down the pointer finger and extended the middle finger.

    “Really? Right now?” Cypher cried, but before anyone could say anything else, Ryder sucked in a breath and launched the prosthetic at the control panel.

    The metal of the prosthetic alighted with sizzling electricity as it interacted with the panel. The boys held their breath for those agonizing seconds; the last thing they saw was the control panel fizzling and Jackal’s prosthetic dropping to the floor before the doors before them shut. 

    “It was the middle finger that did it,” Jackal voiced before they retreated back the way they had come. 

    Later that night, Ballast sat with a cluster of parts in his lap, working by the light of their campfire. He was determined to make Jackal’s new prosthetic even better than the last. Before long, he heard approaching footsteps and looked up to see Jackal coming over to join him by the fire. He sat down next to Ballast, who in turn shielded his project from Jackal’s eyes with his arm. 

    “Hey, let me see!” Jackal protested, craning his neck to try and sneak a look. 

    “It’s going to be a surprise!” Ballast replied, playfully knocking his brother in the shoulder. 

    “Alright, keep your secrets.” The two of them grew quiet as they gazed into the gently flickering flames. 

    “What a day, huh?” Jackal finally voiced. “You know, we managed to draw enough of the droids’ attention that the others were able to get the data we needed.”

    “So I heard. Glad your sacrifice turned out to be worth it,” Ballast grinned. Jackal just shook his head, growing serious. 

    “How did you do it?” 

    “Oh, well, I had to recalibrate some of the motor functions so that when it hit the panel--”

    “No,” Jackal interrupted Ballast before he was subjected to a long-winded explanation of mechanics. “How did you stay so calm? How weren’t you scared out of your mind like the rest of us?”

    Ballast looked back at the fire. “I was,” he said after a long moment. 

    “Wait, really?” Jackal looked at him incredulously. “Didn’t seem like it.”

    “When I’m working, there’s always a chance that something is going to break, misfire, explode….like a ship on rough water,” Ballast began to explain, his voice soft. “You can’t always predict the way the weather will turn, can’t control the wind or the waves, but you can control the way you carry yourself through it.” He allowed himself a small smile as he looked over at his brother. “Giving in to that fear wasn’t going to help any of us. I just wanted to be strong for us.”

    Jackal smiled broadly back at Ballast, placing his remaining hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Well, thank you. For always being the weight to carry us through. And hey,” he added, “maybe you should make a few more of those prosthetic arms. I kind of like that tactic.” 

    “I think I can do that,” Ballast grinned. Jackal chuckled. 

    “Just try not to let them explode, yeah? At least, not on purpose.” 

    “Now, where’s the fun in that?”

@monako-jinn-stories @just-another-dreamerr @lynnpaper @lavenderstaars @foxlock @maygalodon @letsunity @oo-hazel-oo @generaltano @cosmicghostie @lusiawonder @the-lucky-batch @burnthashbrown27 @stereotypicalpicnicmat @mango-peachjuice @namesmox and other lucksters i missed!

[the-lucky-batch]

We owe so much to @namesmox

THE LUCKY BATCH AS VINES PART 2!

@monako-jinn-stories @just-another-dreamerr @lynnpaper @lavenderstaars @foxlock @maygalodon @letsunity @oo-hazel-oo @radbatch @generaltano @cosmicghostie @lusiawonder @the-lucky-batch @burnthashbrown27 and any other lucksters i missed!

[the-lucky-batch]

Ryder: I love when I shave my legs and then 20 bruises appear out of nowhere

Heather (his girlfriend): I love when you shave your legs

[the-lucky-batch]

37th Battalion (The Lucky Batch ☘️)

It was raining the other day and it reminded me of you lucksters @mango-peachjuice @maygalodon @generaltano , so now this little thing exists. (Rane loves his little sister Brisk, I know, the Force told me.)

Rain can be bittersweet too

It was raining.

The soft splatter of the first few drops against durasteel had him looking up from where he was cleaning his blaster, eyes climbing through the tall canopy until they spotted the clouds covering the skies. They were a pale grey, light and fluffy, like the ones that usually hung over Kamino with gentle rain and murmuring thunder.

It was like the first time he’s felt it on his skin, from that time, long ago, when something inside him had pushed him outside the domes and into the storm. The moment that had earned him a name.

And the last time, when he’d let it run over his face as he’d held the bodies of his brothers, his chest tight while his heart shattered.

A thunder rumbled softly in the distance and dragged his mind out of bittersweet memories. He looked at the sky, uncertain, something off between his ribs.

Hesitantly, he stretched his hand forward, out of the cover of the dropship's wing. Gentle droplets landed on his hand, scattering once they met the plastoid on his arm and leaving specks of water that slowly made their way down his dusty armor, the trickles thicker as rain started to come down a bit harder and pool at the base of his palm.

He hadn't realized he was trembling until the water cupped in his hand slipped between his shaky fingers.

Ozone in the air, blood on the wet soil, cold—

Suddenly someone rushed past him, a cold breeze brushing against his cheeks as Jackal and the General dove forward, away from the cover of the ship’s wings and out into the open. He watched, impossibly still, as they both started sprinting like madmen in the small clearing, legs brushing against the tall grass and faces up to feel the water on their cheeks.

There was singing and smirking and buzzing energy under the skies, both of them drunk in the unexplainable freedom of the incoming storm. Songs got woven in the air and the warm rumbling of thunder echoed in the distance, like drums joining in to their display of joyful nonsense.

And there was laughter.

He'd never heard laughter in the rain before.

Jackal and Kenhla kept running around, boots splashing in muddy puddles as the water poured down, trying to get to each other. They were drenched from head to toe, armor splattered with mud, robes dark and heavy and wet, and yet they looked like they didn't have a care in the world other than dancing under the rain and laughing and spinning and joking—

Brisk suddenly joined in, an extra bounce in her step as she spread her arms wide, like a bird ready to take off towards the endless sky. She did a happy little spin, her feet light on the slippery floor and her eyes closed as she welcomed the storm like someone would greet a childhood friend: with glee and a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

A giggle escaped her lips and it was a sound of pure joy, a melody among the thunder and trickling water of leaves and metal, and Rane couldn’t help the way his breath stuck in his throat at the sight of the little padawan dancing under the rain.

There was a warm light in her eyes; a spark he found so hard to find in his own these days.

“Hey, Rane!” She called to him as she caught him staring quietly from under the shelter of the ship. The girl looked so carefree with her short hair plastered against her forehead, robes getting darker with water by the second— it was as if the weight of command and war had been lifted from her small shoulders for a moment. Her hand reached out to him, an invitation, a grin wide on her face. “You coming?”

Yes. No.

It hurts. It's cold.

Like holding somebody’s dying body. Rain was lonely.

But it’s freedom. It's life.

They were laughing and dancing. Together.

It's home.

He smiled quietly, hesitantly, and with a deep breath, took the step forward.

@lavenderstaars @letsunity @lynnpaper @monako-jinn-stories @oo-hazel-oo @catboy-tech @cosmicghostie @radbatch @longearedowlfromouterspace @namesmox @burnthashbrown27 some wholesomess for the soul.