defnaddadoctor

Latest Posts by defnaddadoctor

excellent use of free will if I say so myself

Speak for yourself, motherfucker!

Crosshair

Ahhhh! I’m so excited to see what comes of OC week!

Day one of @clonexocweek is here! Day one is introductions so here we go!

Naria Pamari is my Pantoran Jedi OC. Following the bombing at the Jedi Temple and Ahsoka leaving the order, she needs a break from everything. So what’s a girl to do? Why, get convinced by her street thief friend to go to a Clone Bar on Coruscant of course!

Long story short, she meets Hunter there when he’s there with the rest of the Batch honoring 99’s sacrifice. The two end up talking and….well, Naria is smitten and conflicted. She’s a Jedi and he’s a Clone; it can’t possibly work out, can it?

Very excited for this week! Hoping to do all seven days. (We’ll see with my school and work schedule 😅)

AHHH BRYNTER!

Brynter: First Meeting

For prompt #1 of @clonexocweek, I'm sharing an excerpt from the already published fic, pasted below the break, since Bryneir and Hunter's first meeting was already written a while ago.

Introduction to the ship and their moodboard can be found here!

Word Count: 6679

Image source: still from Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Content Warning: vaguely referenced past sexual assault

Chapter 8: Simulations

(end of chapter)

“I’ve made a permanent note of Plan 76,” Tech shared, holding up his datapad. “What shall we call it?”

“Fried clankers, huh uh,” Wrecker suggested with a laugh.

Tech sighed, “Well that’s a given no matter when we use EMP grenades. I was thinking Popper Trap, making use of the EMP’s nickname—”

“That name’s stupid,” Crosshair replied plainly.

“Do you have a better one? How about you, Hunter?”

He barely heard them, lost in thought as he sat at the table in their barracks. Something was off on the viewing platform during their last couple of sims…

“Hunter?” Tech repeated, succeeding in getting his attention this time.

“Hm… uh, no. No ideas from me,” he muttered.

Tech quickly returned his gaze to his datapad, only uttering a quick, “Very well,” in response.

The viewing shield had come down near the end of the day, mid-simulation. It was usually only used for explosive-heavy sims, to keep the smoke from damaging the equipment. But that wasn’t the case today. Hunter had looked up when he heard the barrier move down. He could have sworn he saw a trooper with Skirata, and he was almost certain the trooper was a shiny. They’d been talking, but were too far up even for Hunter to hear, especially while he was among blaster fire.

He’d let it go at the time, choosing not to question the Sergeant on the matter. But now he thought it over, wondering what it meant, if anything. It was just odd, and he couldn’t quite figure out why.

“Problem?” Crosshair asked as he sat beside him.

“No, nothing.”

“Hm.”

They all sat together at the table as Tech distributed datapads to them, all pre-prepared to review their intermediate medical training material before their practice test scheduled in a few days time. They already knew the basics, but as spec ops commandos they’d be expected to be their own and each others’ medics. Tech would be the unofficial medic for the squad, of course, regardless of the rest of them learning for this test. He’d already memorized every piece of information they were reviewing, and at least an additional hundred hours’ worth of study into even more advanced treatments, likely even beyond the advanced medics themselves in some cases. The last time Tech dove into a research marathon on medical interventions, he’d ranted to Hunter with great excitement for over an hour about how to repair an internal bleed in the field.

They reviewed together for hours, led by Tech, practicing wrapping bandages on each other for various types of injuries while verbalizing the steps they’d take to assess and treat an injury properly. They’d kept their armor on, practicing working around it quickly like they’d have to in the field. Wrecker was doing great with it, in fact, despite his brief jest when he tied one of the bandages around his head like a bandana and jokingly imitated Hunter’s gruff voice. Huffs of annoyance regularly escaped Crosshair’s mouth, but he still participated, even if reluctantly.

Afterward, Tech packed away the last of their practice supplies, rambling on about something with their recent medical exams, only explaining properly when Hunter questioned what he was talking about.

“Yes, I hacked into our medical records recently and noticed an anomaly in each of our metabolic rates. It’s probably nothing, but I will keep an eye on it. The possible implications are fascinating and—”

A knock at the door interrupted Tech’s explanation. Wrecker was closest, so he opened the door.

“Evenin’ Commander!” he exclaimed before stepping back, standing at attention as the rest of the squad rose from their seats to do the same.

Commander Colt stepped into the room, followed by… a shiny. Had to be the same one.

“At ease, men,” the Commander ordered as the door closed behind him. “I’ve got an assignment for you.”

The squadmates looked to Hunter for a moment, refocusing on Colt following a reassuring nod from their leader.

“Once deployed, Havoc squad will be required to keep secrets at varying levels of classification. Well, consider tonight your first black op, completely off the record. Only three officials on site are aware, and that does not include the Kaminoans.”

What? What could he possibly talking about? Hunter made minimal effort to hide his confusion, darting his eyes to the shiny a couple of times. Something was different about them. They were shorter than Colt, shorter than Hunter too. Most regs should have been equal to the Commander's height.

“Commander, what exactly are you asking us to do? We haven’t deployed yet.”

“You’re not deploying, your assignment is here on the complex.” Commander Colt motioned to the shiny. “This soldier is here to pass a series of simulation tests. Having already completed the solo trials, the squad tests still remain.”

He couldn’t help but notice the odd choice of words, soldier, rather than trooper, and no mention of a name or CT designation.

“We need a squad to complete the tests with them,” the Commander continued. “You boys are it. One night. Three sims.”

“What?” Wrecker blurted out.

“Excuse me?” Crosshair sneered.

Both brothers were immediately silenced by the heat of Hunter’s glare.

“That is a highly irregular assignment,” Tech posited.

Hunter looked to the trooper again, who’s helmet turned to face him. “With all due respect, Commander, why not pair the rookie with a cadet squad? Aren’t we a bit… overqualified?”

“You are, but you’re the only squad available that we trust to keep this extremely covert.”

“Why all the secrecy for a single trooper to run some sims?” Hunter asked. None of the Commander’s responses were providing Hunter with answers, only more questions.

“Let’s just say… this is a special case.”

Colt nodded to the trooper, who reached up and removed their helmet—

A woman.

Stunned. That was the only word to describe his reaction. Hunter tried his best to hide his expression, but he’d been caught off guard far too quickly to stop the drop of his jaw in time. He saw similar looks of shock and awe and confusion plastered on his brothers’ faces.

“Havoc Squad. Allow me to introduce you to Bryneir Q’ade.”

Chapter 9: Outsider

Their barracks had never been so quiet. The brothers were silent for a few seconds too long, long enough for an awkwardness to settle into the air.

“Bryneir, these are clone troopers Wrecker, Crosshair, Tech, and Hunter.” Commander Colt waved his hand in the direction of each man as he introduced them to her. She nodded to each of them in turn, locking eyes with Hunter for a moment, holding her head high almost a little too intentionally.

Hunter hesitated, before gathering himself and stepping forward to behave as a future-Sergeant should, extending his hand to her. “Pleasure to meet you, Bryneir.”

“Just Bryn is fine, thank you,” she replied, briefly shaking his hand with a firm grip.

He studied her for a beat. She certainly wasn’t a variant of clone, Hunter concluded. Grey eyes, pale skin, and red-brown hair cut in a similar short style as the regs, but with an entirely different curly texture. Nat-born, had to be. What the hell was she doing wearing clone trooper armor?

“Once Bryn passes her remaining sims, she will be returning to the frontline immediately, and we will all pretend tonight never happened,” Colt advised.

“And if she doesn’t pass?” Crosshair sneered from his corner of the room.

“We are confident that she will,” Colt replied.

Hunter sighed. “Sir, I still don’t follow. A nat-born woman can’t possibly pose as a clone trooper for long. No offense,” he said, looking to her for that last statement.

“I won’t be posing as a CT. I’ll be an NT,” she clarified, not breaking from Hunter’s gaze.

He must have still been visibly confused, because the Commander continued explaining. “NT, nat-trooper. A handful of Fett’s original trainers joined the GAR under that designation when the war broke out, Sergeant Skirata included, in fact. Bryn will be covertly joining the army under the same designation.”

Tech finally spoke up after what appeared to be several moments of intense thought. “In that case, under what circumstances would this degree of secrecy be required?

“That’s classified,” Colt and Bryn replied in unison.

“The only logical conclusion is that she is being hidden from high ranking members of the army or the Republic—”

“Drop it, Tech.” Hunter had to admit that that made sense. He was impressed with Tech for figuring that out, but he knew they’d be getting no further information than that. There was more to her than simply becoming a trooper, perhaps there were plans for her to spy or infiltrate enemy ranks. Whatever it was, Hunter trusted Colt’s judgment. He was one of very few regs he could trust.

“Report to the sim room at 0100,” Colt ordered. “I’m leaving her here with you. That gives you about four hours to get to know each other and refresh your memories on standard protocol. For her benefit, I expect all of you to follow protocol to the letter tonight. Understood?”

“Of course, sir,” Hunter confirmed. “We’ll take care of her.”

With that, Colt left and closed the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the room with all eyes staring in her direction, the silence again hanging just a little too long to be comfortable.

“Uh, make yourself at home. Apologies for the mess.” Hunter backed up to lean against the wall, motioning a hand towards the table’s bench to encourage her to take a seat.

Bryn did just that, sitting with her back against the table to face the rest of the occupants of the room, looking around as if taking in her surroundings.

“Apologies for the intrusion, I don’t mean to waste your time. I’ll be out of your way soon enough.”

“It’s no trouble. We could use the brush up on typical protocol, I guess.” That comment earned Hunter some strange looks from his brothers, who clearly disagreed.

“Hm, I could tell that typical protocol isn’t exactly your style."

Crosshair scoffed. “So that was you watching our sims today.”

Hunter stared at him for a moment. Crosshair had noticed too? He hadn’t said anything, not that Hunter had either.

“Beats watching the same cadet tests a million times,” she replied.

“So, uh, what’d you think of us?” Wrecker said, finally speaking up, although a little sheepishly.

Bryn smiled at the big clone. “I saw ‘Plan 76’. Very creative, highly effective. Pretty dangerous and exposed for you, though,” she concluded, referring to Hunter again.

“I can handle myself.”

“Clearly.”

“It’s even more fun with thermal detonators, huh uh!” Wrecker added with a laugh.

"Now that would be real fun, make it a real show,” she replied, waving her hands up in grandeur.

Wrecker's face beamed with enthusiasm. The big guy always responded well to positive feedback, especially when it came to his love of explosives. Most people responded to him sarcastically, not taking the sometimes child-like man seriously enough to respect him. Bryn didn’t do that, she’d seemed genuine and kind in her reply.

“Forgive me if I’m being presumptuous, but… can I ask why don’t you look like the other clones? Someone said something about you being... defective?” she asked, shifting her gaze between each of them.

“Ahem,” Tech cleared his throat. He’d be the one who’d want to explain, of course. “We are genetically defective, by reg standards. But our desirable mutations and enhancements are of benefit for combat purposes.”

“Desirable mutations?” Hunter really noticed her accent with the word desirable. He'd never heard someone put so much hard emphasis on the -ire sound as she did.

“Yes. I possess exceptional intelligence. Wrecker has extraordinary strength. Crosshair’s enhancements make him the perfect sharpshooter. And Hunter has enhanced senses. Our mutations were further enhanced, and our training has focused on making use of each of our special skills.”

“Oh. Okay. That explains a lot…” Bryn seemed deep in thought. “So is that how you dodged all those bolts when you were luring the droids away?”

Hunter grinned faintly, crossing his arms. “More or less.”

“Kinda funny when ya think about it,” Wrecker chuckled.

“What?” Hunter asked.

“That she’s different, like us! Not in the same way… but still different!"

“The outsider and the rejects. How poetic,” Crosshair quipped.

“Technically, we are considered defects, not rejects,” Tech corrected him, eliciting nothing more than an eye roll from the sniper.

“I’ll take what I can get,” Bryn laughed, seeming amused by their banter.

Hunter noticed Tech staring hard at her before speaking again. “I still do not understand your intended purpose in the GAR,” Tech stated, squinting his eyes with an aer of distrust.

“To fight. Same as the rest of you.”

“There’s more than enough clones for that. Why all this trouble for you?”

“Tech…” Hunter warned with an intentional growl in his voice.

“It’s alright, it’s a fair question,” Bryn replied, raising her hand in surrender. “I can’t answer that, but if there’s anything more specific you’d like to know, Tech, feel free to ask and I’ll answer anything that isn’t classified.”

How reasonable, Hunter thought.

Tech began. “The Commander said you needed to return to the front line, implying that you were already there. Why?”

“Because I’ve been traveling with the 501st legion as a combat trainer.”

“Combat trainer?! You already knew how to fight? Awesome!” Wrecker practically cheered in excitement. “Think ya could beat me?!”

“Well I think you got me beat strength-wise there, bud,” she chuckled.

“What’s the matter?” Crosshair chimed in with a snaking tone as he stepped out of his shadowy corner of the room. “Scared of a little… competition?”

Crosshair, like Tech, was always more hesitant to accept outsiders, Hunter knew this. The sniper was usually just meaner about it.

Bryn looked Crosshair up and down before nodding to herself. “Now you? You I could beat for sure.”

Hunter felt his brow raise at her bold statement, suppressing a smirk as he silently watched the interaction unfold.

“That is highly unlikely, given his enhanced genetics and proclivity for marksmanship,” Tech added.

“Who said anything about blasters?” she continued. “I’m talking about old fashioned hand-to-hand combat. That’s my specialty.”

“Close combat!? You should fight Hunter, he’s the best at sparring! I’d love to see that.” Wrecker was always quick to stir the pot, especially if it meant he might get to see a fight, or an explosion, or both.

“Maybe another time, big guy, don’t want anyone getting beat up before the sims,” Bryn replied before Hunter had a chance to mediate. “Though I could use a challenge sometime, most troopers can’t keep up with me in the sparring ring.”

Hunter chuckled at the thought. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“So you’re a sparring trainer,” Tech continued, still hyperfocused on uncovering the circumstances of her mysterious situation. Hunter almost felt himself start to zone out as his brother began his typical barrage of questions, but kept his ears open in case he’d have to reign him in yet again.

“Did you ever serve on Kamino, or only on starships?”

“Only on starships.”

“I see. Where are you from originally?”

“Corellia.”

“Have you always been an expert on hand-to-hand combat?”

“I’ve trained in close combat for almost two decades.”

“You’re still quite young. How old are you?”

“23.”

“You trained in combat since you were a child?”

“Corellia is a rough place.”

“I see. Fair enough. Do you have a family?"

“I did.”

Did. Past tense. Hunter immediately refocused on the conversation, sensing Tech was getting a little too close for comfort with his line of questioning.

“Where are they now?”

“Long gone.” Bryn shifted in her seat, only now finally breaking her eye contact with Tech. She instantly looked uncomfortable.

“Was it something that happened to them that led to your decision to join the army?”

“That’s enough, Tech,” Hunter scolded.

Tech listened to him, reluctantly. “Ah, my apologies. I am simply eager to comprehend the situation.”

“I understand,” she replied, a little more quietly, Hunter noticed. “How I came to join the GAR is also classified, I’m afraid.”

The awkward silence returned, lingering heavily in the air. The crunch of Crosshair’s toothpick between his teeth was somehow the loudest thing in the room, even if only Hunter could hear it. Tech remained silent for fear of overstepping with his questions again, busying himself with a gadget he’d been working on. Wrecker was uncharacteristically quiet, choosing to dive into a pile of ration bars by his bunk. Crosshair seemed to just simply not care, having returned back to sit on his bunk and fiddle with his rifle. They’d never had anyone just hang out in their barracks before, let alone a nat-born woman, one of the very few human women any of them had ever met.

Hunter watched her, being mindful not to stare. She fiddled with the gloves of her blacks, removing them and stretching them between her hands to occupy herself. Before he could suggest a review of protocol to break the stalemate, she spoke up to cut the tension in the room.

“Being spec ops means you get your own private barracks, huh?”

“Not exactly,” Hunter replied, approaching to sit beside her, allowing for a few feet of space between them on the bench. “With our enhancements we’ve had to spend a lot of time in the labs, as well as the training facility. So they stuck us right in between.”

“I see. Rather than the trooper and cadet barracks on the other side of the complex.”

“Right.”

The others all continued with their menial tasks, showing no interest in contributing to the conversation for now. Hunter figured that responsibility now fell to him, to make her feel comfortable and welcome. He did tell the Commander they’d take care of her, after all.

“At least you have a window, that’s nice,” she added. “More than most other barracks in the GAR, that’s for sure. Can get some sunlight.”

“On the rare occasion when the storms take a break, yes,” he chuckled.

“Fair point. I hear it doesn’t let up very often, does it?”

“Nah, but we’re used to it.”

Bryn turned in her seat, tucking one leg under the other to face him. “Have you ever left Kamino?”

“The planet, yes. But not beyond the system. There’s training operations on some of the nearby planets and moons. And we got to tour a Venator in orbit when we were kids, like all cadets.”

Hunter couldn’t help but notice her eyes which crinkled a little when she smiled at that. He couldn’t recall ever meeting someone with grey eyes before. They were almost completely colorless with a hint of dark green. The color reminded him of the storm clouds raging outside.

“So, if that was plan number 76, what are some other crazy plans you boys have come up with?”

Her question sparked a lengthy chat between the pair, the conversation eventually flowing with minimal effort. Hunter told her about several of their plans as she contributed with thoughts and questions. At some point he too sat more comfortably in his seat to face her more, resting one arm on the table while the other hand moved as he talked, accentuating certain words or phrases. It wasn’t until he made her laugh at one of their crazier ideas that he noticed his brothers’ stares and shiteating grins. Someone had turned on the GAR broadcast at some point, the low music now playing low and casually.

“You’re chatty,” Crosshair complained as he finally emerged from the shadows again.

“The word you’re looking for is friendly. I see you’re not familiar with the concept.”

“HA!” Wrecker broke his own silence with a sudden boisterous laugh. “She got ya there Cross!”

Crosshair simply rolled his eyes and retreated to the refresher, rather than admit to his defeat in the trial of wit.

“Impressive,” Hunter smirked, unable to hide his amusement. “Not many people can bite back at him and win.”

“Not my first time dealing with a caustic with a superiority complex,” she chuckled. “Either gotta hit ‘em with their own medicine, or shower them in kindness, and I don’t know him well enough for the second one.”

Hunter genuinely laughed at that answer, considering all the times those exact approaches worked wonders on Crosshair’s attitude. He chose to shrug off Tech’s cynical glare at the exchange. Crosshair did eventually return, immediately retreating to his bunk once more.

“Hey… do you mind if I remove a couple armor plates?” Bryn asked quietly. “Since I’m gonna be here a while.”

“Um… sure,” Hunter stammered. “Yeah, of course.”

She removed both of her thigh plates, front and back, laying them on the table behind her before sighing in relief. Hunter noticed her massage the top of her legs where the plates would have ended before quickly averting his gaze.

“I’ve gotta figure out how to modify those things.”

“Combat welders work nicely.” The sudden reemergence of Tech’s voice prompted both Hunter and Bryn to turn their heads. “I modified one to both cut and weld, it requires a relatively straightforward adjustment of the capacitor’s energy potential.”

“Alright… thanks. I’ll have to see what I can do when I’m back with the fleet.”

“You’re uncomfortable, then?” Hunter asked.

She nodded. “Only somewhat. This armor wasn’t exactly designed for my figure.”

“Given that you appear to have close to the typical proportion ratio of a human female, although taller than average, I’d hypothesize that the areas of discomfort would most likely include the thighs, hips, and breasts,” Tech posited, unashamedly.

“Tech!” Hunter scolded, widening his eyes.

“No, no, it’s okay. He’s spot on,” Bryn said with a shrug.

“They gave me custom armor! Maybe you can get some too,” Wrecker suggested optimistically.

“If her deployment is being conducted covertly, I doubt that is an option at this time,” Tech concluded.

“Right again, Tech.” She mock-saluted in his direction. “I’ll figure something out long-term. It’s tolerable for now.”

Hunter found himself reminded of his old cadet armor. By the time he’d fully grown, it just didn’t fit him right, the plastoid overlapping in some places where it shouldn’t, and it had been tight in the shoulders, which irritated him to no end at the time. Tech had recently modified his new Phase II armor for him, making it fit almost perfectly, and he did feel a genuine difference in his performance since the change. It’s irksome to fight in ill-fitting armor.

“We’ve still got a few hours. Tech can help you with your armor.” Hunter offered his brother’s services without hesitation as every set of eyes in the room jolted in his direction.

“A-are you sure?” Bryn turned around in her seat to look at Tech. “I’m not here to impose.”

Tech stared Hunter down completely expressionless. Hunter cocked his head and spun his hand in the air behind Bryn’s back, encouraging his brother to agree.

“Yes. I can do that.” Tech pushed his project aside and stood, moving to stand in front of Bryn. “Please stand.”

To Hunter’s surprise, she looked back to him first, as if seeking his approval as the squad’s leader. He nodded to her with an intentional but small smile.

She stood as Tech examined her, pulling and poking at her armor plates, assessing their fit. Her lips pressed together as if masking a laugh — she looked amused.

“Thigh plates, codpiece, skid, and chest plate are definitely the most ill-fitting. The plackart could use improvements as well. Could you please remove those pieces?”

“Sure.”

The fact that she didn’t hesitate threw Hunter through a loop for a moment. She removed all of her armor plates and accessories except for the ones on her arms, and her legs from the knees down, leaving the rest of her only in blacks. He’d never considered how form-fitting blacks actually were, never thinking twice about it for himself or the other clones. But now, he looked twice. He drew his vibroblade from its sheath, spinning it between his fingers to occupy himself.

He knew she’d been traveling with the GAR for some time now, she must have been comfortable around clones. He was the one who felt uncomfortable.

“Hmm,” Tech pondered. “I would suggest starting with the plackart as it’s the base for several other pieces.”

“I trust your judgment,” she replied.

He held the semi-flexible plating around her torso. “It’s too wide for you…it needs to be slightly narrowed at the hips, and significantly narrowed at the waist. Hold it here for me. Yes, like that.”

Tech scurried off to his pile of homemade tools, returning with some sort of instrument, then got to work.

The awful scratching noise crawled into Hunter’s ears, forcing him to retreat to lean against the wall again, but he knew he was likely the only one bothered by it. He kept an eye over them to make sure Tech didn’t overstep any more lines. Tech would never mean anything by it, of course, he just simply didn’t know the difference sometimes.

Tech scored the armor plating on both sides before removing it from Bryn and retreating back to his side of the table, burying his face into it as sparks flew. She followed him, sitting on the table itself with her feet on the other bench, watching him work on her armor.

Hunter felt his jaw tighten when he glanced at her again. She was mostly back on to him now, sitting cross-legged on the table and leaning back, her hands on the table to support herself.

She was stronger-looking than he expected for a woman, bigger and taller than any other woman he’d met, although still a bit smaller than himself. With the addition of trooper armor plating, she looked just as formidable as any clone man, although her facial features were more soft and rounded. Her body was athletic and muscular, especially in her legs, while still lean and shapely. The curve of her thighs, one crossed over the other, mesmerized him for a moment. The sleeve of her blacks was pulled back just slightly, her wrist showing a hint of what looked like… a tattoo?

He huffed quietly and looked away, silently scolding himself for staring before throwing his knife in the air and catching it by the blade. He clocked Crosshair eyeballing him with the most smug and satisfied smirk he’d ever seen on his brother’s face. Not wanting to give him any satisfaction, Hunter forced his own face into his typical stoic expression and tossed the knife again.

•••

Storm clouds raged and lightning clapped outside the large window that wrapped along the entire back wall of the barracks. Bryn stared out into the dark for some time, her eyes following the raindrops as they scurried down the transparisteel, betting in her head on which droplets would reach the bottom first.

The boys had finally seemed to at least partially settle into her presence in their space, not making a sound aside from the music broadcast playing from somewhere. Tech was focused on the armor plate before him while Wrecker started nodding off in his bunk. Crosshair periodically peered from the shadows of his bunk, cleaning his rifle while chewing on a toothpick. When she turned to see where Hunter had gone, she saw him leaning against the wall behind her, twirling and flinging his strange combat knife around, no longer seeming interested in chatting with her as he had earlier.

She was grateful, at least, for the changes being made to her armor. She was already back in her plackart, codpiece and skid, the first having been narrowed, and the latter having been widened with new attachment clips added to account for the roundness of her hips. Even just sitting on the table was significantly more comfortable than before. Tech was now working on her thigh plates, which needed to be widened and rounded at the top so they’d stop digging into her every time she sat or crouched.

Bryn scanned the room for the hundredth time. It was obvious which bunk belonged to each of the clones, even if they hadn’t been in the room. Crosshair’s was frighteningly orderly, while Wrecker’s was a disorganized mess. Tech’s was also a mess, but more in a chaotic-genius sort of way, like each of the loose wires or scribbles on the walls had a purpose. Hunter’s was the most like what she’d seen in the barracks on the Resolute — tidy and military, but not obsessive. Although, she suspected the footlocker was probably stuffed with crap, like most soldiers’ she knew.

Tech stopped his work and looked around, searching for something.

“Lose something?” she asked.

He sighed, then stood to look about the room, mumbling to himself. “I swear if maintenance moves my things one more time… ah, there it is.”

Another strange tool in his hand, he continued to work. The tool looked like a long stick that spun at the end, carving into the plastoid. It looked modified, with an open casing in the handle exposing wires that looked like they’d been cut and reattached.

“What are all these things?” she asked, nodding her head to the various gadgets scattered across the table.

“Projects,” he replied plainly.

“Like what?” Bryn got the sense that Tech didn’t trust her, so she was determined to try and get him to talk. He clearly had an interest in all the little electronics around, so she decided to start there.

He looked up from the armor plate for a moment, then at the tool in his hand. “This one is an example. Modified hydrospanner, adjusted to function as a drill and carving tool in addition to its usual driver and wrench functions.”

She nodded, then pointed to the tool beside him. “And that’s the combat welder you mentioned?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Can I see it?”

Tech hesitated, looking between her and the welder, before nodding and shoving his face back into the sparks from his current task. She reached over and took the welder in her hand, having never seen even an unmodified version before.

“What’s a welder used for in combat anyways?”

“Sealing doors, mainly. They’re usually only carried by commandos who are trained in their proper use.”

“I see.” Bryn flipped it around in her hand, noting the cut and soldered wires on the handle. “You added buttons to it to switch between cutting and welding?”

“Precisely.”

“So… the buttons change the capacitor’s output voltage, more power for cutting and less for welding?”

Tech actually stopped what he was doing, looking at her quizzically. “Yes. That’s exactly right.” His eyes traveled past her shoulder for a moment, looking at something, then returned back to his work again.

She turned in her seat to follow where his eyes had been looking, and found Hunter already looking at her with a raised brow.

“What, I can’t know some basic electrical engineering?” she smirked.

He returned to focusing on his knife tricks. “You’re gonna be full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The combat knife flew up and down repeatedly as Hunter caught and tossed it lazily, absentmindedly even. She was surprised to see him catch it by the blade without even looking at it, surely risking losing a finger if he’d missed. The blade itself was shiny and metallic, but the sharp edge glowed orange, with more orange markings marked along its side. Some serrations notched the dull edge, clearly meant to cause additional damage when the blade was used to stab. The black hilt was different, oddly rectangular, and looked like it was electronic with a couple red buttons at the base.

“What kind of knife is that anyways? I didn’t expect a weapon like that to cut through droids.”

Hunter caught the knife again and looked at her as if deciding how to respond. He approached her, spinning the blade between his fingers before holding the hilt out for her. She’d learned to fight with knives growing up, one of multiple hand-held weapons that had been part of her training, although in her case it was never meant to actually be used against anyone, it was just for skill and sport. She took it from him and examined the strange weapon more closely, leveling the top of the hilt on her finger. The balance was perfect.

“It’s called a vibroblade,” he explained. “The buttons here make it vibrate and heat up so it can cut through just about anything, including droids.”

“Wow… I’ve never seen a weapon like this.” Bryn turned the hilt in her hand to hold the knife like she would for proper combat, a reverse grip with the dull edge along her wrist. She pressed the two buttons at the base of the hilt, captivated for a moment by the faint hum of the glowing steel before deactivating it again.

Hunter’s eyes round out as his face relaxed, looking almost amused. His were the same familiar brown eyes of the clones, except his looked just a shade or two lighter.

“I see you know something about wielding a blade.”

“A tad. No fancy knife tricks though,” she laughed, turning the blade in her hand again to hand it back to him by the hilt.

He took the knife back with a little grin before returning it to the sheath on his vambrace, showing it to her. “The hilt holds a long charge, but this sheath holds enough to recharge it for weeks on end.”

“I might have to get myself one of those,” she smiled at him.

“Hold that thought.” He retreated back to his bunk area and reached into his footlocker, pulling out a datapad before returning to sit beside her on the table. “I still have the req for it, if you want this blade specifically I can give you the GAR supply code. The older version your quartermaster would try to get for you isn’t as reliable…”

His voice trailed off as he activated his datapad. Bryn caught a glimpse of the opening screen, it was a holo of Havoc Squad posed together in their armor. She hadn’t expected that degree of sentimentality from the man with half his face covered in a skull tattoo.

Bryn gladly took the supply code from him with a thank you, recording it on her com to refer to later. A blade would be useful, she thought, especially one that could cut like that.

This time Hunter didn’t retreat back to the wall, instead remaining sitting beside her, which she appreciated. Wrecker seemed more than friendly enough, but was sleeping on and off at that moment. Tech she was unsure of, just as much as he appeared to be unsure of her. Crosshair seemed to hate her from the start, but maybe he was just that miserable with everyone.

Hunter, on the other hand, had a quiet warmth about him, similar to a lot of the regular clones she knew but more gruff in both his voice and mannerisms. Despite his obvious attempts to have an intimidating presentation, his eyes had betrayed him to her several times, revealing the gentler young man beneath the façade. She couldn’t sense his emotions as she’d still been continuing with her sever meditations, but she got a strong impression that Hunter was a caring person. Call it intuition.

“Please stand,” Tech requested, seemingly finished with her thigh plates. She complied, rising to her feet again.

Tech knelt before her, holding the front and back plates to one of her thighs and examining the fit.

“I’m going to use flexoid for these attachment points, to allow more flexibility with your movements,” Tech explained. “Try holding these plates in place for me… hm, no not like that, you need to stand straight for this to work… Hunter, hold these in place while I attach the new clips.”

The situation had been only mildly awkward so far. Tech seemed unfazed about touching her body as he made the necessary adjustments, although he always asked permission first. She didn’t mind, despite his reservations about her she had no doubt that he was respectful of her personal space. It still surprised her, really, how much she trusted the clones as a whole, despite everything that had happened to her, despite the way men had used her in the past. The clone men of the GAR were just different. Some were hardasses, sure, but she’d yet to meet a single one that disrespected her specifically for being a woman.

Hunter knelt beside her, looking a little bit reluctant himself. He too asked her for permission before raising a single finger in her direction. With her consent, he held the plates firmly against her thigh as Tech carefully welded the new clips in place on each side. Hunter then continued to hold them in place until the plastoid cooled and solidified. They repeated the same process for her other leg.

Lastly came the back and chest plate. Normally these were a single piece that the clones just slipped over their heads. Tech had pointed out that it would likely be difficult for Bryn to do so once the waist was narrowed, so he’d already cut it apart into a separate front and back. Hunter helped again to hold the back plate in place while Bryn held the chest plate. Tech scored both of them and then returned to his makeshift workstation with both pieces to make the final changes.

Hunter returned to sit next to her, drawing his knife again and just holding it this time, running his fingers along the sharp edge of the blade. She wondered if he used the weapon like a security blanket, or if his constant fiddling with it was just an anxious tic. Either way, she didn’t mind, and they sat beside each other in an increasingly comfortable silence.

After some time, Tech finally finished, having narrowed out the waist and shoulders of the chest and back plates, leaving a more rounded space in the breast-area. With Hunter’s help again to hold both plates in place, new clips were attached in the necessary locations.

“Your armor modifications are complete,” Tech announced.

Hunter’s lip curled slightly, looking her in the eye. “How does that feel?”

Bryn moved about the room, walking, crouching, stepping up onto the bench and back down again. It was a perfect fit, immensely more comfortable as each armor plate moved in sync with her body.

“So so so much better, I can’t thank you enough Tech.”

Tech simply nodded in her direction before returning to his workstation, sliding out the same project he’d been working on before the armor customization began.

Hunter stalked over to Wrecker’s bunk, kicking the metal plating underneath to wake the big guy. “Alright, we’ve got less than an hour. Come on Wrecker. You too, Crosshair.” He tipped his head for them to follow to the table in the middle of the room.

Crosshair made his way to the bench, although looking displeased, and Wrecker soon followed with a small red and black plush in hand. It was the first Bryn had noticed the doll, and she couldn’t help but feel her heart warm at the sight of such a hulking man finding comfort in a soft little toy. She got a brief introduction to Lula, Wrecker had called the doll, before Hunter got started.

She listened intently as Hunter stepped into his leadership role with ease, reviewing the highlights of standard combat protocol and how exactly their temporary fifth squadmate would fit into their communication style and combat approach. He easily snapped the others back into focus with every complaint or jest. Clearly this squad was not used to following some of the rules, but Hunter was stern with them about tonight being an exception, for Bryn’s sake.

99 was right after all. Hunter would look out for her.

Full fic below:

I added some color to Shaak-ti and the cadets!

Clone Wars Incorrect Quotes

Echo into his comm: Rex? Hi... Um, so Fives and the General and I were playing hide and seek with the Commander...

Rex: what did you do?

Echo: Fives found a cleaning supply closet and good news, it makes a great hiding place. Bad news, he locked himself inside by accident.

Rex: That's not exactly bad news, depending on who you are -- Could you PLEASE tell Ahsoka to stop screaming?

Echo: *sighs* That's Fives.

Let me put it this way, I'm never not thinking about Echo's one-armed pull ups.

My Heart is Yours, and so are my Brothers

Pairing: Tbb Echo/fem reader

Word count: 6.5 K

Gift for: @eclec-tech for the @cloneficgiftexchange 2024 life day exchange

Prompt: clone asks reader to be part of his family

Tags/warnings: Light angst, emotional hurt/comfort, mentioned past familial issues/toxicity, (I tried to keep it vague), insecurities, domestic/romantic fluff, found family, soft and cosy life day feels

Summary: You have always felt like you don’t fit within your own family. Echo is determined to show you that in his, your place is not something you have to earn, and the love they show you is nothing short of unconditional. And if that takes you overworking yourself, a life day baking mishap, and your beloved scooping you up and offering out a helping hand as soon as you show signs of beginning to fall, well... sometimes, that’s just how it goes.

Authors note: This was written as a gift for Amber, who has become such a good friend to me and ironically, is also my usual beta. We had, actually, briefly joked and giggled over the idea of one of us being paired with the others prompts... until it actually happened. So, I would also like to thank Carol: @clonethirstingisreal for betaing this work. It was a huge relief knowing that you could step in for this one, as I didn’t want to ruin Amber’s surprise by making her also be the one who has to edit it, because how mean would that be? This story can also be read on my ao3(check pinned for link) and I truly had so much fun writing it. Dare I say, one of the writing highlights of my year 😉 if you enjoy, please consider dropping a reblog. Sharing is always so so appreciated, as well as comments. Happy holidays, and happy life day🎄❄️

Waking up to the piercing shriek of your smoke detector, you think, your brain still groggy and slow from your impromptu nap, is definitely not a good sign.

Your heart is pounding, rattling furiously within the confines of your chest, your mind and body still trying to comprehend going from out cold on the couch to frantically running around the kitchen like a maniac, swiftly opening the oven door to discover what is no doubt the source of the alarm’s high pitched wails

It’s only after using a hastily dampened towel to smother the flames, vigorously flapping it 

around to beat out the lingering smoke, that you’re still hammering heart rate finally begins to slow, and you allow yourself to take a drawn-out, steady breath, forcing yourself to calm as you anxiously peer into the oven.

You can tell, just from the acrid stench, that it’s bad. 

Still, you’re not prepared to find the batch of freshly made cookies, each patiently dusted with a generous helping of sugar so that each chocolate surface appears as if snowflakes had found their landing place there, are nothing but crumbling, blackened crisps against the stark white of the baking sheet in the tray.

You shouldn’t have sat down, you think, strangely detached as with shaky, oven mitt-covered hands, you remove the tray from the oven, setting it down on the counter and gazing at what was supposed to be your life day offering to Echo’s family, to express your gratitude at their generosity for inviting you to their festivities.

It meant more to you than they would ever know. 

They didn’t know that your own family looked down on you with disappointment. They didn’t know that you had fled to Pabu precisely with the intent to walk away from them in an effort to save yourself from more hurt. They didn’t know that you, stupidly and still with the embarrassing desperation of a child who might do anything to earn even just a smile of approval from those around her, want, need them to approve of you, and not just in the way that family members do because she’s their  brother’s partner, but in a way that feels like they genuinely like you, and actually want to have you around.

But regardless, they still showed up at your door. Hunter, who you’ve only shared passing greetings with and who has, up until this point, been virtually a mutual acquaintance, and Omega, who despite having only caught glimpses of her around the island when she takes her hound out for a walk, had beamed at you, bright eyed and familiar, as if you had known each other for years.

It had touched you, and Hunter’s evident warm and sincere invite to their Life Day celebrations had made you just as excited as it did become a source of anxiety over the following weeks.

Nights where you should have been sleeping, instead were spent tossing and turning, trying to plan out every aspect. What you would say, what you would do, what you would bring to express your thanks to them.

Well, here it was, you think, suddenly grim. All your planning had amounted to what was now laid out before you in a charred, stinking heap, served on a tray.

Perhaps, if you were thinking logically, you would have shaken your head, let out a sigh of discontent before dumping the burnt cookies into the compost, giving yourself five minutes to take a break, then rolled up your sleeves, set your shoulders, and jumped right back into making a second batch, being extra careful to pay attention, never straying from focussing on your task.

Unfortunately, though, you weren’t, at present, thinking logically in the slightest. Thanks to the lack of sleep you had so desperately tried to ignore until it creeped up on you when you had collapsed onto the couch once the cookies were in the oven, and the stubbornly persistent overwhelm that you had convinced yourself you weren’t actually feeling, which had worked, at least until now.

Until you look down once more to survey the mess that had come out of a whole afternoon’s work, that you had so diligently, with both nervous and eager anticipation, been fretting over to make the perfect gift, the façade of composure, of pretending that the anxiety that had been stirring in your stomach for weeks was, actually, just excitement, cracks. And once it does, it’s easy for the whole thing to come down, crumbling around you as if it’s as fragile as the chipped and breaking edges of the cookies on the tray in front of you.

So, instead of reacting reasonably, your actions fuelled by logic, your response is to turn, press your face into your baking apron, and burst into tears.

It’s silly, you know, from the very first sob that claws its way up your throat despite your valiant attempt to stop it, that your reaction is so, so unjustified given the situation. They’re just cookies. They just got burnt. A new batch can be made and somewhere, deep down, you know all of this. 

But well, your mother always had a habit of calling you overly sensitive as a child, punctuating that remark with a signature roll of her eyes. Your father would pipe up, in a tone that probably meant to sound more encouraging but just ended up coming across as condescending, “you need to grow some thicker skin, kid.”

This is solid, concrete proof that this particular piece of advice had never truly been heeded, or, if you’re honest, had never really been understood to begin with.

Your breath hitches in your throat, because the desire to push back the tide is still present, if not to stop, then at least to muffle, to not hear the discomforting, ugly sounds you make when you cry. Still, the tears fall, and quiet, broken whimpers and sniffles fall from your lips anyway.

And then, because apparently this day just seeks to prove how absolutely bad your luck is, Echo takes this moment to walk through the door of your shared small house.

You hear the sound of an umbrella being folded, boots being rhythmically stamped against the doormat as Echo steps inside, evidently trying to rid his boots of the dried mud that gets clumped together in the creases, so common this time of year on Pabu, and the quiet hiss of the door as it slides back into place behind him.

Then, in a murmur that carries from the small alcove into your kitchen, he calls your name and instantly, you freeze. For some reason, you believe that if you can just stand as still as possible, if you can bite down on your lip hard enough and not make a single sound, not even a breath, he won’t see you, won’t know that you still get upset and cry over little, seemingly inconsequential things like this, which is completely ridiculous, you know. But still, you’ve already established that right now, your actions are dictated by nothing more than pure instinct, and, at least today, your instinct is incredibly off target.

There’s a brief pause, the sound of Echo bending down, hastening to remove his boots, then a quick, light pitter patter of footsteps against the floor as he moves through the space to find you.

There’s a soft breath, an oh of realization as he steps through the threshold of the kitchen, standing completely still as he observes, pausing to take in, what must be, quite the sight before him. You, on the other hand, don’t look, don’t want to see the mixture of both pity and confusion that surely is displayed in his eyes. So you don’t, keeping your face covered with your hands, trying to make yourself as small as possible.

“Oh, cyar,” he breathes, and his voice isn’t mocking or disappointed or underlined with the sharp bite of disapproval, but instead it’s soft. It’s warm and smooth which only serves to remind you of the honeyed hue within his golden eyes whenever he looks at you and it’s soft, so warm, and so soft that your resolve melts in the sincere, empathetic face of it, and you’re moving towards him before he’s even finished speaking.

“Come here, ner kar’ta,” he says, his voice a low, gentle murmur as he opens his arms, just in time for you to come scrambling, throwing yourself into them with a muffled sob against the material of his sweater, pressing your face against his chest and clinging onto any part of him you can reach. There’s a soft puff of breath that you feel lightly ruffle your hair before his lips gently press against your forehead, lingering there as he whispers “That’s my girl. See? I have you. We’re okay”

His scomp arm is a heavy, familiar weight as it runs along the small of your back, settling at your waist as he guides you closer. He doesn’t needlessly comment. He doesn’t pepper you with questions or demand an explanation of what’s wrong.

Instead, he simply tucks your head beneath  his chin, his hand gentle as it lingers to brush through and stroke your hair. He holds you in his arms, slightly swaying on the spot, the slow, repetitive back-and-forth as he rocks you, settling your uneasy heart as you sniffle, quietly allowing yourself to give into the tears. 

The only sounds that fall from Echo’s lips aren’t so much words as they are just familiar, soothing noises. The soft “shh,” as his hand gently cups the back of your head or the gentle, barely there kisses, lightly scattered across the top of your head and the quiet, steady exhalation of breath that you become more and more aware of as your tears begin to slow.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says, his voice a low, gentle rumble as he pulls back slightly, noticing you peeking up at him through watery eyes and stroking his hand along your cheek, brushing away your tears with his thumb. “Rough day?”

A sound that could either be classified as a laugh or a small, broken sob is pulled from your lips as you look up at him, nodding your head. 

“Sorry,” you mumble, your cheeks flooding with heat. “I didn’t mean to react like that, I just.”

“Shh,” he lightly cuts you off by leaning forward, lips a soft brush against yours as he lingers there, warm, golden eyes intent as they search yours, taking in your expression, the drying tear tracks on your cheeks, the dark circles beneath your eyes.

“When’s the last time you got a full night's sleep?” he asks, and the question feels so off-topic that for a few seconds, you blink up at him, looking bewildered before you shake your head, shrugging.

“I, I don’t I um?”

Apparently, your hesitation and seeming inability to come up with a suitable answer is confirmation enough, and Echo, making a small, exasperated gesture with his scomp, clicks his tongue with disapproval.

“That’s what I thought,” he sighs, a hand running over the back of his head as he looks down at you. “Right, well, let me worry about cleaning up here. I want you to at least sit down and get some rest.”

“I can’t,” you sputter, your eyes widening. “Echo, me taking a nap is the exact reason why all of this,” you gesture towards the burnt cookies on the counter, “happened. I need to get to work on a new batch so that I have something to bring over to your family’s house for dinner tomorrow.”

“And we will,” Echo’s voice is patient, but there’s an underlying, stern edge that’s crept into it that breeches no room for argument as he ushers you into the living room, hand on the small of your back as he guides you over to an armchair. “But, cyar, you’ve just told me that you’ve already taken a nap?” he asks, folding his arms.

“Yeah,” you say, your lips tilted downward in a confused frown as you turn to look up at him. 

“And isn’t a nap supposed to make you feel more well rested afterward?” he asks, the question clearly rhetorical as he takes your chin in his hand, thumb pointedly brushing along the bag beneath one of your eyes. 

The silence he gets in response to that remains uncontested, and he smirks, satisfied in the knowledge that he has you beaten.

“No arguing with me on this one, princess,” he says gruffly, which makes you glare at him even as he lightly pushes your unresisting body down into the armchair, moving to pull out the Ottoman from beneath. “I’m not asking you to sleep. Just rest while I clean up the kitchen. We’ll figure everything else out once I’m finished, okay?” 

“Fine,” you huff, looking up at him with a stubborn set to your jaw before you add “but only if you kiss me first.”

Echo’s chuckle is warm and deep, his eyes soft as he leans down to oblige you, first brushing his lips against your forehead, your cheek, the corner of your mouth, lingering at each spot.

“Now that, I can gladly do,” he murmurs, his voice a soft breath that brushes against your lips before he’s closing the distance, his lips pressing against yours in a warm, tender kiss.

When he pulls back, your eyes flutter open. Echo’s smile is small, but sweet and conveys the infinite amount of affection that he holds for you as he moves, retrieving a neatly folded throw blanket, from where it’s been draped over the back of the couch. He unfolds it, letting you see the depiction of a group of tookas snuggled together in front of a fireplace that’s been illustrated on the soft fabric, before moving back towards you, wrapping it around you, taking his time to make sure that you’re bundled up just right, movements soft and careful as he does.

“Just rest, Cyar’ika,” he reaffirms, pressing one last kiss to the top of your head before straightening, moving back towards the kitchen in long strides. “We’ll sort everything out, I promise.”

And because it’s Echo, and Echo always keeps his promises, you actually believe him.

*

Surprisingly, once you’re sat down and comfortable, you find it easy to, if not fall asleep, simply drift and allow yourself to zone out.

You can faintly hear the sounds of Echo moving around your kitchen. There’s light footsteps, water running as he does the dishes in the sink, the soft, warm rumble of his baritone as he quietly hums an unfamiliar tune. Your eyes drift close, and the next time you let yourself float back into awareness, he’s there, smiling down at you, a beloved pair of your slippers tucked beneath his arm, a steaming mug held out as an offering in his hand.

“Careful,” he cautions you as you eagerly reach for it, making sure it is securely held within your grasp before letting go. “It’s still hot.”

You look down to survey the contents, a smile pulling at the corners of your lips as soon as you register the warm, sweet scent of hot chocolate. He’s piled it high with marshmallows and whip cream, which he’s always rolled his eyes at you for adding.

“I don’t get it,” he would often say with fond exasperation, arms folded across his chest. “Why do you need to add extras? It’s already sweet to begin with.”

Seeing that he has evidently so lovingly prepared it in the way that you enjoy pulls your lips upward into a smile and you beam at him, your eyes lighting up for the first time in what feels like days. 

You grin up at him, indulging yourself in a tiny sip, your eyes closing with delight before you utter a quiet, but sincere thank you. 

“I still think it’s too sweet with all that,” he grumbles, a small, perplexed crinkle between his eyebrows as he sinks to his knees at your feet. “But anything for you, Cyar’ika.”

He gently takes one of your feet in his hands, seeming to contemplate it as he sets the pair of slippers at his side. 

“Have you considered,” he asks idly, scomp carefully resting on your ankle, as with the other hand he curls one of his fingers, lightly pressing his knuckle against the overworked arch of your foot. “That you’ve been doing too much?”

As if to accentuate his words, he slowly begins to rotate his wrist, the drag of his knuckle a gentle, but steady, pressure that instantly causes your eyes to flutter closed. It feels good. It feels wonderful, actually. He’s working with obvious deliberation and care, but he’s also, quite effectively, digging into sore spots and tendons that you didn’t realize you were carrying, and the relief is instantaneous.

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” you admit, unable to bring yourself to open your eyes and look down at him. “For them and for you.”

He hums, a quiet understanding as he lightly grasps your Achilles tendon between his thumb and index finger, slow and gentle as he strokes towards your heel. He’s quiet for a moment, remaining completely focused on you, thoughtful as he keeps up with his task.

“Well,” he murmurs, lips twitching upward as he gently pulls at each of your toes, slight tugs to coax tension to release in each. “As nice as that would have been, I think I’ll be much happier helping you bake the second attempt.”

He gives you a rueful grin, easing one of your slippers onto your foot with a small assist from you before moving to repeat his prior treatment with the other.

“You’ll have to teach me, though,” he says, voice apologetic. “I’m afraid I’ve never been much of a baker. But, I’m willing to learn, and hey, we can finally put some of those scomp attachments that Tech has fitted me with to use.”

You laugh softly, your lips pulling upward into a matching smile. Tech, when he had miraculously found his way back to his family, returned needing extensive recovery and physiotherapy, with so many of his bones having been broken or shattered, including in his fingers and hands. To regain the dexterity that he once coveted, he was often found working on some project or another, requiring a constant flow of them to keep his agile and ever working mind occupied until the medics would allow him to walk again.

Crosshair, being Crosshair, had very limited patience, only sitting long enough to allow his brother to fit him with an appropriate cybernetic, fiddling with and rewiring servos to make it more effectively attuned to him. But, once he had started suggesting certain modifications, Crosshair had stomped off, rolling his eyes and tossing over his shoulder “I’m not a droid, Tech. It’s fine, just leave it,” in his seemingly trademark annoyed tone.

Tech had pressed his lips together, and you had wondered, still on the outside and learning Echo’s family as you were, if he was hurt by Crosshair’s vehement rebuttal. Echo, standing beside you, seemed to come to a similar kind of conclusion, but had only stepped forward, laying a hand on Tech’s shoulder, sitting down beside him at his workstation.

“He might be opposed to adding some cool attachments, but I’m not,” Echo declared, giving his brother a light nudge. “What do you say, Tech. Think you can make me something I can use to give Crosshair a good smack?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of practicality,” Tech explained, hands folded in his lap. “Perhaps a flipper or spatula to ease the burden of cooking somewhat.”

His eyes, when he had looked up, were sparkling with amusement, and his lips tilted upward into a small, but evident smile when he had continued by saying, his voice nonchalant, “But I believe your idea also holds certain merit. If you have the patience to let me experiment, I believe we can do both.”

*

Luckily for Tech, Echo seemed to possess an infinite amount of patience to let him fiddle, his scomp sometimes attached, sometimes laying on the table between them, their heads bent low as they quietly conversed with each other. 

Echo was more than content to just sit and talk, of different attachment ideas, their uses both on the field and in simple, daily life, or of everything and nothing. You watched, quiet but observant, as Echo in his casual, straightforward way, brought Tech up to speed on the goings-on of him and his brothers whilst he was gone and inexplicably, you watched as Tech, still hunched over his work with his hands tangled amidst wire and components, allowed his shoulders to begin to soften, slowly pulling away from his ears as he listened to his brother talk.

You suspected that this was Echo’s way of making up for lost time with Tech, and for your part, you were more than happy to just be a silent, but present observer and support, there to reach for and squeeze Echo’s hand, or, if necessary, talk with him late into the night when you noticed his small tells of guilty, self blame ridden thought patterns starting to creep in.

Regardless of how it had initially started as simply mobility and skill recovery, Tech had, with the input of Echo, designed quite the variety of inventions for Echo’s scomp, one of which, you now found yourself in your kitchen, getting to test out its effectiveness for the first time.

“I have to say,” you murmur, arms wrapped around his waist as you observe him from behind, your chin lightly resting against his shoulder. “You’re doing a much better job than the stand mixer ever could.”

Echo stands, the attachment to his scomp lowered into the glass bowl, whirring as it stirs the ingredients. The mix looks smooth, slowly coming together in a blend. Echo lets out a low chuckle, and you can feel its slight rumble as he turns, retracting from the bowl and raising his scomp to give you a small salute.

“Happy to be of service,” he says with a smirk, startling slightly as a flake of the dough takes the opportunity to fall from the attachment, landing on the tip of his nose.

It’s your turn to giggle, and your hand stops him from instinctively moving to wipe it away as you rise onto your tiptoes, hurriedly exclaiming “I got it. I got it,” before you lean forward and, not giving him the time to protest, cheekily licking it off.

“You’re quite the opportunist,” he muses, moving towards the sink to remove the attachment and place it in a pile to be cleaned.

“Can I have what’s left on that?” you ask and he turns, a hand on his hip and his lips pressed together.

“Are you kidding? No,” he says, both exasperated and mortified. “That is so unsanitary. Meshla, do you realize how many diseases you could catch from eating raw cookie dough?” he asks, turning back to the sink.

“It was worth a shot,” you sigh in defeat, looking at the bowl of now mixed cookie dough with longing. You’re not usually this impatient and peckish for scraps. But really, after your first tried and failed attempt, you’re hungry, and eager to taste test the fruits of your labour

“What next, boss?” Echo asks a moment later, returning to your side and drying his hand on a tea towel.

“Now,” you say, beaming as you hold out an ice cream scooper to him. “Comes the fun part.”

*

“Perfect,” Echo murmurs in satisfaction, watching as the round ball of dough falls from the scoop into your waiting, cupped hands. 

The two of you had decided it would be easiest, and move faster, if it was done this way. Echo, working with a lot more precision than you had when you had been doing this on your own, using the ice cream scoop to separate the dough into little balls. And you, after retrieving them, dunking them into a bowl of white sugar, rolling each around until each surface had a generous amount dusted on, and setting each on the lined baking tray.

“This probably wasn’t how you envisioned spending the night of Life Day Eve,” you say quietly, your words tinged with a note of regret.

“None of that,” Echo gently chides, his shoulder lightly bumping against yours. “I’ve already told you, Cyar’ika, I really don’t mind that this is the way that it turned out.”

You’re quiet for a moment, and sensing your lingering hesitance, he continues. 

“You’re worried about spending time with them, aren’t you?” he asks, and his words aren’t accusatory, just a soft, knowing observation and you swallow, your eyes intent on your work as you nod your head slightly. 

“Yeah,” you admit, your voice barely a breath. “I know I’ve met all of them and have even spent time with a few of them when you come to visit, but this is different.”

“I understand that,” Echo murmurs, and from the sincerity in his voice, you can tell that he really does. “This feels more official than all of those other times?”

“Yeah,” you agree, setting the next ball on the cookie sheet and turning to receive the next one. “Life Day is all about family and mine... let’s just say they wouldn’t be overly thrilled to see me standing out on their doorstep if I showed up tomorrow for their celebration.” 

Echo hums, and the silence that follows is comfortable, thoughtful as he turns, contemplating you from the corner of his eye.

“But my family will,” he says quietly. “You know that, right? They’re really happy that you’ve agreed to come. Especially Omega. She’s been chattering my ear off about how excited she is to see you every time I’ve gone over to visit them.”

His mention of the girl pulls your lips up into a slight smile, but the sound you make is noncommittal and he frowns, taking a step forward, catching your chin in his hand.

“I need them to like me,” you say, trembling at the vulnerability in your own voice. “I need to do something, give them something so that I don’t...”

“Shh, sweetheart,” Echo softly interjects, thumb lightly brushing over your lips. “You don’t need to do anything. I promise, cyar, they already love you.”

“I doubt that,” you say, unable to hide the edge of residual bitterness that even now, still lingers in your voice. 

Echo is patient, letting out a breath, the backs of his knuckles gentle, unhurried, as they run along the curve of your cheek, as he takes a breath to carefully collect his next words.

“I know that your family has made you feel unwanted,” Echo says, after a moment's pause to collect himself. “And I know that a couple of words from me aren’t going to change how much that hurt you.”

His hand is, yet again, lightly nudging at your chin, bringing your eyes back up to focus on his warm, concerned golden depths.

“My heart is yours,” he says, his voice just a whisper, but still managing to carry the stone heavy weight of a promise beneath it. “And, if you want them to be, if you let them, my family will be your family, too.”

“Do they want that?” You ask, unable to hide the waiver in your voice.

Echo’s eyes soften, and you can’t help the way you nuzzle into his touch as he cups your cheek in his hand.

“They do,” he affirms, voice certain and steady. “And if that’s something you want, all you have to do is say so. I promise, cyar, whenever you’re ready, they’re waiting for you with open arms.”

“Y- you’re sure?” You ask in a shaking voice, and at the first glimmer of tears in your eyes, he’s reaching out, pulling you to his chest and holding you in his arms.

“I’m sure,” he says, without a glimpse of hesitance in his voice. “You don’t have to make any grand gestures for them to accept you, ner kar’ta. You just have to be my girl.”

He drops a kiss to the top of your head and, despite the blush that’s crawling up your cheeks, you squirm, tilting your head, going up onto your tiptoes to capture his lips with yours, to which he surrenders happily.

When you pull away, your cheeks are flushed, your lips slightly parted, and your voice breathless. 

“I, I think I can do that,” you murmur, looking up at him with a shy, barely concealed mix of nervousness and hope playing on your expression.

“I’m glad,” Echo beams, and the smile he gives you is a dazzling thing to behold. “Trust me, cyar, it’ll all turn out. You’ll see.”

You’re not really sure what he means by that, but, as you turn back to finish arranging the rest of the cookies, you decide that he has never led you wrong before, so you might as well take him at his word.

*

“Beauties,” Echo comments, bending to retrieve the cookie tray from the oven. “Now these aren’t such a bad batch, are they, meshla?”

Maybe it was the weight that you suddenly found had vanished from your shoulders after your and Echo’s chat, maybe it was just the late hour and the oven timer going off sending you a prolonged burst of energy. But you couldn’t help but bounce on the balls of your feet, peeking over Echo’s shoulder to catch a glimpse at the now perfectly baked, lightly sugar frosted chocolate crinkles.

“I know we should wait until tomorrow so that we can share them with everyone but...” you trail off, the indignant grumble of your stomach interrupting whatever excuse you were about to make.

Echo laughs, throwing his head back as his eyes sparkle with merriment. An arm wraps around your shoulders, and he tucks you against his side, looking down at you with a small grin.

“We made them. We deserve to taste test them,” he declares, and before you can protest, he swipes the nearest one from off the tray. “Want to share?”

You smile, nodding your head and helping him to break the cookie in equal halves.

“Cheers,” you grin, lightly bumping your half against his. Raising it to your lips, you indulge yourself in a large bite, closing your eyes and letting a soft “Mmm,” fall from your lips. It’s still warm, soft and gooey chocolate that melts in your mouth that reminds you, so quintessentially, of the holiday, and for once, only the good parts come to mind, as you watch Echo follow suit, though his first bite is much more delicate than yours. His eyes flutter close, and before you know it, both of you are looking at each other, your halves of the cookie gone within seconds.

You both smile, soft laughter falling from your lips as you both trade glances towards the tray, tempted to reach for another, but making a valiant effort to resist.

“Look at me, beautiful,” Echo hums. “You’ve got a little something right...”

He dips his head, leaning in, fingers delicately tilting your chin upward, lips warm as they brush against yours. You gasp, unable to hide a slight shiver as his tongue gently sweeps over your lips and he lets out a soft hum, fingers lightly teasing along your side, his hand eventually coming to rest at your hip. 

The kiss is sweet, filled with tenderness and topped with the lingering traces of sugar that Echo chases away with his lips. 

Faintly, as he pulls back just enough to rest his forehead against yours, feeling the soft puffs of air as you both try to regain your breath, you register the distant chimes of a grandfather clock, 12 rings of its bells to signify midnight, ringing in the new day with its song.

“Happiest of Life Days, Cyar’ika,” Echo whispers, a soft breath against your skin. 

“Happy Life Day, my love,” you say, your voice equally as soft.

Then, as the distant, echoing chimes of the clock ring and fade into the night, you cradle his face in your hands, tilting your head to kiss him again. You feel, for the first time in your recent memory of Life Days past, a sense of rightness, of knowing that here, with his warm body lightly pressing you against the counter and his soft lips settled against yours, content, it seems, to linger there until all coherent thoughts have been chased away from your mind with each teasing touch, that this is where you’re meant to be.

That somehow, despite having convinced yourself that you were never going to find it, you think that finally, truly, his arms might just be the safe, comforting place that you choose to call home.

*

“We made you a gift.”

Omega is beaming with excitement, almost on her tiptoes as she bounces on the balls of her feet with a wide smile, and looking down at her, it’s impossible not to be captivated and taken in by her infectious joy as she produces something from behind her back. 

Despite Echo’s stream of reassurances that all would be well as you left the house this afternoon, picking your way through rainy pathways and hopping around puddles, you still look to him now, reaching for his hand to feel the reassuring press of his fingers against yours.

“You did?” You ask, unable to hide the note of startled surprise in your voice. “I’m sorry, I didn’t bring something for each of you. I didn’t know what you would like and...”

“It’s a gift,” Crosshair cuts you off, folding his arms as he leans against the wall.

“We do not expect nor require you to provide anything in return,” Tech states, much more kindly as he gives you one of his small smiles. “We merely hope that you enjoy it.”

“Hunter did the carvings,” Omega says, very carefully lowering something into your hands. “But we all contributed in one way or another.”

You look down to find a snow globe, rested atop  a circular, wooden stand beneath, cupped within your hands. Inspecting it closely, you find that indeed, there is something to signify each brother within the carvings of wood that decorate the base. From the small carving of Tech’s goggles, to Hunter’s skull emblem and Crosshair’s tattoo. 

“I made the snow,” Omega declares proudly. “And Wrecker took the photo.”

“What photo?” You ask and Wrecker grins, leaning across you and touching a small, unnoticed button at the top of the glass. 

A holoimage slowly fades into focus within the glass orb, snow lightly swirling around it. It’s of you and Echo, sitting out on a porch swing and snuggled beneath a blanket. You remember how the rest of them had teased you both, saying that it wasn’t even that cold outside and was the blanket really necessary?

Wrecker, in particular, had let out a booming laugh, claiming that since the two of you seemed to run so cold, maybe it was a sign that the two of you were perfect for each other.

“Aw, look at the two a ya. You can keep each other warm,” he had grinned, and you can remember him snapping the photo shortly after that.

“We all have one,” Omega continues, pointing to the mantle above the fireplace where indeed, you see a line up of six other snow globes. “You can take yours home, or you can set it with ours, if you want to.”

“You, you would be fine with that?” You ask the room at large, scanning their faces. For some reason, it feels wrong, and you don’t want to insert yourself into their already established Life Day family traditions.

“Why not,” Hunter grins, gesturing to the mantle. “You’re one of us now.”

“Y- you’re sure?” You ask, unable to hide the waver that’s crept into your voice.

“Of course we are. You make him so happy,” Wrecker beams, and before you know it he’s enveloped you into a fierce, tight hug that simultaneously knocks all the air from your lungs while also, at the same time, making you feel like you’ve just let out the biggest sigh of relief. He lifts you off the floor, which makes you let out a sound, somewhere between a startled gasp and a laugh. “That seems like as good of a reason as any to me,” he continues, suddenly gentle and steadying as he sets you back down.

“It’s true,” Crosshair snarks, watching as he idly twirls a toothpick between his fingers. “I’ve never seen him look like such a lovesick puppy before,” he says, pulling a disgusted face as he slides the toothpick between his teeth.

“Oh, shut up,” Echo grumbles, but when you turn to him, he’s ducking his head, his cheeks having gone slightly pink. 

“I think it’s sweet,” Omega declares, lightly elbowing Crosshair in the ribs. He pretends to give her a glare, then, as payback, lunges forward, easily grappling her and beginning to attack her with tickles. The small house is momentarily filled with her shrieks and giggles which ends with Batcher, torn between which of her owners needs to be protected from the other, shoves between the two of them, nudging her snout at both sets of scrabbling hands to entreat them to pet her and give her head scratches, which both happily oblige her demand.

“You are by no means obligated to,” Tech cuts in, smoothly redirecting the conversation back to you. “It is our gift, and you may do with it as you wish. But, if you would like to place your snow globe alongside ours, we have made a space for you, right beside Echo’s.”

“I would,” you admit, voice soft, wistful.

Echo rises to his feet, his hand held out in a silent offering. After a moment's pause, you take it, letting him guide you towards the blazing heat of the fire that warms your toes, caressing up your legs as you get closer.

With hands that are shaking despite the warmth, you lift your snow globe, careful and gentle as you lower it down into the spot that they’ve made for you, smiling as it fits perfectly beside Echo’s.

“There,” Echo murmurs, and the smile he gives you is soft, speaking volumes of his affection.

An arm curls around your waist, and you melt into him as he pulls you against his chest, letting out a happy sigh as warm lips brush against your forehead. When he speaks his voice is low, soft, and meant for your ears alone.

“Welcome to the family, Cyar’ika. You have no idea how happy I am that you’re here.”

When he leans in to kiss you this time, standing by the fire and in front of all of his family, you start to get that same feeling you got late last night, when you had shared your first Life Day kiss with him. Only this time, it’s not a glimpse, or an echo or a maybe. When you tilt your head, rising up onto your tiptoes to meet him, warm contentment settling over you like a soft blanket, you know, without any second guessing or lingering reason to doubt, that he is your anchor, your lodestar, and, most of all, that Echo is your home.

•Thank you to @strangergraphics for these adorable Christmas themed dividers

Ahhhhh my heart!!! This is beautifully written ❤️

Lighting The Way To Your Heart (LDE24)

For @rinwritesfics as part of the @cloneficgiftexchange 🎄🎁

This is the first fic gift exchange I'm participating in, so I'm a tad nervous (for real, I am very nervous). I couldn't help adding some mistletoe to this Life Day story; hopefully it didn't become too much of a cliche, but I hope the loads of fluff make up for it. I'll stop rambling please go read now and enjoy! <3

Summary: After Omega provides a little nudge into the right direction, you and Echo find yourselves in an illuminating situation Rating: Teen and up (SFW) Tags: fluff, love confessions, friends to lovers, romance, kissing, Christmas/Life Day Words: 5.058 Pairing: TBB Echo x fem!reader Prompts: “I thought you were just being nice” / Friends to lovers, one’s oblivious (reader) and the other’s a denier (Echo) Read this one-shot here on AO3

“Alright, easy now,” Echo said patiently as Omega steered the Marauder to the surface. Concentration was written all over her face as she stared through the transparisteel viewport in front of them, her hands firmly on the ship’s controls. With a slight thud - less smooth than Tech would have liked, but Echo definitely noticed her progress -, she landed the ship on the ground. She sat completely still, holding her breath, as if the next challenge was awaiting.

Instead, Echo turned towards her with an affectionate smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes, giving away how proud he was. “You’re getting better with each try,” he said with a warm voice, resulting in a deep exhale from Omega as she leaned back into the pilot’s chair and finally started relaxing. Echo couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“You’re doing great, Omega,” he tried reassuring her, before pressing some buttons to shut off the engines and the controls. “I just hope Tech thinks the same. He said he’d teach me some of his moves if I mastered landing before Life Day,” Omega sighed, a worrisome expression on her face. Gently, Echo put his hand on her shoulder, turning her attention towards him. “You shouldn’t worry about it. In the pace you’re making progress, you’ll best Tech at his own moves in no time,” he comforted her, and he noticed how the enthusiasm returned to her bright eyes.

Omega jumped from her seat, jolting towards the boarding ramp to exit the ship, but Echo didn’t make any preparations to leave just yet. His mind wandered back to Omega’s words, lingering on a certain holiday she mentioned. “Speaking of Life Day..,” he started slowly, resulting in Omega skidding to a halt, “Do you think, er- She will like it if.. If we decorate the place?”

The girl’s shoe soles made a squeaking sound when she turned on her heels on the durasteel floor, skipping back to him. She appeared at his side with such energy that it startled him. “Are you kidding? She’ll love it!” she shot at Echo, a newfound enthusiasm radiating from her face. Echo huffed in a mixture of surprise and amusement, looking at the beaming face beside him. “Are you sure about that?”

Forgetting all about her eagerness to tell the others about her flight lesson, Omega climbed back into the pilot’s seat and turned it around to face Echo. She had never been more ready for this conversation. “She told me how much she likes Life Day. No wait, she doesn’t like it; she loves it. I think she would be disappointed if we didn’t decorate,” she shared with Echo with such speed, he wondered if she even took a breath in between sentences.

The flustered look on his face made Omega giggle as she rolled back in her seat. She had never seen Echo react like this before, and it made her suspicious. She needed to get to the bottom of this. “Why did you ask?” she informed casually, watching Echo closely so she wouldn’t miss the slightest change in his expression or demeanour.

He shifted in his seat, frowning his eyebrows; it took him just a moment too long to come up with a straight answer. “I thought, er- I wanted to know if we should decorate or not,” came his slightly uncertain answer. Omega leaned towards him, a smug smile briefly adorning her face before she continued. “Then why did you specifically ask if she would like it?”

The furrowing of his brows deepened, his eyes briefly twitching. “I-I just, er.. It’s because I.. Because I appreciate her,” he stammered, and to Omega, he couldn’t have been more obvious about the matter. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Echo, her lips slowly sliding into an amused smirk. “Do you like her?” came her more direct question.

For a very brief moment, and she almost missed it, his eyes filled with panic, before he shot her a confused look; why would she ask such a thing? “Of course I like her. I like all of you. It takes something to stick around with the lot of you,” he grumbled softly, but he granted her a genuine smile anyway. But it wasn’t enough to satisfy Omega.

“Do you like-like her?” she continued, heeding little serious attention to his previous explanation. It made him scoff, accompanied by a wild gesture with his scomp. “What is that supposed to mean?” Omega rolled her eyes; could she be more obvious with her questioning? “Well, do you have feelings for her?” She leaned a bit further towards him, her body tense from anticipation. 

The brief moment of silence that followed was almost deafening. Echo stammered before he finally found the questionable words: “Feelings like..?” It made Omega grunt in frustration, throwing her head back before gesturing towards him. “Really, Echo? You’re never lost for words around her? She doesn’t make your head spin? Like your legs feel weak?” He looked at her with a straight face, not a glimpse of mockery on it, as he replied. “My legs are very strong, actually.”

Omega pressed her lips in a thin line to share how unamused she was. “I thought you might have had some more experience, but you’re as bad as the rest of them,” she spoke accusingly, and now it was Echo’s time to shoot her an unamused look in return. She ignored it in order to continue her interrogation. “So answer this: does she give you a warm feeling when she’s near, or when you think about her? What does she make you feel?”

Without uttering a word, Echo leaned his head back against the headrest, closed his eyes and pictured you. You had so much love and care to give, always ready to jump forward when anyone was in need of help. Ready to aid any physical needs, like wounds or damaged armour, but you were also there whenever someone needed some words of encouragement or affirmation. Your lively eyes, the little lights that danced in them whenever you looked at him. And your smile.. The mere thought of your affectionate smile made his stomach churn, but in a surprisingly comfortable way.

Slowly, Echo opened his eyelids, blinking them a few times to return to reality. “She gives me a strange sensation in my stomach,” he confessed softly, and he immediately felt how a warm feeling reached his cheeks. Omega shot forward in her chair instantly. “Butterflies!” she cried out, almost falling from the seat in her enthusiasm, “Those are butterflies!”

Echo could only huff in disagreement. “I’m pretty sure they’re not, Omega,” he said under his breath, but she heard him alright. “It’s a figure of speech, Echo. It means you’re in love!” she shot at him, grinning from ear to ear, whilst folding her arms to conclude the matter. But Echo was not ready to draw conclusions yet. “I am not,” he grunted softly, turning his head away from her in a failed attempt to hide the blush on his cheeks from her.

“You most definitely are,” she continued the bantering with a raised eyebrow, resulting in a deep sigh coming from Echo before he turned towards her again. “Omega, don’t be silly,” he said to her, but she wouldn’t have the derogatory words he was using. She pointed an accusing finger at him as she spoke her mind. “No, you’re being silly here. Don’t deny what’s right in front of you!” Her directness and seriousness startled him. “And what do you think I should do about it?” he sighed at last, finally giving in to her suspicions.

The smug expression returned to her face. “You’ve come to the right person. I have the perfect plan, and as a matter of fact, it involves Life Day decorating. So listen up..”

---

It had taken most part of the day to complete the on-planet supply run. Which was strange, because the members of Clone Force 99 were usually way more efficient. Wrecker would get distracted from time to time, but never before would he dawdle like he did today. He had stopped at nearly every stall or booth, pointing out to you what he liked, asking you what your favourite items were, even involving Hunter in the conversations. Tech would occasionally pause to interact with his datapad, which wasn’t a rare occurrence at all, but usually he was able to focus on it whilst walking. Even Hunter acted dubiously; where he’d normally make you all hurry and keep the group together, he seemed to have all the time in the galaxy today.

It was rather suspicious, but you didn’t let your mind linger on it. The lot of you had acquired everything you needed, which was most important, and were now heading back towards the Marauder, where Echo and Omega were waiting for you. You caught yourself feeling excited at the thought of returning to the ship. Maybe it had to do with earlier today, when you had been surprisingly disappointed when Echo had volunteered to stay behind with the ship; you always enjoyed your talks together in between missions, and supply runs seemed like the perfect opportunity for those. You tried staying behind with him, but Wrecker had been so stoked to explore the nearby town with you; you didn’t have the heart to let him down.

But now that you were nearing the ship, a strange feeling of anticipation filled your body, and you couldn’t hide the smile on your face when you finally laid eyes on the Marauder again. Hunter reported the group’s arrival over the internal comm channel, and it didn’t take long before Omega came jolting from the boarding ramp - wearing the biggest smile on her face. You laughed when she reached you, her enthusiasm being contagious in the best possible way.

“Omega, what is it?” you laughed affectionately at her, as she twirled around you. When she finally halted, she reached for your hand and took it in hers, slightly tugging it to make you follow her. “We have something to show you!” she shot out in excitement, whilst pulling you along in all her haste. You complied willingly, following her behind as you were overtaken by curiosity and wonder. “We?” you chuckled, trying to slow her down to a speed that was more common for a casual walk, but she wouldn’t let you. In her eyes, this was nothing like a casual walk.

“Yes, me and Echo!” she elaborated in all her enthusiasm, just when the both of you reached the Marauder’s boarding ramp. With anticipation radiating from her face and her big eyes filled with expectancy, she looked up at you when she finally let go of your hand. Curious and a little bit nervous, not knowing what to expect after all the excitement, you walked the ramp. You had assumed Omega was right behind you, but you hadn’t noticed how she had stopped following you. Grinning, she watched you reach the ship's entrance. And when you glanced inside the Marauder, you instantly forgot about everything else in the whole wide galaxy.

The interior of the ship was filled to the brim with lights. A wide variety of different kinds; big and small, from spare indicator lights to a dimmed multispectrum searchlight. Glowrods were giving off soothing gleams and from activated glitter-lits came iridescent glowing. There was white and slightly yellow lighting, but as your gaze slid over the premises, you started noticing an ocean of different colours. You didn't even know all those spare parts had been stuffed away onboard the Marauder.

Without realising, you had walked up to the centre of the ship, where you were surrounded by all the captivating lights. You extended your arm to touch one of the little lights, but when you did, you noticed how the lights formed a mosaic of colours on your skin and sleeve. In awe, you slowly waved your arm around, turning your hand and letting your fingers dance to see how the mosaic kept changing with every movement. You felt a surge of warmth wash through your body; the lights and colours made you feel cosy and secure. It made you feel at home. With a content hum, you spun around as your eyes wandered the illuminated scene again and again, until they landed on Echo.

Echo.

You had been so immersed in the magical spectacle, you had forgotten about anything else. Only now you noticed Omega hadn’t accompanied you aboard the Marauder, and only in this moment did you realise Echo had been inside all along. He must have seen your amazement, the wonder on your face as you beheld the scene unfold around you, your gentle movements when you danced with the lights.

And he had, and he was mesmerised by you. If his earlier conversation with Omega hadn’t convinced him, this moment had. Here you stood in front of him, more breathtaking than ever, showing your true self in a moment of pure beauty and innocence. He was grateful you hadn’t noticed him immediately, for otherwise you might not have blessed him with this sight. He quickly closed his mouth after his jaw had dropped, swallowing as he awaited your next move.

With eyes wide open, you blinked a few times as you watched him standing inside the cockpit, briefly averting his gaze from yours whilst awkwardly shifting on his feet. When you regained yourself, you wrapped your hand around the other and pressed them both against your chest to show your profound gratitude. “Echo, did you two.. Did you do this for me?” you asked him softly in disbelief, and despite it being a question, your voice was already full with excitement and appreciation.

Very slowly, you started to shuffle towards him, closing the gap between the two of you with every step you took. Echo mustered the courage to look you in the eyes again, and when he did, he noticed how all the little lights reflected in them, making your eyes dance - just the way you had done yourself, only moments ago. The sight made him feel like the air was being knocked from his lungs, resulting in a surge of incoherent words flowing from his lips. “Yes, we, er- We know h-how much you like Life Day, so I- we thought, you know..,” he managed to stammer all flustered, his eyes darting around nervously.

You nearly melted on the spot; you couldn't believe they had gone through all this trouble just for you. And now you understood the inefficiency of today's supply run; the others had been stalling, granting Echo and Omega all the time they needed to decorate the ship’s interior. “Echo, I.. I'm lost for words, actually,” you murmured with an amused huff from disbelief, allowing your eyes to slowly wander the ship’s interior again. You were still slowly walking towards Echo, unaware how his heartbeat rose with every step that made you get closer to him.

And when you finally reached him, you nearly bumped into him as you were still looking around in awe. You apologised, smiling up at him, and suddenly noticed how oddly he was behaving; he almost seemed nervous to be around you. You had never seen him like this before; he was usually so confident and fearless. This sensitive side of him was completely new to you.

As your gaze continued sliding upwards, you noticed a very specific plant dangling from the ship’s durasteel ceiling just above him. You couldn’t believe your eyes; were they playing a trick on you? “Wait, is that.. Is that a mistletoe?” you asked with a gasp of anticipation, the lights in your eyes starting to dance again as you locked eyes with Echo. He coughed softly, before starting to explain: “I-I think so. Omega said it wa-”

You didn’t give him the chance to finish his sentence. You lunged towards him, closing the last gap between the two of you, and placed your lips on his. You felt his breath shudder against your lips as you closed your eyes, indulging yourself in the moment. And Echo let you; those were the rules of the mistletoe, after all. It was supposed to be a quick, fun moment.

But a strange feeling erupted deep down in your belly, growing stronger as long as your lips were connected. It warmed your body, creating a smouldering sensation that was a mixture of nervousness and longing. A haze in your head made it hard to think clearly; was this taking longer than the usual mistletoe kiss? Were you supposed to withdraw by now?

Echo wasn’t retreating either. So instead, you took it up a notch. Slowly, and almost without thinking, your hands slipped over his shoulders behind his neck, pulling him closer towards you. His reaction made your heart rate rise; gently and with the utmost care, he wrapped his arms around your waist, softly pressing your body against his. The smouldering sensation evolved into something more fiery, like the way a spark ignited a fire. And so did the soft, sweet mistletoe kiss.

Burning with desire, you parted your lips, inviting him to do the same, to explore each other as you kept kissing eagerly, your soft lips brushing against his rougher ones. Tender, slow kisses growing into something more needy, something you didn’t know you had been longing for. His grasp around you tightened, but in the most delicate way; like he was holding the most precious thing in the galaxy. Careful, to hold it dear, to not let it fall apart.

Your breath caught in the back of your throat as soon as you realised what you were doing; mistletoes were supposed to be a fun, quick thing without any serious meaning, right? Nothing more. Then why did it make you feel this way? Why did it evoke so many pleasant emotions? And why didn’t you want this to stop? Wait, what was happening?

In a moment of panic, you abruptly pulled away from his grasp, taking a few hesitant, wavering steps back. You noticed the expression of shock on Echo's face, and it almost felt like disappointment; but you didn't take the time to think about it due to your own confused feelings. “I-I’m so sorry, I, er- I slightly overdid that,” you stammered, excusing yourself for your intrusive behaviour, looking around disorientated. Why was it suddenly so hot inside the ship? And why were your legs shaking?

With a newfound courage, Echo grabbed your shoulders in order to get you back into reality. His face was suddenly close again, but his soft features were calming you. You felt safe with him. “Breathe,” he said with his warm, reassuring voice, grounding you on the spot. You felt how your shoulders relaxed in an instant, how your legs regained themselves and how your breathing returned to a normal pace.

“Echo, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-” you started explaining, but he cut you off whilst squeezing your shoulders and looking deep into your eyes. “Well, I did,” he interrupted you, and the sudden determination in his voice startled you. Your chest started heaving from rising anticipation. “What.. what do you mean?” you managed softly, whilst unknowingly getting closer to him again. As if he attracted you like a magnet. “Listen, I.. It’s when.. You make me..,” Echo stammered, searching for the right words. The right words to make you understand what you meant to him.

But he was a soldier; an ARC trooper, for karking out loud. He had been a skilled trooper of the GAR, completing missions with an unfound cunning and sketching battleplans to aid in the Republic’s success. He was never trained to express his feelings. But Omega’s earlier words echoed through his muddled mind, clearing a path for him. She had encouraged him to speak his mind, to describe what you made him feel. How he felt for you. Honesty was the pillar of any relationship, after all - being platonic or romantic. You’d both figure out where to go from here, as long as he was being honest with you.

“Echo, what’s wrong?” you whispered to him, your voice full with concern because he didn’t finish his sentence. It wasn’t like him to get flustered. He even looked like he was absent; a sense of deep thoughts clouding his eyes. His gaze shot back to you as soon as you addressed him, and for a moment, you thought you noticed a glimmer in his eyes. “I’m- Just- Please.. Please hear me out,” he stammered softly. He took a deep, shaky breath, closing his eyes for a moment before he looked straight at you again. The corners of your mouth curled in the slightest of smiles when you noticed the brightness in his eyes had returned.

He wet his lips before starting to explain himself, his eyes getting brighter with every confession he made. “You.. You give me a warm feeling. A feeling of.. Of belonging. A place where I feel at home. Like I matter in this galaxy; like I make a difference. You make me feel unique, like I’m one of a kind. You’re making me feel sharp during missions, when it matters, and when it doesn’t.. You make me feel appreciated anyway.”

His gaze slid away from yours for a very brief moment, still searching for words as he clearly wasn’t finished yet. And at last, he chuckled softly and found your eyes again. “I don't even mind the rain when you're around,” he whispered, and his lips slid into the most affectionate smile.

For a moment, all you could do was stare back into his bright, golden eyes, as they were shining with his love and affection for you. They were like gateways to his soul; opening up to you, pouring down his feelings upon you like water flowing from a waterfall. And in that very moment, you felt like you were floating, as he shared his most vulnerable and sensitive feelings with you.

Only when he gently touched your hand as it hung slightly shaking beside your body, you returned to reality. You let out the deep breath you were holding in, looking at him with watery eyes. “Echo, I.. I thought you were just being nice!” you managed at last, a shaky chuckle coming from your lips as you tried relaxing after all the build-up of emotions. He looked at you in all seriousness, but with eyes ever so kind. “I’d like to think I was being nice there,” he smiled at you, and with a genuine laugh, you landed a hand on top of his chest. “That’s way more than being nice, Echo,” you replied, your lips sliding into an amused smirk.

He took it as an invitation to gently place his hand on top of yours, as you still held it on his chest. He closed it off with his scomp, gently pressing your hand against his chest, as if he was trying to get you closer to his heart. You felt his heartbeat quickening before you realised yours was doing the same. His touch sent a sensational shudder through your own body, and searching for the right words to respond to his confession, you started to open your mouth. But his deep sigh made you swallow those words. “Kriff, I think my legs are feeling weak,” Echo said under his breath, his earlier conversation with Omega unknown to you.

“Do you.. Do you need to sit down?” you asked him softly, a sudden wave of concern washing over you. But he instantly eased you with a smile and a little tilt of his head. “Only if you’ll sit with me,” he said to you, his voice warm and welcoming, and you responded by tenderly placing your free hand on his cheek. “Of course. Anything for you,” you whispered at the same time, and you felt him exhale against the palm of your hand as he leaned into your touch.

He gently waved his arm around, gesturing towards the chairs in the cockpit to offer you a seat. You walked forwards, your hand sliding from his cheek to his shoulder, squeezing it for a moment as you passed him. He followed you right behind and only sat himself down after you had taken your seat. “This wasn't supposed to be about me,” he murmured to himself whilst briefly shaking his head. You managed to put a smile back on his face with your next words: “What if.. What if we make this about us?”

Very gently, you put your hand on his knee and leaned forward, looking at him with a serious look on your face. “Echo, did you mean all those words?” He sat upright instantly, straightening his spine in a way to show both his sincerity and integrity. “Of course I did. I would never lie to you,” he said with the determination you were used from him. Your lips slid into an affectionate smile and it softened his features instantly. “I, er- I’ve been a di’kut. I think I’ve had feelings for you for a while now, but I just.. I didn’t know what they meant. I didn’t know how to handle them. I’m just a simple soldier, you know,” he continued his confession, unable to resist your affection any longer.

Due to all the emotions, you hadn’t been able to speak your mind just yet. But now that you both had been able to catch your breaths, it was time to start sharing how you felt. “You’re not just a simple soldier, Echo. You're so much more. You're skilled and talented, you're caring and galant. You keep this squad sharp, and you're such an inspiration to them, to Omega. And to me. You are one of a kind, Echo.”

Now it was his time to look at you with blinking eyes, mouthing some silent words. Your face started to feel warm from his stare, and you shyly averted your gaze. But he caught you in the middle of your movement; your chin cupped in his hand, he gently guided your gaze back to his. “Does that.. Does that mean you, er- You feel the same about me?” he asked carefully, his eyes narrowing and an expectant frown covering his forehead.

His question was far from a surprise, but it still startled you. You were grateful to the Batch for picking you up and allowing you to stay, happy you could contribute on their missions. You felt comfortable with them; your newfound family, friends you could rely on. But you never considered your relationship with any of them to evolve into something more than that. “Obviously I care deeply about you, but I.. I never really thought.. Never considered..,” you stammered softly as you searched your feelings for the truth.

Echo’s touch around your chin weakened, and he let his hand slide away from your face. But before he could retract it completely, you caught his hand in yours mid air. You weren’t going to let him slip away from you. Not before you had been completely honest with him. He swallowed audibly, the muscles in his hand tensing due to his nerves. You squeezed it reassuringly, allowing his muddled mind to clear a bit, making him remember Omega’s earlier words, when she tried figuring out his own feelings. “So what.. What do you feel when I'm near or when you think about me?”

A warm smile adorned your face before you closed your eyes, ready to search for the answer to his question as you still held his hand. “I feel safe, mostly. Like I don't have to worry as long as you're around. There's this feeling of.. Comfort. Like I've known you for years. As if we fit together like.. Like puzzle pieces.” Your smile widened for a moment, your lips pushing your cheeks upwards. With your eyes still closed, you didn't notice the look of affection on Echo's face as he beheld your soft features. Carefully, you stretched your free hand towards his cheek, tenderly caressing his skin once you reached him. “You make me feel whole.”

And with those words, you opened your eyes again. When you looked at him, you noticed a slightly twitching frown on his face; like he was holding back tears. You had never seen him this vulnerable before, but simultaneously, he looked like he could conquer the whole Empire. He was strong. Fierce. Invincible. With your thumb, you wiped away what looked like a tear, and with a relieved sigh, he leaned into your touch as your hand still laid on his cheek.

Softly, he placed a kiss on the inside of your hand, before he looked right into your eyes, his golden eyes reflecting all the lights inside the ship. Like a golden nebula holding an array of stars. “Then would you please be mine?” he asked you with a longing and desire that made you shudder in your seat. “There’s nothing in the galaxy I’d rather want,” you replied softly, before sliding from your chair and moving towards him, where he lifted you upon his lap so the both of you could continue your passionate kissing.

The truth was finally out and the galaxy laid wide open in front of you.

…

Epilogue

Outside the Marauder, Omega was pacing back and forth, a troubled look clouding her eyes. With a grunt, she wasn’t shy about showing her impatience. “Ugh, it’s taking so long! Maybe.. Maybe I should go check, see if everything’s alright?”

Sitting near her, his back arched against a cargo crate, Hunter sheathed his vibro-knife before sitting upright. With a focussed frown covering his face, he turned his attention towards the ship. After a very brief moment, his features softened again. “Best if you wait a little longer. I’m sure they’re figuring things out just fine,” he eased Omega’s troubled mind, before returning to his thoughts.

An affectionate smile appeared on his face when he watched Omega find something else that required her attention, granting you and Echo some more precious time together. With the war fresh on his mind and the rise of the Empire raising only more questions and concerns, Hunter was glad at least some good had come from it all.

it's for science

A Familiar Melody

This ficlet was for a collaboration. This was loosely inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean world. My first kick at the can for doing an AU.

Also my OC's debut. I hope you love Arya as much as I love her.

A Familiar Melody

Rating- PG 13

Word Count- 5,374

TW- Mentions of death, implied grief, implied disappearance

Summary

A quiet night on the Maurader leads to a heartfelt reunion between Echo and a long-lost love.

____________________________________________________________

Despite all the chaos on the Marauder, Echo found solace at night on the deck listening to the rhythmic crashing of waves against the ship. The salty smell of the sea mingled with the humid air, the gentle breeze creating another calming layer to the night. His brothers were at the tavern this evening, their sister Omega sound asleep in the bunks below. The stars twinkled above him. Echo felt his eyes becoming heavy as he began to be pulled into the sound of the waves below. 

He heard a voice that immediately pulled him out of the sleepiness, the voice was beautiful, alluring. Echo could recognise the melody from anywhere, it was a song from home when he was younger. He remembers the festivals Coruscant had at night and many of the children in the town trying to sneak out of their homes just to get a listen to the music in the square. He missed the music that the town had, it stopped the day that Arya went missing. Arya?… it couldn't be, he thought. 

Her parents were very influential figureheads in the town. The one thing her family was known for was their music and their beautiful daughter. Arya captured the eye and hearts of many people in town, she always turned heads by her ethereal beauty and angelic voice. This included himself. She was only a year his senior. There were rumours in the town of Arya being found as an infant on the beach wrapped in a blanket of seaweed. She was believed to be a siren graced to walk the earth instead of the sea. Her long auburn hair shimmered in the sun, her eyes as blue as the sea she was rumoured to have been born from. 

She was not just beautiful, she was someone with an unbelievably kind heart and bright mind. Arya would make visits to the Tapoica home for Orphans to spend time with the children and sing for them. Unfortunately, the older boys in the orphanage did the chores and oftentimes they were still out working while she visited. He remembers as a child catching glances at her, and admiring her from afar. 

Echo remembers the first time their eyes met. Arya accidentally bumped into him that day, her basket full of ingredients. He felt his heart skip several beats as their hands brushed as they both knelt down to grab the contents that fell from her basket. She was apologetic, and her eyes soft, as she thanked him for his kindness. Echo found himself becoming lost in her gentle and kind gaze. After that day blossomed a beautiful unlikely friendship between the pair. They would walk side by side and would talk happily amongst themselves sharing a lot of laughs. It was not uncommon in the town for the rules of society to be looser than what they were on the mainland. So their friendship was not of concern to the others in the town, a young man and woman just enjoying the other’s company. They were teenagers at that point. 

Echo remembers the last conversation they had together. Her words encouraged him to become a sailor. Her disappearance and the hole she left in his heart made that decision a lot more swift than it should have been. It was easy to admit to himself that he began to have feelings for her, but how could he not? 

He remembers that day as if it happened not long ago. She was picking apples for her ailing neighbor. Her soft pink skirt paired with her embroidered corset and bodice she wore made his heart skip several beats. Her long hair flowing in the wind. She was struggling to grab one of the ripe fruits from the tree above her. Echo stood several heads taller than she was. He swiftly picked the fruit and handed it to her. Her gaze met his as she softly smiled placing the fruit in her basket. A soft ‘thank you’ fell from her lips as he feel deeper into her gaze. He was trying to igraine her face into his mind, he could not get over how lucky he was to be so close to her. Arya’s freckles were like if the stars had gently kissed her nose and cheeks, her lips were full and always wore a soft smile. He could not get over her beauty. He didn’t realize how long he had been staring. 

“Echo, are you alright?” she asked softly cupping his cheek gently, her eyes beginning to fill with concern. 

“Sorry, my mind was elsewhere,” he admitted rubbing the back of his neck embarrassed. 

“That is more than okay, we are close to our spot anyways,” she paused, smiling at him. Arya gently grabbed his hand, “you can tell me what is on your mind and we can have a bite to eat,” she offered. 

“You know I won’t say no to that,” he said, chuckling to himself. She began to chuckle softly slowly matching his pace as they continued to walk down the path. 

She set down a blanket in the grasses at the high point of the island. The salty breeze filling your nose as the sound of the grass swayed in the wind with the gentle rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the rock below. The scene was truly beautiful. He looked over to Arya, who was completely relaxed with her hand gently on top of his as they ate together. Once the pair finished they often would talk until the sun began to set. As they sat on the blanket, Echo noticed how close to him she was getting 

“It is truly beautiful isn’t it?” She murmured, moving to gently rest her head on his shoulder. 

“It is very beautiful, but I am afraid to admit my eyes have seen something more beautiful than this Arya,” he whispered, leaning his head on top of hers.  

“Really?! What could be more beautiful than this?” She asked a little confused, looking at him smiling gently waiting for his answer. 

“I can think of one thing,” he murmured, just right above a whisper. As he tucked a blossom behind her ear. His touch lingered longer than what was acceptable between friends. His fingers settled on her chin. Echo was afraid he was overstepping, but she would say something, right? He had seen her turn down advancements from other men in town. Echo felt himself become very nervous as he felt his heart skip several beats. He began to try to gather the right words to say. His eyes fell to her lips, which were slightly parted. His eyes quickly moved to her gaze. He was locked in her trance. 

“What would that be?” She whispered, their noses gently brushing, he did not realize how close they became. His hand cupped her jaw, he felt her breath fan against his lips. His eyes met hers, there was something different about this look in her eyes

“That would be you Arya,” he whispered, her eyes widened at this confession. Echo did not know what came over him as he closed the remaining distance pressing his lips against hers.

He shocked himself with his forwardness, he knew there would only be two ways this could end. The one ending scared him, he didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want to ruin the best thing to happen in his life. 

He started to pull away as an apology began to form on his lips. Something happened that he didn't expect. He felt her lips chase his as she chased his lips. He dreamed about what kissing her would feel like but it was far better than anything he could have imagined. Her lips were soft as they moved carefully against his. She sighed contently as his arm slid around her waist pulling her closer. The kiss was one full of nervousness yet full of love due to the feelings the pair shared for the other. They were smitten with each other. 

“Echo?” she murmured against his lips. 

“Yes?” he responded, chasing her lips, pressing his lips to hers again. 

“There was something on your mind, I can tell,” she murmured, their lips touching still. Neither of them wanted to move away from the other. 

“The only thing on my mind is you,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers. His gaze was intense on her. There was a look in her eyes that he had never seen before in the three years they had been friends. The look was soft and raw, when he looked into her eyes he felt that same feeling he got when he kissed her moments ago. 

He felt her lips again on his, all hesitancy was gone between the pair. Their lips moving in sync with one another. His arms tightly around her waist as her arms found their way around her shoulders. Both drawing breathy sighs from each other. Echo knew he was addicted to her, but her kiss added another layer to this addiction. 

They both knew the amount of possible trouble they could get in but neither of them seemed to care. If there was scandal, it would just push what the two of them really wanted deep down sooner. That was to spend the rest of their lives together, married.

He remembers the last moments with her before they went back home the night she disappeared. 

The sun began to get lower and lower as the two still talked, Echo’s head found the comfort of her lap as she gently massaged his scalp. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her. 

“I am going to sail the world one day, and there is no one else that I want to take with me,” Echo whispered.  

“I'd love to travel the world with you too,” she said giggling. She looked up to the horizon to see the sun begin to fall just below the rock formation in their vision. Echo noticed her panic. 

“The sun is setting, we should get going back,” she murmured. A pang of disappointment coursed through him. He didn’t want this moment to end. 

They both stood up, and before Arya began to walk down the hill, his hand found her waist and pulled her into another kiss. He just could not get enough of her. Little did he know that it would be the last time he kissed her. She broke the kiss as she began to laugh. It was something he did not want to forget. Her laugh was beautiful and perfect. 

“We make quite the pair don’t we?” She chuckled, as she placed her head on his chest, as she hugged him tightly. 

“That we do,” he whispered gently, kissing her forehead. He looked into her eyes not knowing that it would be the final time. He wanted to hell her how he felt right then and there. He should have told her how he felt. 

“I will see you tomorrow,” she whispered.

The last thing he remembers was her skirt and her hair blowing in the wind as she smiled at him one more time. Her figure disappeared into the night. He felt what he wanted to say all this time. 

“Arya?” He called. His heart doing somersaults in his chest. 

“Yeah?” She yelled back. Her voice was distant.

“I love you,” he yelled into the trees, waiting fiercely in anticipation for her to say it back but she never did. He just thought she was too far for his voice to carry. He would just tell her the next day. He never got that chance. 

The next several days were a blur as the news of her disappearance rattled the town to its core. Echo felt his heart shatter into tiny pieces as each day passed with no sign of her. Echo and her family searched for many exhausting days and nights, fishermen went out on their boats to try and find her, but as many of the residents of the island knew that sometimes the ocean called someone home, they weren’t coming back. 

Echo could not get over how quickly the island went back to normal after she vanished. He started to spend a lot of the time just walking along the shore hoping to find some sign of her. In that time Echo became very close to the old fisherman on the island. They would sit and enjoy his company, but often the fisherman would share the legends of mermaids. 

Echo learned that in these legends often mermaids would leave their young on the shore to be found by humans and walk among humans only for the ocean to call them home under the full moon. The fisherman mentioned the characteristics of a mermaid to Echo and it partly made sense to him. It was a possibility that his dear friend and love of his life could have been a mermaid. There were times he would just sit at the docks just looking out into the ocean. 

He remembers the stormy day he went to sit out on the docks but noticed the unmistakable colour of auburn out of the corner of his eye in the water. Echo felt that hope within him burned a little brighter. He didn't think that the old fisherman would mind if he went out like he had done several times before. 

Outside the bay of the island, the wake was very dangerous especially in stormy weather. The waves were powerful, enough to capsize a large ship. The trek many sailors had to make to take refuge in the bay was close to the wall of rock, closed in my shallow reefs. 

Echo had the sail’s rope in one hand while controlling the rudder with the other as another wave came over the bow of the boat. It was a stupid idea for him to be out in the bay with this kind of weather. Echo knew that it would be a losing battle trying to navigate the waters now. If he capsized it would be disastrous but he didn’t care. He did not have much to live for. Arya was gone, her family turned their backs on him. Maybe death was the easy way for him to be with her again. He just needed to know that she wasn’t out there. He felt the boat begin to tip as it was swallowed by a large wave, taking him under water. 

Panic overcame him as he tried to break the surface of the water just be pulled down by the current. The bruning in his lungs became to much to bear as his throat burned as the salty taste of the water overcame his taste buds. He felt his body sink to the bottom. The ocean around him was dark but he saw flecks of gold with an intense shimmer. 

He recognized the auburn hair from anywhere. She found him. He reached out to her. The one thing he wasn’t expecting to feel a hand grabbing back. Echo began to panic as instead of seeing legs he saw a long and beautiful tail. Intense bursts of red on the tips of her fins moving into a soft blue and gold. It was beautiful. He felt the mermaid cup his cheek. 

“Oh Echo” Arya whispered, cupping his cheek gently.

“You can breathe my love, take a breath,” she whispered, encouraging him to take a breath. He felt a sense of panic wash through him as he began to breathe underwater. 

“How is this even possible?” He asked panicked, completely overrun by the fact she is here, alive, but a mermaid.

“We kissed the day I disappeared, remember?” She said blushing remembering back to that day. 

“I don’t exactly remember that day, could you maybe jog my memory?” he asked, smirking. She chuckled at the antics she missed so much. 

“Of course my love,” Arya whispered against his lips. This feeling was completely foreign to the pair. Arya’s long hair moving so beautifully around the pair. Her long yet powerful tail shimmered in the sun.  

Echo felt her lips touch his in a soft and gentle kiss. He couldn’t believe this was happening again, she was alive. Their lips moving in a soft and gentle rhythm. He felt her hand move his arms around her waist as her hands made their way around his shoulders pulling him closer. The feeling of her kiss felt like coming home. He missed her so much, to have the opportunity to hold her in his arms again, in this moment he was the happiest man alive. 

She broke the kiss and pressed her forehead to his. Her eyes were gentle, he missed her eyes. She smiled softly, “I love you Echo.”

“I guess the rumours were true then,” he said chuckling. She let out a laugh, he missed the sound of her voice. 

“Arya, I have so many questions, What happened?” he asked, feeling himself become very emotional. 

“I wish I could answer all of your questions my love. They will all be answered in time. I promise,” she whispered. “I love you so much Echo.” 

Echo felt the sun on his face as his eyes snapped open. He doesn’t know how he got onto the beach. He began to cough and sputter trying to regain his breath. He felt something cold between his fingers and when he layed eyes on it, he knew exactly what it was. It was Arya’s silver locket she always had on. The locket weighed heavy in his hands as he opened it to find a drawing of his tucked into it. He felt his eyes water as he started at the locket more and more. All of the hope that once filled his heart became empty with sadness. He knew it was foolish to think that Arya was alive somewhere. 

Echo began his walk back to the fisherman’s hut to apologize for ruining his one boat. As he heard a commotion coming from the dock. His feet began to pick up speed as he got closer to the dock. The moment he layed eyes on the fisherman, he knew he was gone. Echo’s eyes welled up with tears as he called for someone to get a doctor, he carried the man back to his home. The fisherman’s weight feeling heavier, he was still warm but there was truly no sign of life left. 

It has been four years since that day on the docks. He joined a group of sailors that call themselves the bad batch a few weeks after that incident. He followed his dream of sailing the world but he spent many nights unable to sleep. The boys encouraged him to try and move on but Echo just couldn’t do it. 

He feels himself getting closer and closer to the voice. Echo’s eyes fell to a figure sitting at the end of the docks, the voice became more clear than it was before. His heart skipped several beats, it was her voice. He felt the weight of her necklace weigh heavier on his neck. In that moment, Echo couldn’t control the words that fell from his lips.

“Arya? Is that you?” He asked, kicking himself for asking such a thing to a stranger. She has been missing for 4 years. 

He watched the figure slowly turn their head as they slowly got up from their spot on the dock. It was a woman based off of the long hair blowing in the wind. The speckles of moonlight being sparse as two ships remained docked there in that moment.

“Echo?” The figure whispered. Echo recognized her voice almost immediately. 

She slowly came closer. The light of the moon shone perfectly as it confirmed to him that it was her. The flash of her auburn hair and piercing blue eyes gave it away. Tears began to prick his vision, as his knees buckled, completely overcome with emotion. She is alive. After all this time she is alive. 

He watched as she began running towards him. The distance between them diminishing at each step she took. Her skirt moving with each move. Echo finally found the strength to move again. He waited for her with his arms outstretched. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as she jumped into his arms wrapping her arms around his neck. This was really happening. His arms found their spot around her waist, hugging her tightly. Echo let out a relived sob, as she held on to him tighter. He felt her tears touch his skin. They held eachother for what seemed like an eternity but neither of them wanted to let go.

His hands gently cupped her face as he brushed away her tears with his thumbs. He just wanted to take in her beauty in this moment. Echo couldn’t truly believe it. There was one thing he wanted to do more than anything. He didn’t hesitate as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. 

The feeling of kissing her again was something truly magical. Her lips were as soft as he always remembered them to be. It was a desperate kiss, the kind that says how much they have missed each other, how scared they were of never seeing the other again. It was the first kiss they shared in years, and to him it was the best one yet. 

His lips were pressed hard to hers as she returns the pressure and intensity of the kiss. She held him close as his arms slipped around her waist. 

Echo pulled away just for a moment as he kissed her again, softer this time. Gentler. It was slow and deliberate as he felt her fingers move to the nape of his neck pulling him closer. 

He did not know how long he had been kissing her, or how long she had been kissing him, but it didn’t matter. It was not enough, it could never be enough. He needed more of her. After four years of not having her by his side, he finally had her and he did not want to let go. He wanted to feel every part of her close to him, so close that he could feel her heartbeat. 

She sighed contently as the kiss deepend. His hands drifted sliding down the curve of her spine until his hands were pressed to the small of her back pulling her even closer. 

He knew if someone caught them it would cause quite the scandal, they were no longer at home. Neither of them seemed to care. Arya finally broke the kiss as she pressed her forehead to his. Echo felt his eyes flutter open after several moments of being a part. He missed her. He openned his eyes to see her, smiling softly at him. Her lips a little kiss swollen but he knew his would be as well. 

“Y-You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you,” he whispered looking intensely into her eyes. Echo knew that he never would really belong anywhere but there was a feeling he had whenever he was with her, she felt like home. He watched as tears continued do fall from her cheeks. They stayed there for a while just finding comfort in thne other’s embrace. After four years, they were finally together again. 

“Echo,” she whispered. He felt his heart flip as he forgot how good it felt to hear his name fall from her lips. “You are just as handsome as I remember,” she murmured as she pressed her lips to his cheek.  

“Why don’t we sit because we have a lot of catching up to do,” she murmured against his shoulder, holding him tightly. 

“That we do,” Echo said chuckling as he offered a hand to her. She accepted it as they walked back to the ship together. 

The pair sat out on the deck of the ship where they spent hours catching up on everything that happened. Echo came to understand that Arya became enchanted by the moon that night she disappeared, and discovered that she was a mermaid, but she couldn’t return to land. That was until she found her pod, which he learned were a big group of mermaid families together. She met her mother, and father. Along the way she met a friend Neytine, who was enjoying her time at the tavern with one of Echo’s shipmates Crosshair. Arya admitted that she watched him from the sea days after they were looking for her. She wanted to return so badly, but she couldn’t. She also told him of the things she learned while at sea, how she followed the marauder everywhere to make sure he was safe. 

“Echo is this her? The girl that you always talk about,” Omega asks. The couple snapped out of their conversation. 

“Omega, you are supposed to be asleep,” Echo softly scolded her as he scooped her up in his arms. 

“I was but I had a nightmare,” the little girl said sheepishly, looking down at her feet. 

“Oh Echo, she is beautiful, when were you going to tell me about her?” Arya said completely taken aback by the little girl. Echo watched as a big smile came over Arya’s lips and her eyes became even brighter. 

“What is your name sweetheart,” Arya asked softly, crouching to meet her height as she tucked a strand of hair behind Omega’s ear. 

Omega looked up at Echo, searching for any sign of danger. Instead she found a look of pure happiness. Omega has never seen Echo this happy. 

“My name is Omega, what is yours? You are very beautiful, you must be the girl he always talks about,” Omega asks as she stepped closer to Arya reaching to touch her hair. 

“Is that so?” Arya asks, shooting a glance over to Echo who now stood very rigid. Arya’s smile making his heart race. 

“My name is Arya, it is lovely to meet you Omega. Echo and I go way back,” she said smiling at the little girl in her arms. 

“You are very pretty,” Omega said smiling. 

Arya chuckled as she blushed. 

“I am not as pretty as you are Omega,” Arya whispered, beaming at the child in her arms. 

“That is not true, you are very beautiful. When I grow up I hope to be as pretty as you are,” she admitted. 

Echo watched as the two interected with eachother. Echo couldn’t help but smile watching the love of his life interact with someone he became very protective over. Omega became like a daughter to all of the boys on the Maurauder. 

Echo watched as Omega’s curiosity wore her out asking Arya all the questions she could think of. Omega slowly fell asleep on Arya’s shoulder, completely comfortable with her. 

Arya was always that way. Echo remembers the day they went to the market and running into a mother who’s baby was fussing. He remembers Arya offering to help, and when Arya began gently rocking the child, she immediately soothed the infant for the mother. 

“Where does she normally sleep Echo?” Arya asked snapping him out of his thoughts. 

Echo showed her the bunk room as she put Omega back in her bunk, tucking her in. He watched as she kissed her forehead. The pair began to slowly leave Omega’s room. 

“Arya?” Omega called quietly. 

“Yes?” Arya responded quickly sitting on Omega’s bunk gently brushing some hair out of Omega’s face. 

“Can you tell me a story?” she asks, her eyes tired but did not want the night to end with her new friend. 

“I can think of one,” Arya responds, smiling softly at Echo. 

Arya began to tell the story that Echo immediately recognized as their own. She told the story of a girl and a boy becoming close friends, how they fell in love. Before they could enjoy their life together, the girl was called back home to the sea. How the couple spent an eternity to be reunited again. He listens as she began telling of a romantic reunion between the pair. Arya’s eyes trailed over to Echo who was listening intently to her.

“Arya, is that the end?” Omega asks sleepily. 

“Omega, it is only just the beginning of this story. Now, I will hopefully be able to finish this story tomorrow night.” She said winking. 

“Goodnight Echo, Goodnight Arya,” Omega murmured. 

“Goodnight sweetheart,” Arya whispered as she again pressed a gentle kiss to the childs forehead. 

Echo did not understand why all of a sudden he was getting emotional watching as the love of his life interacted with Omega. His thoughts immediately went to the ring he still had in his trunk that he was going to propose with. Was it because he planned to meet with Arya’s father to ask for his blessing for her hand in marriage? Was it because this kind of life with her was something that he would never thought he would get to experience with her? He just knew how happy he was that she was back in his life even if it was not permanent.

The pair walked back out onto the deck as they sat back down side by side.  

“What happened that day?” Echo asked nervously. He saw the discomfort rise in her body language as she began to fiddle with the sleeve of her bodice. The large amount of silence filled the deck with the water moving hitting the sides of the ship. Arya looked down to her feet, her eyes began to fill with tears. Echo reached out to hold her hand as they sat down side by side again on the deck. 

“I wish I could tell you everything Echo, but I honestly do not fully understand what happened the night I disappeared,” she paused. Looking up at him through her lashes, ashamed. 

“The pod calls what happened to me, the call home, basically when a mermaid is on land and has reached her maturity she gets called home to the ocean by the moon,” she said, her hair perfectly blowing in the wind. Echo continued to listen intently, as he reassuringly brushed his thumb over the top of her hand. 

“As mermaids, similar to how the moon affects the tides, the moon can affect us as well. During a full moon, young mermaids can be caught in something called the moon spell,” she continued.” I remember returning home and sitting down to talk to my mom about what happened between us, I got a glimpse of the moon through the curtains,” she paused, trying to keep her composure, “and the next thing I know I’m in the water and all of a sudden a tail appears, I sat on the docks until I heard the men going fishing the next morning. The tail didn’t go away,” Arya admits, her voice cracking as tears spilled down her cheeks.

Echo’s heart broke hearing the hurt and pain she held in her voice. Hearing how scared she was, she knew how many people were hurting with her disappearance. 

“It’s a full moon tonight, how is not it affecting you?” Echo asked curiously.

“It took a long time and a lot of training under the guidance of the older mermaids in our pod, I can harness the moons power through me, and the best part is. I can go between land and the water whenever I please,” she said smiling, her eyes locked with his.

“I am sorry that I have been gone for so long, I wish I could have returned sooner,” she whispered pressing her forehead to his.

“It’s okay, you’re back now and that is all that matters Arya,” he murmured looking into her eyes lovingly. 

“I love you,” Arya whispered smiling against his lips.

“I love you too,” Echo murmured, softly pressing his lips to hers. 

After a long-awaited four years, the pair finally reunited. When the batch returned, they finally got to meet the woman that Echo talked about so much. She and her sister Neytine became well-respected members of the crew. All to think that Echo was finally reunited with Arya all because of a familiar melody.

What I wouldn't give for an animated "blooper reel" for Bad Batch:

- Hunter leaning up against a wall between takes, dozing off and almost falling over

- Tech looking down at his data pad while on the move through a forest set and walking straight into a tree

- Wrecker sitting down on the wrong chair and accidentally breaking it

- Echo flubbing his lines on purpose to make the others laugh while he keeps his own expression dead serious

- Crosshair not laughing when Echo flubs his lines, instead silently matching Echo's serious expression with the take ultimately turning into an intense staring contest

- Cut to Crosshair in his trailer loudly singing karaoke and playing air guitar with the prop rifle

- Omega is filming ALL of it

- Also Omega is the first to break character when anyone messes up a line

- Also Omega starting the cast conga line/dance party

- Rex, during his reveal in "The Clone Conspiracy," jokingly complaining that removing his cloak hood messes up his hair

- Several Howzer scenes needing to be reworked because donning/doffing his helmet actually messes up his hair cue Crosshair shouting from the sidelines "Just shave your head already"

- Gregor is... Gregor

- Phee being the pinnacle of professionalism while on camera while also being responsible for 99% of the pranks and shenanigans on set

There is More Than One Way to Say 'I Love You'

This is my first official post on here. Thank you to the lovely @wrenkenstein for creating such a beautiful character. The one and only Juno Caheere. I had an absolute blast writing this pair! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it! ❤️

~

THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SAY ' I LOVE YOU'

Word count- 918

Rating- PG-13

It was another quiet night on the marauder. The hum of the engine traveling through hyperspace was soothing. Everyone except Tech and Juno was awake. Tech glanced over to her as his whole body started to hurt looking at the way she was sitting. She was half sitting crisscross with her right knee bent as it was holding her datapad as she worked. The dim blue glow shone a halo of light on her face. Tech would never admit that looking at her so enthralled with what she was doing was adorable. The way her tongue braced the seam of her lips as she focused. Her breathing changed when she got to the bottom of a problem. Her smirk in victory after completing another problem set. She and Tech would race to see who could finish a problem set the fastest. She loved the cognitive challenge that came with being precise in calculations but also being efficient to the point she could beat a genetically enhanced clone, whose advantage was intelligence. On nights when they took watch, it was filled with conversation on topics in academia, challenging past thoughts and research. Tech did not want to admit this to Juno, but he enjoyed her company. He admired how she challenged his thinking, their soft debates about various topics. She won't admit to Tech how much she enjoys his company as well. Juno would get this odd feeling in her stomach, and her heart would experience palpitations during some moments, it truly frustrated her how much of an effect Tech had on her. 

A furious blush painted her face as she tried to get control of her emotions. The soft smile that crept up onto Tech’s face did not help her situation. She felt her heart do somersaults in her chest, she felt herself becoming hyperfocus on her increased rates of breathing. She started to notice herself zoning out, she could hear the sound of Tech’s voice but she was stuck in her head. Juno was confused about why she felt this way, she knew this was against how she was brought up.  It made her very frustrated as she tried to understand her feelings and why they were different with Tech than the rest of the batch. She had theories as to why but there was some solid evidence that would support such a hypothesis but not enough for it truly to be a solid answer to said hypothesis. It was very overwhelming to her, trying to figure out such feelings. 

“Juno, is everything alright?” Tech inquired, gently pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She jolted up at the sudden touch. Her gaze met his for a brief moment before her gaze went to her hands. Her heart was doing the same somersaults like they were doing not that long ago. Juno wanted nothing more than to talk but her tongue felt very heavy. Come on Juno! He asked you a question. SAY SOMETHING! Juno wanted nothing more than to say something but she couldn’t. Tech’s eyes softened as he noticed her discomfort. Her eyes wore a panicked expression as her gaze flickered between him and the panels behind him. Her breathing became very uneven. Tech noticed that instead of it getting better, her distress became a lot worse. Tech noted the panic in her eyes as she tried to process all of the things that were happening simultaneously. He set down his datapad on the console in front of him. 

This is not the first time this has happened. Juno and Tech have a routine when something like this happens. Juno surged into Tech’s arms, with her forehead pressing into his shoulder. He pulled her tighter to his body, his arms wrapping around her protectively. He gently kissed the crown of her hair. 

Tech had noted it had been exactly five minutes and forty-two seconds when Juno’s breathing started to become more regulated like it had been before. Juno’s teary gaze met Tech’s, his eyes full of concern and admiration. He gently brushed away the tears from her face. He leaned to press his forehead to hers gently. 

“Just keep breathing love, you are doing so well,” Tech murmured his eyes full of admiration. Juno smiled, sighing contently wrapping her arms around his body. 

The air between them changed, there was a magnetic pull between them. Juno felt Tech’s nose brush hers, she felt his breath on her lips as he leaned closer. It felt like an eternity before their lips touched in a gentle kiss. To Tech, she was his sun, providing him with light, warmth, and joy in his life. He loved her. She loved him. It drove Juno a little crazy how much she loved him. But he was her rock, her comfort. She never thought she would ever find this kind of calmness and solitude after her clan abandoned her. But she did. Their lips moved in sync with one another. They were savouring the feeling of each other's presence and touch. 

The words ‘I love you’ did not have to be said. They knew in their own way that they loved one another. They didn’t conform to a kind of love that the world would understand and accept. It was a love that they understood together and made it special. Despite their struggles to understand the outside world, they created their own world, one they could fully understand.

Besides, there is more than one way to say ‘I love you’.

MASTERLIST

Welcome to the masterlist! Please note that any works that are for more of a mature audience with be marked and noted accordingly. Enjoy!!

HEADCANNONS

OC STORIES

Juno x Tech

There is More Than One Way to Say ' I Love You'

The Afterlife (WIP)

Arya x Echo

The Hike (Multipart)

A Familiar Melody (Pirate/Mermaid AU)

Welcome

Hello there and Welcome!

My name is Nad. I am so excited to finally start sharing my writing with all of you lovely people. I am still fairly new to creative writing and have taken quite the love to it.

I currently have more of a focus on Star Wars. More specifically the Prequel Era... cough cough... The Clone Wars, and The Bad Batch.

You can follow these links to better navigate my page.

Masterlist

OC Information (IN PROGRESS)

Links to Other Platforms (IN PROGRESS)

As of right now, I am getting things set up so it might be a bit buggy, so please bear with me.

With love,

Nad 💖