I Would Be Honored 🥹💕

Last Line Challenge

Thanks for the tags @tealmisthams and @queen-of-mandalore !

Here is a line from the upcoming chapter of my newest Crosslo fic from my Crosshair x OC series. The first chapter of this fic can be found here on ao3. Hopefully this chapter should be up by the end of the night, so enjoy the sneak peak :)

Crosshair turned around and debated staying away for a while longer. Morbid tendrils of self-hatred wound around his ribs and snaked their way up his spine before settling at the base of his skull. Crosshair shuddered. He couldn’t be alone right now. He needed to go home. He needed his brothers. He needed Tech.

NP Tags: @ladylucksrogue, @ahsokathegray, @melting-houses-of-gold, @acatinwinterfell, and anyone else who wants to participate!

Oh my good lord you’re not wrong 😆 it would be the blight 2.0

I'm glad a romanced Lavellan goes with Solas, as a public service if nothing else.

With this man's track record, if he tries to soothe the blight by himself he's almost certainly going to put his foot in his mouth, say some kind of Titan-specific slur, and make the already pissed off blight SUPER DUPER DOUBLE pissed. He cannot be left alone with this.

Lavellan's his wife, but also his PR manager😂

"You Weren't Loyal To Me": How Crosshair's Brothers Absolutely Failed Him in "The Bad Batch" Season 1

I know I'm not the first person to make these arguments, but after recently rewatching "The Bad Batch" Season 1, I feel compelled to play Devil's Advocate and assert that Crosshair's brothers absolutely failed him in Season 1.

Now, don't mistake me. I don't believe Crosshair was 100% in the right. Once he regained his free will -- whether he actually removed his inhibitor chip, or whether his injury on Bracca deactivated it or lessened its impacts -- he definitely should've left the Empire the first chance he had.

I imagine he was trying to make the best of a bad situation, but I don't see why he would stay with an organization hijacked his mind and ordered him to kill his family, civilians and other people who were trying to do the right thing.

But, I don't think his brothers -- I'm excluding Omega because she's a child and was following everyone else's lead -- are 100% in the right either.

I believe Crosshair's brothers basically abandoned him.

CROSSHAIR'S GREAT INSECURITY?

Now, I understand that they didn't initially plan to abandon Crosshair. But, once they knew he was being mind-controlled and especially once they knew how to undo its effects, they never even considered going back for him.

We never see them debate trying to save Crosshair. They don't discuss whether it's feasible, whether it's worth the risk, how they would even attempt it, etc.

I think this was a much-needed moment that we never get to see. In fact, as others have pointed out, we don't really get much discussion about Crosshair at all.

He's their brother. He's been by their side from infancy through their time as cadets through dozens of missions. Why aren't they more upset about him turning against him? Or being mind-controlled by the Empire?

They seem so blasé about it. Like it's more of an inconvenience than a tragedy, especially by 1.12 "Rescue on Ryloth." Like "Ope, Crosshair's here. I bet he's gonna try to kill us again."

As I'll discuss more later, Hunter gets captured on Daro, and Omega loses her frickin' mind. Even Echo, Wrecker and Tech seemed distressed too, even if the show didn't focused on their reactions as much.

But, Crosshair's mind and body get hijacked by the Empire, and nobody seems to give a shit.

No wonder why Crosshair felt so betrayed and said everything he does in 1.15 and 1.16. It probably confirmed something he always felt, or always feared:

That he was the odd man out in his squad -- the last to be included and the first to be excluded.

That they never cared about him as much as he cared about them.

Based on experiences in my own life, with friends and coworkers, I do wonder if Crosshair was always insecure about his standing within the group. This makes sense given that he's likely the youngest of the four original brothers, and that as a sniper, he isn't always in the middle of the action like they are. His personality doesn't really help either, but his brothers seem to be able to navigate it just fine in their "The Clone Wars" Season 7 arc.

Maybe this is partly why he seemed OK with Echo joining the squad at the end of TCW arc: because he felt like Echo would become the new 'odd man' considering that he didn't grow up with the Bad Batch and wouldn't know Crosshair's brothers like he does.

It's been a while since I watched TCW Season 7, so maybe I'm wrong.

But, I definitely think this is partly why he resents Omega so much in Season 1:

The Bad Batch -- mainly Hunter -- decided to risk their lives and their freedom to go back to Kamino for Omega. She might've been their "little sister," but they'd known her all of one day and Hunter still decided it was worth going back for her.

Yet they never went back for him.

Hell, as far as we the audience know, they never even considered it.

I'm not saying it would have been easy or risk-free. They also now have Omega in their care, and trying to extract Crosshair from Imperial custody while all parties involved would be trying to kill or capture them isn't an easy undertaking.

But, as I'll talk about more later, these guys do rescue and extraction missions all the time. They put their lives on the line for complete strangers several times in Season 1 to save them from Imperial custody, slavery, etc.

And I'm not saying they were wrong to do those things. It was objectively good that the Bad Batch saved the people they did.

But, I can absolutely understand why Crosshair would be infuriated that his brothers take on all these missions to help complete strangers but never bother to help him...

ANALYZING THE BATCH'S DECISIONS BASED ON THE SEASON 1 TIMELINE

I understand that, before he confronts them in the hangar in 1.01 "Aftermath," that they were planning to go back for him. And that they were forced to leave him behind because he was literally gunning for them. And -- as far as his brothers knew -- he was doing it of his own free will.

However, in 1.02 "Cut and Run," Omega tells them about the inhibitor chips, implying that that's how Crosshair is being controlled.

Then in 1.03 "The Replacements," we see that Tech is building a device to locate their inhibitor chips, and Omega tries to tell the Batch and specifically emphasizes to Hunter that Crosshair has no control over his actions. Hunter admits that he's angry at himself for leaving Crosshair behind, and Omega reassures him that they'll get him back someday.

So, it seems like -- at least in Omega's eyes -- the Batch was planning to save Crosshair at some point. And, Hunter at minimum feels guilty for leaving Crosshair on Kamino, even though they didn't really have much of a choice at the time.

However, the Batch gets sidetracked in 1.04 and 1.05. First, they need supplies; then bounty hunters are after Omega; then they need intel on who's after her and why.

Then, by the events of 1.07 "Battle Scars," we see that they've fallen into a routine of doing jobs for Cid. It's safe to assume they've done -- or at least attempted -- a dozen jobs for her at this point, based on Wrecker and Omega's 20 orders of Mantell Mix.

And then Rex shows up and tells them point-blank that the clones can't fight the inhibitor chip's effects, re-emphasizing Omega's earlier point that Crosshair had no control over his actions.

The Batch then experiences this firsthand with Wrecker, whose chip activates before they can extract it. We see that, even with Wrecker fighting the chip's effects with all his might, he endangers his brothers and was *this* close to killing Omega, but thankfully Rex stuns him in the nick of time.

Now, we have confirmation based on both Rex and Wrecker's experiences that removing an active chip restores a clone's free will.

Thus, by the end of 1.07 "Battle Scars," the Batch definitively knows:

Crosshair is being controlled by an inhibitor chip and is being forced to do the Empire's bidding;

How to remove an inhibitor chip; and

That removing a clone's active inhibitor chip will restore his free will

And yet, despite all this knowledge, the only effort they make to save Crosshair is to tell him about the inhibitor chip.

They don't attempt or even discuss possibly stunning him on the artillery deck and taking him with them.

But, admittedly, this isn't the best time to attempt a rescue, as they're outnumbered and essentially trapped aboard the Jedi Cruiser. And then Omega gets captured by Cad Bane and Hunter gets shot, and the others are desperately trying to get off Bracca before Crosshair & co. shoot them down. Fine. Getting off Bracca safely and then trying to find Omega should be their priority.

But, once they recover Omega on Bora Vio, and their lives aren't in immediate danger anymore... this would've been the perfect time to at least debate going back for Crosshair.

Again, they have all the information needed at this point.

As for how they find him, well, I'm sure they could get the information somehow. Or they could just cause a stir somewhere so he'd show up to arrest them again, like he did on Bracca.

But, no, they just continue doing jobs for Cid in 1.10-1.13. They don't bring him up at all until they see him on Ryloth in 1.12 "Rescue on Ryloth," and again, the tone is like, "Well, Crosshair is here. That's annoying."

If not being able to locate him was the only reason they didn't try to save him after 1.08/1.09, that argument doesn't apply to 1.12 "Rescue on Ryloth." He's there. They know he's there. They're already there doing an extraction job anyway... why don't they just grab him too???

Yes, there would be additional risks, but YOUR BROTHER HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY THE EMPIRE AND FORCED TO DO ITS BIDDING, AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO GIVE A SHIT!!!

Which brings us nicely to:

THE DOUBLE STANDARD

Throughout Season 1, but especially in the latter half, we see The Batch putting themselves in harm's way for complete strangers, or at most, friends-of-friends.

They rescue Muchi the Rancor and other people from enslavers; they extract the former Separatist Senator from Raxus; they extract the Syndullas from Ryloth; they break Gregor out of the Imperial base on Daro.

In the latter three cases, the Batch went to Imperial-occupied planets and an Imperial base, despite all the risks involved. And, especially when they saved Gregor, they had very little information going in and basically just winged the entire thing.

It just feels like, when you look at all these cases, any argument the Batch could make for not saving Crosshair just falls apart.

"We didn't know where he was." He was on Ryloth -- grab him then.

"We didn't have enough information." You didn't on Daro, and you still snuck into a heavily fortified Imperial base to rescue Gregor.

"Everyone there would've been trying to kill us." You literally extract/rescue people from Imperial forces for a living...

"It would've endangered Omega." Well, buddy, have I got a story for you...

You see, when Hunter falls on Daro and gets captured, the Batch still comes to his rescue despite knowing it's a trap AND THEY BRING OMEGA WITH THEM!!!

Every excuse they could've made for not saving Crosshair sooner is gone. The Batch will literally run into a trap for Hunter, and they constantly throw themselves into danger to save Omega, but they never do the same for Crosshair.

It really feels like such a double standard.

They seem to care about everyone BUT him.

Plus, sadly, there's one more parallel I can draw. One more instance where the Bad Batch put themselves in harm's way to save a fellow clone who was being mind-controlled by their enemies in an attempt to kill them...

Echo.

Yes, remember all the way back in TCW Season 7, when we find out that Echo is the one behind the algorithm that's giving the Separatists an advantage in all these battles?

Even though Rex thought Echo was dead, the minute he suspects Echo's still alive, he goes after him. He even punches Crosshair over it, after Crosshair bullies Rex for leaving Echo for dead at the Citadel.

One of the "regs" went back for his brother despite knowing his was being mind-controlled by the enemy and forced to attack them.

Rex, Anakin and the Bad Batch save Echo from a terrible fate. They extract him from the Separatists, restore his free will and essentially give him his life back.

Yet, when the exact same thing happens to one of their own, the Batch don't even consider going back for Crosshair the way Rex went back for Echo -- hell, the way they went in for Echo too, even though they didn't know him!!

SOME CONSIDERATIONS

I will give the Batch this: once Crosshair confronts them on Kamino and Hunter stuns him, Hunter decides not to leave Crosshair behind this time. And that was even after Crosshair refused to say when he had his chip removed. So, for all they know, he might've been acting of his own free will when he tried to kill them on Bracca.

While taking Crosshair with them at the end of 1.15 was a step in the right direction, I don't think it was enough to make up for everything they failed to do.

And, while he doesn't specify exactly what, Hunter later admits to Crosshair in 3.05 "The Return" that he has regrets too. And considering the context and the timeframe they're talking about, it's possible Hunter regrets not going back for Crosshair sooner/at all, among other mistakes he's made. (Story for another time.)

I'll also give some consideration to Wrecker, who was the only one of the brothers who said he actively missed Crosshair in 1.03 "The Replacements." Tech mentions Crosshair very flippantly a few times, and Echo doesn't really mention him at all.

Obviously, we'll never know for certain, but I do wonder how Crosshair would've reacted if his brothers had rescued him and removed his chip at some point. Would he have stayed with them? Would he have wanted to rejoin the Empire voluntarily?

Considering he (supposedly) had his chip removed and still stayed with the Empire willingly in-universe, it's possible he might've wanted to do the same thing in an AU where his brothers rescued him.

He definitely despised that they were fugitives and "scavenging like rats," while he had authority, respect and purpose as a soldier of the Empire.

But, I think a large component -- although not the only one -- of why he stays with the Empire is that he felt like his brothers abandoned him. He brings this up several times in 1.15 and 1.16, and the way he does indicates this is a major sore spot for him.

We see in 1.01 "Aftermath" that the chip enhancement procedure is painful. He scrunches his face, flexes his hand and squirms around in the chamber. Plus, the machine itself looks similar to the Mind Flayer from other "Star Wars" properties.

Crosshair was literally being tortured by the Empire. Maybe he doesn't recall that once the procedure's done, but we see him getting his chip enhanced in both 1.01 and 1.03, and it's possible it was enhanced even more times off-screen.

I cannot stress enough: the Empire basically took Crosshair prisoner, tortured him and hijacked his free will.

And his brothers essentially did nothing to save him.

It would be one thing if his brothers were civilians like you and me, and didn't know the first thing about how to infiltrate an Imperial compound or how to navigate a firefight despite being outnumbered.

But, that doesn't apply to The Bad Batch. That's literally their bread-and-butter.

And Crosshair -- especially once he seems to regain his free will between the Bracca and Ryloth arcs -- watched his brothers risk their lives to save complete strangers while doing nothing for him.

I would've been livid too.

Not to sound like Tech, but while I don't agree with Crosshair's decision, I can understand why he decided to stay on Kamino rather than go with them at the end of 1.16. His brothers offered him no real comfort and no real apology, and I think he desperately wanted to hear that, especially from Hunter.

I know after everything that's happened -- especially Crosshair refusing to say when he had his chip removed -- that it would've been hard to admit their mistakes. But, Crosshair wanted to hear something beyond: "You can come with us if you want. And if you don't, we don't have to be enemies."

The closest thing to comfort any of them offer is Omega affirming that, despite everything, she still cared about him. This seems to be the only thing that really effects him, that causes him to doubt his decision, that causes him to show any kind of emotion beyond anger.

I legitimately believe that if someone had talked to Crosshair one-on-one for like five minutes, and really showed how much they still cared about him and always did, that he would've rejoined them.

Granted, it's really hard to tell.

Crosshair has, as Tech said, always been severe and unyielding. Plus, he really suffers from this "in for a penny, in for a pound" kind of mindset, which is partly why he stays with the Empire for so long even after regaining his free will.

But the fact that all his brothers leave him on Kamino again so effortlessly, so easily is just tragic. No final goodbye. No hug. No nothing.

For all any of them know, this could be the last time they ever see each other. (And, for Tech and Crosshair, it was.)

I know it wouldn't have been easy after everything that's happened, but for crying out loud, I just wanted them to try.

And I imagine Crosshair did too.

IN CONCLUSION

Honestly, I think the TBB writers and producers purposely never gave us a scene of The Batch debating whether to go after Crosshair, or a scene of them outlining to us the audience why it wasn't possible even though they wanted to.

I think the creative team wanted us to sympathize with Crosshair when he says "You weren't loyal to me," while also arguably giving our protagonists a weakness to overcome later.

This really seems like the case if we look at Season 2.

Once the Batch finds out Crosshair's being detained by the Empire's Advanced Science Division in 2.14 "Tipping Point," they immediately start discussing whether and why they should try to save him, even after everything that happened between them in S1.

On top of that, this time they actually decide to do whatever it takes to get him back, despite limited intel and the imminent danger behind such an undertaking.

I think the Batch genuinely learned from their mistakes in Season 1 and, as Hunter maybe alludes to in 3.05 "The Return," regretted not going back for Crosshair sooner/at all after the Empire started controlling him.

I'll admit: I think when I first watched Season 1, I was basically in the Batch's corner. Crosshair was gunning for them at every opportunity, and Omega's well-being quickly became their priority (understandably so).

But, after rewatching Season 1 -- especially now that the show is over and we see how everyone's arcs play out -- it really hits me just how much Crosshair's brothers failed him in Season 1.

Again, I'm not saying Crosshair didn't make mistakes too. He definitely did.

But Crosshair's brothers failed him first.

I was listening to the song and imagined Omega dancing in the rain on the Camino) And Crosshair walked by and secretly smiled)

i think the key difference between george lucas’s star wars and disney’s star wars is that lucas is a man with an ideology. someone with a point of view, and all that entails. which comes with ideas of revolution, anti-imperialism, challenging the status quo, cultural appropriation and racist stereotypes. complex and contradictory ideas because that’s how artists are: complex and complicated people. disney is not. disney is a corporation. a corporation can’t have ideology, because ideology defeats the purpose of profit. and when the only thing you do is to turn on the movie manufacturing machine before you sit down and plan what ideas are you trying to convey to the audience, then your results are going to be washed out corporate garbage. and because when you’re a giant corporation who only cares about selling to the widest audience possible, you can’t take sides. you can’t decide on an idea. because you want to sell your product to people who are on the entire political spectrum. which results in movies without ideology, without purpose, without soul.

Came across another debate about the "inhibitor chips vs. no chips" storyline for the clones. Saw the usual complaint that the inhibitor chips are a cop out to absolve the clones of any responsibility for their actions.

Thing is...

For a long time, practically none of the clones knew their actions during Order 66 were influenced by programming via implanted brain chips. Omega was the first clone who for sure knew the chips were even a thing; Tech figured it out and Rex finally understood and fully accepted Fives' claims during Order 66; the rest of Clone Force 99 eventually accepts the truth; and I'm sure Rex got through to the clones who became part of his network.

But that's a tiny fraction of the clones who make up the GAR. (We find out over a decade later in Rebels that apparently the story of the inhibitor chips had circulated, but we don't know to what extent the story spread or if it was ever validated to the general public as more than a rumor.)

So, during Order 66 and for years thereafter, the clones thought they were acting of their own accord.

We never see the clones using the chips as an excuse for their behavior, likely because most of the clones don't even know about them.

And frankly, I find it even more tragic that these loyal, honorable men thought they had freely chosen to turn on the Jedi and others who had been their allies, genuinely thought they were stopping a Jedi coup, when they really didn't have much of a choice at all, not even the option to stop and think about what they were doing before they did it.

And even those clones who DO know what's going on are too horrified by their behavior to even entertain the notion of excusing themselves.

Just look at Rex's face when he's about to shoot Ahsoka. He's conflicted, he's terrified. Rex later talks about the chip and tells the Bad Batch it's not something they can control if it activates; but even then he's sharing that to convince them to choose to remove the chips, not to give them an excuse for their behavior.

And can any of us mistake Wrecker's shame over his actions while the inhibitor chip was activated as him justifying himself? He describes what it felt like, and we know as well as he does that he literally had no control over himself, yet he still apologizes for what he did.

AND THEN we have Crosshair, Mr. "Does it really matter when I got my chip removed?" -

Crosshair knows about the chip, knows what it was supposed to do, had it removed, and still insists that he was in full control of himself and his decisions all along. Even later, when he admits to making mistakes and having regrets, he never blames the inhibitor chip for his actions.

Basically - I have no issue whatsoever with the inhibitor chip plotline. I actually prefer it. Not even taking into account the fact that it makes a ton of sense that Palpatine wouldn't leave anything regarding something as pivotal to his plans as Order 66 up to chance, the inhibitor chips add another layer of tragedy and complexity to the clones in that while we the audience know they have more of their autonomy stripped away from them, as far as the clones are aware the chips don't even exist and they are in full control of their own actions; and the clones who DO know about the chips tend to acknowledge their effects while still not using them to justify their behavior or refuse any responsibility.

If still doing the kiss roulette, 35 or 43 Rexsoka? Pls and thanks.

Thank you so much for the request! I decided to do both prompts in one fic, so this one got a little longer than intended. I really hope you like it thought <3 This fic is set sometime during the later half of TCW and I want to make clear that this is an aged up, adult version of Ahsoka! If i ever write her during TCW I always age her up :)

Full fic below the cut!

Reasons

Kiss Roulette Prompts: 35 - a kiss against a wall & 43 - a bloody kiss

Pairing: Rexsoka

Word Count: ~1600

Warnings: blood, minor injury

Rex shoved Ahsoka against the wall, covering her body with his against the shower of shrapnel that followed the deafening blast from the Separatist cannons. Every nerve in his body was on high alert, and his muscles were tense, ready to jump and move again if need be. The shrapnel, gravel and debris pinged and clattered against his armor, and Rex pressed even tighter against Ahsoka, ensuring she was entirely shielded from the aftermath of the blast, knowing she wore far less protective equipment than he did.

Her hands were clutching his chest plate, and he listened to the sound of her breathing, muffled behind the ringing in his ears from the blast. Her respirations were clear and even, and Rex matched his breathing to hers, slowly calming his racing heart.

When it had been silent for long enough that Rex was certain another blast was not coming, he relaxed marginally and chanced a glance over his shoulder. Sure enough, the spot in the square where they’d been standing was now a crater, and various chunks of debris as well as troopers unlucky enough to be caught in the blast littered the area.

Rex couldn’t tear his eyes from the bodies, strewn at awkward angles throughout the square as they were. He fought the urge to run to his brothers, desperate to search for survivors, however small that possibility that might be.

“They’re…” Ahsoka coughed as the dust in the air tickled her throat, interrupting her words. “They’re gone, Rex.”

As she confirmed his suspicions, Rex let out the breath he’d been holding, shoulders slumping under the weight of his despair. His entire squadron, gone in one moment. He wished for the chance to mourn, but they needed to move, and they needed to do so quickly. They still had a shield generator to destroy so General Skywalker could move his troops through the main streets and into the legislative buildings were the Seppies were holed up, and now they needed to do so without the rest of their strike force.

With a sigh of resignation, Rex turned back to Ahsoka to suggest they do exactly that, but he found his words remained trapped within his throat at the sight of her.

Ahsoka was dabbing with her bare hand at a laceration on her forehead, just below her headband. As scalp wounds were wont to do, it was bleeding profusely, and the blood easily escaped her half-hearted attempts at tamponade, running down the right side of her face. It marred the beautiful white markings on her cheek, and stained her lips a bright red.

Rex was no medic, but he’d tended to his fair share of wounds. Theoretically, he knew this wound was superficial. Theoretically, he knew that the scalp was a very vascular part of the body, therefore although the blood loss looked impressive, it was likely not serious. Theoretically, Rex knew Ahsoka would be just fine.

But in reality, Rex tore his helmet from his head, letting it bounce haphazardly across the ground as he dropped it unceremoniously. He grasped her chin with trembling fingers and turned her head, pressing the gloved fingers of his other hand firmly against her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

“Rex, please, it’s fine,” Ahsoka grumbled, trying feebly to free herself from his grasp, but he held her fast, pressing her into the wall more securely to prevent her from escaping.

Refusing to take no for an answer, Rex indicated to his belt with his chin. “There are a couple of bacta strips in the side pouch. Grab them for me.”

“You’re overreacting,” Ahsoka bemoaned with a roll of her eyes, but she did as he bid her, grabbing the bacta strips and handing them to Rex. “I’m fine.”

“You will be,” Rex agreed gruffly. Then more softly he said, “Please, just let me help you, ‘Soka.”

His gentle plea effectively silenced any further protests from Ahsoka. He made quick work of treating her wound, appraising his work briefly once he was done.

“There,” Rex stated softly. “Good as new.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and laughed softly, laying her blood-stained fingers gently against his cheek. Her smile was sad, as how could it not be in a world filled with war and death, but her words were light, buoying his heart against the darkness and fear.

“My hero. You saved my life and patched me up,” Ahsoka told him with a subtle wink, a little impishness making it through the sadness in her smile. Rex cradled her face in his hands, his eyes reflecting her melancholy, but also her resolve. They couldn’t linger long, but Rex took the chance to be with her now, if only for a moment. The reality of war had taught him to savour such moments. Nothing was permanent. He could lose her as easily as he’d just lost all of his men.

“Mmmhmm. And just how will you ever repay me?” he quipped, leaning down while losing himself briefly in her beautiful blue eyes. Ahsoka smiled fully, her gaze drifting down to his lips.

“I can think of something,” she murmured. She stepped closer, and Rex watched as her eyes fluttered closed. His own were half lidded.

“Hmm. Something nice, I hope…” he replied.

Ahsoka’s lips brushed his. “Very nice, I promise.”

Before Rex could respond, she kissed him. Her lips were soft and sweet, and Rex cradled her face gently between his hands, swiping his thumbs lovingly over her cheeks. All he could feel was her. She invaded all of his senses, sweeping him well away from the horrible reality of war, if only for a moment.

But as she deepened the kiss, the tangy, metallic taste of blood slipped through the blissful haze the movement of her lips had lulled him into.

Suddenly, he could hear the distant blaster fire, mixing with the even more distant clanking of battle droids. He could smell the scorched earth from the cannon’s blast and felt the dirt and dust upon his skin and hers.

The wounds on his heart opened anew as he thought of his men, dead in the square behind him while he stood, alive and well, kissing his Commander.

He should stop it. He should end things as regulation and expectation dictated. He was not a mere man, entirely susceptible and beguiled by the affections of a woman, even a very beautiful one such as Ahsoka.

But that was entirely the problem. This wasn’t some irresponsible dalliance, distracting him from his mission, his purpose. This was love. It was the desperation for a connection with another being, fighting for life amongst all the death.

Ahsoka was his whole world. The clones were bread to fight for the Republic. They didn’t need a reason to do so. But all the same, Rex knew Ahsoka had become his reason. He fought, day in and day out, for her.

Desperately, he deepened the kiss further, slipping his tongue into her mouth as he pushed her a few steps back towards the wall. Gasps left both their chests as they crashed harder than Rex had intended into the solid structure.

He couldn’t stop, and he didn’t want to, so he continued kissing her and touching her, pressing their bodies as close together as his blasted armor would allow. Ahsoka returned his passion with vigor, her fingers hooked around his chest plate, holding him close while her other hand scrapped against the back of his head.

They kissed without a thought for anything but each other. Rex didn’t even bother to stop for a breath until he could go no longer without one.

When he broke the kiss, his chest was heaving, his oxygen starved lungs begging for relief. Ahsoka’s breathing was similarly labored, and she clutched tighter at his armor, unwilling to let go.

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice breaking. Rex opened his eyes then to find hers filled with tears, which slowly slipped down her cheeks, creating tear tracks through the dried blood that still marred her beautiful features. Rex blinked away the blurriness from his own vision and held her tighter.

“I love you too, ‘Soka.”

They held each other for a moment more before Ahsoka let out a long sigh, breaking through the emotional veil of desperation, fear and love. Rex stepped back, standing at attention, while Ahsoka peeled herself from the wall, brushing her hands over her battle dress in an attempt to clear it of any dust and grime.

Bending down, she grabbed Rex’s helmet from the ground, studying it briefly before holding it out to him, He accepted it from her, but hesitated before placing it upon his head. Ahsoka pressed a hand to his cheek and tried to smile, although her eyes were still troubled by a stormy darkness, dimming her shining blue hues to a muted grey.

“Please don’t die,” she bid him, her voice breathy and desperate, as it seemed she too must have tasted their mortality and found it rather jarring. Rex leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead, before pressing his own against one of her montrals.

“I go where you go, cyare. I have no plans to leave your side.”

“See that you don’t,” Ahsoka ordered before stepping back, her posture and expression morphing into that of his battle-hardened Commander once more, although the affection in her eyes remained.

“Yessir,” Rex agreed, nodding before securing his helmet upon his head. Taking a deep breath, he deferred to her, ready to jump back into the fray, as his duty bid him. “Lead the way, sir.”

Ahsoka nodded and they slipped around the wall, keeping to the shadows as they pushed on towards their objective. Although weary and worn, war left no rest for any but the dead, and Rex was not about to join them. So, he followed his Commander without question, staying close to her side as she bid him, and keeping her even closer to his heart.

2 more days till our pre-order shop opens! Over 200 pages of #TheBadBatch content in our zine, made possible with the help of over 100 international creators! Ain't that amazing? ✨

Fivesoka Creation Day

Officially announcing the first ever Fivesoka event! 💙🧡

Guys, I cannot put into words how excited I am and I’m still amazed at how many people responded to the interest check. You guys are the best! Best birthday present ever. 🥹

When: March 15, 2025

What is the event? An opportunity to create new Fivesoka content for ourselves and the fandom! Create something—fic, art, mood board, whatever you want—and submit it on March 15!

How to submit your creation: Post it here on Tumblr or, if it’s on another website like AO3, post the link. Make sure to tag @everythingfivesoka so I can reblog it and include the tag #fivesokacreationevent

Not sure what to create? I will be taking prompt suggestions over the next few days, which I will then compile and post, to help with the inspiration. That being said, create whatever you want! Create what Fivesoka content you haven’t seen yet, but would like to. Create whatever makes you happy!

There are a few RULES…

1 — Please only create content in which Ahsoka is portrayed as an adult. Whether you want to age her up during TCW or have your setting be after TCW or an AU, up to you!

2 — Aside from that, anything goes, as long as it is Fivesoka-centric. Just make sure to tag sensitive content accordingly. (Smut/NSFW, trigger warnings, character deaths, etc.) If you’re not sure if you should tag something, tag it anyway, just to be safe! Also, please put NSFW content under a cut here on Tumblr.

3 — Creations that will NOT be accepted: AI or plagiarized work. Any creations depicting hate or harassment of any kind. Creations in which either character is underage.

4 — Please be kind and considerate! The Fivesoka community is very small, so let’s support each other as much as possible!

Since many of us are in different parts of the world, the official time for the event will be rather loose. Just try to post on March 15, whenever that is for you! And if you post later, I’ll still reblog. 😊

Feel free to message me either here on @everythingfivesoka or on my @tealmisthams account with any questions!

Also, let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future posts related to this event!

Thanks, you guys. I’m so excited!

~ Misty 💙🧡

Art by @ahsokathegray

Tags: @aknightreaderr @snarkyfina @cyarikacyare @swfandomevents

Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game

🎱 ⇢ post your AO3 total stats  🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?  🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love 🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that? 🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis 🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help? 🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love 💌 ⇢ how many unread emails do you have right now?  🌻 ⇢ tag someone you appreciate but don't talk to on a regular basis 🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both?  🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before 🎲 ⇢ what stops you from writing more in your free time?  🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings 🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual? 🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now 📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app?  🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character 🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project? 🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on ❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best? 🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity 🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh  🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work? 🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate 🥝 ⇢ do you lie a lot? what's the most recent lie you told? 🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately  🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing?  🍅 ⇢ give yourself some constructive criticism on your own writing 🐚 ⇢ do you like or dislike surprises? 🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here ☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username? 🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them 🌸 ⇢ do you have any pets? if you do, post some pictures of them 🎨 ⇢ link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it 🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?