@webslinger-holland IS BACK EVERYBODY 😭 Am I The Only One Overly Blown Away By This 😂 Like WHaT??

oh man this made me feel so many things

brothers till the end

Don’t worry, I’m just obsessed!!! 🤩

Bad Batch Pin Collection

Rearranged my pins, giving each member a tile to themselves

The Emperor of Magic | Part 2

Summary: The crew begin their journey across the sea. Upon reaching land, they make their way on foot before the grand plan is finally set in motion and they come face-to-face with the emperor herself.

Warning: +18 Warning

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 4.1k

Series Masterlist

The Fifth Harbor was awfully quiet during the early hours of the morning. It was so early that the sun hadn’t even begun to peek over the edge of the horizon. The sky was still covered by the black veil of darkness and the occasional speckles of stars were scattered across it.

The selected ship was a much older vessel that actually hadn’t sailed in nearly eight years. It would have been too much money to repair it. The bastard of the barrel had put a little money into the ship’s maintenance over the years in preparation for the journey. Since the ship was retired, nobody would even know it left port.

The old thing creaked and groaned in agony as each wave brushed against its side. A couple missing floorboards on the top deck were no cause for concern for the selected crew. The sails had been hand sewn by a lady down the street since it would have been much more expensive than to just buy a new main sail.

The bastard of the barrel stood at the bow of the ship, overlooking the vast sea that they were about to embark upon. He could hear the hushed voices of his crew members below as they came to approach the harbor.

“I’m not sure I like this idea,” Wylan spoke quietly as he walked alongside Jesper. “I mean, we don’t even know what we are up against.”

“I know, but I trust Kaz. He’s spent the last three years preparing for this heist. I’m sure he’s thought of every possible scenario,” Jesper defended with a shrug of the shoulders. 

“I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Wylan sighed to himself. 

On the far side of the deck, Nina and Matthias were leaning against the railing. Both of them had their heads turned in the direction of the boss. They watched him carefully.

“I don’t like this plan; it’s too risky.” Matthias finally spoke up in his thick accent. 

“We get this job done and we will never have to pull off another heist again,” Nina persuaded him. She clung to his arm. “We’d be set for life,” she smiled at him.

“At what cost?” Matthias shook his head. “Our sanity?”

“Nothing is going to happen to us,” Nina waved him off. She didn’t even want to begin to think what would happen if she got into their heads. “We are going to be fine. And when this is all done, we will be a whole lot richer,” Nina added.

Matthias hummed at her comment, but looked away unconvinced. He most certainly wasn’t the only one questioning if they should really go through with the heist. All the crows had their doubts and concern. 

“Raise the sails!” One of the crewmates shouted. 

The ship was slow to depart from the harbor. The journey would take three days, depending on the weather. Once they make it across The True Sea, the ship was ordered to make its final stop at Arkesk where the crows would then travel north on foot. 

Very slowly, Inej went to look behind them at the poor excuse she had grown to call home. She silently wondered if she’d ever see it again; not knowing what her future had in store for her. She found herself clutching one of her precious knifes, laying it flat against her chest. She closed her eyes to pray for their safety.

As the hour went on, Kaz didn’t move away from his spot at the bow of the ship. He overlooked the vast sea of waves, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the sides of the ship. He felt a small hint of sea water brush against his face lightly.

Eventually, Jesper and Inej came to join him on either side of him. They followed his line of sight to the nothingness peeking over the edge of the horizon. The two of them shared a look between each other as if they were thinking the exact same thing.

“We’ve been thinking,” Jesper began which only caused Kaz to roll his eyes in slight annoyance. “If things do end up going south...what’s the plan?” Jesper asked curiously.

“Eliminate her,” Kaz said plainly.

In response, Jesper and Inej only looked at each other with slight worry in their eyes. They themselves knew that would be no easy task. The boss slowly turned around in his place to face his two closest allies. He placed his hands on top of the crow cane.

“And just how do we do that?” Inej inquired. She shook her head at the notion. 

Even then, Inej’s knives, Jesper’s sharpshooter skills, Wylan’s explosives, Matthias’s muscle, Nina’s powers, and Kaz’s brain would be no match for a person who could control magic. They didn’t know the extent of her powers, but they knew they wouldn’t be able to take her down. 

“Look for weakness,” Kaz reminded them. “Everyone has a weakness. Even her.”

Jesper shifted his weight to his other foot, clearly uncertain about this situation. Inej had that worried look on her face that she wore in situations like these. Kaz wasn’t his normal, cocky and confident self. He was more desperate.

“And when you find that weakness, strike it. And strike it hard. It won't be easy taking her down,” Kaz said strictly.

The hours eventually shifted into days. By the third day, land was visible from the bow of the ship. The ship made its way to the small abandoned port off the coast of Arkesk. The tailor quickly went to work on the three boys, changing their appearance to look more native. 

“I don’t understand why I need to be changed. I am already Fjerdan,” Matthias grumbled in slight annoyance. 

“And you are also a very recognizable fugitive who betrayed your country,” Kaz barked back. “You’d be arrested before you even set foot in the city.”

Once the tailor finished her work, Wylan and Kaz were completely unrecognizable. They both had dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Their complexion was much more pale which was fitting since the weather was always so drowsy and cold. 

Now Matthias’s facial structure was the only thing that was changed. His nose was a little bigger and his cheekbones became more prominent. He didn’t look like his old self much to Nina’s disappointment.

“Not to worry,” the tailor spoke to them. “The effects should wear off in a day or so.”

“Let’s just hope we can get into the court by then,” Kaz said. He went to brush past the others, keeping his head low so that they wouldn’t stare as much. The crew went ahead to gather some of their personal belongings before departing from the ship. 

In a safe and secluded area, a small hole was freshly dug in the ground. It was there were the crew would place their more precious belongings for safekeeping. Once the heist at the court was complete, they could return to their spot for their belongings before making their way down to Ravka. 

They’d have to go into the court unarmed. So Jesper mournfully departed from his pearly guns, Inej buried her knives with care, Wylan left behind some explosives, and Kaz was forced to leave his cane. 

“We go in with nothing,” Kaz told the crew. 

Though Jesper nodded his head, he wondered if his boss had some tricks up his sleeve since last time he managed to sneak picks and explosives into the court. They proceeded to pack the hole back up with dirt to hide their belongings before making the journey onwards.

It wasn’t long before they crossed into Fjerdan territory. Matthias had warned them to be on the lookout for guards or scouts since they often patrolled the woods in this area. Inej only prayed they wouldn’t come across anyone since they carried no weapons. Nina kept her hands at the ready just in case.

Upon reaching the top of an incline, the group directed their line of attention to the great sight of the court ahead of them. The walls surrounding the court looked more like cliffs from a distance, having known to be unscalable. The crew continued their journey on foot, heading to the northern road since that was the only way in or out. They did not reach the road until it was much too dark outside.

They hid in the depths of the shadows. They waited patiently and watched for one of the prison wagons to travel down the road. The heartrender peered around the side of a large boulder, spotting a prison wagon coming right up the road. She focused on the heartbeat of one of the two guards driving the wagon.

All of the sudden, the guard fell unconscious which resulted in him slumping over in his seat. His partner sitting beside him went to catch him. He was slightly confused at first, but before he could even question it, he too fell unconscious in his place. The wagon came to a halt.

The two unconscious bodies were dragged out of their seats by Jesper and Kaz. In the back, Nina and Matthias went to approach the doors of the prison wagon. He grabbed the handles of the doors and yanked them open. The only problem was...

“Oh shit,” Nina sighed to herself.

“Kaz,” Matthias called out. 

In response, Kaz made his way to the back of the wagon. He looked inside to be treated by their problem. It was an empty transport with no prisoners inside. Instinctively, Inej grabbed some papers off the seat of the wagon and brought them back to Kaz.

“Says right there. Zero prisoners,” Inej pointed out. Kaz felt like crumping up the piece of paper in his hands, but he was very glad he didn’t because one of his crows had an idea.

Nina grabbed a single feather out of her hat. She stuck out her tongue to lick the tip of the feather, wetting it slightly. She took hold of the paper before writing a three over the zero. 

“Nobody will even notice,” Nina smiled to herself proudly. The other crow members were most impressed. They never knew that her extravagant hats held little secrets such as ink feathers and such.

The plan was back in motion. Now with Kaz and Matthias pretending to be Fjerdan prison guards, they had to dress the part too. They quickly stripped the two unconscious drivers of their attire before throwing on the outfits themselves. 

Meanwhile, Jesper, Nina, and Inej climbed into the back of the prison wagon to pose as prisoners. Wylan took hold of the rifle that the one driver had, taking his place in the back of the transport with the others, especially since he didn’t have a uniform to disguise himself yet. Finally, Matthias and Kaz took the seats of the drivers. The two of them shared a look before clicking the reigns of the horses to continue down the road. 

They finally came to the entrance of the court. A massive gate stood in their way with a checkpoint at the side. The prison wagon came to a slow halt and some druskelle approached them.

“Papers?” The guard asked in his native language. 

Though Kaz didn’t know what the guard said, he had good insight when Matthias handed the guard the piece of forged paper. The guard looked at the piece of paper carefully, squinting his eyes slightly.

“Only three tonight?” The guard wondered.

“Yes. Slow day,” Matthias chuckled nervously. The guard nodded his head, handing the papers back to him. 

“Head directly to the prison sector,” the guard instructed. He gave the signal to the other guards to raise the gate for them. He stepped away so they could move along. 

With some hesitation, Matthias urged the horses to continue forward and headed into the entrance of the court. He knew the route well since he had taken it many times over. It was a silent ride for the most part. He enjoyed taking in the familiar sights of the place he once called home.

“Once we make it to the prison sector, you and I will head straight to the white island.” Kaz spoke in a hushed voice. “Jesper and Wylan are going to head straight for the armory to gather weapons to make our escape. Nina and Inej will locate our getaway.”

“And we all rendezvous at the cell. We’ll have the weapons as protection,” Matthias finished since he had heard the plan a million times over.

“We might have the weapons, but we do not open the cell without Nina,” Kaz corrected him. “She’s the only one of us who might stand a chance against the emperor. Stop her heart if it comes down to it.”

Matthias glanced at him through the corner of his eye. He couldn’t help but feel worried about her safety and wellbeing. He had seen Nina do inexplicable and impossible things, but going against someone who could control magic was something else. He feared for her. 

Upon reaching the prison sector, Kaz and Matthias climbed down from their seats on the wagon. They approached the backside, checking their surroundings to make sure the coast was clear before opening the doors. The rest of the members of the crew clambered out of the prison wagon one by one. Each of them knew where they needed to go, what they needed to do, and where to meet at the end. 

“No mourners,” Kaz told them.

“No funerals,” the rest of them said out loud. 

They broke up in pairs with Kaz and Matthias making their way to the center, Jesper and Wylan heading towards armory, and Nina and Inej lingering near the outskirts of the city to find their getaway.

Before heading to the armory, Wylan was able to snag a druskelle uniform that fit him from a spare storage closet in the prison sector. Once dressed for the role, Wylan and Jesper began moving towards the armory. They needed to be unseen since if they were caught, it would be suspicious as to why they were located in the armory. It was especially dangerous since Jesper hadn’t been tailored to look like a Fjerdan.

The armory was the most heavily guarded sector besides the prison sector. The two boys peeked around a corner to see nearly ten guards standing in front of the doors to the armory.

“There’s no chance we are getting through there,” Wylan shook his head in defeat. They both moved to press their backs against the wall. 

“Haven’t got any of those brilliant explosives on you, have you?” Jesper sounded optimistic. 

“Kaz said we go in with nothing,” Wylan claimed with a shake of his head. “We’ll just have to improvise.”

Carefully, Jesper and Wylan checked some of their surroundings. While Jesper ended up looking for a little hidden door or secret passage, Wylan say something directly above them. He pointed to it.

“Look,” Wylan said hopefully. “Up there!”

It was a vent, but a rather small one at that. There was no chance knowing where it led to, but Wylan was willing to place all his bets on it. He tapped his partners shoulder.

“Hoist me up there,” Wylan spoke softly.

“Are you crazy?! You have no idea where that leads to. It could lead directly into a prison cell,” Jesper shouted in a whisper.

“Why would a vent go into a prison cell?” Wylan quirked his eyebrows in confusion.

“Why would a vent go directly into the armory?” Jesper argued back.

“I don't know! It needs airflow?” Wylan’s excuse was rather poor. He let out a loud sigh of defeat. “Just hoist me up there. If it leads somewhere else, I’ll come straight back to you. I promise,” Wylan begged.

It took a minute, but Jesper eventually caved into his request. He bent down slightly, cupping his hands together to act as a place for Wylan to put his foot. When Wylan put his foot into Jesper’s hands, Jesper very carefully hoisted him upwards. He made sure he didn’t fall over as he managed to get a grip on the edge of the vent. He maneuvered himself into the small space before continuing on.

In the meantime, Nina and Inej tried to stay in the first sector. They surveyed some possible options to make their escape. The walls were still impenetrable; there was no getting through or over them. They needed to find something inconspicuous in terms of nobody drawing notice to the fact that they will be escorting a prisoner out.

“Why didn’t Kaz think of an escape plan before we got ourselves into this situation?” Nina rolled her eyes. She sounded most frustrated.

“Because the Ice Court is unpredictable. One minute, things look like they might be going your way. And then the next minute, you set off the protocols.” Inej recalled their first heist. 

“Walking out of here is going to be no easy task,” Nina shook her head at the notion. 

“No, but I think I might have an idea.” Inej said with a small smile on her face. Nina followed her line of sight before her eyes settled on the same thing she saw. 

In another part of the city, Kaz and Matthias spotted the various guard towers that surrounded the white island. They passed by other druskelle who simply tipped their heads in acknowledgement. They now walked the druskelle path which was one of two ways to enter the island. The bridge was made of perfectly clear glass that made it seem like they were walking in midair.

Upon finally reaching the center of the white island, Kaz and Matthias began heading towards the lower section since that was most likely where the unknown prisoner would be kept. 

“How is Nina going to make it to the cell? This bridge is heavily guarded and only accessible if you are druskelle,” Matthias whispered to his partner beside him. Kaz only rolled his eyes.

“Is she all you think about?” Kaz scoffed. “You do realize there are two different points of entry. They know what to do. You worry about such little things.”

“I always worry about her,” Matthias grumbled under his breath.

“Stop right there!” They froze.

In the tunnel, Wylan squinted his eyes to try to see through the darkness. He shimmied his body through the tight space, heading towards the armory. He peeked through a small hole which lead to the center of the armory. He could see shelves of weapons ranging from knives to guns. 

Very carefully, Wylan moved the vent out of his way. He slipped through the hole and lowered himself to the floor. He made sure his footsteps went unheard since there were bound to be guards nearby. He watched the guards through the corner of his eye, but realized that they had their backs turned away from him and they stood rather far away.

Upon finding one self in particular, Wylan began pocketing the smaller things such as knives (for Inej) and small guns (mainly for Jesper). No matter how hard he looked, Wylan couldn’t seem to find any explosives much to his disappointment. He grabbed a couple more guns before turning to leave. He stopped in the middle of his steps when he came face to face with an official officer.

“What are you doing here, boy?” 

Much to Wylan’s relief, the officer spoke his language so he was able to understand him. But he had a thick and heavy accent which almost made it hard to hear clearly. Wylan stumbled over his words and tried to come up with some kind of excuse.

“I-I just came from training,” Wylan tried his best to sound like Matthias. “Ended up jamming my gun. Came for a new one,” Wylan lied.

Just by peeking over the officer’s shoulder, Wylan could see Jesper looking directly at him with wide eyes. He shook his head desperately, waving his hands wilding to urge him to get out of there. 

“Well, there is no need to be all sneaky and such.” The officer offered him a lopsided smile, which Wylan returned nervously. He even went to far as to hand Wylan a gun off the shelf. He quickly pocketed it into his holster. “Best get back to training,” the officer encouraged.

“Right,” Wylan nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

With some hesitation, Wylan slipped past the officer and headed directly to the doors of the armory. The guards paid no mind to him. They had seen a million young recruits misuse their weapons in training. The only reason he had come up with that excuse was because Matthias had once told him he did that when he was younger. 

By the time Wylan returned to Jesper, he was practically shaking from nerves alone. The two of them made a hasty escape, attempting to make their way to the rendezvous point.

At this point, Nina and Inej were hurrying across the glass bridge to the white island. They didn’t know that Wylan and Jesper were not far along behind them, heading in the same direction. They needed to make it to the cell because the guards were already on their way.

In the heat of the moment, Kaz and Matthias hadn’t moved from their spot. They could both hear the footsteps coming from behind them that belonged to the officer who ordered them to stop. The officer came around to stand in front of them. He narrowed his eyes at them suspiciously.

“What are you two doing in this sector?”

Despite not knowing Fjerdan, Kaz had a pretty good idea what he was saying by the way he emphasized one particular word. He wanted to smirk to himself, knowing that the officer was wondering how they managed to make their way into the darkest section of the court. They weren’t supposed to be there.

“We’re the new recruits who are to be trained on how to take care of the prisoner,” Matthias responded. His voice didn’t waver this time. The officer narrowed his eyes at him. “We volunteered,” Matthias added.

“Then you are twisted men,” the officer shook his head. “This prisoner is no joke.”

“We know. We were sent by the king himself,” Matthias said proudly. The officer straightened his back in posture. He gave a single nod before opting to escort them deeper into the caves. 

“First thing to know is that once the door is open, you do not speak until it closes again. We cannot risk sound in case she hears us,” the officer ordered. He grabbed a nearby torch to guide them in the darkness.

“Yes sir,” Matthias responded. He quickly nudged Kaz who repeated those exact words in Fjerdan.

“Second thing to know is that we do not touch the prisoner at all. You touch her...then you might as well say your prayers because you aren’t walking out of that cell alive,” the officer added as they rounded a corner.

“Yes sir.” Matthias said once again.

All of the sudden, the three of them came to a sudden halt in front of a solid metal door. The officer turned around in his place to face the two druskelle who had been following him in the tunnels. He went to place the torch on the wall beside them.

“The third and final thing to know is that this is the most dangerous person to have ever walked the earth. There are very few people who even know of her existence. I fully trust that you will not relay the events of what happens to anybody for their safety,” the officer said one final time.

“...yes sir...” Matthias swallowed heavily.

Though Kaz did not understand either of them, Kaz ended up turning his head to look at the solid door beside them. Before he even knew what was happening and before he could put a stop to it, the officer pulled out a pair of keys to unlock the door. 

It was too early. The others weren’t there yet. They had no weapons to protect themselves. They needed Nina, but it was far too late for that. 

The large metal door of the cell swung open. With great hesitation, Kaz and Matthias peered around the edge of the doorway to look into the dark cell. Their eyes landed on a figure who sat on the cold stone floor. 

Like Kaz had said, the emperor’s eyes were covered along with her mouth and ears. Her arms were wrapped around her body in a tight straight jacket that kept her from using her powers. And four monstrous chains were attached to each wall which kept her from moving around in her cell. 

There was an unsettling eeriness to the coldness and darkness coming from the cell. The emperor didn’t seem to move. She didn’t react to light or sound, which most likely meant that she was unable to see or hear. There she was in the flesh and bone.

And Kaz had never felt more terrified in his entire life.

TAGLIST:

@d34drapunzel @adorawritesalot​ @vixythepixie​ @theghostofshadows​ @lonelywitchv2​ @arcadialine​ @zeeader​ @cleverzonkwombatsludge​ @shara-ne​ @iloveinej​ @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo @mystic-mara​ @missymisha​ @tremendoushearttaco @home-of-disaster @gh0stgirl333 @harrydimples

What if the baby's name was Emmie? I just think it sounds so cute. Like Emmie Munson

That does sound super cute!

The Sergeant's Senator | Chapter 3

Summary: Returning to the senator's home, the Bad Batch quickly realizes that they are under attack. They have to act fast if they want to catch the shooter.

Warning: assassination attempt, destruction of furniture, various weapons used, sniper/shooter mentioned, someone getting shot, slight talk of blood, slight moment of panic for reader, concussion symptoms discussed but not confirmed

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator

Type: Short Series

Word Count: 4.8k

Series Masterlist

Only a few hours later, the sun had dripped below the line of the horizon and the moon began to rise into the skyline. Though the hours of the night fell over Coruscant, it was a place that truly never slept. The planet's skylanes directed the air-traffic of airspeeders via auto-navigation system that moved the speeders along preprogrammed routes.

In the Senate District, Senator Rayna possessed an apartment in one of the high-rises. Her place was situated on Level 60, which meant it was a little over halfway until one reached the top of the high-rise. Upon entering the apartment, there was a large spacious living area adorned with fancy plush couches, custom woodwork tables, and dainty priceless knickknacks.

A single bedroom was located near the back of the apartment. In the living room and bedroom, there were grand windows that overlooked the vast expanse of the city. It was quite similar to the architecture of her office not six blocks away. These windows were installed to promote plenty of sunlight during the daytime and a scenic view of the city lights during the nighttime.

It was a quite spacious and luxurious space; a fitting living situation for the planet's senator.

Walking into the apartment by following the senator, the Bad Batch took a moment to take in their surroundings. They felt out of place like they didn't deserve to even step foot into the apartment. Everything looked too expensive to touch.

"Smells weird," Wrecker noted. His nostrils flared at the odd scent.

"Because it's clean," Echo retaliated.

The senator only smiled at them. She gestured towards them with a wave of the hand, silently inviting them to take a few steps further in. She saw the door close behind them.

"This is my place. I don't really spend a lot of time here," Senator Rayna insisted. She took note of how each of them were looking at something different. Whether they were glancing out the window, examining a random figure on a table, testing the feeling of various textures, or looking directly at her.

Given that she was finally home for the day, Y/n had lifted her leg behind her until she felt her shoe come in contact with her hand. She steadily removed her heel before mimicking the notion with her other leg. Once her shoes were removed, her stance dropped down another inch in height.

The senator proceeded to remove the tie from her braid. She weaved her fingers through her hair to undo the braid and work out any knots. As her hair began to fall around her face, Hunter felt this fire ignite in the pit of his stomach. He thought her hair looked much better down.

"We'll give you some privacy," Hunter quickly noted.

"Make yourselves comfortable. There is food on the table if you're hungry," Y/n stated. She gestured to the table where a bowl of fresh fruit lay.

"I'm always hungry," Wrecker claimed. He eagerly made his way over the the table and grabbed the nearest fruit. He stuffed it into his mouth without hesitation.

With that, the senator went to turn towards her private quarters. She did not catch the way the sergeant's eyes followed her form as she entered her room or how they stayed on her until the door was fully closed. His mind was still lost until one of his brothers spoke up.

"Your thoughts are painfully loud," Crosshair grumbled from across the room. He was currently standing beside the large window, which was an indication that he found a decent perch for a sniper's view. He began to assemble the parts for his rifle.

"I don't know what you mean," Hunter lied through his teeth. Looking over his shoulder, Hunter had a feeling that Crosshair was rolling his eyes at him from behind his helmet.

"Oh please. Don't play innocent," Crosshair scoffed. He proceeded to remove his helmet, setting it down on a table beside him. He plucked a toothpick into his mouth. "You're practically drooling all over her."

Meanwhile, the other three clones watched the brothers interaction. Their gazes switching between the two of them. They often didn't get along so this was nothing new to them.

"You jealous?" Hunter teased. An all knowing smirk graced across his lips. He always knew how to push his brother's buttons.

"Not in the slightest," Crosshair went to cross his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall behind him. He further explained himself. "Not my type."

"What? Coruscanti?" Hunter wondered.

"Politicians," Crosshair corrected him.

"Fair point," Hunter agreed. He redirected his attention to look back at the closed door.

"Be careful, brother. Don't get too attached," Crosshair warned. His voice sounded like it was laced with venom, but his words rang in his brother's ears.

Ignoring this comment, Hunter went to approach the window in the living space. His gaze lowered towards the city below them, looking at all the airspeeders moving rapidly. He remained stationed by the window, but his senses picked up what was happening next door.

Behind him, Wrecker continued to consume the entire bowl of fruit greedily. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, somewhat content with the quality he had eaten. Then there was Tech who was currently fidgeting with his data pad. He made some minor adjustments with a miniature screwdriver.

By the window, Crosshair had just finished setting up his sniper's rifle. He opened the window before carefully lifting his long rifle to rest on the ledge. He peered through the scope to examine the city. Finally, Echo was still taking in some of his surroundings. He found himself walking around the spacious room, glancing at little figurines and art pieces on the walls.

For a brief moment, Hunter silently wondered if he should tune out what he was hearing. He glanced down at the helmet in his hands, which was customized to help him drown out noises if he switched a setting. Tech had made this feature for him a long time ago. This helped the sergeant when his senses grew overloaded, bringing him a sense of calm and comfort.

After some contemplation, Hunter chose to not put his helmet on. He closed his eyes to focus in on the sounds he was hearing, permitting his heightened senses to take over. The first thing that he noticed was a soft humming voice coming from the other room. His lips twitched into a smile.

The sergeant also heard the soft patter of feet making its way across the bedroom, accompanied by the soft swish of a fabric. As the footsteps grew a little louder, Hunter turned his head to face the door as he presumed she was walking towards it. Sure enough, the bedroom door opened to reveal the young senator wearing a long white nightgown. A blue silk robe hung over her shoulders.

Without thinking, Hunter's eyes dragged down the entire length of her body. He tried to commit the littlest of details to memory. He quickly placed his helmet over his head in hopes of hiding the way he was staring at her. He cleared his throat.

Opening the bedroom door further, Senator Rayna invited him into the confines of her room to speak privately with him. He silently obliged to this, shifting forward in order to enter her room. They left the door open, but kept distance away from the doorway for the privacy they sought. The two of them turned to face one another.

"So what's the game plan for tonight?" Senator Rayna intrigued. She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to maintain a modest appearance for her sergeant.

"We think it would be safe for us to stay here one night," Hunter stated plainly. "Get a feel of things. Make sure you can get some sleep tonight," Hunter added.

"Alright," Y/n agreed with a firm nod of the head.

"Tomorrow, we will only have one person stay with you. We'll rotate and take turns," Hunter further explained. "Clone barracks are only three blocks away should we need to call for backup."

Upon hearing this, Senator Rayna felt the air getting sucked out of her chest. She inhaled sharply. Her body grew quite tense. Almost immediately, Hunter saw the uneasiness in her expression. He heard how fast her heartbeat picked up. He was quick to reassure her.

"Not that we expect to call for backup regularly," Hunter tried to bring up her spirits.

"No, but it is good to be prepared for anything."

"I agree," Hunter nodded.

Unbeknownst to them, a masked figure had made their way to the rooftop of a building across the way from the high-rise. With a large package in hand, the mysterious person made their way to the ledge of the rooftop. They peered over the edge to look down at the steady flow of traffic.

Setting down the package and unlocking the box, the pieces to a rifle lay incased within it. They quickly began to assemble the sniper rifle, clicking the parts into place. Now looking over the side of the ledge, the sniper raised it's weapon to rest on the ledge. They focused the scope to get a better view.

The scope's view shifted past the various windows of the high-rise, searching for one in particular. It eventually settled on the right window, spotting the infamous senator standing in her own quarters. It looked like she was talking to a clone though it was awfully hard to see his armor.

The sniper took the time to watch the clone turn around in his place and begin walking towards the door to the room. He only got a few steps away before the sniper proceeded with their original plan.

Lowering the scope slightly, the unknown sniper fired a single shot at the window. However, it wasn't a blaster shot. It was a small magnetized explosive. The explosive latched onto the surface of the window without difficulty, activating a timer that blinked red.

In that exact moment, Hunter can to an abrupt halt in his steps. He could hear the steady beeping sound of the explosive from outside the window. He surveyed his surroundings, searching for the source of the noise.

"Sergeant?" Senator Rayna inquired from behind him. "What is it?"

Upon realizing what the sound was, Hunter only had one second to act quickly. He spun around on the heels of his feet and ran directly for the senator. Next thing she knew, a body had forcefully slammed into her and tackled her to the ground. She felt her head hit the floor hard, but she didn't think that mattered at the moment.

Because the explosive had suddenly detonated and destroyed the window glass. A million shards of glass threw across the room, landing as far as the other side of the bed. With the shock from the explosion, Hunter did his absolute best to use his body as a shield as he lay on top of the senator. He covered her head with his hands, keeping her face tucked into his chest.

In the other room, the other clones had seen the explosion through the open door. As if this was a battle simulation, they drew their weapons and quickly got into their respective positions. Wrecker had grabbed the large wooden table and hoisted it up onto its side. He dropped down to take cover behind it with Echo and Tech following suit.

By the window, Crosshair had the smallest bit of coverage by a pillar. He peered through the scope of his own rifle, desperately searching for where the explosive could have been fired from. His scope focused on every single rooftop.

Wherever the assailant was, they suddenly began firing blaster rounds into the now open window. The blaster shots began striking the back wall where the senator had once stood. They hit nobody.

Hearing the blaster fire directly above him, Hunter could only heavily rely on the protection provided by the bed beside him. He could hear it drawing closer as it now grazed the blankets on the bed. Attempting to keep the senator safe, Hunter pressed his body further into hers and squeezed her tightly. He could feel how desperately she clung to him.

Finally, Crosshair's scope was able to find the exact rooftop where the assailant was located. He could barely see a figure peeking from the ledge, but he saw the rounds firing from the weapon. He fired a single shot, which struck the ledge right below the weapon. The assassin quickly cowered out of view.

Knowing this was far from over, Hunter went to press the comm attached to his wrist. He spoke over the comms. "Bad Batch Plan 100," Hunter ordered.

Receiving their orders, Wrecker and Echo seized the opportunity to leave the apartment in order to pursue the assassin across the street. The two of them began running as fast as they could. The plan entailed them hurrying to capture the assassin while the others tried to distract them in the meantime.

Suddenly, the unknown assassin popped their head over the ledge once again. However, this time, they fired a single shot towards the window in the living room. The explosive latching onto the window once again. With little time to waste, Crosshair took cover right beside his brother who was still behind the table. The explosion shattered the glass, sending it across the room.

Now, the assassin began firing blaster rounds through both of the open windows. They seemed to be alternating between the two rooms, firing a round of shots before switching to aim at the other room. The shots kept coming with the clear intention of trying to hit someone.

"Tech," Wrecker's voice sounded over the comm channel. "Where is this guy? Have you gotten a lock on his location?"

"I'm working on it," Tech replied back.

He sneakily peered around the edge of the table. He pressed the side of his helmet which dropped the scanner over his eyes. A very distinctive red heat signature appeared on his scanner on the same rooftop. The smoke spewed out of the tip of the rifle, signifying it's overuse.

"West Tower Level 64 Mark 329," Tech called out.

"Roger that," Echo replied through the comms. "In pursuit."

Switching targets, blaster fire began pouring through the living quarters. It began striking the back walls, destroying the paintings, and ripping holes through the furniture. In response, Crosshair and Tech remained hidden behind the table in hopes that it would continue to provide them with protection. They couldn't hold out forever.

Recognizing that the blaster shots weren't coming through the room at that specific moment, Hunter carefully placed his forearms on either side of the senator's head. He pushed himself upwards slightly, pulling his armor plated chest off her own and peering down at her small frame.

The small specks of glass were sliding off his back and falling to the ground around them. He could feel his muscles aching in pain, which pulled a soft groan out of his mouth.

"Are you alright, senator?" Hunter inquired after her well-being. His ears were burning from the sound of the blaster fire streaking through the room next door. "I need you to use your words, sweetheart. Are you alright?" Hunter asked once again.

"Y-Yes. I-I-I'm alright," Senator Rayna stumbled over her words. She nodded franticly. It almost felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest from how rapidly it was beating.

"Everything is going to be alright," Hunter reassured her. "I'm gonna get you out of this."

Peering around his own body, Hunter spotted his two brothers in the other room. The two of them took turns firing shots around the table they had taken refuge behind, shooting blindly at the assailant on the rooftop. They took cover again just as the blaster fire was returned to them.

"As much as I enjoy this position," Hunter spoke while turning back to face the senator laying under his body. "I need to go help my brothers."

"What about you? You're going to get shot if you go out there," Y/n exclaimed.

"Don't worry about me. Our mission is to protect you and that is exactly what we are going to do," Hunter replied.

Finally, Hunter further lifted himself up until he wasn't laying on her anymore. He brought himself into a crouching position for a brief second before switching to lean against the side of the bed for more cover. He retrieved the blaster from his holster.

"Stay here. Stay low," Hunter ordered.

When Tech went to look around the table, he felt a single blaster shot whiz right past him. He just barely managed to dodge the shot, sitting back against the table to maintain coverage for the moment. That shot was much too close for Hunter's liking.

"Wrecker, Echo," Hunter called for them over the comms. "How are we coming along here?"

"We are nearly at the top," Echo replied. He glanced up at the long staircase, guessing that they only had a few more floors to go. They had been climbing the long staircase for a few minutes now.

"So many stairs," Wrecker panted from behind him. He went to lean his body against the railing, wanting nothing more than to take a short breather. The two of them continued to climb the staircase, getting higher and higher with each step.

"We need to do something; we can't just sit here." Crosshair explained from his position. While Tech agreed with him, there was little any of them could do until the others reached the shooter.

By lifting his head, Hunter spotted the light hanging from the ceiling in the other room. Without hesitation, he raised his blaster to shoot the light out. The sharp shards of glass shattered around the light, falling to the floor. Naturally, Crosshair and Tech flinched from the sound of glass breaking directly above them. They covered their heads to protect themselves.

"What the hell are you doing?" Crosshair shouted at his brother from the other room.

Ignoring his comment, Hunter proceeded to shoot out the light hanging above the bed. The sound of glass breaking filled the room and blaster fire halted momentarily. Both of the rooms were now protected under the veil of darkness.

"Can't shoot if you can't see," Hunter explained. Even though Crosshair rolled his eyes at his remark, he only did so because he knew he was right.

Sure enough, the shooter had a hard time finding a target in the darkness. They moved the rifle to point at one room before switching to point at the other room. The shooter tried to look for any sign of movement, eyes narrowing behind the scope.

Seizing the opportunity, Hunter moved upwards until he was just peeking over the edge of the bed. He pointed his blaster, firing a couple shots in the general direction of the shooter. Though Hunter's shots missed the target, they did get dangerously close to the shooter which caused them to cower behind the ledge once again.

The sergeant returned to his position behind the bed, thinking carefully about their next move. He knew that the shooter wasn't hiding anymore and had gotten back behind the scope. Then it suddenly clicked in Hunter's head: the shooter was watching for movement.

Formulating a plan, Hunter realized that he might actually be able to take his guy down if he played his cards right. He'd have to distract the shooter, fire his shot, and hope that the others reached him before he could get away. He knew what he had to do. He turned to face his brothers in the other room.

"Stay down," Hunter commanded them. They gave a nod.

Now, Hunter went to pull his vibe-blade out of his wrist holder. He reared back and tossed the blade into the other room. The blade was propelled forward and lodged itself into the wall on the far side.

Upon seeing the movement through the corner of their eye, the shooter quickly moved their scope to face the other room. Their eyes searched desperately for a target and their finger shifted to the trigger.

With the shooter distracted, Hunter rose to stand at his full height. He aimed his blaster and pulled the trigger to fire a single shot. The blaster shot managed to strike the shooter directly in the shoulder, sending them to the ground. A wave of relief washed over him.

A moment later, Wrecker and Echo burst through the rooftop door with their blasters drawn. They looked around the rooftop to survey the site. From the high-rise, Hunter watched his two brothers walk around cautiously. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Talk to me," Hunter asked them.

"That's just it," Wrecker replied. He shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "There is no one here."

The shooter had disappeared behind the ledge when the sergeant shot him, but he couldn't imagine him getting too far with his injury. He would have seen him stand up so he must have crawled away. It didn't make any sense.

"Search the place," Hunter ordered them. Echo knelt down by a small patch of blood on the ground. "He couldn't have gotten far."

Knowing Wrecker and Echo could handle themselves, Hunter decided to direct his attention back to the person he was assigned to protect. He saw that she hadn't moved from her position, laying on the glass riddled floor and propping herself up on her forearms. Her eyes twinkled with fear.

Approaching her, Hunter heard the glass breaking and cracking underneath his boots with each step taken. He knelt down beside her, knowing that she was feeling extremely uneasy. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder in hopes that it would bring her some comfort and calm her nerves. He also removed his helmet to set it down.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Hunter questioned.

"I-I'm fine," Y/n's voice quivered. She pulled herself into a sitting position with the sergeant making sure she didn't hurt herself on the glass.

For some reason, Senator Rayna couldn't seem to bring herself to look him in the eyes. She could feel her heart beating so loud in her chest that it was almost painful. She tried to use every muscle in her body to stifle a whimper from escaping her lips so she covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself. But the tears began swelling in the corners of her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She was so overcome with emotions that she was falling apart.

"You don't have to be," Hunter reassured her. He stared down at her with the utmost sympathy behind his eyes.

Wrapping her arms around herself and drawing her legs to her chest, Senator Rayna began rocking back and forth subconsciously for comfort. Her head dropped down until her chin touched her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut just as the sobs began to rack over her body, causing her shoulders to shake violently.

Knowing words would bring little comfort, Hunter brought his arms around her body. He had one arm looped behind her backside and the other one slipped under the crook of her legs. He hoisted her body into his arms, rising to his feet in order to carry her. He went to turn around in his place and entered the other room.

"We can't stay here tonight," Hunter explained to them. "We'll go to the Marauder for now."

"We'll lead the way," Tech agreed with a firm nod of the head. He made sure to keep his blaster drawn just in case they ran into the assassin.

"Rendezvous at the Marauder," Crosshair spoke through the comm system for the others.

"Copy that," Echo replied. "No sign of our shooter."

As they made their way to the platform, Hunter glanced down at the weary senator in his arms. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red and shiny from her tears. Her head was resting against his solid chest plated armor and her hand was pressed against where his sternum would be. He readjusted her slightly in his arms, lifting her up a little more to take sure he wouldn't drop her.

With great caution, the Bad Batch made their way to the landing platform on the other side of the high rise. They secured the perimeter as well. The ramp lowered for them; they ascended into the ship's main hull. They made sure to secure the ramp behind them, locking them in for the night.

Entering the cockpit, Hunter brought the senator over to one of the chairs beside the control panel. He lowered her body into the seat as carefully as possible. He took a single step back away from her to allow his younger brother access to assess her.

Now Tech kneeled down right in front of the senator with a medkit in hand. He riffled through the box in attempts of finding the tools necessary for a thorough examination. When Tech lifted his head to look at the senator in front of him, he faltered slightly upon seeing her red eyes. He quickly rifled through the medkit again before retreating a single tissue.

Slowly, Tech offered the tissue to the senator which she gladly took to wipe her tears away. The other clones watched the interaction from a few steps away.

"I am going to perform an examination to take sure you are unharmed. Will that suffice?" Tech inquired. She nodded her head in agreement, but didn't look him in the eyes.

For a brief moment, Tech took his time looking over her body. He gently lifted each arm to inspect under it before switching to the other one. After checking every seeable part of her, Tech had come to a conclusion. He typed the data into his device.

"You are unscathed. I am surprised you weren't hurt from the glass," Tech noted. The senator's eyes slowly drifted up to the sergeant who sent her a small smile.

Carefully, Tech took hold of the senator's wrist. He pulled the sleeve of her nightgown back to reveal more skin on her wrist. He pressed two fingers there to feel her pulse. He waited a minute before recording his findings on his data pad once again.

"You're heart rate is rather fast," Tech concluded. "Understandingly though."

Reaching back into the medkit, Tech pulled out a small flashlight. He clicked the button the activate the light, raising it slightly to shine it in the senator's eyes. He hummed quietly to himself.

"Are you perhaps feeling dizzy or are you having trouble seeing?" Tech wondered. He put the flashlight back into the medkit.

"No," Y/n spoke softly. "Why?"

"Hunter says you hit your head," Tech stated. He recalled their brief conversation when they were walking back to the ship. It was the whole reason why Tech decided to do an examination in the first place. "I am merely making sure you don't have a concussion. Though we can monitor your vitals in the next couple days to see if any symptoms arise."

"Right," Y/n nodded.

"Everything appears to be in order. My only concern is the severe sleep deprivation," Tech explained. He saw the heavy bags under her eyes. "You need sleep."

"I-I don't know if I can. Not after that," Y/n tried to make them understand.

"You can sleep in my bed," Hunter offered. "I'll take the first watch."

"That will do nicely," Tech agreed.

After a few minutes, Hunter escorted the senator into the back room where all of their bunks resided. Luckily, Hunter's bed was the lowest one with Echo's bed directly above him and Tech's bed right above that one. He pulled the blankets away, which allowed the senator to crawl into bed.

Hesitantly, Senator Rayna laid down with her head resting on the pillow. Her sergeant brought the blankets up to cover her body, checking to make sure she was extra comfortable. It did feel nice to be in a bed even if it wasn't her own.

"Just try to get some sleep," Hunter requested. She nodded her head in agreement. He took a single step back. "We will be in the cockpit if you need us."

Just as Hunter turned to walk away, Senator Rayna sat up in the bed. She called his name frantically. He looked back at her expectantly, raising his eyebrows in question.

"T-Thank you," Y/n sputtered. "For saving me."

"Just doing my job, ma'am." Hunter stated professionally.

“Please,” Y/n spoke softly. She wanted to roll her eyes because she was so used to being addresses like that. “Let’s not worry about formalities.”

“Alright,” Hunter agreed with a curt nod. “Get some sleep, Y/n. We’ll make sure you’re safe.”

“Thank you.”

The door to the bunks slid open which granted him access to step into the cockpit. He left the room without another word. The door closed behind him and the bunks fell into a soft darkness.

Slowly, Senator Rayna proceeded to lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chest. Shifting to lay on her side, her head sunk into the soft pillow and her hand slipped under it for extra padding.

The sergeant's natural scent invaded her senses, bringing her an odd bit of comfort. It smelled rather woody, which was fitting for his personality. Even though the bed was stiff, the senator found herself drifting off to sleep and dreaming of the sergeant.

In a dark alleyway, the wounded assassin was resting his body against the wall. He nursed the wound inflicted to his shoulder, wincing in pain. The rag he used soaked up more blood and the stinging sensation grew with the smallest touch.

This particular person wasn't well known in the galaxy for bounty hunting because he was still new to the scene and was trying to make a name for himself. He pulled off a few jobs until he finally found someone who'd be willing to pay a hefty price for his services.

The first few attempts were orchestrated to instill fear into the senator with the enemy's desire ultimately being her resignation. However, Senator Rayna refused to step down from her position in the senate. She was stubborn after all.

The next attempt ended up taking the lives of her guards, which meant that she would be without protection. This made it the perfect opportunity to strike, but now, there was a new problem presented before the enemy.

Lazily, the mysterious man pocketed the dirty cloth and placed a bacta patch over it instead. A moment later, he proceeded to retrieve a device out of his pocket. He pressed a button on the side which ignited the familiar figure of Count Dooku.

"Is the deed done?" Count Dooku inquired with a cocked eyebrow.

"Afraid not," the assassin hissed from the pain in his shoulder. "She's got a new security detail with her now. A batch of clones like I've never seen before."

"A poor excuse for failure," Count claimed.

"You didn't see them. They're smarter, stronger. One of them protected her before the bomb detonated."

"Hmm," Count Dooku hummed to himself. He pondered carefully as if trying to understand what he was now up against. "How many are there?"

"Five, sir."

"This creates a unique dilemma," Count began. He stroked the beard on his chin in thought. "The senator is scheduled to present her at the end of the quarter. I had hoped to have her silenced before she'd be able to sway the senate's vote."

"I-I can take her out," the assassin reassured him; the eagerness to prove himself was the main thing driving him.

"No," Count Dooku shook his head in denial. "I will contact you when the time is right to strike. Until then, lay low and learn more about these clones."

"You have my word, Count Dooku."

CHAPTER FOUR HERE

Taglist:

@justhavingsomefun1 @totally-not-your-babe @jedipoodoo @gyllord @roam-rs @totallyunidentified @redheadgirl @mrcaptainrex @whore-of-many-hot-men @graciexmarvel @qweenrogerina @arcsimper5 @queenofspades6 @cadihyo @jediknightjana

just gonna leave this here

Crosshair in his old armor tho...

And just in time for my new series to drop!!!

New Bad Batch trailer dropped and all I can do is cry and sit in anxiety

THIS MOMENT 😭🫶💔