#cc nebula

[the-starry-seas]

And I've finished the prompts for Trans Clone Week 2024! Featuring a dozen of my trans clone OCs and quite a few more on the side :)

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[the-starry-seas]

Trans Clone Week 2024 Day 2: Trans Commander / Intimacy

Nebula doesn’t know why xy’s so nervous, but that doesn’t change the way xyr fingers curl around the datapad, until xyr fingertips leave little white marks on the screen where it bends a little too much. Is it possible to break it? Now that the thought’s crossed xyr mind, xy really doesn’t want to find out. 

Xy locks the screen, so the twins can’t get into it and submit any more unauthorised supply requests. And then xy leaves. Walks away from everything that needs to get done, and all the problems, and all the angry messages, and just… goes. 

There’s a small room on their ship that’s designated as a medbay. Jewel has worked wonders with the few supplies zhi’s allowed. And though none of them would ever say it to outsiders, the entire squad knows that zhi’s found a way to get zhir hands on a few things that certainly weren’t GAR issue. 

Lucky for xyr, zhi’s also still in the medbay. Zhi moves around a lot, lending a hand wherever the others need zhir. And sometimes called to handle some injury. For all that xy loves xyr squad, they’re sometimes a little prone to accidents. Xy worries about them. Well, xy worries about a lot of things. 

Don’t worry, captain, Star said when he was assigned to them. I won’t be trouble. 

It was the best news Nebula heard in three weeks. 

“Neb,” Jewel says, surprised. 

Zhi’s a nickname sort of girl, has one for each of them. And though xy’s usually not that fond of them – with zhir, it feels like being accepted. Xy needs that right now. 

The back of zhir hand presses against xyr forehead, and xy leans into it. It’s not the kind of touch xy came looking for, but right now, it’s good. It’s very good. 

“Tell me what you need,” zhi says quietly. The fingers of zhir other hand play at the strap of zhir medical bag. 

“Anything you can give me.” 

“Well, I guess I’ll clear my schedule.” 

Zhir fingers thread through xyrs, leading xyr across the room to the supply closet. It’s the smallest room on the ship, but there’s just enough room between the metal shelves for a cushion and a few blankets. 

What there isn’t room for, is two clones. 

“I wanted to stay with you,” xy says, and wonders if xy sounds as plaintive as xy feels. 

“I know.” 

Jewel crouches down, smoothing out the blankets a little, and sits down facing xyr. Zhi pulls the strap of zhir bag over zhir head, shoving it onto the shelf next to zhir. 

Xy understands in a moment. Xy kneels, shuffling around a little, trying not to bang xyr elbows or knees on the shelves around them. Being careful isn’t hard. Neither is settling between zhir thighs, one hand wrapping around the back of zhir shoulder, xyr other arm around zhir waist. 

A sigh escapes xyr when zhir hand slides up xyr back. Zhi’s not always gentle – xy promised xyrself to never cross zhir after xy saw zhir ream out Zenith for being reckless on the battlefield. But when zhi is, zhi’s the most comforting person in this entire quadrant. 

“I know you don’t want to talk about it. So just try to sleep. The spare sedatives are in that blue box.” 

Xy considers it. Zhi wouldn’t offer if they weren’t easily spared. But they also leave xyr head foggy, and with the standoff on the planet below them growing tenser by the hour… Xy can’t risk it. Not deploying with xyr squad is unthinkable. Especially with the new soldiers, the twins, too young to be deployed off Kamino but sent here all the same. 

Jewel starts humming, zhir fingers slowly working through xyr hair, gently undoing any tangles zhi comes across. It wouldn’t be the first time that zhi told xyr to take better care of xyrself. 

Instead, zhi says nothing. Instead, zhi stays and holds xyr close. 

When they’re deployed to the surface, it’ll be bad. There’s a good chance they’ll lose someone, and the regular troops – they’ll take heavy losses like they always do. 

But when Jewel says that everything will be okay, that they can stay here as long as they want, with nothing to bother them… 

Nebula can believe that for at least a little while. 

“I corrected someone,” xy says after nearly twenty minutes of silence. “About my pronouns. And I think it’s just – getting to me, for some reason.” 

“Could do what I do.” 

Xy hums under xyr breath. It’s something xy’s thought about. Around other clones, other strangers – Jewel says zhir pronouns are she/her. Got tired of explaining and correcting pronunciation, zhi said. Xy doesn’t blame zhir. In fact, it’s only in the past year that xy’s started correcting anyone, even the others in xyr squad. They always did their best. Nebula’s never had reason to doubt that, on or off the battlefield. But being so open about this part of xyrself was always a little… Scary. 

“I just wish everything could change and everyone would just know,” xy admits. “That I wouldn’t have to say it.” 

That would make things easier for xyr. And for everyone else, right? Knowing who xy is? What xy is? Clones are all right with things like this. Xy’s met half a dozen women and just as many clones outside the binary entirely. And that’s just the ones that told xyr who they were. The ones who were brave. 

Nebula has never felt particularly brave, about this or anything else. And yet xy’s a captain. Leader of a squad of – whatever the Kaminoans call them. They can never seem to agree on that, beyond the designation of Clone Force M. 

Jewel’s head tilts to the side, zhir cheek pressing against the top of xyr hair. 

“It’ll be okay.” 

When zhi says it like zhi believes it, part of xyr does too. Just not all of xyr. 

Somehow, though, xy falls asleep in zhir lap, zhir arms around xyr. 

Xy wakes up to the glow of a datapad screen. 

“You workin’ on somethin’?” xy mumbles, stirring faintly. 

“Something,” zhi agrees. Before xy can get a good look at it, zhi pushes the button on the side, darkening the screen before zhi slides it into a pouch on the side of zhir bag. “Let’s get up.” 

Yeah, xy’s surprised that zhi didn’t move already. But zhi really is the jewel of their squad, even though that’s not how zhi got zhir name. 

Nebula stretches and then gives zhir a hand up. Zhi grins at xyr, which isn’t all that unusual, but then zhi grabs xyr hand and leads xyr across the medbay to the small printer. It’s only supposed to be for official uses, but that’s not always how it works. 

And xy doesn’t at all recognise the small plastoid disc that zhi holds out to xyr. Xy examines the back for a moment. Some kind of pin backing, it looks like. And on the other side… 

CC NEBULA

XY/XYR/XYRS

“Thought it might help,” Jewel said. “For people who don’t know. So you don’t have to say.” 

Nebula nods mutely, only able to stare at it for a moment. Finally, xy’s able to shift xyr attention, and kisses xyr forehead. 

“Thank you,” xy says softly, and pins it over the front of xyr left shoulder. 

“Captain Nebula,” zhi says with a nod of zhir head. 

“Medical Officer Jewel,” xy replies, and smiles, and squeezes zhir hand, before xy goes to show the pin to the others.