Requested - @loving-the-cambridges as part of @cloneficgiftexchange
Prompt - “You are the reason.” & "Don't give up on me."
Notes - I am so sorry this is a week late, I completely got the date of the exchange wrong! Hope you enjoy it!
It was the worst kind of battle, the one where your men lay motionless, scattered all across the battlefield. The battle happening in the air and on the ground meant it was very easy to get overwhelmed and you hadn’t been Anakin’s Padawan for too long before you were suddenly thrust into the centre of the war.
Anakin kept you close between him and Rex as he focused on the droids coming at you from all directions, knowing how important it was to get to the main base in time to meet Obi-Wan and his own men.
The air was heavy as you finally caught a moment's break, hiding out in the cave you had come across. The men were exhausted, as were you and Anakin, the break was needed and you sat down heavily next to Rex, letting your head fall onto his shoulder and feeling how the tension in them drain slightly.
Before anyone could speak the sound of a ship landing not too far outside had you all tensing, Clones made a grab for their weapons as Anakin held a hand up. Seconds later somebody, a Jedi Master, walked into the cave.
“Skywalker.” He called into the cave, Anakin already moving to the opening with a confused look.
“Is that Master Kalen?” Rex muttered from above you and you nodded, not moving your head from his shoulder but straining to listen to what was being said.
“Master Kalen, what are you doing here?” Anakin asked and the Jedi Master gave him a look of distaste.
“I have come to lead your battalion, you have been requested back in Coruscant, orders from the Chancellor himself.”
That had you sitting up, turning to look at Rex with furrowed eyebrows and Rex looked equally as confused. Rex stood up first, holding a hand out to help you up before the two of you made your way over to Anakin and Kalen.
“I can’t just leave my men! I’m in the middle of a mission!” Anakin protested, taking a step towards Kalen who rolled his eyes at the outburst.
“You’re more than welcome to take it up with the Chancellor, Skywalker. I am here to relieve you, this mission will be completed.” Kalen told him, his tone cold and almost robotic- actually scrap that you were sure you’d heard more emotion from C3-PO than you had Kalen.
“Fine,” Anakin relented, turning to see you and Rex behind him. “Master Kalen, this is Rex, he’s my first in command, you won’t find a better Captain.” Anakin said and you watched a small smile twitch at Rex’s lips before he pushed it away and nodded towards Kalen.
“Come on, Y/N.” Anakin said, gesturing for you to follow him and as glad as you were for the chance to leave the planet, another part of you didn’t want to leave Rex behind.
“Only your presence was requested back in Coruscant, Skywalker. The Padawan can stay with me.” Your eyes widened as Anakin turned to look at you, clearly ready to protest but Kalen cut him off. “The Padawan stays, you should leave.”
Kalen walked further into the cave leaving you, Rex and Anakin alone with no room to protest.
“Please don’t leave us with him, Master.” You pleaded and Anakin gave you an amused smile though his eyes flickered over to Kalen wearily.
“He seems like a real piece of work, I’ll give you that.” Anakin murmured, soft enough not to travel through the cave, before he turned to Rex. “Just stick to the plan, ok? It won’t be easy but you have to get to Obi-Wan.”
“Don’t worry, Sir, we’ve got this.” Rex nodded and you smiled reassuringly at him.
“I know you do.” Anakin said softly before reaching over and resting his hand on your shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. “Stay with Rex, alright?”
“That won’t be a problem.” You grinned at him causing Anakin to roll his eyes but there was no heat behind it. He knew you and Rex had something going on, he didn’t know the full extent and quite frankly he didn’t want to know exactly what his Padawan and Captain were getting up to but who was he to put a stop to it? It would be hypocritical of the secretly married Jedi.
“I’m sure it won’t.” He replied dryly, watching as Rex averted his glance and your grin widened. “I’ll see you soon, stay safe.”
With that Anakin left the cave and you heard the sound of the ship leaving.
“Get ready to move out.” Master Kalen’s voice rang out through the cave and you frowned, turning to Rex who looked at you questioningly. Through the Force you could feel the general confusion from the men as you looked over at the Jedi Master.
“Sir, the men need to rest.” Rex said as he took a step over to Kalen, the Jedi towering over him as he puffed his chest out and gave Rex the same look you would give something you’d trod in.
“I don’t believe I asked for your opinion, CT-7567.” He told Rex and you stared openly at Kalen, watching as Rex’s shoulders tensed up.
You stepped closer to the Jedi Master, mouth already open but Rex put a subtle hand on your back, out of view of Kalen and shook his head. Rumours of Kalen had spread quickly amongst the men since the war had started, it was no secret he was a harsh man and his treatment towards clones was nothing short of cruel, going through his own at a suspicious rate. Rex knew that no amount of arguing was getting through to this man, not from a clone or a padawan.
You glared at the Jedi’s back as the tired men left the safety of the cave and headed back out into the dangerous terrain, the darkness having fully settled causing everyone to struggle to see ahead. The men tried their hardest to stay alert but the exhaustion had gotten to everyone, everyone except Kalen who marched ahead at the front of the group, leaving you and Rex walking behind everyone, shoulders brushing with each step.
“He shouldn’t speak to you like that.” You muttered angrily, missing the way Rex’s lips pulled into a smile despite how much he agreed, it was nice having somebody feel angry for him, it was nice that it was you that was angry for him.
For months you and Rex had gravitated towards each other, both letting yourselves fall into something that could never truly be defined, both knowing that your feelings weren’t allowed and yet both letting it happen anyway.
Neither of you had spoken about it, whether it was because you were scared speaking about it would shatter everything or just because whatever this was didn’t need speaking about, maybe it was a mixture of both but the two of you were happy, the war had been long and taxing, draining everyone of everything and to find a bright spot in all that darkness, who were either of you to deny yourselves of it?
“Don’t smile.” You glared at Rex when you looked over at him, no real heat in the action as you nudged your shoulder into his drawing a chuckle from the man.
“He’ll be gone soon,” Rex promised, taking your hand in his and brushing his thumb against your skin in an attempt to soothe you, watching as the motion caused some of the tension to slip away from your body. “It’s just one mission, what could go wrong?”
He regretted the question as soon as he asked it and he regretted it two days later as he led his exhausted battalion into battle, mind completely foggy and his whole body drained, his men in the same state.
He could see all of them were sloppy, none of them were as alert as they should have been as they went up against a battalion more than triple their size of battle droids. Rex felt his stomach churn as he looked around at the injured and dead men he was entrusted to lead, felt fury within himself as he looked at Kalen who was more than happy to sit back and watch as the clones fought the battle.
Rex was struggling to keep his attention on the battle but he struggled even more to keep track of you. Usually the two of you never strayed far from each other, oftentimes finding yourselves fighting back to back with each other but today the men were stretched too thin so whilst Rex covered one side you were too far away for comfort fighting the other side of the opening where the Separatists had ambushed you.
The battle lasted for hours, those who had managed to come out alive were bloody and beaten, hours before they had thought it was impossible to be more drained than they were but this battle had left them completely devoid of any strength they had left.
Rex let his blaster fall to the floor, leaning against a tree and let his eyes fall shut, his body feeling too heavy to do anything more than just stand there. It had been a long time since they’d had a battle this bad, not since their early days fresh off Kamino. He couldn’t stand the thought of having to go through all of his men, knowing too many had been lost.
The only thing he wanted right now was you.
Just as he was about to force his tired body to move he heard somebody running against the leaves on the ground, wondering which of his men had managed to find the energy for anything but slumping down in silence.
“Captain!” Echo called, stopping to catch his breath as Rex opened his eyes and saw the man completely pale and his hands shook but it was his eyes that had Rex on alert, they were wide and scared in a way Rex hadn’t seen from Echo.
“Rex,” The man breathed out softly and that was enough for Rex to stand to attention, “it’s Y/N.”
Rex didn’t need to hear anything else, Echo’s tone along with his expression told Rex enough and he felt his heart shatter and speed up at the same time, letting Echo lead the way as he raced to your side, stopping in his tracks when he saw the amount of blood pouring from a wound near your ribs.
“No.” He breathed out, his body moving on autopilot as he lowered himself down next to you.
You forced your eyes to open, smiling tiredly up at Rex as he sat with you, gently pulling you against his chest, his head against yours and his arms wrapping around you as he watched Kix apply more pressure to the wound.
“I’m okay.” You whispered, listening to his watery laugh as all the evidence before him told him that was an obvious lie.
“Don’t do this to me.” He pleaded softly, silent tears already trailing down his cheeks. “Don’t give up on me.”
“Never giving up on you, Rex.” You murmured, a smile on your face as you leaned your head back to look at him, watching as he forced a shaky smile onto his face.
“You’ll be okay.” Rex told you, the words meant more for himself than you and he tried desperately to convince himself that this could be fixed, it had to be, Rex couldn’t do this without you.
“You’ll be okay, too.” You whispered back to him, Rex’s face crumbling as he lost composure at your words. “Knowing you, loving you has been the best experience of my life.”
Rex bit back a sob of desperation at your choked out words, watching as you struggled to force them out but you knew if Kix’s couldn’t get the bleeding under control, if Obi-Wan didn’t get here in time, you knew Rex needed something to hold onto after you were gone.
“You are the reason, you are the reason I can find good in the galaxy, you are the good in this galaxy. Don’t lose that.” You coughed and Rex choked on a sob as a small stream of blood trickled down your chin. “You are the reason I know how to love and know how it feels to be loved and I have loved you every day, Rex, I have loved you every day I have known you.”
Rex nodded, tears streaming down his face mirroring yours and he kissed your forehead, letting his lips linger there as he whispered his own words back to you.
“I love you. I love you so much, please don’t do this, Y/N, don’t do this to me.” He begged and pleaded but he knew there was nothing that could be done, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Kix glared down at your wound in defeat, he saw the faces of his men watching with heartbroken expressions as their Captain lost the love of his life, he watched as your eyes drifted closed and didn’t open again.
Rex let his own eyes fall closed, cries of true loss and heartbreak filled the quiet scene and Rex was unable to focus on anything but you in his arms, completely blocking out his surroundings.
He missed as the men around him parted, he missed as Obi-Wan crouched down next to the two of you, gently nudging Kix out of the way as he placed his hand on your wound. He had never been particularly good at Force healing but he called upon the Force and silently begged and pleaded with it to save his Padawan, in title you might have been Anakin’s but everyone knew you were both of theirs, they both trained you, both offered you a shoulder to lean on, both needed you as you needed them.
Rex gasped when he felt a hand on his cheek, eyes flying open to stare at you, colour coming back to your face as you sat up with a wince to face him. His gaze strayed behind you for a moment, watching as Obi-Wan knelt back against his heels and smiled softly at the scene in front of him.
“Cyar’ika,” He breathed out, resting his forehead on yours and watching as you smiled at him with so much love in your eyes. “Thank the stars.”
You laughed softly and cupped his cheek, closing the distance between the two of you and finally kissed him. The kiss was soft and slow but Rex felt more alive than he had ever felt as he pulled you closer, kissing you until the need to breathe was too much.
“Never do that to me again.” Rex ordered and you couldn’t help but laugh again as you kissed him again.
“Yes Captain.” You grinned, watching as Rex fondly rolled his eyes and pulled you against him, mindful of your aching body but needing to hold you, needing to know you were going to be okay and he still had an entire lifetime with you, that you hadn’t been snatched away from him before he even had a chance to tell you that you were his reason too.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
🎵 Clone x Reader Song Fic Exchange 🎶
For @ladysongmaster
(This was my first time ever writing for Howzer!) 🤞🏼
@cloneficgiftexchange
Pairing: Howzer x Reader
Words: 3.7K+
"I knew she always worked late on the third Taungsday of the month and told her I would bring by dinner on the next one so we would each have some company while we suffered through our reports. That was going to be the night I finally asked if she wanted to spend some time with me outside our official duties. But I guess the Force had other ideas,” he trailed off sadly.
“What happened?”
Howzer’s wistful smile disappeared entirely. “That was the night I tried to rally my men to stop hurting the people of Ryloth and got us all arrested.”
Warnings: It's angsty but there's fluff in the end. Mention of blood and violence. Reader is a little bit of a Gray Jedi so if that makes you uncomfortable, don't read ahead. Some angsty confessions. One kiss. Happ ending :)
Prompt: “Each time I look at you // I'm limp as a glove // And feeling like someone in love.” (Like Someone In Love, Ella Fitzgerald)
A/N: This is for @sinfulsalutations who is partaking of this Song Fic Exchange. I hope you like this friend. As always, I would like to thank @cloneficgiftexchange for being the only person who is keeping me writing until now. I have no ability to write whatsoever except when you hold these exchanges and even though the stories may not be my best, I am happy that I can still find the energy and interest to write.
He couldn’t see anything, let alone feel what was unfolding around him. There was only chaos, the kind of madness that was reminiscent of his years at the GAR. For a moment, he thinks that the war is over, but as his senses slowly return to him, he pieces together where he was and what he was meant to be doing. His eyes blink tiredly, and as he tries to get out of bed, a hand shoots quickly and pushes him back. He flinches hard, only to realize that it’s not his body that’s shaking but the earth beneath him.
“Stay down Rex,” your voice pulls him away from the battle raging around him, and he turns his head to the side, eyes blown wide open and brows furrowing in anger at the sight that meets him. It takes him far too long to accept that you are crouching beside him, and his expression must be intense because you avoid his gaze and look out the cave you’ve managed to pull him into for shelter.
“How…how are you here?” His voice breaks, in turn making you wince at the hurt laced in his question. Even though you still have your hand resting against his sternum, Rex ignores the faint warmth seeping through his clothes and sits up, barely managing to hold back from screaming in agony at the pain that shoots through his shoulder. You take notice of the deep grimace on his features and turn your full attention to him.
“Could you, for once, listen to me?” You make the mistake of meeting his eyes then, the rest of your lecture dying in your throat when you see tears threatening to roll down his dirt-stained cheeks. He says nothing else, and you hate how miserable he looks, mostly because you know it has nothing to do with the physical pain draining his energy and everything to do with how things turned out between the two of you.
“We need to lay low until Hunter gets here.” A sudden silence fills the space in between the two of you, and you can tell that he is shocked by your casual mention of his brother’s name, maybe even ask how Hunter knows where you are but he chooses against it. Again, you glance at the opening of the cave, watching the stormtroopers run around while two AT-ATs fire into the distance and continue to destroy everything that comes in their line of sight. There’s so much you want to ask Rex, perhaps even yell at him about. But you know this is neither the time nor the place to lecture him about how he shouldn’t have come to an Empire-infested planet, let alone with only a handful of other rebels.
The explosions only increase as minutes go by, and you hate having to wait beside Rex instead of fighting, but you know you can’t leave him by himself, especially since he was hurt and barely able to move. You sneak a look at him every once in a while, wanting to make sure that he was still awake and breathing. When the sounds of destruction grow near, you leave him in the back of the cave and make your way to the front, wanting to check whether there was anyone nearby. There are less stormtroopers walking nearby, and you notice that one of the transports stopped firing altogether. Thinking they must have realized there weren’t more rebels that attacked their camp, you make your way back inside the cave to tell Rex that you’re safe for the time being.
Except as soon as you get there, your heart drops at the sight that meets you. You hand shoots to your lightsaber instantly, but the two stormtroopers point their guns instantly, one at you and the other at Rex.
“Don’t even think about it.”
You don’t move a muscle, afraid they’d get a shot right once and take his life then and there.
“How did you get in?” You ask calmly, knowing not to make any sudden movements for his sake. They don’t answer your question, but you’re counting on one of them saying more than he intends. You glance at Rex and find his chest rising and falling much slower than before, his eyes barely managing to keep your gaze.
“We knew you were coming and knew where you could hide.” Rex perks at the response, and you notice the smirk on his face, letting you know that they may have just revealed something they shouldn’t have.
“I’m going to give you one chance to walk away. It would be wise to listen to me.” There is false confidence and serenity in your voice, but you try to remain as calm as possible, unsure of whether or not your plan will work.
“Don’t be stupid. You’re outnumbered, and he’s injured. This is an easy kill.” One of them responds with a laugh and you instantly know whom you will kill first.
“I’m sorry.” You know that Rex hears the apology because he looks at you the same way he's gazed at you the last time you were in a similar situation. You’re not sure if it’s a look of disappointment or anger, but you know well you’ll never be able to forget it.
“You should-” Before the armed man can finish his sentence, you ignite your lightsaber and send it swirling through the air, managing to cut his hand off before forcing it to go through the other’s torso. Both bodies drop to the ground, except one of them is dead while the other attempts to scream in agony. You don’t give him a chance to let out a single sound, running to him and taking the helmet off instantly to avoid unwanted visitors. Your hand is on his mouth immediately, a warning of what could happen if he decides to make any noise.
You stand up, and retrieve your lightsaber near the dead body, walking back to the stormtrooper laying beside Rex. You crouch down and stare at him, never once breaking eye contact to let him know that you were serious about your suggestion.
“You should have taken the warning.”
“I- I thought Jedi don’t kill unarmed men.” His voice shakes with fear, and you hate the power that courses through your veins with each little, unsure breath he takes.
“Haven’t you heard? All the Jedi are dead.” Not wanting to make this last any longer, you light your saber one last time and watch as life drains from his eyes, the buzzing sound of your weapon ringing through the cave for a moment before you shut it off. You turn around and bite into your lower lip nervously when you see the way Rex is staring at you. He winces when he tries to sit up again and you crouch beside him, not bothering to explain yourself as you check his wound.
“Sit still, this will feel a little strange.” You rip the fabric down his chest, ignoring the harsh grasp he has on your forearm. It’s only when you place both of your palms atop his wound that his hold increases.
“You c-can’t.” His voice is hoarse, making you wish this was all a nightmare.
“Rex, they might be close but they’re not close enough. Let me heal you.”
“If you heal me, you…you won’t be able to protect yourself.” You cringe at the way he breathes the last word, and a part of you wants to shake him awake, tell him that you couldn’t care any less about yourself and only care for him. But you say nothing, shaking your head at the absurdity of his beliefs before shutting your eyes.
Before either of you can say anything, you fall over against Rex, breathing a sigh of relief when his arms wrap around you and keep you in his embrace.
“Mesh’la, please.” The petname nearly makes you sob but you tune him out, wanting to prioritize his safety over your own desires. You don’t respond to him, focusing on the slow beat of his heart in an attempt to match your own with it. It’s not faint, but it concerns you, scares you enough that you don’t follow your late master’s advice on what is necessary to be done when healing another. It happens quickly, much faster than it should, but you feel the Force twist and turn within your body until it moves into him. It’s not as it should be, but you continue regardless, knowing there was no other option, no other way to ensure his safety. Only when you feel his grip soften on your skin do you finally open your eyes and look down at his shoulder. It’s completely healed, but the skin is still inflamed, making you wish you were a little more patient.
“What have you done, sweetheart?” His voice is soothing now, not as angry or hurt as before, and you hate that it’s only because he feels guilty for making you expand your energy for him. You smile at him, marveling at how captivating his hazel gray eyes can be after all those years of knowing him. But the thought slowly dies out as you watch everything turn dark. If there is a confession that shocks you to your core, you don’t really register it, too busy surrendering to the warmth engulfing you.
It seems unfairly short, the heat that allowed you to rest for a moment suddenly getting ripped away from you. It goes as quickly as it comes, and you force your eyes to open in search for it, only to find yourself in an empty room, riddled with nothing but a handful of scraps.
You study the small sleeping area, and only when you turn behind you do you finally realize where you are, whose room you’re in. The helmet looks back at you, a reminder of where this journey began, how long you’ve been carrying this secret. A part of you wishes you could tell him, but you’re not sure where you can even begin, or if he would feel the same way. You’d always had an inclination, but you didn’t want to meet the consequences should your intuition be wrong.
The sound of the door sliding open catches your attention and you already know who it is before you can look at him. You expect him to ask where you’ve been, or even how you knew where he was. You’re even waiting for him to discuss why Hunter knew where you were all along and he didn’t. But he says none of that. In fact, he says nothing at all as he takes a seat on his cot, instantly taking your hand in between his own and rubbing your wrist.
The two of you breathe in unison, as if you’ve both been waiting for this moment for so long. You look down to where he’s touching you, and you wonder if you’ll ever feel anything remotely as intimate as this instance.
The softness with which he touches you, along with his sweet, concerned voice, makes you want to tug him beneath the covers and forget the galaxy around you. But you reel back your emotions, and clear your throat in an attempt to keep yourself under control, afraid he could see right through you.
“How are you feeling?”
“Okay. You?” Rex smiles at your concern, remembering all those times you were bloodied and beaten but still prioritized his safety.
“I’m good…thanks to you.” His thumb circles around the skin of your hand, the sensation feeling like a heated rod rubbing against your joints. A small part of you wishes to remove your palm from his hands, but you don’t want to upset him, or have him misunderstand why you can’t bear his touch all of a sudden. It’s only later that you’d come to realize why you really didn’t want to stop touching him, but for now, you convince yourself it’s to avoid hurting his feelings and not because you can’t find it in yourself to let go of him. It’s difficult to focus on anything else, but as he continues to massage strange figures across the back of your hand, you figure this may be the only time you’ll be able to apologize for what you’ve done all those months ago.
“I’m sorry.” The two words are enough to snap Rex out of whatever haze he’s fallen under. He slowly looks up at you, stopping the circular patterns but continuing to hold your hand in between his. His gaze doesn’t waver for a moment and you know he’s silently asking you to elaborate on the strange outburst.
“Rex, I’m so sorry. For everything.” His impassive expression shifts then, and you swallow the lump in your throat when you see his eyebrows twitch in irritation before resting once more.
“What happened on Corijn wasn’t your fault.” Rex finally breaks his silence, and you shake your head impatiently, annoyed that he knew what you’re referring to but was choosing to take the higher road for your sake.
“That’s not what I mean.” You attempt to take your hand away then, but Rex doesn’t let you move another inch, keeping a tight hold on you and tugging you closer to him. You’re not sure if he’s intentionally trying to drag this out or was simply refusing to blame you for what you’ve done.
“Tell me.” You hate how calm he sounds, how caring and patient he’s being with you when he should be angry with you for knowingly hurting him.
“I’m sorry for…leaving without an explanation. For ignoring your messages.” A sigh of relief leaves your lips, but is quickly interrupted when you understand that there is something much more important you should be apologizing for. You look away for a moment to collect your bearings, and when you think you can handle looking into his sad eyes again, you turn your attention back to him and finally let go of your pride.
“For showing you what I’m capable of.” If you think he’d say anything to confirm your hunch, he disappoints you and remains silent. But as the seconds roll by, you learn that his quietness was not out of judgment but out of meditation. The thought makes you uncomfortable because even though he owed you nothing, he was still trying to choose his words carefully so he doesn’t end up saying something that upsets you.
“I never meant for you to…see what you have seen. To know that I can take life so easily and without hesitation.” Whatever you thought Rex’s reaction would be, you never expected him to let go of you as if you’ve burned him, let alone frown at you in sheer anger. You sit up slowly when you see him take a few steps back and face the opposite wall, and you don’t dare say anything else until you figure out what exactly pissed him off so much.
“Is that what you think I care about?” His voice is calm, but you can practically feel his wrath radiating off of him like deadly waves, as if he was barely managing the facade he was putting up. You’re confused at the abrupt and dramatic response, and only when his response registers in your mind that you finally lose control and snap at him in return.
“Rex, don’t look at me and tell me you don’t care because I know you do. I cared…or used to at least.” He turns around then, and you hate the way he’s looking at you, as if you had stabbed him with a vibroblade and twisted it. He walks back to you and grabs your shoulders, pulling you towards him so you can focus on nothing but his words.
“I only ever cared about you. You- you threw yourself into harm’s way for me, as if your life wasn’t more precious.” Like before, you’re shocked by his response and look at him with a confused expression.
“It’s not.” You answer instantly, and Rex curses beneath his breath at how adamant you are, how wholeheartedly you believe your own thoughts and continue to ignore his own.
“Cyare, please. I- I’ve lost everyone I love. My brothers are broken, and so am I. Do you think I could survive your death too?” You shake your head at him, once again attempting to push him away from you. But Rex slips his hold around your wrists and tugs you even closer, until you’re both breathing the same air. His chest rises and falls rapidly, mirroring your own in fear and anger. For a moment, you see his eyes shift down to your lips and only when you let out a quiet sob does he return his attention to your gaze once more.
“You don’t understand how much I changed.” The confession is whispered with wariness, and you look away from him, too embarrassed to explain to him why you were so much different than the Jedi he once knew.
“So your lightsaber is orange. That means nothing to me.” The mention of your weapon steals the air out of your lungs, and you don’t notice you’re crying until you feel Rex’s calloused fingers wipe away the tears rolling down your cheeks.
“The color means so much more than you realize.” You can barely stand at this point, and Rex must notice the toll this conversation is taking on you because he pushes you back to his cot and sits you down with ease, remaining in your space in an attempt to calm your mind. He parts his lips to relay a confession of his own, but when he sees you avoiding meeting his eyes again, he cups your jaw and pushes it up until he’s in your line of sight.
“I know what it means. I know why it changed, and I don’t care. You’re so much more to me.”
Rex would tell you later that it took you way too long to understand what he was trying to tell you at this moment. You look at him closely, trying to come to terms with the reality of what he just said. Time seems to stand still as you blink confusingly at him, and it’s only when his other hand cups your cheek as well that you truly comprehend the revelation he’s just thrust upon you.
“You don’t mean-” Your voice cracks, and it’s the first time in ages that you feel shy in front of Rex. Not embarrassed, or awkward. Just shy and hopeful.
“Each time I look at you,” he leans forward and shuts his eyes, nudging your nose with his own as he takes in a deep breath to commit this moment to memory, “I’m limp as a glove.” The ease with which he murmurs those words sets you mind at ease, and you allow yourself to disregard everything horrible that transpired before this second.
“I’m desperate for you cyare,” Rex shakes with anticipation as he feels your hands finally reach for him, grabbing onto his forearms to make sure that this was real, and he was telling you what you’ve yearned to hear from him ever since you first laid eyes on him all those years ago.
“And feeling like someone in love.” A shudder courses through your body, sending you into Rex’s embrace and forcing you to break down in his arms. You wrap yourself around him, afraid this is all a dream and that you’d wake up all alone on your ship. Rex lets out a chuckle, one that lets you know he understands the striking reaction to his confession.
“I can’t go through life without you, not anymore.” He whispers into your ear, praying to the Force that you finally allow yourself to believe how much you matter to him, or at the very least, trust his judgment.
“Trust me baby, that’s all I’m asking of you. Trust me to know what I want…what I need to keep doing this.” The reassuring sentiments wash over you like the early morning dew, managing to send you into a state of serenity you have not known in a long time. You want to say so much to him, describe what he makes you feel, or even how often you think of him. But your throat is dry from the intensity of the conversation, so you figure you can put him at ease for the time being, until you are brave enough to tell how much you love him.
“Okay.”
Neither of you say anything else for what feels like hours, relishing the comfortable silence that replaced years of heartache and unspoken feelings. It’s only when you wipe your nose thatRex figures he can joke a little with you.
“And for kriff’s sake, don’t drop off the face of the galaxy again.”You giggle at the sudden outburst but pull back to look into his eyes as you make him a new promise.
“I won’t.”
The two of you smile at each other, but you notice the hazel in his eyes quickly become overshadowed with much darker pupils. The easy expressions turn heated, and before you know it, you’re pushing forward and molding your lips with his. It’s a chaste kiss, one that took wars to finally come into existence, and you decide then and there that you’d like to begin and end each day with the touch of his lips. Rex parts his bruised lips to deepen the kiss, smiling to himself when you let out a little gasp and give him a chance to grow even closer to you.
Your hands twist in his clothes, muscles relaxing as you feel his hands comb into your hair and tug a little. He pulls your head away to give you a chance to breathe, and when your eyes flutter open, he lets out a sigh of relief at seeing them just as dazed as he his heart feels.
“Kriff…I’ve wanted to do that for years.” Rex mutters against your lips, giving you a quick peck on the lips before pulling you back into his arms. You’re about to tell him that you probably wanted to kiss him long before him when you sense a pair of eyes staring at you.
“Well, the whole of the Rebellion saw this coming.” Gregor laughs when the two of you jump at his laugh, and you can’t help but giggle at Rex when you turn to him and watch as his cheeks turn different shades of red.
“Took you long enough.” Hunter shakes his head before saluting the two of you and walking away, wondering how long it’s been since he’s seen either of you smiling so peacefully.
Summary: The Republic might be gone, but that doesn’t mean the war is over, especially not for the clones. You and Echo manage to find solace in each other. And memories would always remain. But sometimes you just need someone to listen to you.
Based off the song “Ghosts That We Knew” by Mumford & Sons
Lyrics: “And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view // And we’ll have a long life”
Warnings: angsty, talk of death and loss, hopefully a touching ending!
Author’s note: Happy @cloneficgiftexchange day!! As usual, @ghostofskywalker hosts an amazing event and I’m so grateful to participate!This was such a fun prompt to work with! I saw the characters and the song and knew exactly who I had to write for! Thanks to @akaanade for such a fun idea, and I hope you like what I have for you babe! Happy summer to all the clone lovers <3
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No one exactly knew who decided to create the clones. One day, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi ventured to a planet called Kamino, and the next, the clone army served the Republic.
They fought side by side with their Jedi generals, helping to bring about the end of the Separatist army and restore peace to the galaxy.
Until it all changed.
Suddenly, the Jedi were deemed traitors of the Republic and the clones that once fought with them now had orders to eliminate them.
You remember that day. The smoke from the Temple, the panic in the senate, the day the Republic turned into the Galactic Empire.
And now the Empire was trying to phase out clones, the clones who fought so valiantly in the name of the Republic, and now in the name of the Empire.
As an aide for the Pantoran Senator Chuchi, you worked with her side by side to fight for the rights of the clones.
That’s how you ended up in ties with the unofficial clone rebellion.
There were familiar faces, like Captain Rex and Captain Howzer, distinguished clones you had met before during assignments with Senator Chuchi.
But among the group of identical faces, there were some you knew you hadn’t met before like Fireball and Gregor.
And Echo.
The ex-ARC trooper was unlike any other clone you had met. His bravery and intelligence were unlike anything you had ever seen, not even in a clone trooper.
Between missions, when you had downtime and weren’t required by the Senator. You’d find yourself seeking him out, hoping to hear another story, to hear about his brothers that he held in such high esteem.
You’d hear tales about his days stationed at the Richi Outpost with the Domino Squad, his missions alongside the 501st as an ARC-trooper, and then there were stories about his most recent adventures alongside Clone Force 99, more commonly called the Bad Batch. His stories about the special troopers and the young girl, Omega, who joined them never failed to make you smile.
While you loved all of his stories, the ones about his brother named Fives were always your favorite. You could watch the wistful look in his eyes grow as he recounted their adventures and heroics—and of course, their (mostly Fives’) accidents.
“And when Rex walked in, Fives stood at attention hoping Rex wouldn’t notice the fact he had gotten his bucket stuck on his foot.”
Your laughter echoed through the night air as you listened to the tale from Echo’s ARC-trooper days.
“What did you do?” You managed to get out between your giggles.
Echo chuckled and shook his head. “When Rex asked what Fives had done, I looked him dead in the eyes and asked ‘who’s Fives?’”
“You didn’t!” You gasped, grabbing onto his shoulder in an attempt to keep yourself steady as another bout of laughter came on.
The clone nodded, chuckling quietly to himself at your reaction. Recounting stories of his fallen brothers was often painful. Even the mere thought of them was enough to put him in a stupor for the rest of the day.
But somehow you made his recollections a little lighter. The way you listened so intently, the way you asked questions and got involved in the conversation, the way you would rest your hand on his knee when you noticed his words start to stall and voice started to waver.
As you finally recovered from your fit of laughter, you turned your head to look at Echo only to find him already looking at you with a soft smile.
A warmth bloomed in your stomach at his expression and you found yourself matching his smile. There was something about the way he looked at you that made you feel giddy despite yourself.
“What?” You asked.
Echo’s answer was immediate. “Thank you for listening.”
Although it was a simple thanks, there was a deeper meaning behind his words.
It wasn’t just a thank you for listening, it was a thank you for being there with him, a thank you for your kind smile, a thank you for reminding him that there was still good in the galaxy after everything he had lost. You gave him hope that one day he’d see the light again.
And maybe he’d express all of that to one day. But for now, his simple thank you would have to do.
You grinned at him. “Anytime, Echo. I love your stories.”
You laid your hand on his shoulder, leaning towards him and planting a kiss on his cheek.
A small part of you relished the way he flushed at the action.
“They’re hard to tell sometimes,” he admits, glancing up at the stars above your heads.
You nodded, keeping your hand on his shoulder as you noticed his somber tone.
“But that’s why it’s good to tell them. Your brothers live on in your stories, they’re not just memories anymore.”
You let your hand slide down his shoulder until it reached his own good hand. You tangled your fingers with his, giving his palm a gentle squeeze.
He turned his head to you, gently pressing your foreheads together. He had told you about this gesture before. It was a Keldabe kiss, a tradition of the Mandalorians. And in moments like these, it felt more intimate than a normal kiss.
Maybe one day the fighting would stop and things would settle down once the peace returned. And as Echo sat with you in a moment of serenity, he was sure of it: the ghosts that he knew would flicker from view, and the two of you would have a long life.
Hello @thetinestpixiequeen! Happy Exchange day!!!! I really hope you like it <3 I rarely get to write for Cody so I had so much fun doing this for you!!!!! Hehe, I noticed the Taylor Swift prompt so I thought I'd throw an extra one in there for you too ;) Thank you @ghostofskywalker for hosting this event for @cloneficgiftexchange!!!!
“I’ll never fall in love!” Cody laughs out loud to his brother’s prompt, or question, or whatever it was. You couldn’t quite hear from where you were sitting and watching them, biting the eraser on your pencil to cover up the smile forming on your lips. You sat on the couch writing your maid of honor speech for your best friend, Phee, who was coincidentally marrying Cody’s half brother, Tech. Cody was in the kitchen working on his best man speech, which wasn’t quite coming how he’d hoped and he’d asked his brother to step in ‘for a minute’ to read what he had. It’d been longer than ‘a minute’ which got you curious. So, you started watching the brothers, amused, but not quite comprehending the discussion, whatever it was about. You were just out of earshot as they say at the kitchen table.
Who cares anyway. You got to observe Cody unnoticed. He often caught you staring at him, much to your annoyance. He’d catch your gaze as you tore it away and you could never really tell what was under them, not daring to match his eye for honest eye. What if he saw the truth hidden in the secret of your soul and was disgusted at it? Now was your chance for a good, long…observation.
Goodness, Cody was just…wonderful. The way he looked…laughed…and just was. His brother, Rex, idolized him and with good reason. You were good friends with Rex. Going to the same college, you ended up seeing each other in a lot of the gen-ed classes. Eventually, you and he became Literature and Algebra buddies. You understood the Literature with a bleeding heart Rex didn’t understand, and he found your passion both entertaining and helpful. It would be your patience and dedication to helping him understand all the jargon for his passing grades. In turn, Rex helped you in your least favorite subject ever, algebra. Since he started working with you, your grades skyrocketed in a good way.
And from such a partnership, a great friendship formed.
That’s how you met Cody. Cody strode over to the table with absolute confidence and charm. Swinging a seat around and straddling it in a carefree, confident manner, he started chatting with you without a proper introduction.
“My brother's told me a lot about you…”
But before he could continue, the brother in question showed up and innocently interrupted.
When you laid eyes on him, you swore you were charmed and doomed to love him forever. His charming smile melted your heart down to a lockbox for only him. Darn Rex for showing up when he did, you wanted to know what this beautiful man was going to say to you.
From then on, the three of you became a team, inseparable.
Studying nights turned into game nights, moving nights, baring your souls’ secrets nights and so forth.
So many laughs and tears shared between you.
But you couldn’t get out of the facade of only being friends. You didn’t know how, or if you wanted to…you could ruin everything. Not just with Cody (that’d be horrible enough) but you thought you’d lose Rex as a friend as well.
So, for now, you’d just watch. And hope. And dream.
Cody's boisterous laugh brought you back to the present.
You watched him swear it again as he ran his fingers through his hair with a nervous chuckle.
“I'm not in love…”
And you laugh, hoping beyond hope, that he’s wrong. Because you’d already fallen so hard for him.
Smiling warmly, if not a little sadly, you found yourself swallowing hard, feeling put on the spot. Discovered. And a little silly, stupid, absurdness crept into your eyes and cheeks with heat.
Cody laughed again. A strange, strangled laugh. Not quite suppressed, but controlled. He never laughed like that.
Cocking your head, intrigued, you paid attention to the detail in front of you.
The nervous way he was trying to play it cool with his brother who was prodding him with the back of his pen, gleefully shouting in not too quiet tones “you are! You are!”
Cody was half heartedly swatting at the jabs in between a blushful of laughs, heartfelt denials which didn’t match his smile, and loud “shhh’es.
“You should ask her!” Rex was not at all quiet about saying it. “It would be so easy! She’s right in there! Boom! Done.”
“Not that simple.”
“What do you mean it’s not that simple.”
With an eye roll and a sigh you could hear, Cody lowered his voice again. Darn him.
You shouldn't be eavesdropping anyway. So you turned your eyes back to your paper and pressed on.
The speeches were a success. The crowd was moved by the humourous, yet touching words. Dinner was on point for flavor and portion. You weren't surprised. With Tech as the groom, of course all details would be in order!
The plates were just cleared away when the bride and groom started off the dances.
You stood to the side, tears in your eyes as you watched your friend so happy. Her smile, her laugh, her tears, all so full of the magic of the day.
Being totally enraptured by the dazzling bride and her dashing husband, who reflected in his own way, the happiness of his wife, you didn't notice when he slipped behind you.
“Would you save the first dance for me?”
His breath was warm, and his lips tickled your ear with the whisper. You jumped, coming out of your revelry.
You heard Cody chuckle.
“Didn't mean to scare you.”
You laughed in reply. “I wasn't scared…just…surprised!”
He smiled warmly. More so than you ever remembered seeing him smile before. It was kind and sincere, without any bravado.
“So…” he started with a slight cough.
You didn't let him finish.
“I'd love to!”
As if on cue, the dance floor opened up for all couples.
Your heart beat madly.
Was this platonic? Friendly? Interest?
Swallowing hard, you put your arms around him and started swaying to the music.
He didn't say anything at first. You were a little surprised by that but whatever, perhaps he just wanted to be settled in the dance first. Problem was, he stayed that way. Quiet, only moving in rhythm to the music. Your anxiety started to peak.
Emboldened by remembering his soft gaze, you thought you'd try to talk.
“Sooooo”
“You don't like it do you.”
When you pulled away shocked, you could see red embarrassed cheeks blazing with puzzlement.
“I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or make this awkward.” He scratched his head
Since when did Cody get shy? And when did he stammer?
He started to pull away but in a quick response, you threw your arms around him.
“I-I do like it…” you were shaking, trembling as the secret came pouring from your lips. “I….think I love you.”
Cody wrapped his arms around your waist and burried his head into your shoulder.
“And I …. Think I love you too.”
Your chest flooded with warmth and love, not being able to contain the smile you felt forming on your lips.
“You’re the best, Cody.” You mumbled into his neck, feeling a wave of shyness wash over you. You smiled against his skin, hoping he could feel it. Not only it, but how happy you were.
“No, the best me has his arms around you. You make me the best version of who I am by just being you.”
He stopped swaying to the music and pulled your arms from around his neck. He placed his palm on your cheek, forcing you to look up at him fully for the first time ever.
All you saw there was eyes full of hope and happiness, complete love and adoration, before he kissed you.
Eyes closed, you’d savor the moment. But you couldn’t wait to read what else would be in his eyes when it was over.
You knew what would be in yours: wonderstruck.
From the way he was kissing you, you thought, perhaps, he might feel the same.
What you didn't know what he was thinking was…
He didn't deserve you. You were a gift; something so untouchable, unreachable and precious.
But, he was going to marry you.Someday, somehow he would. He'd strive every day to deserve you and make you happy. That's all he wanted, was you happy.
If seeing the glittery tears of happiness roll down your cheeks as you tried not to smile while kissing him was any indication of how happy he made each other….
Yeah, he didn't deserve you, but he'd marry you anyway.
Hey there @orbitalmirror Happy exchange day !!! I really hope that you like what I've written, I've had some trouble with it but I think the result was worth it. I hadn't written for Fives before so that was a new one, I always loved his character. I used a lyric from both of your songs, I hope you'll like the way they are used. @ghostofskywalker thanks again for always coming up with these exchanges, they are always a treat for everyone involved. Can't wait for the next @cloneficgiftexchange
Fives blinked awake, the cold metal of the wall biting into his back as he tried to make sense of the throbbing pain behind his eyes. His shoulders ached from the awkward position, shackled to the wall by heavy cuffs that chafed against his skin. The dim light flickering from the ceiling cast long shadows across the small cell, revealing the grim, metallic interior typical of a Separatist ship. He grimaced, his senses gradually returning, bringing with them the familiar scents of oil and burnt metal that lingered in the stale air.
He shifted slightly, trying to relieve some of the pressure on his shoulders, when a soft rustling sound caught his attention. Fives turned his head slowly, his eyes narrowing as they adjusted to the dim light. Across from him, slumped against the opposite wall, was a woman. She was unconscious, her head tilted to the side, with dark hair cascading over her face. The gentle rise and fall of her chest was the only sign of life.
For a moment, Fives just stared, his mind sluggishly processing the scene. She wasn’t dressed like any soldier he’d ever seen—more like a civilian, but not quite. Her clothes were practical, fitted for movement and utility, though now torn and stained from what must have been a rough capture. Even in the low light, he could make out the bruises marring her skin and a small cut on her lip, dried blood crusting its edge. Despite the circumstances, there was something striking about her—a kind of fierce beauty, even in unconsciousness, like a caged wild animal.
He let out a low whistle, more to break the silence than anything. “Well, this just keeps getting better,” he muttered under his breath, the sarcasm a reflex against the creeping sense of dread. He tugged at the cuffs, testing their strength, but they held firm, the cold metal biting into his wrists.
The woman stirred, a soft groan escaping her lips. Her eyelids fluttered, and after a few moments, she opened her eyes, revealing a pair of sharp, stormy-gray eyes. She blinked, disoriented, her gaze sweeping the room before landing on him. For a heartbeat, they just stared at each other, both assessing, both guarded.
“Well, this is cozy,” she said, her voice rough but laced with a dry wit. She shifted slightly, wincing as the movement pulled at her bruises. “Didn’t realize I’d be getting a roommate.”
Fives smirked, leaning back against the wall as best he could. “Yeah, they really pulled out all the stops with the accommodations. Separatists are known for their hospitality, right?”
She snorted, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Hospitality. Right. You know, I was just thinking how much I could use a nap when they knocked me out and threw me in here. So, really, it’s kind of them.”
“Glad you’re keeping it all in perspective,” Fives replied, his tone matching hers. “How’s the head? You took a pretty hard hit there, looks like.”
(Y/n) grimaced, lifting her hand to gingerly touch the side of her face, wincing as her fingers brushed over a tender bruise. “I’ve had worse. What about you? Looks like they didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for you, either.”
“Just another day in the office,” Fives shrugged, though the movement sent a fresh wave of pain through his shoulders. He studied her for a moment, curiosity mingling with caution. “So, what’s a... friendly face like yours doing in a place like this?”
(Y/n)’s eyes narrowed slightly, though there was a spark of humor in them. “Oh, you know, just taking a little sightseeing tour of the galaxy, and I got lost. Figured I’d check out the local Separatist décor. Not really my style, though.”
“Can’t say I’m a fan either,” Fives agreed, a chuckle escaping him despite the situation. He glanced around the cell again, his mind already working on their next move. “Fives,” he offered after a beat, his voice steady.
“(Y/n),” she replied, her tone softening just a fraction. “And before you ask, no, I’m not with the Republic. Independent contractor, let’s say.”
“Independent contractor, huh?” Fives echoed, raising an eyebrow. “You must have one hell of a boss to end up in a place like this.”
“You could say that,” (Y/n) replied dryly, her gaze flicking down to the cuffs around her wrists. She gave them a testing pull, then sighed. “These things really don’t give, do they?”
“Not unless you’ve got a fusion cutter in your pocket,” Fives said, though his tone was light, there was a sharp edge of seriousness beneath it. “I don’t suppose you brought any tools with you?”
(Y/n) shook her head, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at a sore muscle. “Afraid not. I left my toolkit in my other pants.”
“Figures,” Fives muttered, though there was a hint of a grin on his lips. He shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable, and then looked back at her. “So, (Y/n), got any brilliant ideas for getting us out of here?”
She leaned her head back against the wall, her eyes closing briefly as she thought. When she opened them again, they were sharper, more focused. “Well, for starters, I’m not really in the mood to stick around and see what they have planned for us. And second, I don’t like leaving loose ends.”
Fives raised an eyebrow. “Loose ends?”
(Y/n)’s smile was small but full of intent. “The droid control center I was trying to disable before they got the jump on me. It’s still operational, and if I can get back to it, I can make sure it goes offline permanently.”
“Well, that’s definitely a start,” Fives said, impressed despite himself. “But we’re still locked up like a couple of Womp Rats. Any ideas on how we get from here to there?”
She looked at him, her expression serious but tinged with that same dry humor. “Oh, I’ve got a few. But first, we need to get these cuffs off.”
“And how do you plan to do that?” Fives asked, genuinely curious.
(Y/n)’s smile widened, her eyes flashing with a mix of determination and mischief. “We improvise.”
Fives couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. This woman was something else, all right. “Improvisation, huh? I like your style.”
“Good,” she said, already scanning the cell for anything they could use. “Because we’re going to need all the luck we can get. And maybe a little bit of that famous clone ingenuity.”
Fives chuckled, the sound low and genuine. “You’ve got it, (Y/n). Let’s see what we can do.”
As they began to work together, Fives felt a flicker of something unexpected—hope. This situation was bad, no doubt about it, but with (Y/n) by his side, he had a feeling they might just pull it off. She was like a wild card, unpredictable and full of surprises. And as she started to outline her plan, he found himself thinking that maybe, just maybe, they’d come out of this alive.
Fives shifted his weight, the cold bite of the cuffs digging into his wrists as he watched (Y/n) with a mix of curiosity and growing respect. She was still scanning the cell, her mind clearly working at full speed, but now her focus had shifted to the immediate problem—the restraints that bound them both.
“First things first,” she muttered, her voice low and thoughtful. “We need to get these off.” She tugged at her own cuffs, testing their strength, then glanced over at Fives, her eyes narrowing in concentration. “Any bright ideas?”
Fives glanced down at the cuffs, then up at the wall where they were anchored. He’d been in tight spots before, but this was a whole new level of difficulty. Still, he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. “I’m guessing you didn’t happen to stash any tools before they grabbed you?” he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone, though his eyes were sharp and focused.
(Y/n) shot him a look that was half-amused, half-annoyed. “Left my toolkit in my other pants, remember? But we’re not completely out of luck.” She nodded towards the overhead light. “If we can get that casing off, there might be something inside we can use. Wires, maybe, or a power cell.”
Fives followed her gaze, the flickering light casting long shadows across the cell. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot they had. “Alright,” he said, shifting again to get a better look at the fixture. “Think you can reach it?”
(Y/n) eyed the distance, then nodded slowly. “If I can get enough leverage... maybe.” She adjusted her position, sliding her legs underneath her and pushing herself up as far as the cuffs would allow. The movement wasn’t graceful—her muscles protested, still sore from whatever beating she’d taken—but she managed to get one foot on the wall, using it to push herself up.
Fives watched her, ready to assist if she needed it. Her determination was something to behold, a fiery resolve that seemed to burn brighter with every passing second. She strained against the cuffs, her fingers just barely brushing the edge of the light fixture, and with a grunt of effort, she managed to hook her fingers around it.
“There,” she muttered, her voice strained but triumphant. “Now, just a little...”
With a sharp twist, the casing popped off, and (Y/n) let out a breath of relief. She tugged it free, pulling down the small bundle of wires and components that had been hidden behind it. “Got it,” she said, her voice tinged with satisfaction.
Fives couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “Not bad. Now, what can we do with it?”
(Y/n) dropped back down, landing with a soft thud as she examined the small cache of parts she’d just liberated. She pulled at the wires, carefully separating them, her fingers moving with practiced ease. “If we can strip these down, we might be able to short-circuit the cuffs. Or at the very least, fry the locking mechanism.”
Fives watched her work, his respect for her growing with each precise movement of her hands. She wasn’t just talking—she knew exactly what she was doing, and she was doing it with a level of confidence that told him this wasn’t her first time improvising her way out of a bad situation.
As she stripped the wires with a small, sharp piece of metal she’d pried loose from the casing, Fives couldn’t help but marvel at her ingenuity. She was quick, efficient, and didn’t waste a single motion. It was like watching a seasoned mechanic work, or a demolitions expert defuse a bomb—every action was deliberate, calculated.
“Where’d you learn to do this?” he asked, genuinely curious. Most civilians he’d met didn’t have this kind of skill set, let alone the nerve to put it into practice in a situation like this.
(Y/n) didn’t look up, her focus still on the wires in her hands. “Here and there,” she replied cryptically. “When you spend enough time dodging trouble, you pick up a few tricks.”
Fives raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to the story than she was letting on. But he didn’t press her. They had more immediate concerns. “Looks like you’ve dodged more than your fair share.”
She gave a small, almost self-deprecating smile. “You could say that.” She glanced up at him then, her eyes meeting his with a flicker of something—maybe recognition, maybe understanding. “And you? I’m guessing you’ve been in a few tight spots yourself.”
Fives chuckled, the sound low and full of dry humor. “You could say that too. I’ve had to get creative more times than I can count.” He paused, his expression turning serious. “But this? This is something else. If we pull this off...”
“When we pull this off,” (Y/n) corrected, her tone firm. “We don’t have any other options, Fives.”
He nodded, impressed by her resolve. “Right. When we pull this off, I’ll buy you a drink. Wherever we end up.”
She smirked, her eyes gleaming with that same wild spark that had caught his attention earlier. “I’ll hold you to that.”
With the wires stripped and ready, (Y/n) turned her attention to the locking mechanism on her cuffs. She twisted the wires together, forming a makeshift circuit, and carefully inserted the ends into the small gap where the lock met the wall. She glanced over at Fives, her expression a mix of concentration and anticipation. “Here goes nothing.”
There was a brief spark, a hiss of electrical discharge, and then a click as the lock released, the cuffs springing open with a soft metallic clang. (Y/n) let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.
“Nice work,” Fives said, genuinely impressed. He shifted his arms, bringing his own cuffs into view. “Think you can do the same over here?”
“Watch and learn,” she replied with a wink, already moving over to his side. She worked quickly, her fingers deftly manipulating the wires, and within moments, Fives felt the familiar release of the cuffs as they sprang open.
He rubbed his wrists, feeling the ache where the metal had bitten into his skin, and gave her a nod of appreciation. “You really are something, (Y/n).”
She shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. “Just another day in the life of a ‘contractor.’ Now, let’s get out of here before they realize we’ve gone.”
Fives watched her for a moment longer, a thought crossing his mind as she moved with that same quick, efficient grace, already dismantling the rest of the light fixture to gather more components. She was a force of nature, and as he followed her lead, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was witnessing something extraordinary.
He didn’t know much about her yet, but one thing was clear: she wasn’t just any ordinary civilian. She was brilliant, fiery, and bold—a woman who seemed to come out of nowhere, bringing with her a spark of life and a determination that could light up even the darkest cell.
As they moved to execute the rest of their plan, Fives felt a strange mix of excitement and anticipation, his mind racing with the possibilities. This was going to be one hell of a story to tell when they got out of here.
With their cuffs off, (Y/n) wasted no time. She gathered the loose components from the dismantled light fixture, her fingers moving quickly as she bundled the wires and small power cells into a makeshift tool. Fives watched her with growing respect, impressed by her ability to turn scraps into something useful.
“So, what’s next?” Fives asked, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness. “We just waltz out of here, or do you have something a little more dramatic in mind?”
(Y/n) shot him a quick grin, her eyes gleaming with that now-familiar spark. “Waltzing’s not really my style. I was thinking more along the lines of causing some chaos and slipping out in the confusion.”
Fives chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course you were. I should have known you’d have a flair for the dramatic.”
“Hey, when you’re outnumbered and outgunned, you have to get creative,” she replied, her tone light but her focus sharp as she finalized their plan. She glanced at the door, then back at Fives. “You ready?”
“Born ready,” Fives said, flashing her a confident grin. He moved closer to the door, positioning himself just out of sight of the small window. “So, how exactly are we going to cause this chaos of yours?”
(Y/n) held up the bundle of wires and the small power cell she’d extracted. “I’m going to overload the panel here. It’ll cause a short-circuit, and if I’m right, it should trigger a temporary shutdown of the security systems in this section. That’ll give us a window to make our move.”
“And if you’re wrong?” Fives asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.
She gave him a sideways look, one eyebrow raised. “Then we’ll have to improvise, won’t we?”
Fives grinned, his admiration for her growing with every passing second. “I like the way you think, (Y/n). Let’s do this.”
(Y/n) nodded, then quickly set to work, her fingers deftly connecting the wires to the control panel beside the door. There was a brief, tense silence as she worked, both of them listening for any sounds that might indicate the guards were coming. But the only noise was the soft hum of the ship’s engines vibrating through the walls.
Finally, (Y/n) stepped back, a satisfied smile on her face. “Alright, here goes nothing.”
She pressed a final connection, and the panel sparked, sending a shower of bright, hot sparks cascading down. There was a loud crack, followed by a flickering of the lights, and then the soft hum of the security systems powering down.
Fives glanced at the door, waiting for the inevitable alarm or countermeasure, but nothing happened. Instead, the door clicked open with a soft hiss, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond. He turned to (Y/n), an impressed look on his face. “I’ll admit it—I’m impressed.”
“Save the flattery for later,” she said, though her tone was playful. “We’re not out of this yet.”
They slipped out into the corridor, moving quickly but cautiously. (Y/n) took the lead, her eyes sharp and focused as she guided them through the ship’s labyrinthine passages. Fives followed close behind, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble.
“How do you know your way around this place?” Fives asked as they ducked into a side passage, avoiding a pair of patrolling battle droids.
“I managed to swipe a datapad before they locked me up,” (Y/n) explained, holding up the slim device she’d tucked into her belt. “Got a good look at the ship’s layout before they figured out what I was up to.”
Fives shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips. “Of course you did. You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea,” she replied with a wink, her pace quickening as they neared their destination. “The hangar bay should be just up ahead. We get there, grab a ship, and we’re out of here.”
“And here I thought today was going to be boring,” Fives said, his voice low but laced with amusement. “Thanks for keeping things interesting.”
They reached the final corridor leading to the hangar, but as they rounded the corner, they came face to face with a squad of battle droids. Fives cursed under his breath, his hand instinctively reaching for a weapon that wasn’t there. The droids whirred to life, their blasters trained on the pair.
“Stop right there!” one of the droids barked, its voice metallic and grating.
(Y/n)’s mind worked quickly, her eyes darting around the corridor as she searched for an escape. Without hesitation, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device—a leftover component from the cell’s light fixture. She tossed it down the corridor, and it exploded in a flash of bright light and smoke, momentarily blinding the droids.
“Run!” she shouted, grabbing Fives by the arm and pulling him down the side passage.
They sprinted down the corridor, the sound of droid blasters firing wildly behind them. Fives couldn’t help but laugh, the adrenaline coursing through him making everything feel sharper, more alive. “You really do know how to make an entrance, don’t you?”
“Not just an entrance,” (Y/n) shot back, her eyes alight with that wild energy. “I’m all about the exits too.”
They burst into the hangar bay, the vast space filled with rows of ships and scattered crates. The bay was mostly deserted, save for a few droids patrolling the far end. (Y/n) didn’t hesitate, her eyes zeroing in on a small, sleek shuttle parked near the entrance.
“There!” she pointed, already moving towards it. “That’s our ride.”
Fives followed, his heart pounding in his chest as they sprinted across the hangar. As they reached the shuttle, (Y/n) quickly hacked the access panel, the door hissing open just as the droids from the corridor burst into the hangar.
“Get us airborne, now!” Fives shouted as he jumped into the pilot’s seat, his hands moving over the controls with practiced ease.
(Y/n) slid into the co-pilot’s seat, her fingers flying across the console as she activated the shuttle’s systems. The engines roared to life, and the ship lifted off the deck just as blaster fire rained down on them from the droids below.
“Punch it!” (Y/n) yelled, her voice filled with excitement and urgency.
Fives didn’t need to be told twice. He slammed the throttle forward, and the shuttle shot out of the hangar, rocketing into the void of space. They dodged and weaved through the ship’s defensive fire, the stars blurring around them as they pushed the shuttle to its limits.
As the ship finally broke free of the Separatist blockade and jumped to hyperspace, (Y/n) let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She leaned back in her seat, a satisfied smile on her face as the swirling blue vortex of hyperspace enveloped them.
“Well, that was fun,” Fives said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, though there was a genuine smile on his face. He glanced over at her, shaking his head in disbelief. “You really do blow outta nowhere, don’t you? Like some kind of wild, unpredictable force of nature.”
(Y/n) laughed, a sound full of relief and exhilaration. “I’ve been called worse.”
Fives chuckled, leaning back in his seat as the tension of the escape finally began to fade. “Remind me to never underestimate you again.”
“Don’t worry,” (Y/n) replied, her smile widening. “I’ll be sure to remind you if you do.”
As the shuttle sped through hyperspace, the two of them finally allowed themselves a moment of calm. They had made it out, against all odds, and as they sat there, side by side in the cockpit, Fives couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of connection to this wild, unpredictable woman who had come out of nowhere and turned his world upside down.
He glanced over at her, catching the way the soft light of the console played across her features. She was still focused on the readouts, but there was a lightness in her expression now, a quiet confidence that hadn’t been there before. She was something else, all right—a force to be reckoned with, and as they sped towards whatever lay ahead, Fives knew one thing for certain: he was damn glad she was on his side.
The shuttle hummed with the soft, steady rhythm of hyperspace, the stars outside blurring into streaks of light as they hurtled through the galaxy at impossible speeds. For a moment, the cockpit was filled with a heavy, exhausted silence, both Fives and (Y/n) soaking in the brief respite from the chaos they had just escaped.
Fives leaned back in his seat, letting out a long breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. “Well, that was... something,” he muttered, glancing over at (Y/n) with a mix of admiration and disbelief.
(Y/n) smirked, her eyes still fixed on the console as she checked their trajectory. “You don’t seem the type to get rattled easily, Fives. Don’t tell me I’ve finally met a clone who can’t handle a little excitement.”
“Excitement?” Fives echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Is that what you call nearly getting blasted to bits by a bunch of tin cans?”
She turned to him, her smirk widening into a full grin. “What can I say? I’ve always had a thing for close calls.”
Fives couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head. “You must have nerves of steel, (Y/n). Most people would be losing it right about now.”
“Maybe I’m just good at pretending,” she replied with a wink, her tone light but her eyes carrying a depth that hinted at much more beneath the surface.
Fives studied her for a moment, his curiosity piqued even further. (Y/n) was unlike anyone he’d ever met—fearless, quick on her feet, and full of surprises. She had an energy about her that was infectious, a spark that seemed to light up even the darkest moments. He found himself drawn to her in a way he hadn’t expected, and it made him wonder just what kind of life she had led before their paths crossed.
Just as he was about to ask her more, a sharp beep from the console interrupted his thoughts. (Y/n)’s smile faded as she glanced at the readout, her expression tightening. “Looks like we’ve got company.”
Fives leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the incoming data. “I was hoping we’d get a bit more of a head start.”
(Y/n)’s fingers flew over the controls, pulling up a sensor display. A single blip appeared on the screen, growing closer with each passing second. “Looks like one of their fighters made it out of the hangar before we did,” she said, her tone suddenly all business. “And they’re gaining on us fast.”
Fives swore under his breath, his mind already racing with strategies. “What kind of firepower are we looking at?”
(Y/n) glanced at the display, her jaw tightening. “Hard to say, but they’re definitely armed. And unless I’m mistaken, they’re trying to lock onto us with a missile.”
“Of course they are,” Fives muttered, a dry sarcasm coloring his voice. He tapped a few controls, diverting more power to the shields. “Alright, looks like we’re not out of the woods yet. You any good in a dogfight?”
(Y/n) shot him a quick, confident look. “I’ve held my own a few times. How about you?”
“I’ve logged a few hours behind the stick,” Fives replied, his tone equally confident. “But let’s see if we can’t avoid a straight-up fight. We’re not exactly flying a starfighter here.”
“Agreed,” (Y/n) said, her hands moving deftly over the controls as she plotted a series of evasive maneuvers. “Hold on tight. This might get bumpy.”
The shuttle lurched as (Y/n) veered sharply to the right, skimming the edge of a nearby asteroid field. The pursuing ship closed in, its weapons systems locking on with an ominous beep. Fives glanced at the display, noting the distance rapidly decreasing between them and the enemy fighter.
“They’re not letting up,” he remarked, his voice tight with concentration. “Can we outrun them?”
“Not likely,” (Y/n) said, her eyes narrowing as she made another sharp turn, dodging a cluster of asteroids. “We’re going to have to outsmart them.”
Fives felt a surge of adrenaline as the first shots from the pursuing fighter streaked past their shuttle, narrowly missing the hull. He reached for the weapons controls, arming the shuttle’s rear-mounted blasters. “I’ll keep them off our tail as best I can. Just get us somewhere with more cover.”
“On it,” (Y/n) replied, her voice steady despite the tension in the cockpit. She pushed the shuttle’s engines to full power, weaving through the asteroid field with the skill of a seasoned pilot. “Let’s see how good they are at dodging rocks.”
Fives fired off a few shots, forcing the enemy fighter to break off its attack run and dodge the incoming fire. “Nice flying,” he said, glancing over at (Y/n) with a grin.
She flashed him a quick smile, her eyes alight with that same wild energy he’d seen before. “Thanks. Now let’s see if we can lose them for good.”
As they dove deeper into the asteroid field, the pursuing fighter struggled to keep up, its pilot forced to maneuver carefully to avoid the massive rocks tumbling through space. But the enemy was persistent, staying just close enough to keep the pressure on.
“They’re stubborn, I’ll give them that,” Fives muttered, glancing at the sensor display as the fighter drew closer once more. “But so are we.”
(Y/n)’s fingers danced over the controls, her mind working at lightning speed as she plotted their next move. “Alright, here’s the plan,” she said, her voice quick and determined. “We’re going to lure them into a tight spot, then double back and hit them with everything we’ve got. If we time it right, we can catch them off guard.”
Fives couldn’t help but marvel at her audacity. This woman was full of surprises, always a step ahead, always ready to take the fight to the enemy. She had a fire in her that was impossible to ignore, a boldness that blazed brightly even in the face of danger. She blows outta nowhere, like a roman candle of the wild, he thought, the image fitting her perfectly as she guided them through the chaos with a steady hand.
“Alright,” Fives said, his voice filled with a mix of admiration and determination. “Let’s do it.”
(Y/n) nodded, her focus razor-sharp as she executed a series of quick maneuvers, drawing the enemy fighter deeper into the asteroid field. The ship behind them struggled to keep up, its pilot clearly more accustomed to open space battles than navigating through a minefield of floating rocks.
“Now!” (Y/n) shouted, yanking the controls and sending the shuttle into a tight loop. Fives braced himself as the shuttle spun around, bringing them face-to-face with the pursuing fighter.
“Gotcha,” Fives muttered under his breath as he fired the shuttle’s blasters, the shots tearing through the enemy ship’s shields and punching holes in its hull.
The fighter wobbled, its pilot caught off guard by the sudden reversal. Before they could recover, Fives fired again, this time hitting something critical. The fighter erupted in a ball of fire, the explosion briefly illuminating the asteroid field before fading into the void.
Fives let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, a grin spreading across his face. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
(Y/n) exhaled slowly, her grip on the controls relaxing as the immediate danger passed. “Nice shooting,” she said, her voice carrying a note of relief. “That was a close one.”
“Yeah,” Fives agreed, still riding the adrenaline high. He glanced over at her, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re something else, you know that? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who can think on their feet as fast as you.”
(Y/n) smiled, a small, satisfied smile that spoke of a job well done. “I could say the same about you. You’re not just any clone, are you?”
Fives shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Let’s just say I’ve had a lot of practice getting out of tight spots. But I couldn’t have done it without you.”
She looked at him, her eyes softening slightly as the tension of the moment finally began to fade. “Well, it was a team effort,” she said, her voice warm. “And for the record, you’re not so bad yourself.”
They shared a brief moment of mutual respect, the kind that only comes from surviving something intense together. But the moment was fleeting, as the reality of their situation quickly set back in.
“So,” Fives said, breaking the silence with a wry grin, “any more surprises up your sleeve? Or is it smooth sailing from here?”
(Y/n) laughed, the sound light and genuine. “I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day. But then again, with our luck...”
“Yeah,” Fives agreed, chuckling softly. “With our luck, who knows what’s around the next corner.”
As they settled back into their seats, the stars of hyperspace streaking past them once more, Fives found himself looking at (Y/n) with a sense of awe. She was a force of nature, unpredictable and brilliant, like a roman candle flaring to life in the dark. And as they sped away from the chaos they’d left behind, he knew one thing for certain: this was just the beginning of their story, and he was damn glad to be a part of it.
****
Epilogue
The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting long shadows across the rolling hills that stretched out towards the horizon. The sky was painted in hues of orange and pink, the last remnants of the day’s warmth lingering in the air. It was peaceful here, a world away from the chaos and violence that had once dominated their lives. The war was over, and the galaxy had finally begun to heal. But for Fives, the most significant battle of his life was just beginning.
He stood on the porch of their small house, his hands resting on the wooden railing as he gazed out at the landscape. The breeze was gentle, carrying the scent of fresh grass and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. It was a place of serenity, of quiet moments and simple joys. A place where he could almost forget the scars of the past—almost.
Behind him, he heard the soft creak of the door opening, followed by the familiar sound of footsteps approaching. He didn’t need to turn around to know it was her. He could feel her presence as surely as he felt the sun’s warmth on his skin. (Y/n). His (Y/n).
She came to stand beside him, her hand slipping into his, fingers intertwining with a familiarity that spoke of years spent together, surviving together. Fives turned his head slightly, his gaze finding hers, and for a moment, they just stood there, letting the silence speak for them.
Her eyes, those stormy gray eyes that had first caught his attention in that dark, cold cell, were filled with a mixture of emotions—joy, fear, anticipation. Her other hand rested gently on the slight swell of her belly, a subconscious gesture that made Fives’ heart clench with a fierce protectiveness.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice soft, almost hesitant. It was a question he’d been asking her a lot lately, ever since they’d discovered the news that had changed everything.
(Y/n) smiled, a small, tender smile that made his chest ache with a love so deep it sometimes scared him. “I’m alright,” she replied, her voice steady. But there was a hint of something else there, a trace of uncertainty that she couldn’t quite hide.
Fives squeezed her hand, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles. “You’re sure?” he pressed gently, his eyes searching hers. “Because I know this is... a lot.”
She nodded, turning her gaze out towards the horizon, the setting sun casting a golden glow across her features. “It is a lot,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “But it’s also... everything. Everything I never thought I could have.”
Fives felt a lump form in his throat, his heart swelling with emotions he could barely put into words. When they had escaped together all those years ago, when they had fought side by side and survived against all odds, he never could have imagined this. He never imagined they would find a place like this, find peace, find each other. And now, they were facing something even more unimaginable.
He looked down at her, at the way she rested her hand on her belly, and a thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Memories of their battles, of their laughter, of the way she had always been the one to push forward, to keep fighting, even when things seemed impossible. She had always been the one to light up the darkness, to bring hope when there was none. And now, here they were, about to bring new life into a world that had once seemed so full of death.
He turned fully towards her, reaching up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch gentle, reverent. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t believe... we’re going to be parents.”
(Y/n) laughed softly, a sound that was both joyful and a little nervous. “Believe it, Fives. Because it’s real. It’s happening.”
He nodded, but there was a part of him that still struggled to grasp it, to accept that after everything they had been through, they were now standing on the brink of something so new, so different. He thought back to that moment, not so long ago, when she had told him the news, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and excitement.
“When you stood up, walked away, barefoot,” he recalled in his thoughts, remembering how she had needed a moment to process it all, to let the reality of their future sink in. He had watched her from the doorway, feeling a whirlwind of emotions he hadn’t known he was capable of—joy, terror, love. So much love.
And now, as they stood here together, he couldn’t help but marvel at how far they had come, how much they had endured, and how this woman—this wild, fiery woman who had once blown into his life like a force of nature—had become the center of his world. She had given him everything he had never dared to hope for, and now she was giving him something even more precious.
“We’ll get through this,” Fives said, his voice full of quiet determination. “Just like we’ve gotten through everything else. Together.”
(Y/n) looked up at him, her eyes softening, the love in them so clear, so unwavering. “Together,” she echoed, squeezing his hand. “Always.”
Fives leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin as he closed his eyes and let the moment wash over him. It was a new kind of battle they were about to face, a new challenge unlike any they had encountered before. But for the first time in a long time, Fives wasn’t afraid.
Because he had her. And that was all he needed.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the world in a dusky twilight, they stood there, hand in hand, ready to face whatever came next. The future was uncertain, but it was theirs, and as long as they had each other, Fives knew they could face anything.
Written for @goblininawig as part of the @cloneficgiftexchange Song Lyric Exchange!
Song: This Feeling by The ChainSmokers
Characters: Hardcase X Reader
Side note: I might be just a bit rusty on art and writing.
Summary: You run a small, little shooting gallery that doesn't see much traffic, but the traffic you do get just might make your heart patter
------------
The small shooting gallery you run doesn’t see a lot of foot traffic. Most days you sit gazing out the window as people pass by overlooking your little place. Coruscant doesn’t have a need for weaponry, nor do they have an interest in such a location. Those passing through are simply awed over the dazzling lights and latest fashions the senators bring here from afar.
The few regulars you have come to form a tiny community who filter in and out through the week, bringing you caf and spending time laughing with you. They enjoy the complex bullseye challenges you’ve crafted for them—and yourself, if you’re honest. They return even if your blasters aren’t in the best condition—you could only afford a certain price tag with your start up credits—but the environment is predictable, relaxing and inviting.
Until the day a soldier meanders into your shop.
His gaze doesn’t seek you out like the regulars. No, he’s drawn to the wall of weapons like a moth to a flame. The mischievous half-grin on his face lights his eyes reminding you not quite like a kid in a candy story, but perhaps the way you’ve seen a man in love gaze at the woman of his affections.
Which blossoms a yearning inside so overwhelming it takes a second to breathe again.
No one will ever look at you that way.
Taking a deep breath, you relax and keep a polite smile on your face. “Afternoon.”
“Hello, ma’am.”
The man barely glances your way as the artillery speaks to him in words you cannot hear yet understand.
As a child, you always enjoyed the water blaster booths at the fair. Despite realizing they were often rigged, your interested grew in the idea of weapons. You were a natural, as use meant a gentle touch and great care in maintenance. You may not have a green thumb, but when it comes to safety and weapons, you’re a whisperer.
Well, this man is a whisperer. You simply do your best.
Leaning on the counter, you prop your chin up with your palm. The soldiers you’ve come in contact with have only been from afar. None have stepped foot in your gallery, but why would they? They’re busy. Their practice ranges are far more sophisticated than your dilapidated one.
There’s no reason for them to bother with this shack.
As the soldier before you slowly shifts to another section with a bit more advanced weaponry, you become curious. You’ve been told they all look the same, and from a distance, you suppose that might be true. However, you’ve seen armor of different colors so perhaps they’re not exactly the same?
The one before you has an intriguing tattoo beginning with a dot on his right cheek before a line slips from his lower eyelid to the top and up along his forehead until taking a decisive left—no, his right—turn near his temple. Another turn upward takes place at his temple where it’s joined by another line for a moment before it curves around the back of his skull. There’s something simplistic and beautiful about it. In a way, it reminds you of the lines that make up a blaster. Sharp lines, a few curves creating a handsome man—
Weapon!
You meant weapon.
Straightening up, you smooth out your tunic. The man before you is not handsome. That would be a foolish thought. That would be thinking with the beat in your chest. You don’t need that. Weapons need the sole focus of your head, your mind, your brain…
Oh…
The look of wonder on the soldier’s face as he admires your little trove does not make your heart patter in the slightest. He doesn’t admire these second-hand blasters the way you do. He has nice, new weapons of his own. Weapons he likely prefers over these—
“Are these powered by Tibanna?”
“I wish,” you wistfully reply. “It’s Skevon. Not as reliable, but Tibanna is expensive and rare.”
Rich, brown eyes settle on you, and a brow arches emphasizing the tattoo across his right eye. “Can I test one?”
What? You nod slowly. “Any on the wall.”
The half-smirk that spreads onto his lips also does not make your heart patter. “So, you have others prospective clients can’t use?”
The joke in his voice brings a shy smile to your face. “I don’t show my private collection to strangers.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, ma’am.” With great care, he takes a simple KYD-21 blaster from the wall and walks to your counter. Setting it down, he holds out his hand. “Name’s Hardcase.”
And you sense this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
…
The regulars gather round watching through the transparisteel as Hardcase fires the KYD-21 blaster—a weapon he seems to prefer since he retrieves it every time he visits. It’s become a sort of weird tradition, but in any case, his accuracy awes those assembled as he efficiently takes out the targets while leaving the false flags alone. With ease, he passes everyone’s score with that little blaster, and you find yourself wondering what possible challenges you could concoct in order to stump the soldier.
Slipping from the crowd, you make your way back to the counter as defeat settles in. No matter what you do, you can’t create anything that remotely challenges him. While difficult for your patrons and you, he walks through like it’s child’s play—which to him it is. Heart sinking, you know he only comes for the weapons. It’s not as if your friendship is enough, and if there’s nothing difficult to challenge him it’s only a matter of time before he’s never seen again.
Your lack of financial resources has truly become a pair of hands wrapped around your neck, slowly suffocating your chances at—
Chances at growing a business, you correct yourself just in time.
Once Hardcase exits the range, he’s questioned and complimented by those gathered. The pomp and circumstance makes you smile. He’s adored by all your patrons and with just cause. He deserves to be appreciated, and he’s willing to help any and every person who walks through your doors. He does wonders for the Republic. He’s brave and strong and kind.
Good with the young ones.
“I liked that one.”
Looking up, he graces you with a smile as he sets down the KYD-21 blaster and leans on the counter. This as well has become a sort of tradition. He passes the course, comes to return the blaster with a smile and you smile in return. Only this time, you can’t find yourself smiling back. He’ll realize soon enough you’re not gifted and then you’ll lose one of your closest friends.
“Uh…” His smile fades. “Somethin’ wrong?”
Shaking your head, you begin closing procedures. The sooner you can get out, the sooner you can get home to the bake warming in your little apartment. Which means the sooner you can forget about the impending tragedy. When the work is done, you realize Hardcase has been there the entire time working beside you in silence.
“Do you wanna grab a bite?” He questions. “I could eat.”
No. You don’t want to keep him. You don’t need him around. You don’t need him to help. You don’t need to take up anymore of his time.
“I have a bake warming at home if you’d like.” Your mouth betrays you.
His brow rises, creating a soft scrunch in his tattoo. “Wouldn’t wanna impose.”
“You’re not imposing at all,” your mouth says and it eases into a smile. “I tend to make too much and won’t be able to eat it all by myself.”
“Then I’d appreciate the company and decent food.”
“Not sure if it’s decent,” you try, the jest dying on your lips as your heart sinks. Shoving your hands in your pockets, you lead the way.
What have you just done?
The tram ride to your apartment is silent as is the walk there. You catch the glances of the underbelly crowd, and for once you’re not harassed. No one’s pestering you for credits or trying to grope you, and you’re pleased to be left alone.
If only you could afford to straighten up the little apartment above your shop. You could live there which would cut your bills, mostly stop the harassing tram rides, and perhaps you’d be able to afford new weapons which would keep Hardcase coming back.
All of which are fanciful illusions created to crush what little hope lingers in your weary soul.
Entering your studio apartment, you have to slam the light switch a few times for the light to flicker above the table. You’ve asked the landlord for months to fix that, along with the leaky faucet and the garbage disposal, but he can’t be bothered to do much more than bet on the fathiers.
“Uh… can I get you a cup of water?” you question, hanging your jacket on the rack before heading to the oven.
“Yeah, that’d be… fine.” His gaze quickly sweeps across your lumpy sofa and the small cot in the corner. “Can I help you with anything?”
“No. No. Take a seat at the table.” You pull the bake out and work on scooping it onto two mismatched plates before grabbing two bottles of water.
“It smells great.”
You’re sure he’s just telling you that, though this is your favorite meal. It’s warm and comforting and filling even if there isn’t much in it. Placing a portion and a water before him, fear creeps up your spine. You’ve never spent much time with him. You don’t even know what Hardcase likes to eat. Maybe he hates this, maybe he's regretting his decision, maybe he wants to be anywhere else but here.
“Are you gonna sit?” He asks and picks up a fork. “Or…are you not gonna eat…?”
“Oh. Yeah.” Grabbing your own, you settle across from him.
Maybe it’s because of the small space or that it’s been a long few months or you’re not used to guests or you’ve never invited anyone over or you can hear the harsh buzz of the flickering light above or—
“Are you okay?”
Blinking, you see Hardcase has cleared his plate, and you grimace. “S-Sorry. Would you like a second helping?”
“That’d be nice, but I’d rather know what’s going on? Am I imposing?”
You shake your head. “No. Not at all.”
“Then what is it?” His brow arches again, shifting the angles of his tattoo.
Sighing, you drop your fork. If you have one night left with this man, and you can’t focus on the good, perhaps getting everything off your chest might help for the lonely days ahead. It’s not something you’d ever put on your patrons, but from this apartment to the gallery to how you had hoped for better, it all comes out like a rushing tide you can’t be embarrassed by until long after you’re done and cleaning the tears and snot from your face.
“That’s a lot to deal with,” he says, finger tracing a pattern across your rickety table.
Heat floods your cheeks. It’s nothing compared to what he has to do for the Republic. “It’s all silly things. There are worse problems in the galaxy. We’re in a war, after all.”
“There might be worse problems, but it doesn’t make yours any less valid,” he responds with a slight uptick of his lips. “How can we lessen at least one of those problems?”
“The leaky sink,” you admit. “I’ll be able to sleep if I’m not listening to it drip all night.”
“Let me see what I can do.”
As Hardcase works on the sink, you ask him questions about the war and smile as he becomes quite animated—much like he is while firing blasters. He laughs, jokes and smiles as he tells of his brothers and war. He’s confident he was created only to fight, but you notice he’s quite skilled at putting your sink back together.
Once complete, he glances at the chrono and frowns. “I need to get back before curfew.”
You nod and give him a smile. “Thank you.”
“Thank you.” He grins. “I’ll see you soon?”
“Of course.”
“And maybe we could start on the apartment above your gallery.”
You’d like that very much.
…
The notice on the datapad in your hand is a crushing blow as the reports on the holo from Umbara work to drag you down into the depths. You’re not certain why your heart heavies with sorrow, you don’t even know where Hardcase is, but the feeling progressively grows throughout the coming weeks. It’s only worsened by your patrons telling you not to grow attached to a soldier.
Why they make such statements continues to baffle you. It’s not as if you’ve mentioned him to them.
While he’s been away, you’ve begun packing up your little shop. A military expansion is set to claim your property and luckily, the government has offered you more credits than you’ve ever seen in your life rather than just take it from you. It’ll be easy to rebuild somewhere else.
Still…
It’s a bittersweet moment.
You’ve made wonderful memories here. From the patrons you’ve come to adore, to the weapons you’ve acquired, and to Hardcase; this rundown little place gave you hope and perhaps expectations. Friends, laughs, possibly lov—
The now-desolate shop weighs your heart down to the depths.
As you gently place the KYD-21 blaster in its case—the last one to be removed from the wall, your hand caresses the cool metal. It’s done a lot of good for your place. People have enjoyed it. A soldier has enjoyed it. You enjoy it. This little pistol with seventy-five shots and a favorite among bounty hunters and assassins has become the prize of your collection.
Taking one last look at the boxes neatly labeled and organized, you cast aside any anxiety over the movers who’ll be here tomorrow. Everything is clearly marked and ready for transport to storage. You’ve given yourself a few months to find a more ideal place. It shouldn’t be too hard since you’ve already narrowed locations down—
The dread dripping into your soul floods through and you struggle to swallow. Closing the blaster case, you grip the handle and take several deep breaths. This attack is irrational. It’s okay to say goodbye. There will be something better on the other side.
This place, despite the little apartment upstairs, was never your endgame anyway.
There’s a life yet to be lived some place far more exciting than Coruscant.
Squaring your shoulders, you grab the blaster case and head out the door for the last time. With your head held high, you find yourself paralyzed as you come face to face with two soldiers outside your door.
Clad in full armor, you look up into their T-visors and the case in your hand slightly trembles as your breath comes to a slow halt. Your wide eyes are transfixed as, in unison, they remove their helmets revealing one face tattooed with a Republic cog and the other with a Five on his right forehead.
“Ma’am,” says the one with the Republic cog, and the heavy tone in his voice sends ice through your veins. “We need a moment of your time.”
Those words are never good. Never good. Never… The dread and foreboding finally explode in your chest cutting off oxygen to your lungs as you manage to give a single nod.
“We regret to inform you…” starts the one with the Five before he swallows down what must be a thick lump in this throat. “…that Hardcase was killed in action.”
The thump at your feet seems a million miles away and you’re unaware that something has slipped from your grasp. Instead, the world around grows eerily silent and chillingly cold.
…
“I’d like to try that one.”
You continue sweeping the floor—not that it needs sweeping, but your hands always need to be doing something these days. Your brain needs these mindless tasks as you continue to put the past behind you.
“As I’ve already stated each and every time you’ve come in,” you say, and cannot hide the annoyance in your tone, “It is not available.”
“Then why is it there?” asks the Bith who constantly nettles you over the weapon each and every time he’s here.
Meeting his glassy, black gaze, you square your shoulders. “It’s for décor, that’s why it’s in a display case. Either choose one of the other blasters or leave.”
“You’re not very friendly,” he growls.
“And you’re not very bright,” you mutter as you return to sweeping.
When he selects a different blaster and enters the shooting range, you pause and let out a heavy sigh.
Six months have passed since you arrived on Thune. It’s home to all sorts of beings from dangerous Hutts to dancing Twi’leks. Your Wookie neighbor—who sells hand crafted bowcasters—is great to have when walking home at night—not that the neighborhood is dangerous, but it’s always good to be cautious.
The canals the city is built on and you boat home in are filled with beautiful, clear water. They’re gentle and calming and so far removed from the war you swear you’ve been transported to another time. That’s mainly why you chose it in spite of the Hutts lurking.
It truly is a piece of paradise.
Leaning against the counter, you’re aware of other customers milling about. You have growing relationships with most of them, and word of mouth seems to be your best advertisement. Unlike your spot on Coruscant, you’re constantly busy with the day-in and day-out which does it’s best to help ease the sorrow that a few months ago clung to you like a wet rag.
Overall, things have definitely panned out well.
Still, your gaze lifts to the display case where the KYD-21 blaster glints in the bright light streaming through the window.
Rubbing the back of your neck, you take a slow breath and huff. The soldier whose presence graced you for a little while will always be with you. His memory hangs not only from the weapon displayed prominently in your shop but stirs in your chest with every beat of your heart.
And you find yourself grateful every day for his sacrifice.
“I suppose that one’s off limits.”
Breath slowing as your brow furrows, you’re quick to shut your eyes and shake your head. That playful tone in a baritone voice cannot be. It simply cannot be.
It’s impossible.
“Didn’t think it was worthy of your private collection.”
Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, you turn to see a man leaned on your counter giving you a playful smirk. His face holds a few healing scars across his nose, cheeks and forehead, but the tattoo starting on his right eye hasn’t faded.
How it be, though? You know what those soldiers said, you heard what happened, you know…
What do you know?
Looking down at the gun he’s placed on the counter, Hardcase grimaces. “Didn’t think I’d earn the silent treatment.”
“S-sorry,” you stutter and wet your lips. “It’s just… I heard. Well, you were…”
He gives a nod. “Thought I was. Suffered a bunch of injuries and sometimes my ears still ring, but a well-placed escape pod and some luck got me through.”
Your hand runs over the blaster he’s brought to your counter. This one is for heavy combat—something you know he enjoys. “How long are you in town for?”
He gives another grimace as he continues to lean against your counter. “Uh… Well, officially, I’m… dead.” Smiling, he looks at the new and improved shooting ranges you have set up. “Besides, looks as if I have my work cut out for me testing all those ranges you’ve crafted. Hope this blaster is as good as that one.”
And you smile before pulling the KYD-21 blaster out of its display case and handing it to him. “Well, it is tradition.”
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
🎵 Clone x Reader Song Fic Exchange 🎶
For @coffeeandbatboys
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Pairing: Fives x Reader
Words: 2.5K+
When you woke up, you stared at the ceiling, stubbornly imagining that your family was at your bedside keeping a silent vigil. You couldn’t bear to look anywhere else. You knew there was no one left to watch over you. No one to hold your hand. You were completely alone.
Or so you thought.
