aa hi!! i've been reading your tbb x medic reader thoughts, and i absolutely devoured them!! You write them perfectly!! may i request the bad batch, or especially Crosshair and Tech, being protective of the reader, maybe when a reg, or someone else, flirts with her, or maybe won't leave her alone? no worries if this doesn't strike your fancy!! :D have a wonderful day!
AWAA I HAVE HAD A CLINICAL CASE OF WRITERS BLOCK... BUT THIS......
i love this trope, so thank you for this request!!
It was a slow night at 79’s; you wouldn’t have had it any other way. A clone bar was pretty far from your typical scene, but it was the only bar on Coruscant that you knew had decent drinks.
It wasn’t really the “scene” of your… friends, if they could be called that, either. They were clones, yes, but not normal ones.
To most? Ten times more prickly, with an air of superiority about them that made them intolerable to other clones. But to you? There weren’t a set of clones in the galaxy you’d rather be spending an evening with.
They’d just gotten back from a mission, and considering it was rare that you were all on the same planet at once… you’d taken the opportunity to invite them out. Well, it was actually Wrecker who invited you here, but you’d mentioned wanting to get together.
You were laughing off your second drink now, losing it over another stupid joke Hunter made. Or, more specifically, at the way Crosshair glared at him for saying it.
“You guys up for round three?” You quirked an eyebrow at the table.
“That even a question?” Wrecker grinned, already standing up. But you held a hand up, insisting on getting everyone’s drinks. They seemed reluctant to watch you go alone, but… the bar was mostly empty at this hour.
They shared a look: what could go wrong?
And so you left the booth, taking a seat at the bar and listing off their orders, plus your own, like second nature.
The bartending droid got to work, and you relaxed a bit against the bar, a light smile curving your lips.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty thing.”
You turned your head. There was a clone a couple seats away from you at the bar, nursing a half-empty drink you doubted was his first. Your smile faltered for a second before transforming into a more polite one. You nodded respectfully, trying to make it obvious you weren’t interested in conversation.
He didn’t take the hint. He stood up from his seat, abandoning his drink to lean against the bar right next to you.
“Ah… enjoying your night, soldier?” you tried, laughing awkwardly.
His face twisted in consideration as he shrugged. “Eh. Little quiet. Little boring.” Then his gaze flicked to you, and he grinned. “Until now. Haven’t seen you around here before.”
“Oh, yeah, uh… not my typical joint.”
“Figured. You look like you should be somewhere much nicer, little lady.”
Was that supposed to be a compliment? You just laughed again, shifting in your seat. The bartending droid was done with three of the six drinks you needed.
“You here all alone?”
“No, I’m here with friends.” An apologetic smile accompanied your response. You were hoping that would be enough to get him away. “They’re just sitting at a booth over there.”
He didn’t look. “Well, you’re alone right now.”
Another uncomfortable laugh left you, and you looked at the droid almost desperately. Work faster, you goddamn—
“I’ll keep you company, if you don’t mind…” His hand slid across the bar towards your crossed arms resting on the counter, and you quickly sat up straight, intertwining your fingers tightly in your lap.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll probably be… you know. Walking away in a second.” Take the hint, dude.
“Oh, but your friends can wait a few minutes, can’t they? I don’t think I’m ready to watch a pretty girl like you get away so soon.” He smiled, chuckling softly.
You just narrowed your eyes, no longer smiling as you desperately stared at the drinks on the platter. Five drinks. Just one more…
Your head was jerked back to look at the clone when he grabbed your chin, laughing at your startled expression. “You’ve got gorgeous eyes. Very expressive.”
“Excuse me,” a (thankfully) familiar voice chirped on your other side. “Can you make that Fire Dancer a double shot?” He’d been addressing the droid, but from his sharp tone… he was probably taking a jab at the clone, too.
The clone’s grip on your chin loosened just enough for you to turn your head. Tech was drumming his fingers on the bar on your other side, looking directly at the clone out of the corner of his eye.
“I don’t think she’s interested,” he deadpanned, expression unreadable.
The clone’s face twitched. “Hey… you’re one of those bad batchers,” he sneered. “Why don’t you go back to whatever corner you’re hiding in, and stop trying to act like you know everything?”
“I’ve got a better idea for you.” A sharp voice, low and gravelly, sliced the air. You turned again to see Crosshair standing behind the clone, one arm braced on the bar to box him between you and Crosshair.
“Get it through your head that she’s. Not. Interested,” he drawled, narrowing his eyes in that glare that was eerily similar to his sniping abilities—precise, intentional, and deadly.
Tech was leaning over your shoulder, trying to read a serial number printed on the clone’s armor. “CT-3889,” he read. “I’ll remember that.”
“What, are you gonna report me?” The clone snorted.
“Report? Oh, no. I can think of things that are worse than reporting. And easier, too.” He nodded, accepting his drink from the bartending droid.
“... You’re bluffing,” the clone narrowed his eyes, glancing once at Crosshair behind him.
The droid set a platter on the bar with the other five drinks you needed, and just as soon as it hit the surface, CT-3889 was up and gone, grumbling curses under his breath.
“... I don’t like that guy.” Crosshair narrowed his eyes, never letting his gaze leave the trooper once until he was out of the establishment. Then he looked at you, examining your face closely. “He touched you.”
You blinked. Watching them scare that guy off… you almost forgot that you were a part of this whole ordeal. “Oh. Uh…”
“Is he finally gone?” Echo drawled, eyeing the door carefully as he stepped closer. Hunter and Wrecker were behind him.
“If I ever see that guy on Kamino…” Wrecker snarled, cracking his knuckles irritably, “I’m gonna—”
“You’re not gonna do anything,” Hunter warned him. Then he looked at you. “Are you alright?”
“I was going to ask that,” Tech interjected quietly, taking a sip of his drink.
“You guys. I’m fine,” you almost had to laugh. Almost. “He was just…” you gestured vaguely. You didn’t want to say anything nice, but saying something mean would make it seem like you weren’t fine. Which, to be fair, you sort of weren’t.
“Insufferable,” Crosshair grumbled, picking up his own drink to throw it back.
“Ugly,” Wrecker added, then guffawed. That got you to laugh, too.
“Bothering you.” Tech said finally, and you nodded. He hummed. “Well then. I’m glad I intervened.”
“We shouldn’t have let you go off on your own,” Hunter said, almost apologetically.
“Yeah, regs can be…” Echo made a face, gesturing to the door. “... Like that.”
“And you guys are so much better,” you teased, putting your hands on your hips. “You probably scared that guy all the way back to his incubation chamber.”
Crosshair snorted. “Good.” After a slow sip of his drink, he just shook his head, almost imperceptibly. “I’d never stoop that low.”
“Wouldn’t you, now?” You raised an eyebrow, smirking.
Crosshair matched your grin. “Why would I harass some lady at a bar when I’ve already got you?”
Wrecker burst out laughing; a contagious sound. Soon you were all chuckling into your drinks again, but in those silent breaths between more jokes and stories…
You let yourself feel a little lighter. From what Crosshair said (and from how the boys were still eyeing the other bargoers suspiciously)... you had a feeling you wouldn’t have to worry about “suitors” like that again for a long time.
YIPPEEE it feels so good to write again... please send in more requests my darlings! I love the sillies,,
Hello!! It's been a very long while since I was last into Star Wars but I'd like to throw a potential request into the void. If you are down for some hurt/comfort, could I request some headcanons for Maul hearing that his S/O has been killed? However, nobody can find their body. Turns out they did survive, but had to take care of the worst of their injuries before they could return to Maul.
Thank you for your time, I hope you are having a great day. :)
Man thank you so much for this ask, I was so very excited to start on it because oh my god Maul is like a disease, and boy am I infected. This is my first tome ever writing for him, so I hope I captured him well! Please feel free to send in more requests in the future for Star Wars, unfortunately it seems that I am possessed.
Tags: Gender neutral reader, brain damage, severe injuries, Maul is kind of mad about the whole ordeal
Word Count: 1.6k words
- It was stupid of you. Even if you survived, the likelihood that Maul would forgive you for this was low. That wasn’t what you were thinking when you did it, though. Your body had moved on its own, legs pumping to jump in front of the shot meant for him. When it hit, it took a moment for the pain to set in. All you could think was, I’m such an idiot.nMaul was force sensitive, he would have been able to dodge, or deflect the bolt, or— or— something. What you had done was entirely unnecessary. Agony bloomed from your abdomen, then your stomach flipped as you teetered backwards off of the platform and into the abyss below. Maul reached for you, the air around you tightened, slowing your descent, sure to stop it if his attention hadn’t been pulled by the buzz of an inquisitor’s saber and more blaster fire. You were falling again. The last sight you saw before your vision went dark was a lost expression on Maul’s face before it hardened into anger. If you survived this, you were really in for it. You doubted that you’d live long enough for regret to set in, however.
- Hours later, you awoke in abject misery. Clenching your fists, your entire body tensed and trembled as waves of pain wracked your body. Your head was spinning, too dizzy to focus on anything but the white hot agony lancing up your spine. When you landed, you must have hit your head. It wasn’t good if you were out for hours. More than likely, you had a severe concussion, if not something worse. The burn on your abdomen pulsed with every breath, and you were almost certain that your right leg was broken. You twitched the appendage and swallowed a scream. Definitely broken. What could only be sewage lapped at your skin, sure to give you an infection unlike any other. Why couldn’t you have died on impact? The death that awaited you now would be slow and painful. Your head was so scrambled that the thought of anyone coming to save you barely flickered to life, only to be snuffed back out whenever you tried to focus on it. Deep in your brain, some primal part of you begged you to move, to get back home to someone. How could you do that when you could barely think? Blinking, you lifted up your chin to realize that you were crawling. Dragging yourself forward with your forearms, your bad leg dragging behind you. When you opened your eyes, your head throbbed, so you decided to blink slowly to ease the strain. You were moving, but… for how long?
- Back on the platform, Maul was furious at a multitude of factors. Himself, his foes, and more specifically, you. How dare you leave him alone again, especially after all that he had done for you. Feeding you, clothing you, loving you, and yet you forsake that with your own heroic idiocy. Now you were gone, and once again, Maul had no one. The rage that he felt from that fact alone was what fueled his victory, hollow now for there was no one to relish in that with, save for himself. Maul was tired of himself.
- Ever since Lotho Minor, Maul’s mind had been more… fragile. Prone to episodes and hallucinations, driving him to whatever madness that had swallowed him whole. Visions of you filled every leaking crevice of his skull, of your smile, your touch, your broken body laying limp where he could not find it. If only you had not been so stupid. Maul knew what it was like to be alone and injured, and while he would wish that upon his worst enemy in a heartbeat, you were not that. If he could take your suffering and give it to others — he had a few in mind — he would. It was this particular distraction, the broken shards of his sanity, that kept Maul from noticing the spark of your force signature still shining for far too long. Even a second would have been too long, but this? As soon as he realized that you were still alive, everything snapped back into place. Maul straightened, furious at both you and himself, and took it upon himself to find you. It would not take long.
- Splashing dragged you back into awareness. Someone was approaching, yet you could not bring yourself to be afraid. Every part of you was begging for you to stop, to allow death to take you. You opened your eyes, the view blurry and distorted, barely able to make out a pair of boots in your line of sight. The splashing had stopped. A hand prodded at the back of your skull, sending a jolt of pain when it found the wound there. All you could do was groan.
- There was a sigh and the hand pulled back to inspect his fingers. “It seems your punishment will have to wait.” You could make out the whirring of machinery as he crouched down to look you in the eyes. Every blink lasted too long. Maul clicked his tongue in disapproval. “One of your pupils is larger than the other. You will be dealing with the effects of these injuries for some time.” More footsteps approached as people who could only be the mercenaries your lover hired lifted you onto a stretcher. When you flinched, you could hear Maul snap for them to be gentler.
- “I can’t think right,” You slurred, the words bordering on unintelligible.
- Maul hummed, looking both concerned and vindicated. “Perhaps this should be a lesson for you to avoid performing anymore feats of heroism. Especially for those who do not need it.” With those last two words, he brought his face closed to yours, hissed out between bared teeth. As your eyes rolled back into your head, you could barely make out the worry that flickered across his face before he hardened once more and barked for his men to hurry.
- For the next few weeks, you were in and out of sleep. Most of the time when you opened your eyes, you saw Maul at your bedside, his hands folded and one leg kicked out with his eyes shut. He would have looked calm if not for that familiar wrinkle of his nose when he sensed that you were awake. Distantly, you recognized that he was angry with you. Rather than deal with it, you would close your eyes and sink back into sleep again, much preferring to heal rather than take the tongue lashing that he had in store for you once you were cognizant.
- Correction. Tongue lashing was too kind. What actually happened was that Maul metaphorically throttled you with it. Ultimately deserved, you conceded, but you wished that he had waited until you weren’t bed ridden to do it. You may have been dumb enough to jump in front of blaster fire for him, but you weren’t so blind to not notice that Maul was holding himself back. You had been awake more often than not for some time now, and he spent that time either coaxing you into clumsily eating your meals — unfortunately brain damage meant that your movements were not as graceful or learned as they were before — or pacing back and forth at the foot of your cot, muttering to himself. Sometimes, you could make out your name, followed by the word ‘fool,’ with a sharp growl after. It seemed to take all of his effort to not allow his lips to curl back, baring his teeth at you, when you met his eyes. He was furious, yes, but he also wanted you to be fully able to absorb what he had to say when he said it. That, or he had maybe half of a nurturing bone somewhere in his body, much to your surprise. Perhaps it was a little of both.
- After your chewing out was over and you were thoroughly cowed, Maul left you to digest and to get himself in check — he wanted you to understand what you had done to him, not upset you into being hurt (you had already hurt yourself enough for that). Being in a relationship with Maul required you to not only be patient, but willing to empathize and analyze what every word meant. Jumping into anger yourself would get you nowhere, especially when his emotions were already high. While you regretted your decision that got you here in the first place, it was your love for him that drove you to do that. You wanted him to know that. In order for such an ‘argument’ — because that was how he would see it — to be well received, you had to give Maul some time alone to wallow.
- When you finally told him, about a week or two later, his emotional state depending, Maul breathed heavily through his nose, though his shoulders slumped. He sat on the edge of your bed and cupped your cheek in his palm, his thumb drawing shapes into your skin. In contrast with the tender gesture, his voice was hard. “There are better ways to show your affection for me that do not include nearly dying, my dear. I should hope that you have learned your lesson.”
Summary: Heavenly Mother blessed you with both her Light and her Shadow, that was what you were taught from childhood by the priests who raised you. No one on that small, forgotten moon knew the Goddess as you did. You were Her most beloved one. That was why, on your eighteenth birthday, you had to die.
Only you didn’t. You fled. For seven years, you lived with the fragile shards of your sanity. At first, there was another, but even he was led astray and you found yourself alone again. Forgotten by all, except for your Goddess. Even now, at your lowest, with your body frail and feverish, starvation nipping at your heels, She was with you. Lovingly held in her embrace.
That was until you met the Devil.
In short, Maul’s new apprentice may be more trouble than they’re worth.
CW: Reader is unwell, mentioned past sexual assault, homelessness, reader is also filthy and malnourished, fever, religious fanaticism, negative portrayals of religion, cults & trauma associated with cults, suicidal ideation, and reader is transmasc but in deep denial. They don’t have time for all of that, they’re busy losing what’s left of their mind.
Word Count: 4.6k words
Disclaimer: I am taking sooooo many liberties with this fanfic, I’m just having fun here and writing the dynamics that I want to see in the world. This is to say that this is my first time writing Star Wars fanfiction despite being a fan for years not, and this is a conglomeration of my own ‘what ifs’ and hypotheticals that I’ve been rolling around in my head for some time. I hope you stick around to enjoy! There’s more info in the A/N at the end of the fic regarding things I’m cooking up here!!
Read on AO3
There was blood on your skin. Tacky, sticky, cloying, it made your clothes cling to your trembling frame. You could hear the chatter of your own teeth. Feel the stinging, crawling, creeping touch of the Lady Light against your body. She could not warm you, She could not save you, whether it was Her will, or merely Her power, wrenched from holy hands into yours stained black. It was impossible to know.
You were so cold, though the sun beat down against whatever piece of bare skin that it could find. Rays of heavenly gold wrapped around you despite the viscera in which you found yourself soaked. Forgiveness? No, even Her condemnation was…
Still, you trembled and shook until your muscles were sore. Your throat was raw, peeled to the bone, addled from how much blood (blood, blood, blood) you had inhaled. The metallic taste made your tongue feel heavy. It was disgusting. Hot, burning— you hated that you knew what your flock tasted like.
A field of wildflowers spanned the space around you, so beautiful. You were home again, maybe. It was hard to be sure. Each time you tried to focus your vision would splinter and you would hear your father’s sermon.
—and tainted by your touch. The wildflowers pushed away from you as if you were a walking breeze. You wondered if the screaming was coming from them, not from—
At your back you was the church. Singing not screaming. A choir. Behind your fluttering eyelids, you saw flashes of the stained glass within. There was a basin carved into the altar, made of a pure white that only the most untainted could be formed from. A statue was settled above, arms open and inviting. Golden sunlight and flaxen hair, each bowing under the weight of what must be done.
(Knives and bodies, drained of blood.)
Blood, blood, blood, it was everywhere. In your hair, your stomach, your lungs. You could feel it congealing behind your molars. With each breath, you could feel it bubbling, coiled deep within. A serpent, the Serpent. The deceiver, he was inside of you, roiling and twisting, filling you with power and tainting what the Lady Light had so blessedly granted.
Holy power, Her power, at your fingertips, the voice of the Mother who would never lead you astray— which was Her and which was yourself?
It crackled between your fingers, pulsed within your veins.
By the time you snapped awake, you were already hyperventilating. Through the delirious haze of awareness, you managed to clap your hand over your mouth to stifle any sound, curling deeper against the crates that you had hidden yourself against. It was hard to breathe like this. You had covered your nostrils as well, relishing in the burn of your lungs. It’d be nice if instinct didn’t take over, if you could fool the Goddess into believing that you had suffocated yourself by accident. Closing your eyes, you focused all of your energy on checking if there was anyone in the room with you. On this particular ship, they had checked for stowaways after each port. You had yet to be found.
You could feel the will of your Goddess — heavenly and holy — stretch out away from you, a sixth sense almost entirely separate from yourself. It crawled through the cracks and crevices that encircled you in a sweeping gasp. Reaching out Her hand to tell you if you were safe. There was no one else in the room with you. Their soul would have reached out to entangle with your own, the roots of your all-loving Goddess pulsing with theirs. Sometimes you wondered: how could they not feel Her touch? In the end, you decided not to think too much about it, it took too much energy. Dilated pupils stared up at the metal ceiling, your lips moving in a silent prayer. You were alone. You were safe. That was all that mattered anymore.
It had been… five? (Yes, five, you felt the Lady Light breathe against your ribs) Five years since you had been left on your own, and seven since you had been excised from your home. According to Neo, your commune had been living on a small moon orbiting a planet somewhere uncharted and wild. The name of that particular space escaped you now. Neo had once told it to you, or perhaps he had many times, but the subject always got lost in his voice. Deep, humming tenors that soothed any aches that you had. You basked in that, instead. He laughed whenever he noticed, sweet and warm, like honey baked bread. Hands encircled your crown, rubbing against your scalp in gentle motions.
You missed Neo.
You missed home.
It was too bad that there was no longer a home to return to, and an even deeper shame to think that you would likely never see Neo again. The galaxy was more vast than you ever thought was possible. Father Sanctity had told you that all who mattered laid within the flock, and Father Damnation said that those who existed elsewhere were riddled with sin. No matter how much they repented or prayed, they would not escape from the clutches of Darkness. Despite this, you could feel it. Within every nook and cranny, the planets you visited stowed between cargo, you could feel the Lady Light’s touch. She had made it all with so much love, you couldn’t understand why only a select few were chosen to walk with Her to Paradise.
There was a lot you didn’t understand. Neo helped you, but he was gone now and you were alone with only the teachings of your fathers and a galaxy that you didn’t know.
You remembered once that Neo had offered to take you to a planet called Coruscant. He had told you that you would be safe there. The Jedi would find somewhere for you to go, touched by Her power just as you were. Unfortunately, the idea of being with others like yourself made your skin crawl. It had been so soon after you had left your home and you could still taste iron in the back of your throat. You were supposed to die— to drown. To relinquish your flock from mortality, a great rapture in the wake of your annulment.
It was hard to remember, especially alone. Shaking, a warbling whimper strangled from your throat as you clutched your head. You balled your hand into a fist, fingernails digging into the flesh of your palm, and reared back to strike. Again and again, you pounded against your skull until the memories subsided and you were left only with a searing headache. A prayer was stuck in between your teeth, quieted only by a noise that you recognized as the ship falling out of hyperdrive.
Once landed, you would stay on this planet for a while. You did not know where or what its name would be until you took care to listen. All you were aware of was that the stench of your waste in the far corners of the room and the cargo you had nibbled on would be noticed eventually. Soon. For your own safety, you had to leave. Your only hope was that the Empire had left your new temporary home untouched.
In the end, it was good that you did not seek out the Jedi for help. They were all dead now, and you remained, soaked in your own excrements and malnourished, but alive. You knew it like you knew how to blink and how to breathe.
When you died, you would go to Hell. You were not ready to burn yet.
The ship lurched as it landed and you tucked yourself away until you were certain that it was empty. Luck had something to do with the fact that they had yet to begin hauling out the cargo. Your Goddess protected you even now. On your hands and knees, you crawled to the edge of the door. Carefulness was often well rewarded, so you asked Her to reach through you and tell you if anyone remained. Two sparks echoed from the cockpit, well away from the belly of the ship. You opened the door, flinching at the hiss of air as it slid open. It made your eyes burn.
Your knees knocked, stumbling out into the hall, barely able to contend with the trembling limbs that you were born with. They were skinny in a way that made you nervous. All of your body fat had melted away in your time homeless, living off of the dredges. What you didn’t get from begging, you obtained from that which was discarded. The Lady Light provided in Her own way, even if you weren’t sure if it was enough.
Pulling your thread bare hood over your head, you walked, crawled, shambled out of the ship and onto the dry ground of the yard. It was bustling, the amount of life around you was enough to nearly blind you. Distantly, you recognized that you needed to act like you belonged here. Pretend like the ship you had exited from was yours to nest in. That was hard to do when you looked like a walking corpse.
Your hair hung flat and lame, whatever volume it once had gone with your inability to wash. Only the rain was your shower now, no matter how toxic. There was a lifelessness to your eyes that made people avert their gaze and a dizziness to your gait that made it hard for you to keep straight. All you had were the clothes on your back, the same ones that you had worn for weeks now— maybe months. They stank, the linen soaked in sweat, tears, snot, and spit. You tried to relieve yourself as carefully as you could, but it was hard to stay upright at times. It was best not to think about it. Pity made for a good protector. You were weak in a way that made people sick to look at, not even those you had wronged would add to your evident pile of hopelessness. You would be dead soon, anyway. With how your vision blurred and the weakness in your limbs, you were inclined to agree.
All that thought did was make you stand a little straighter. You could feel your Her love press against your joints, strengthening you as much as your weary body would allow. Though the shipyard was crowded, and though there was no denying that you did not belong, people allowed you to melt into the throng. There was an Imperial checkpoint, but no one paid attention to the child of the Goddess, so close to death’s door. Lifeforms, humanoid and not, walked alongside you, a testament to the creativity of the Mother. Your head swam, the world melding into a blend of watercolors. It was a pretty painting.
You walked for either hours or minutes, no matter which, it ended in you panting. Drool seeped down your chin, the city streets bursting with an energy that you lacked. Swallowing the ball of spit that had built against your tongue, you felt it slide down your esophagus, slow and steady, before it plopped into your empty stomach. There was a wall against your shoulder, smooth and made of some sort of clay. It was hard to see considering that you were collapsed against it. Your body was hot with fever.
“Oh, my Lady,” You murmured, even your voice sounded foreign. “Forgive me for my cowardice, I am not yet ready to die.” Someone bumped into you, pitching you forward onto your hands and knees. The ground peeled back the skin of your palms. If you deluded yourself, you could almost hear them apologize. “Give unto me a savior.” Quieter now, the words were more of a sob than a prayer, “Help me.”
Nobody heard you cry out.
You crawled forward into the mouth of an alley, the voice of your Goddess whispering haunting promises against the base of your skull. Follow me, She said. Let me lead you to a new beginning. Something dark began pulsing along your back, and you knew that this was not the voice of your Mother, but the voice of Envy and Pride. The Devil, or some other demon meaning to lead you into temptation in your time of weakness. To know that when you died, no matter if you resisted or not, you would be led astray made it hard to deny this voice. It was not new, nor was it separate from your Goddess, they were two sides of the same coin, you had come to find.
One frightened you more than the other. Yet, you were so desperate, you tensed your fragile muscles to keep from crawling forward. Oh, how you wanted to be saved, to be well-fed and smiling once more. Mortal life was meant as a trial, that is what Father Sanctity said, it was not meant to be happy. It was meant to make you suffer, to make you weak to the call of darkness. You had to be stronger than that.
After so long, you weren’t sure if you had it in you to be strong anymore.
“Are you okay?” A voice pulled you away from the call and your body snapped to kneel, then bent backwards to stare, curled, at the big eyes of a child. The innocent, the tender, the meek and mild, untouched by sin. It took everything within you to smile. The child grimaced and wrinkled their nose. “You smell really bad.”
It was nearly impossible to flip around to face them. You were panting from exertion by the time you were done, though your smile never waned. “Oh, Heavenly Mother, I thank you for your holy light, for this child shines like a star amidst the black.”
“… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ten. The child had to be ten, you felt it in your bones. In their hand was a box that smelled of savory spiced meats and sauces. They followed your gaze as it flickered from them to the box. “Are you hungry?” When you nodded vigorously, the child frowned. “It’s not very good, I didn’t like it much.”
“Any gift from the Lady will be accepted with joy and grace.” You licked your lips before bowing your head and outstretching your hands. “Please. Have mercy.”
The plastic container was heavy in your hands and you nearly began to weep. Considering the discomforted way that the child stepped away from you, it seemed that you were unable to keep the tears from flowing.
“I have to go now. I…” Pity swam in their expression, staring at you as though you were a baby animal left to die, looking almost as natural as the disgust the emotion had mingled with. “I hope things get better for you.”
“I have been blessed,” You began to ramble, not noticing the child’s receding footsteps. Between each bite you brought to your mouth with your bare and shaking hands, you thanked your Goddess for this meal. Your stomach clenched, angry at being filled so fast. How long had it been since you had last eaten? Moving didn’t hurt as bad as it did before, your thoughts far less sluggish and vision unblurring.
It was now, with a full belly and dirty hands, that you finally took in your surroundings.
The roads were made of well trod dirt, and occasionally, cobblestones when you looked farther down the street. Tall buildings reached skyward, likely to keep out the sweltering heat that licked against your bones. With small windows, and arching doorways, the architecture was beautiful in an unfamiliar way. Most importantly, as your eyes scanned the holographic screens that lined the streets, it seemed that the Empire had yet to touch here too much. The Goddess smiled upon you yet again, it seemed.
Though your limbs continued to shake, you tucked the container, still filled with food, into your shawl. Nowadays, it only took a little to fill you up. Your stomach had shrunken so small that it could barely hold but a few mouthfuls. Eventually, you would be hungry again. It was nice to know that you did not have to go digging through the trash to get sustenance once more. Behind you, that dark voice continued to beg for you to follow. Something interesting would happen if you did. You paid it no mind, choosing instead to make your way back, deeper into the crowd, to find somewhere to sleep. Boring was better, especially when all you wanted to do was survive. With your belly so full, your eyelids were starting to grow heavy.
Unfortunately, the street opened up to display a bazaar at the peak of the day. A dainty frown decorated your features. There were too many people here, too much temptation. Jewels that could buy you months of comfort, food that smelled better than the box you held against your chest, weapons to protect yourself with, it all sang to you. Stealing was a sin, and you had sinned far too much already. Your soul could only bear so much without Lady Light’s intervention. Her kindness had limits, Her wrath would be sure to follow such a blatant disregard of Her path.
Shopkeepers eyed you, wary of those your type, haggard and desperate. They had likely been robbed before. You tried not to stare at the blade, sat upon a satin pillow a few stalls over, so blatantly in the open. With that, you could sleep without fear again. Though you were pitied and filthy, there were still those who saw you as a body to take rather than a person. Clutching your head, you burrowed your fingers into your scalp.
My Lady forgive me, please forgive me, for I am a virgin no more. You had not been for a long time now, this body of yours more of a currency than the meager credits you were able to find. Even then, you had been taken and touched by filthy hands that you were desperate to forget. You tried to fight, you tried to struggle, all in vain until you called upon Her wrath to smite those who had dared to violate you. By the time you had risen, their bodies were cold and the blood between your legs had dried. That knife back there would keep such an act from happening again. At the very least, you could kill yourself before—
No, no, my Lady Light, I would not dare. Forgive me, please forgive my weakness for even thinking of such a vile act. To forsake the life that you had so kindly been given is the highest disrespect. You had to die a natural death, and maybe then She would take pity upon you and allow you through the gates.
Again, your vision began to swim, though this time not from hunger. It was beginning to become hard to keep your eyes open. Pushing through bodies, you slipped between the crevice between two buildings and found yourself in a maze of alleyways. The deeper you went, the darker it became until the sun was blotted out and you were left in the frigid cold. You curled up next to a trashbag, uncaring of the stench, and wrapped your cloak around you until you resembled a second pile of refuse. Where you belonged, you supposed. Your Lady would not lead you here if She did not feel that you were among your own kind. This was Her protection and Her cruelty all in one.
You felt your mind slip away as the world went dark.
There was the statue and the altar from your church back home, open armed and inviting you against its embrace. You fell into its bosom, face buried in its lap as you begged. For what? You could not hear your own voice.
It is too much, it is too much, please forgive me. Forgive me and I might know peace. Release me and I might know agony.
So many dead, a galaxy felt devoid of stars, blackened skies yawning overhead. How could you be cowering here when so many were lost?
Pathetic, dearest child, my most beloved coward.
A single marble hand found the back of your head, petting and stroking as your mother would have.
I am no coward. As the statue listened, you kept your head bowed, averting your eyes out of respect. Though I am afraid, I carry on, and oh, how I fear. How I fear you, my Lady.
Then awake and learn that there is more to fear than I.
Footsteps were what stirred you from your tattered slumber, followed only by the skittering of roaches, hurrying to make way for whoever had slipped into your cavern. Tendrils of shadows, slick with oil lapped at you, whispering in one thousand voices at once. Something dark was coming, someone touched by sin. You were no dragon, no fox in the burrow, so you remained as still as you could, your eyes shut so as not to witness what walked your way. They would pass you by, mistaken for more garbage against the side of an alley. Would this be another night of teeth and skin awaiting you? Or perhaps would this be the release that you had been waiting for. Once taken, your throat would be slit and your body would remain in these forgotten crossroads to rot.
A ghost of a smile almost chased away the shadows.
Almost.
An emotion brushed against the base of your skull, distant, faraway, and decidedly not yours. All you could do was remain still and focus on becoming as inanimate as you felt. It was curiosity, the spark of another lifeform growing closer and closer from the depths, until it was right beside you. The figure stopped and you heard them sniff, a masculine sound of disgust escaping him. Probably due to the smell of your filth.
“I know you’re there.” His voice was smooth and deep, like velvet. You remembered when your mother had sewn you a stuffed toy out of that soft material and how sweet it felt against your skin. Father Sanctity threw it into the fire when he caught you playing. You remembered watching it burn.
Unable to stop it, even when you held your breath, a whimper pulled from your throat and you felt his gaze fall upon you. You could feel how he waited for you to uncurl. There was no more denying that you were there, you knew you were visibly trembling. A sigh puffed from his nose before a hand wrapped around your wrist, wrenching you to your feet. The container of food you held protectively against your chest fell open onto the ground as your entire body went lax. He released you and you fell to your knees, pupils shaking and unfocused.
“This is who I was meant to find?” The anger in his voice made your synapses explode into an array of emotion.
It took everything within yourself to keep from losing your mind.
Clad in shadows was a man with red skin and black markings, his body tall and lithe. Horns, not simply two, long and curled, but multiple, far smaller than you imagined, almost uncountable to your warbling mind, sprouted from his skull. A pair of inhuman yellow eyes bored into you. His lips were pulled back in annoyance, showing off carnivorously sharp teeth. All that was missing were cloven hooves and a tail.
“I will n— not be brought to kneel by your si— silver-tonged promises, serpent,” Your voice was high pitched and choppy. “Find another to t— tempt, for I am my Mother’s child.” Once you were addressing your Goddess, you managed to become steady. “Oh, blessed be my Lady, gather my soul into your arms and free me from the shackles of sin.”
He crouched down to level your gaze with his, though he did not reach out to touch you. Eyebrows knit, he hummed, not impressed and entirely without pity, though there was some recognition there. “What happened to you for you to end up with half of a mind and sleeping here, amongst the trash.”
It wasn’t a question, but some sort of musing. You scurried away, an ungainly motion of your limbs, and grabbed the vial of blood that hung from your neck. “Fell creature! Stay back from me, I am protected by Her will and Her hand, for She will not lead me astray. I— I am… I am…” Around you, the scenery dissolved and you clutched your head. “Forgive me Mother, for I have sinned. I do not know how, I do not know why, but I have sinned. Take my soul, please, my Lady, take it, so that I may rest. Bring forth your might do that I may dole out your wrath.”
“Wrath? And what kind of wrath do you have inside of you?” You could not see him with your eyes squeezed shut, but there was a level of intrigued amusement. Almost as if he was looking into the past, seeing some weaker extant form of himself from a long time ago. He took another step closer.
Baring your teeth, your eyes snapped open as you let out a scream. You outstretched your hand and asked Her for a weapon for which to protect yourself. The silver handle flew from his belt and into your hand, a voice inside of your head telling you to ignite it. In a blaze, a red beam — like blood, like blood, like blood — extended from the hilt. You staggered to your feet and held it like a knife, unpracticed and clumsy.
He looked impressed, almost, mingling with a subtle sense of disappointment. “You are no Jedi, but you are able to use the Force.”
To kill was a graver sin than most, so you did not attack. You wanted to, oh, how you wanted to. If this was your Lady’s foe, then would She not praise you for bringing unto him punishment? Your mind felt fuzzy and you teetered to the side.
He took a step closer, drawing back the barest amount to narrowly miss your furious slash. “You wield my lightsaber as a child would.”
“I do not know what to do. I am afraid, Goddess, I am so afraid.”
“Does your goddess tell you to kill me?” You watched the interest that darkened his features grow more intense. A gasp ripped from you when you realized that he was drawing closer again, until the tip of the light blade was inches from his throat. “Or will that be your choice?”
You dropped the hilt as if it burned you, backing up until you could feel a wall against your palms. “No, no, I shall not kill. I shall not lie, I shall not sin, or else I will burn for all eternity. I— I can’t, I don’t—”
None of what you said seemed to make sense to him, his eyes studying you as he worked out what to say next. You would not allow that. With a cry, you charged at him with your arms outstretched, only for him to sidestep you. It nearly sent you sprawling onto your face, but you managed to keep your balance. To keep running.
As your legs pumped, hurried and ungainly footsteps sending your careening forward, you heard him speak one last time,
“We will be seeing each other again soon enough.”
A/N: Walk with me here, dear reader. This entire fic was inspired by this one post I saw a few weeks ago of someone saying that song ‘An Idle Brain Invites the Devil In’ reminds them of Maul. And then I was like… okay well what if I stuck a character in front of him that not only embodies that song, but also Maul at his lowest. Someone who he can project himself onto and guide in a way that is fundamentally kind of weird and insane. And then what if I made it yaoi. Are you seeing the vision? I really hope that you do.
A few things to note! Most importantly, if you are sensitive to the negative effects of religion, or a religion similar to Christianity portrayed in a harmful light, you probably should not read this. The main character of this fic is, to put it simply, incredibly brainwashed and messed up as a result of their religious upbringing, and said religion is based heavily on fanatical Christianity.
Due to this being in the POV of the main character, it may be a little difficult to figure out what exactly was happening in their past.
In short, YN was a Force Sensitive child on a backwater moon somewhere in uncharted Wild Space surrounded by either brainwashed zealots or those who wanted more power. So, it was kind of assumed that YN was “touched” by their Goddess and was raised as both a savior and a sacrificial lamb. It’ll be explained in more depth later, but that’s the gist of it. I’m taking MAJOR liberties here because this is fanfiction and I can do whatever I want forever. Like build a sandcastle out of my own ‘what ifs.’ I’m not super well versed with legends canon, so please bear with me.
I have watched Maul Shadow Lord and it was so good, but in order for this to work, I made some executive decisions. One, Rook, Icarus, and Spybot (eventually) survived because I love them. That’s it, I just wanted them to. Instead of being trained by Maul, Devon just fucked right off as soon as the ship landed which has been making Maul bend steel beams and eat rebar for, like, six months. He’s handling it very well. Anyway, he has a slot open for a new apprentice! Don’t worry, Devon will be back. For now, though, Maul is settling for this Fucking Guy That He Found In The Trash.
Regarding a few of the darker tags on Ao3, particularly past sexual abuse and child abuse, I’m still on the fence about including these. Due to even considering the possibility of them being touched upon, I decided to tag them just in case my fingers get a mind of their own. Before each chapter, I will have the trigger warnings featured in that chapter written at the top! I’m usually pretty thorough.
Also the major character death tag on Ao3. I want to be upfront, but I don’t think this fic will have a particularly happy ending. I may change my mind as I write it, but as of right now, the day of publishing the first chapter, it’s not looking so good. There will be ups and downs! Highs and lows! But more than likely, it will end on a low.
Lastly, for all of my readers, YN in this fic will be a trans man, they’re just not there yet. They may not be for a while. Be aware that they will use she/her at first but will end the fic using he/him and undergoing Space HRT.
Note: Reader is based on a lot of characters from a bunch of media, including: Carrie White, Crona Gorgon, Lucy Elfen Lied, and D’arce Fear and Hunger.
That’s really it, though! If you have any questions, you can comment them or send me an ask!!
ao3 / ko-fi
rating: m
word count: 3.3k
warnings: "fade-to-black" sexual content, extremely dubious consent, hostage situation
"Tell me about your dream again..."
Anakin closes his eyes, his head on your lap as you sit on the ground of the temple gardens. Your fingers comb through his short hair. With your trials coming up in a mere few months he's been talking about growing it out.
At the mention of his dreams, he pauses just a little. "I don't want to remember it," he tells you.
"Just one more time," you promise. "Then we won't talk about it anymore."
He takes a deep breath and runs his hand over his face. "Alright," Anakin sighs. "It starts on Tatooine. I'm with my mother and I can still feel the slave tracker in my neck. She's telling me about her life before everything... before Gardulla and Watto… Just like it used to be." He pauses. He always pauses there. The next part is what he wants to forget.
"And then?"
"And then she's dying," he says after swallowing hard. "I can't see her, but I can feel her slipping away... No, not slipping. She's being ripped away. And—and I can't do anything to help her. She's calling for me, but I can't help her. It's like my hands are tied, and I’m powerless."
You're silent for a moment as you try your best to fully consider this. "Maybe," you begin. Then you sigh. "Maybe, it's just fear. I have bad dreams, too. They're not likely to come true."
Anakin opens his eyes and sits up to look into your eyes. "You have... dreams?"
The ghastly images of your dreams spring into your mind. The Jedi temple in ruins, the searing heat of a burning planet, the very garden you sit in now—the garden both of you have claimed as a sanctuary—nothing but char. Anakin's eyes glowing gold. It's only fear that fuels the dreams, you know that. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Since you realized the crippling attachment you have to Anakin, the fear of the very worst that could happen has plagued you.
"They're not important," you say.
Anakin brushes the hair away from your face and strokes your cheeks with his thumbs. "They're important to me," he insists.
Oh, he's looking so intensely at you that you might pass out. A Jedi padawan reduced to unconsciousness by a pair of clear blue eyes and warm hands. You'll never pass the trials at this rate.
You take Anakin's hands and bring them away from your face. "Ani... You shouldn't do that..."
"Why not?" Anakin questions.
The only reason is that if anyone sees it, you'll both be in trouble with both Master Kenobi and Master Fisto. And Anakin won't care. Besides, Master Kenobi is often as liberal with him as Master Fisto is with you. A firm talking-to might be the most you'd get. But there's still your position in the order to think of.
Nevertheless, you have no desire to sour a quiet moment with the bitterness of responsibilities. "Because you're being ridiculous," you tease with a smile and a playful punch to his shoulder.
Anakin returns your smile. "I don't feel ridiculous," he says with a hint of a laugh. "Obi-Wan tells me to trust my feelings."
"Obi-Wan says a lot of things you don't listen to," you point out.
"Well, maybe I feel like starting."
"Anakin," you say, more sharply this time. Too sharply.
He pulls his hands back. "I'm sorry," he says quietly.
Of course, once his hands are gone, you begin to miss them. You want them to linger on your face. You want them to trace the column of your neck. You want his lips to follow them. A shudder builds in you just thinking about it—a shudder you have to work hard to suppress.
But he's looking at you like he wants the same thing so badly that it scares him.
With a sigh, you reach for his shoulder. A shoulder is safe. It isn't a cheek or a neck. Or lips, Maker forbid. "I didn't mean to snap like that," you say. "It's just... We're supposed to be meditating here."
Anakin reaches to lay his hand over yours. "You keep me focused."
You're about to protest the point. More often than not, you're his primary distraction and vice versa, but he closes his eyes before you can say anything and takes a deep breath. His hand is still on yours.You ought to meditate, but he's giving you a perfect opportunity to study his face, a luxury you rarely have. So often, you're afraid to stare at him. Afraid of someone seeing and guessing why you'd want to.
“I like it here,” he says, keeping his eyes closed and gripping your hand just a little tighter. “I always have, ever since I was young.”
“We’re still young,” you point out.
Anakin smiles. “Younger.”
In the following silence, you finally make yourself close your eyes, focusing only on the feeling of Anakin’s hand on yours. It is, funnily enough, something of a tether rather than a hindrance. There is a sense of belonging that comes with it that can almost erase the fear.
When enough time has passed, you take one more deep breath and open your eyes to find Anakin looking at you again. You pull your hand reluctantly away.
“We should go soon,” you whisper, and Anakin nods.
There’s no point in lingering any longer, really. Together, you stand and head for the door.
“I really hate to leave this place sometimes,” you admit, just before you leave. “I’ve always liked it here, too.”
Anakin hums.
“Do you know what Master Fisto told me once?”
He gives you a questioning look, urging you to continue.
“He said: the Jedi who keeps the garden keeps the peace,” you say. “I didn’t understand what that meant at first, but I think I do now.”
“What does it mean?” he asks.
“Look at this place,” you urge him. “Where else can any one of us go to better soothe a troubled mind?”
If he agrees, he doesn’t say so, and now your time with him is up. Before you part ways, he grabs your hand and squeezes it tightly.
The next months are a whirlwind. By the time you pass your trials, the Clone Wars have begun. One by one, Jedi are called to the battlefront. Even Master Fisto goes, and that’s not a parting without its hardships. Yet, worse even than saying goodbye to your former master is saying goodbye to Anakin.
When he approaches you, you’re working in the temple gardens which seems to be a more or less permanent position. Not that you can complain; you’re very satisfied with your work, and Anakin’s visits have been frequent.
This one begins as any other. The minute he enters the garden, he finds you. He’s lost an arm recently, and his hair has gotten longer since his trials, just like he talked about. It suits him, you find. It suits him very well. You can’t stand to look at him for very long.
“I heard you were headed to the front,” you whisper as he approaches before he can say anything to you. You’re making a notably impressive effort to pretend to be unbothered by that information. It’s all you’ve thought about since you heard it days ago.
“Hello to you, too,” he says. There’s a strange energy brimming from him. Excitement, almost. It doesn’t suit him as well as his other changes. It fits him strangely. “We leave next week after the garrison is finished with their training.”
A deep burden takes root in you, but you nod, accepting it. “I wish you the best, my friend,” you say. “Stay safe for me, will you?”
His gaze darts anxiously around the gardens as he steps closer. “That’s actually why I came,” he says. “I wanted to talk to you.”
A glance over either shoulder tells you that you’re alone, so you step closer to Anakin and nod. “Yes?” you say.
He’s caught you firmly in his gaze, but you watch him falter with the grasp. The confidence and excitement that he approached you with begins to wane, and there is the beginning of something like fear behind his eyes.
“What’s the matter, Ani?” you ask, keeping your voice soft.
He drops his gaze down to the floor and swallows hard as his fingers twitch at his sides. “You know, don’t you?” he asks you without ever once looking at you. “I suppose you have to know by now.”
“Know what?” you press, ducking to try to catch his eyes once again. “Anakin…”
It all happens in a moment. The moment you recapture his gaze and fully understand the whole world of feeling behind it, he kisses you, and it’s equally everything you dreamed and your very worst nightmare. For a moment, you allow it, as much as you allow yourself to pretend that this can be more than what it is. Somehow, your hands come to rest on the back of his neck, inadvertently encouraging him to deepen the kiss.
His thumbs are brushing the apples of your cheeks, and you always knew this kind of tenderness was in him. You don't know how to handle it with the care that it deserves. When he pulls away, you don’t know what to say.
The silence is ripping a hole in the ground. You stand on fraying threads, waiting at any time to fall through.
Maybe it isn’t what you ought to say, but it’s the only thing you can muster up. “Don’t do this,” you say, half through your teeth.
“Everything I do is for you,” he admits slowly, hands still resting lightly on your arms. “I don’t know how else to be.”
“Not like this,” you tell him, trying to mean it.
It’s too much to watch him come to an understanding, but you watch it anyway. Like a shipwreck that you can’t tear your eyes away from… You want to fix it, immediately. There is no way you can. The feeling of his hands leaving you is an even stronger feeling than when he touches you at all.
You turn away from him at his first backward step, and you don’t watch when he finally leaves you. It’s nearly three years before you truly see him again.
All this time, he’s known where he can find you, of course; but there’s been no effort on his part or yours, for that matter. Sometimes, in the Temple, you think you catch glimpses of him. Worse, you see him from behind and turn yourself in the other direction. You make it easier by convincing yourself that he must do the same thing.
But in the gardens, there’s no denying each other’s presence. You always feel him the minute he walks in, infrequent though his visits are. You have to wonder if he feels the same inescapable pull.
Three years ago, you wouldn’t let him tell you how deeply his feelings for you ran. Now, it’s all you can think about. It’s a kind of torture that even the gardens can rarely soothe, and for three years, you’ve dealt with it the best you can. Yet, despite your best efforts, Anakin throws a wrench into the machine of your masterful self-control.
He approaches you from behind, but (of course) you don’t need him to announce himself. You’ve felt him the moment he stepped inside, his hesitation, his fear. He needs the gardens as much as you do, you’ve always known that.
Still, you refuse to look at him as you clip away the dead leaves of a dying plant. “What are you doing here?” you demand, voice too sharp to belong to this place. You’re forgetting yourself already, dammit.
“I had to see you,” he says, desperate and terrified.
With a deep breath, you turn to face him. To let him see you. You see him in turn, his hair long and features dark. He’s beautiful, and you could very nearly hate him for it. “Alright?” you press, choking it out over your caught breath. When he says nothing, you press all the more. “Why are you here?” you ask him once again.
“I keep having dreams,” he whispers to you after another long moment. But as quiet as his voice is, nothing can hide the panic laced in it. "Like the ones I used to have about my mother before she died."
You set the shears down and look around you. “What do you mean?”
“They’re about you,” he continues.
This stuns you to silence for a long while. When, eventually, you find your words again they come few and far between. “Me?” you ask. “What…?”
“If this war continues, you won’t make it through,” he says. “I’m sure of it.”
“Anakin,” you sigh, making an effort to tamp down the sudden panic that’s shot through you. “How could you be sure of something like that?”
“Because it’s happened before,” he says. “I need you to listen to me. You need to leave this place.”
“Leave?” you ask him. “And go where?”
“Anywhere,” he answers. “Anywhere but here.”
You can see it now, the fear that would lead him there. If this is, indeed, a world where dreams can come true, it falls to you to do everything in your power to stop them. With shaking hands, you reach out, placing your hands on either side of his head, his hair threading through your fingers. “Listen to me now, Ani. Old friend,” you say slowly. Perhaps a little over careful. “It won’t happen. There’s nothing here that can touch me, and I’ve had no word from the council about deploying me for battle. I am safe. You are safe. We’re both fine.”
Anakin shakes his head free of your hands. “You don’t know that,” he tells you. “I know what I’ve seen. I know these kinds of things become real.”
Once again, you try to reach for him, but he flinches away from you. You suppose you earned that, in a way. All you want is to bring him some comfort, but you’ve surrendered that privilege. “Have you spoken to Master Yoda?” you ask him.
“Yes.”
You nod. “What was his advice?”
Anakin clenches his jaw and turns his gaze upward, eyelids fluttering. “He advised that I leave you alone,” he says. “But I can’t do that. Not to you.”
You could bring up the past three years in which you’ve both done a decent job of leaving each other well enough alone, but you don’t. Instead, you say, “Master Yoda is wise. Moreso than we can imagine at our age.”
“Why,” Anakin snaps, “does everyone assume that we’re ignorant just because we’re young?”
His sudden flare of anger is palpable and nearly debilitating. At the very least, it shocks you into silence. It isn’t that it’s unlike him, rather his anger is composed of him. It’s the most of him that you believe you’ve ever seen, and you don’t find that you’re afraid. Instead, you’re fascinated, almost protective.
“We are all ignorant,” you say. “Every last one of us, not only the young.”
Anakin paces away from you before returning again. “Well, I’m not,” he says. “I won’t allow myself to be.”
“Ani, think,” you sigh. “Who among us can truly know the path ahead? I have dreams, too, don’t forget.”
At this, he grabs up your hands between his own in a vice-like grip. “What are they?” he demands. “Please, tell me.”
If there was ever a time, this would be it. The desperation in his voice necessitates the uttering of nothing but the truth. Yet, the words catch in your throat as you see that awful nightmare once again. Even in the safety of your garden, you can nearly smell the smoke. “I can’t…” you whisper, choking on it. Speaking it would seem to give it power in a way. You cannot do that. Not to him.
At your refusal, your rejection, he seems to have reached the final straw. He leaves you there again to your shrubs and trees and little flowers. These comforting greens keep the peace, you remind yourself. Keeping them is your only duty of any value, but you wonder for a bitter moment if you’ll ever see him again.
In the following months, those old dreams that you couldn’t even speak return to you. Once again you see the golden-red shine of Anakin’s eyes as the temple burns all around him. The visions rob you of your sleep and make your work slow and stilted. Still, it’s only fear that’s affecting you so. You believe it’s only fear. You have to believe it.
The number of attendees to the gardens reduces even more if that’s possible. Those who remain assure you that the war is coming to an end, and once it does, the Jedi will return to this place of peace. This, you have to believe, as well.
There comes a day when there are no Jedi in the gardens at all, and the whole planet seems to have gone strangely still. You work through the morning, trying your utmost to keep the disquiet of your mind at bay. Yet, there are forces at work that you cannot deny. Something has begun that you cannot ignore—a great disturbance.
It’s late in the evening when you hear the sound of the first blaster shot, followed by the ignition of lightsabers that seem to do nothing against the onslaught. Instinctually, you reach for your own lightsaber clipped to your belt, but you don’t ignite it yet. Mentally, you make a desperate attempt to rationalize what must be happening. The Separatist forces have organized a strike against Coruscant, a desperate attempt at retaliation for Count Dooku. Surely… you think. Surely, that’s what this is: just another battle that must be seen to the end.
Yet, your feelings tell you what your mind will not. The very worst of your fears have come to pass.
There are Clone Troopers at the door, dozens of them from what your senses can tell. You stand ready for them, igniting your saber and bracing yourself for the fight, but it never comes. The moment the door opens to them a voice commands, “Hold your fire!” You would recognize that voice anywhere.
Anakin parts the wall of troopers with ease and comes close enough to really look at you. His eyes are gold.
“Anakin…” you whisper, disarming your lightsaber and reaching for his hands. It would be pointless against these numbers, anyway. “What is happening?”
He doesn’t answer, not immediately, but there’s no need. Already, you’re beginning to understand that you would rather not know.
A trooper jogs to the rest and catches Anakin from behind. “Lord Vader,” he says, “We’ve cleared the first three floors.”
It takes you too long to realize that the trooper is addressing him as Lord Vader, and yet you instantly recognize it as a dark name. A Sith name. Anakin doesn’t acknowledge the trooper at all, watching you instead. Watching the horror come across your face as you pull your hands back. The silence between you allows for the sound of death to flourish from the distant reaches of the temple.
“What have you done,” you finally whisper.
“Only what I had to do,” he says. That’s all the acknowledgment you get before he’s turning back to the clones to give more orders. Through a blood rush, you hear the secret corners of this sacred temple, your home, marked for destruction.
As for you, you stay completely still—a moment frozen in amber, unable to grow past the events unfolding before your very eyes. The next moment, Anakin is pulling you through the temple as it burns. This is what he has to do, or so he believes. The words wind through you slowly like the spreading of dark ink across paper until you are completely saturated with it. This is your fault. All of this death, dealt out with childish abandon, is to save you.
If there’s anything you can say to cut catastrophe off at the head, you don’t know it. Yet, it won’t stop you from trying as you reach the exit of the temple. Perhaps, perhaps… You could contain it here. “Anakin, Anakin… The war is ending soon,” you tell him desperately, repeating the assurances of so many masters that now lay dead on the Temple floor. With the children. Dear maker, the children. “Why don’t you let it?”
“That’s not possible,” Anakin tells you. “The war will continue unless the Emperor himself puts an end to it. But don’t you understand? I can overthrow him once it’s done. No more Jedi. No more Dark Lords. The Force will truly be balanced once and for all.”
“Don’t be blind,” you say.
“I’m not blind,” he insists, flatly. “I’m the only one who sees the truth. The lies of the Jedi—”
“I am a Jedi,” you remind him, nearly doubling yourself over as you stumble to grab onto him once again. “Have I lied to you?”
He doesn’t shift an inch once he’s under your hands. Not at first. Instead, he stays stock-still as if the slightest movement would shatter you. Or him. Or even both at once. Then, without any warning, he straightens his spine and his eyes go suddenly cold. “I won’t make you join me,” he tells you. “But I won’t let you die.”
It should be a comfort to you, but it unsettles you as much as anything else he’s said up to this point. You release him from your grasp and match his posture.
“Will you come willingly?” he asks, holding his hand out to you. “Or will I have to force you?”
You know better than to refuse, even if your hand hovers over his, hesitant and terrified. It doesn’t matter. He takes you by the wrist and leads you away from the only life you’ve ever known. You’ve never seen Coruscant so dark, every light out but the one behind you. When you look over your shoulder, the fire from the temple is the only thing that lights up the world. You watch the ashes from the garden rise into the sky.
You don’t feel anything at all. Distantly, that frightens you, but it makes the trip through space easier. He keeps you in the cabin of his transport, waiting for some hint of your destination other than the stomach-pull of hyperspeed. In the muttered conversations of the troopers around you, you think you hear something about the Mustafar system.
An eternity passes before you land, and the thud of the ship touching stone jolts you harshly into a new reality. The troopers insist that you’re not to leave the ship on Lord Vader’s orders. Even so, out the windows you see nothing but more fire, more ash.
Death lingers over this place. Whatever Anakin’s purpose is in this place must be some other heinous act to add to all of those he’s committed within the past few hours. It sits rotten in the pit of your belly and nearly overwhelms you when he finally comes to fetch you from the transport. Your knees wobble as you walk across the obsidian ground, and he steadies you with a firm and powerful hand at your waist.
He escorts you to a serviceable bedroom and sets you on the cot there. Standing over you, he runs his gloved hand through your hair and tilts your head back, searching for something you couldn’t name if you wanted to. The tug of his fingers is markedly not uncomfortable, and you’re tired enough to allow yourself to push your head into his hand ever so slightly. You almost convince yourself that you can’t feel the blood that, though invisible, coats those hands.
“You understand, don’t you?” he asks you, quiet as a grave, the leather of his thumb pressing over your hairline. “You understand why I had to do it. You would, above all others.”
It takes more effort than it should to tap into his emotions, and you’re sure he feels it when you do. There is a raw wound at the core of him, bleeding and open for you and you alone. It may just be love.
That same rot that sits in your belly is creeping in at the edges of his mind. It will not be long before even that is choked out and lost to the will of the Dark Side. Thus, there are no other words you can muster to respond. “Nothing grows here,” you remark quietly.
To this, Anakin has no answer. He untangles his fingers from your hair and paces to the far end of the room. “Hate me if that’s what you want,” he tells you instead. “Nothing will change. I will still hold my power, and I will still use it however I need to in order to keep you safe.”
“I don’t hate you,” you tell him, rising carefully to your feet and finding it remarkably true. “But think, Anakin, please. Think of your dreams. How do they end?”
He has no answer. He won’t even look you in the eye.
Again, you say, “How do they end?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” he says.
“Anakin,” you try.
“Stop it,” he orders you, grabbing you by the throat. “Stop it.”
His grip goes beyond the point of pain. You can’t take a breath no matter how much you try for one, and the edges of your vision are slowly fading to a dark purple. You may die here in his hands, you realize, and you don’t have the time or the breath for any kind of parting words.
Again, you say, “Anakin,” and it’s a barely intelligible, squeaking word. Yet, he has to understand you. Above all others, he has to understand you.
In the next moment, he releases you, and you collapse onto your hands and knees. He leaves, wordless. It is this moment, breathless and nauseating, that proves to be the beginning of the end.
The world is clouded here, and even time is difficult to parse, only marked by eating and sleeping. You’re not sure how long you spend pacing the halls of this dark palace alone, but at times you are able to catch the corners of Anakin’s thoughts and understand why. He is waiting for Master Kenobi, you realize. Waiting for his Master to come and scold him like a child. Then what? Sometimes you catch him within the winding maze giving orders to the troopers at his command, and he always stops to give you his undivided attention for a moment or two. He loves to play as though nothing is wrong. To the outside observer, he has made you queen of his little Empire, nestled safely upon a pedestal where nothing can touch you. In fairness, very little does, but not even the great Darth Vader can stop the slow creep of death. For all the fire this planet holds, you are cold. Since the first day, you have been moved to a room befitting an empress, and even in that room there is no warmth.
You’ve hardly had time to settle yourself before Anakin comes to you, whatever darkness that lingers in his mind expertly cloaked from your probing. You’ve had little time to speak to him in private since you came here.
There is a prolonged silence as his eyes roam your body before he finally speaks to you. “I wasn’t mistaken all those years ago,” he says.
It isn’t a question, but you couldn’t deny it even if it was. There isn’t a doubt that he’s referring to that singular kiss that you shared. It has become a ghost in its own right, and you have been the willing place it haunts.
He takes a step towards you, tentative, a matter of testing the waters. As for you, you don’t move a muscle, equal parts unwilling and unable. It’s an animalistic dance, this pacing. For all of his confident words, his uncertainty shows through his movements.
When he’s at last close enough to touch, it’s you who finally reaches out, fingers at his waistband, promising what you shouldn’t. Only then does he touch you, his hands combing through your hair as once they did. You close your eyes against the feeling, whether unwilling or unable to look directly at him, though you cannot be sure which.
From these touches, the whole of the world spirals out of your control. You don’t feel as though you’re a part of your own being as you work together to remove all barriers between you, little piece by little piece until nothing separates your bodies but space. Even that disappears in short order. His good hand traces the length of your body, skin over skin.
There’s nothing left to do except to let yourself be taken. You feel yourself going limp, pliable and willing to be so as long as no thought is required of you.
Everything is in contradiction to itself. He makes quick work of entering you, hips stuttering as he presses in, mouth opened in an abandoned gasp. It’s insult and comfort in one. Under such circumstances, you could hardly make yourself match his increasingly frantic movements, but you cannot help but hold onto him. When he finishes in you, it is a warm feeling, and a bitter one.
He huffs heavy breaths into the curve of your neck until he falls soundly asleep but never says another word to you. Your hands stay splayed over his skin as though you couldn’t bear to move them.
The nights are long on Mustafar, and you sleep as often as Anakin and your mind will allow. At least you dream, feverish though your dreams tend to be. In your mind, you follow rivers of blood until they clear into fresh and sparkling water. You drink from the springs (the water is sweet) and look up across the stream to Anakin as you once knew him. He wears a shirt of white linen and looks up at the triplet suns that shine across the sky of an unknown planet. With a breath, he closes his eyes. Your dreams do more than comfort you. They give you hope, even as you feel your life slipping away.
On another night like that one, after Anakin has summoned you to his chambers and had his way, he lingers for a moment in silence. He is seated on the edge of the bed, and where his emotions were difficult to reach before, they scream at you now. All of the guilt and the uncertainty… As though you are enmeshed with him: one creature.
“Don’t you think we’re too young for this?” you ask.
He doesn’t turn around. “Get out,” he tells you, not even offering you the dignity of looking to see if you do.
There is an endlessly long and silent chasm between you for some time. Silent, perhaps, and yet never empty. Confusion fills it—chaos, too. That uncertainty flows from him and fills the space that he drives between you. It is so close to the end; you can feel it in every inch of your limbs now.
You know the long silence, the darkness is over when he comes to you in the middle of the night on the third day of the same. His intent is clear, and yet, he is slow to action. Perhaps any other night, you would spur him into it, having long since grown impatient with his indecision. Not tonight.
Tonight you rest with your back against the wall and watch him pace the length of the room once, slowly and deliberately. When he turns on his heel to face you, he demands, “Well? Aren’t you going to say something?”
“What do you think I’m going to say?”
“What you usually do,” he answers. “What you always say with your mind if not your words.”
You only hum because, of course, there is nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. The grief you still hold over everything he was—over everything you were—has been overwhelming since its inception. To reach out with it another time may prove more than you could bear.
He sits on the edge of the bed and draws your hands into his. Flesh and metal. “Speak to me,” he demands. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Perhaps it would be in your best interests to lie—to give him exactly what you know he wants as you have since the slaughter. He’s stubborn when it comes to getting his way, after all. The truth, however, is all you can bear to give. “I’m going to die,” you tell him.
He flinches but doesn’t speak.
“If I stay here,” you clarify. “There’s something about this place… It’s inhospitable. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know,” he mumbles. “I know.”
“I won’t be here forever, and I don’t know what comes next. Where I’ll go… What I’ll do… Whether I’ll even survive…” you say. “But I know where I belong.”
He doesn’t press, to your surprise. That, in itself, is another good sign.
“I miss my garden,” you tell him, feeling enough at liberty to be candid with him. “It was all I had for so long. The only place I felt at peace…”
It’s another long moment before he speaks. “You were always my garden,” he says quietly. “I never could keep you.”
You push your hand into his long hair, keeping your thumb softly against his brow bone. He closes his eyes.
“I will do anything you ask,” he tells you in a hoarse whisper. “Please, just tell me what I can give you.”
At first, all that comes to mind is everything he could not possibly give you. The temple and its garden… The peace that the galaxy once held… The lives of thousands of friends and mentors… Above it all, you think of three long, wasted years that marked the foolishness of your youth. These he could never give to you because you never gave them to him.
It doesn’t matter anymore. All of those things are dead and gone. What remains is yours to have if you’ll only ask for it. Even so, there is only one thing you can think to wish for.
“Get on your knees.”
You expect your request to shock him, but it doesn’t. Perhaps this is what he always expected of you. His eyes flutter open, and he drops to his knees in an instant.
“You know what I’m going to ask you, don’t you?” you say, and he responds with a nod so slight you might’ve missed it if you couldn’t feel his head move under your hands. Yet, the briefest of affirmation tells you what you need to know: he is ready to leave all of this behind.
“We’ll have to leave this place,” you tell him. “And I don’t doubt we’ll be hunted for the rest of our lives.” The truth of it strikes you where you’re sensitive. This man in your hands has committed unspeakable horrors without excuse. Even so, you hold him there.
“I will follow you,” he promises. “All my life, I have served none but you. I will serve none but you.”
“Then I’ll keep you safe,” you say. “Above all others, I will keep you safe.”
He releases a noise like a sob from the back of his throat, and that is your breaking point. You take him in your hands and kiss him as though it will somehow save you. Who knows? It may do just that. Let youth and naivety be your downfall if they must be; here in the warmth and life that is truly Anakin’s, you will remain. A garden all your own.
I fidgeted under the paper-thin sheets, sweating. It's not just this sudden onset of heat that's not letting me sleep. I've been under a lot of stress lately - so many men from my batallion have fallen ill as of late, the Council has me under pressure to perform better so I can prove I'm ready for the rank of Master and I haven't been very successful in my previous missions, either.(kriff those droids!).
Insomnia plagued me tonight, and the heat was not my friend.
Turning to my side, Anakin, however, was peacefully sleeping. I idly stared at his sleeping form, admiring how the moonlight fell on the sheets, with his toned form beneath them, as well as how just the contours of his face were illuminated by the streaks filtering in from the windows. I wonder if he's dreaming about something? Probably, he has a dream, like, every night. Granted most of them involve giant-sized R2 units with the head of a loth cat shooting lasers out of their eyes at invisible walking bananas (do not ask me how he comes up with that, let's just say he's creative, shall we? Becayuse he is, that's my man.)
Hopefully he's dreaming about me, though.
He never explicitly tells me, but I know that he does. Anakin says that after he dreams about me, he's reminded of just how much he loves me and it makes me act all cheesy and soft. Sometimes, I can tell when he has, by the way he smiles at me after he wakes up, or the cute little things he does for me the whole day after it.
Whether he dreams of me or of something else, Anakin is such a deep sleeper - even if some superweapon blew up one of Coruscant's moons, that son of a bantha would probably sleep through it.
So of course he's sleeping like a baby now. Is that drool on his pillow?
I groaned in annoyance, frustrated at my inability to go to sleep. Karabast! I'm so tired and I have to teach a class of younglings tomorrow. Anakin loves them, he thinks they're absolutely adorable (mostly because they're the only people who call him 'Master Skywalker' (other than me, when I'm in the mood to tease him, that is)), but I absolutely detest them. They're loud, anoying and some of them are just absolute moof-milkers!
Perhaps some fresh air would do me some good?
Pulling the covers off of me, I sat up, but a hand on my tummy stopped me.
"(n/n)? Where are you going?" Anakin mumbled, sleepily grabbing a fistful of my shirt, making me smile. He has no idea how adorable he is in a half-asleep state, let alone when he's mumbling like that.
"Just out to the balcony for some fresh air, sweetheart. Can't sleep." I replied, leaning back to run a hand through his sand-blonde locks.
"What? Why, what happened?" Anakin asked, sitting up suddenly, rubbing his eyes as he did so. "Are you alright?"
"Mhm. Just tired and sleepless." I told him, popping my fingers.
"It's fine gorgeous, come here for a spell, will you?" he asked and I nodded, crawling towards him so Anakin could envelop me in his arms.
"Everything alright?" Anakin whispered into my hair, nuzzling his nose into the crown of my head.
"Better now that I'm here." I flirted cheekily, shooting him a mischievous grin. Anakin chuckled and I felt the low rumble of his chest against my side.
"Yeah? Why don't you lay down with me then, and if you still can't sleep, then we can watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians until we pass out." he suggested.
"Are you just saying that because you're afraid to be alone in bed?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Maybe." Anakin said, biting his bottom lip seductively.
"You're a 5 year old at heart, I swear." I told him, leaning in for a quick peck before lying back down against my pillow.
"A 5 year old that you love?" Anakin asked hopefully, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist.
"Of course." I assured him, snuggling into his shoulder.
Anakin and I laid there peacefully for a few minutes.
Until I started feeling hot again.
"Princess, why are you squirming?" Anakin questioned exasperatedly.
"Ani, I'm feeling warm." I whined.
"And you called me a 5 year old?"
"Hey, stop making fun of my misery!"
"I'm not!"
"Yes you are!"
"Am not!"
"Shut up, I'm already in pain." I groaned.
"Well, is there something I can do about it?" Anakin asked matter-of-fact-ly, rolling his eyes.
"You're mean." I pouted.
"Stop groaning, then I'll be nice." Anakin replied snarkily.
"Wait, turn over." I commanded, and Anakin obediently turned onto his other side.
"Yes Ma'am." He replied, for no other reason than to annoy me. I was about to get up and yell at him, still annoyed and sleep-deprived, but then I realised how nice it was now that he had turned around.
"Oh, wait, much better." I said, nuzzling my nose into the nape of his neck. Whenever I need to be comforted, I always made him be the little spoon. I don't know why, I like being the big spoon when I'm upset or need comforting. It's the exact opposite of normal, but that's how we are?
"That tickles." he giggled as I breathed onto his skin.
"Yeah? I'll show you what tickles." I threatened playfully, ghosting my fingers over his tickle spot.
"(Y/n), no." He warned.
"Yes." I replied evilly, before mercilessly tickling him.
"No! No! Stop it!" He laughed, squirming unfathomably in my hold.
"Sorry, I can't hear you." I chuckled, enjoying his discomfort as I cruelly day my fingers further into his skin.
"Ng- ah- (y/n), arghhh!" Anakin roared before I finally decided to have mercy on him and let him go.
"Good lord, don't ever do that again." He wheezed.
"I don't know, I kind of like it." I teased, elbowing him.
"You're mean." He whispered, drawing me into his arms again.
"But you love it." I mumbled against his collarbone.
"I do. Now hush and go to sleep." Anakin said, squeezing me in his strong arms.
Imagine this guys, Clone trooper x reader where they have a kid who is half-clone. (In this case I'm using Captain Rex as the trooper, we love Rex in this household <3)
Like- just imagine, for clones dating is a bigass taboo and the fact that now, he has a kid with none other than you is both the biggest miracle and the biggest fear he ever felt. Because he wants to love you, he really does! I mean, he is over the moon and buzzing with energy that he is able to even HAVE a family. But he knows the risks, knows that if anyone found out it's over, he is going to be decommissioned and, oh maker, he doesn't even want to think about what would happen to you! Not to mention how worried he is that, due to his sped-up aging, he won't be able to always be there for his adi'ka or you.
But then..your child is born and he just stares, the child has his hair and nose but your eyes and in that moment, all his worries are gone. Of course he can't be always there but (in this scenario where I wrote this with Rex in mind) he tries to get help from his brothers and general, who, the moment they learn about you AND the baby, immediately go full uncle mode and help out in any way. Of course they still keep it hidden from anyone, aside from the other clones or generals they trust the most, because c'mon, they are just as worried about the three of you as you are.
Then the years pass, you work whatever job you can while raising your half-clone child whose now practically a teen and my god does he look almost identical to your partner but thanks to you, there are some features that make him different. Everything is great, your child looks up to their father and your partner looks at them with pure adoration and love, promising to always cherish you and them...
...
Then Order 66 hits..and everything turns upside down...
You don't even know if your husband is dead or alive or even still himself? All you hear on the streets and holos is that the Jedi betrayed the Chancellor and attempted to kill him. Your husband isn't answering their holo or commlink, your teen is confused and worried. All you have now is eachother and the hope that you'll probably see your husband again.
More time passes, you have been hiding with your child who is now a young adult, listening in on the news about the Rebellion while making sure that the Empire doesn't know about your child.
...
Then one day..while the two of you are scavenging for food and supplies for your hide-out..you ran into a group of rebels..and see him again for the first time in maker knows how long. You are frozen in one place as your child has their gun trained on the rebels who are in the same position, aside from him..
You don't know how to feel, you haven't seen him in so long, he still has those beautiful eyes..yet he looks so much older than before. The Force must've been with him that he is even alive! You want to cry, yell, hug him, slap him for not sending you a holo or trying to contact you..but you just stand there, looking at him with years worth of longing and yearning..
He is looking at you the same way before stepping closer..and closer..until he is in reach. He doesn't know if he is still worthy for your love but maker, he is willing to do everything in his power to be worthy again. The dam breaks when your tears spill down your cheeks and with a broken sob, you hug him tightly. He hugs you back just as tightly, tears streaming down his face..he was so so worried that he lost you..he doesn't even realise his child is standing before him until he let's go of you and looks at his child.
By the Force, they look almost just like him! Except for those oh so charming features that they got from you..he knows he has a lot to make up for and he is willing to do everything to be the same dad his kid loved before. Your kid, at first, doesn't even realise that the man standing before them is their dad. Sure, they remember their uncles pretty well but have seen to forget about the enhanced aging. Only after their father calls them that nickname, that nickname that only their father used, they realise who he is.
They hug their father tightly, you join in on the hug and for the first time in years..you feel whole again..
PAIRING \ Torrent Company x GN!Reader (Rex, Fives, Echo, Kix, Hardcase, Jesse, Tup)
SYNOPSIS \ How the troopers of Torrent Company act when they have a crush on you.
WARNING(S) \ None
AUTHOR'S NOTE \ This took me an insanely long time to finish, but here we are! Yes, the Mon Gala is a reference to the Met Gala. I am inordinately proud of it.
CAPTAIN REX
Rex is awkward—awkward around you when he realizes how strong his feelings are and awkward doing anything about it. He does more fumbling than flirting in the beginning, stuck in his head and panicking about it, but he gets more comfortable over time.
Give him a break, he’s doing his best.
Despite being standoffish in his affections, Rex is a gentleman and he’ll prove it to you in a million little actions. When you’re commuting through Coruscant, he’ll always walk on the side of you closest to traffic. If there aren’t enough seats of everyone at a group gathering, he would immediately get up and give you his. The second that you admit to being cold, he’s giving you some of his spare blacks.
Speaking of letting you borrow his clothes… seeing you wearing them for the first time almost breaks his brain. He just stands there and stares at you, eyes wide and head buzzing. All he can think about is how karking gorgeous you are, and how he can get you to replace your entire wardrobe with his stuff.
Later, he tells you that you can “just keep it”, and that he has plenty of replacements. He is not subtle at all, and thus deserves all the shit he’s going to get for it.
Rex doesn’t often show up to plans that aren’t mission-critical, not unless a few members of Torrent Company drag him along. Or, if he knows that you’re going to be there.
He could be at the Mon Gala, with all the most famous and wealthy beings on Coruscant, and he’ll literally just show up and talk to you the entire time. If he can’t, if he’s trapped in a conversation that’s actually important or you’re pulled away, he’ll watch from a distance until he can make his way back.
Rex knows his priorities. With a little luck, he might just become as important to you as you are to him.
ARC TROOPER ECHO
Echo’s feelings are pretty contained, much like the trooper himself, but the way he looks at you gives it all away.
You can be doing anything and he’ll be staring at you with literal heart eyes, but he can’t help it. You’re cute. He’ll watch you go about your life, perfectly intent until the warmth in his chest spills over and forces his gaze away to sort through his thoughts.
He’s on the other side of the damn room and you’ve somehow made him go all shy.
Echo’s observant—kind of has to be, as an ARC trooper—and he’ll catalog every habit of yours down to the littlest detail. A part of him craves the intimacy of knowing everything about you, something that fuels his quiet delight at being able to suss out what you’re thinking when others can’t.
More often than not, his insight into you catches you off guard. Convincing others that you aren’t scared out of your mind is practically a job requirement, but somehow, you can never fool Echo. Not even your bravest face can convince him that you don’t need to lean on him, tell him your frustrations, or hold hands under the table.
Usually, Echo keeps to himself, a little closed off to anyone but his closest vode. But the minute you walk into the room, his mood immediately brightens. He’s quicker to smile and laugh; it’s like all his stress melts away, and that doesn’t go unnoticed by the rest of Torrent Company.
Hardcase has sneakily captured more than a few clips of you two, edited over with so many pink filters and glitter hearts that you’re barely recognizable, and circulated them among the vode.
It doesn’t matter if Echo tries to scour them from the holonet, they become so well-known that clones from entirely different battalions will ask him about his cyare.
He's eternally grateful for the Prime’s dark complexion—you don’t even have to lift a finger to get under his skin. You fluster him too easily. He’s helpless but to forgive you, though, when you smile at him the way you do.
ARC TROOPER FIVES
Fives could care less whether other people are laughing at him or with him—he knows he’s hilarious, and that’s enough to satisfy his ego. The only person who makes him uncharacteristically self-conscious is, well, you.
Yes, Echo has (and will) tease him endlessly for this.
Whenever he’s around you, he’d feel an undeniable urge to do one thing: make you laugh. He cracks a joke and immediately peeks over to gauge your reaction. If he succeeds in making you chuckle, snort, or even just breathe a little harder out of your nose, he lights up. You’re gorgeous when you laugh, even more so when it’s because of him. He can’t help but double down on the bit until you’re too weak to breathe.
Complaining about your sides hurting only prompts him to apologize for “being too funny for you to handle”.
Fives is an incorrigible flirt on a good day, but when he’s around you it becomes 1000% worse. He’s guilty of every cheesy move in the playbook—pretending to yawn and stretch so that he can put his arm around your shoulders, asking you to “hold something” and taking your offered hand in his, or even faux-demanding that you kiss his injuries better.
He means everything he says, but he’s very careful to make his overtures playful. Fives doesn’t want to scare you away if you don’t feel the same.
Being near to you puts him at ease, soothes an itch he didn’t even realize he had before you both met. He unconsciously seeks out contact with you all the time, pressing his knee to your under the table, bumping shoulders, playing with the fabric of your sleeves. Small things.
So, he’s touchy, and about half of the time he doesn’t even realize it. Why should he, when he’s always shared contact freely with his vode?
Maybe he makes just one too many comments, gets a little too comfortable in your personal space, gives in to his desire to see you flustered—but when you decide to give him a taste of his own medicine, he’s toast. Smile a bit, touch him, and Fives goes from a cocky, formidable ARC trooper to a stammering cadet.
He’s kind of okay with his brain melting, though, because you’re so pleased with yourself. And although he’s hot-faced and grinning like an idiot, he’s your idiot.
LIEUTENANT JESSE
Much like Fives, Jesse is a joker—one of his favorite activities is making fun of you, and in a way that implies you’re the one who’s crushing instead of him. It’s merciless, especially when the rest of Torrent company catch on to the bit. Getting flustered only makes it worse, easier for him to tease you about “getting nervous around him”.
Watch what you say when he’s around, because anything that could be construed as innuendo will be. Ask an innocent question about if clone armor is hot to wear, and watch Jesse’s smirk grow as he says: “I think I should be asking you that, sugar.”
It’s kind of a way for him to test you, figure out how the idea of liking him affects you.
His vode discover his true feelings when he actually shares his food with you, sometimes without you even having to ask. It’s kind of mindboggling to see the same guy who threatened Kix for stealing his rations readily let you eat from his plate.
He’d be so happy if you shared your food with him, too. Even more so if you bring him things that aren’t rations. The closest he’s ever come to straight-up confessing his love for you is when you got a box of Mandalorian uj cake for him because he’d never tried it.
However, playful, joking Jesse can become a no-nonsense bodyguard at the drop of a hat. He has a protective streak a mile long, something that drives him to shield his brothers from allies and enemies alike, and more recently, you.
Jesse is intimidating as haran, built like a tank and covered with tattoos, and it’s made so much worse when someone’s targeting you. He’s not afraid to get in people’s faces about it, either, over two hundred pounds of ARC fueled by rage and spite. A little “chat” is all they need to get them to apologize to you—though, in Jesse’s expert opinion, they don’t deserve your forgiveness.
All of his bravado melts when you quietly thank him for defending you. That’s his job, sugar, and don’t you forget it.
CLONE MEDIC KIX
Between carrying out his duty to the Republic and ensuring his idiot vode don’t keel over and die, Kix neither has the time nor the energy to be throwing himself at his crush. Even without his job running him ragged, he wouldn’t be the type—no matter how intense his feelings are.
Rather, Kix courts you. From a distance.
While Kix may not have much in terms of credits, he’ll do everything in his power to make your life a little easier; By virtue of his authority and near-legendary status amongst the troops, he has a lot of influence on his side. And if that doesn’t work, well… there’s many reasons why you don’t piss off a medic.
Little acts of service are it for him. Before you even get to the refractory, he’s set aside your favorite “flavor” of ration bar to ensure they don’t run out. If you complain about being tired, you’ll find an extra cup of caff—or a sedative—sitting innocently on your desk.
Struggling with the mountain of stuff you’re carrying? Kix is hauling whatever items are in reach into his arms before you even ask for help. About to miss the turbolift? He’ll hold the door for you and glare at his vode if they complain too much.
Need a hand to hold during a procedure? Don’t worry honey, he’s got you.
Kix loves that you treat his time with respect, but sometimes getting you all to himself is a high-stakes negotiation. You’ll bicker back and forth, him insisting that no, you’re not intruding on him or his brothers, and you trying to reassure him that he isn’t obligated to hang out with you if he’s too tired or doesn’t want to be around natborns. He knows he isn’t, but you’re oblivious to how much he wants to.
Kix would get so slick about stealing you away. When he has the opportunity, he’ll casually strike up a conversation about field medicine and- oh, you don’t remember that training session? Well, he has a blank space on his schedule today and he’s more than happy to slot you in for a little extra help.
He’d be (quietly) over the moon if you decided to slip into his office and chat with him while he tears through paperwork or runs labs. While he fantasizes about hopes to take you out on a proper date someday, he’s content to bottle up your laughter as he complains about di’kute vode, hoarding the memory for the darkest moments of the war.
CLONE TROOPER HARDCASE
Congratulations! With Hardcase crushing on you, you’ve snagged a two-in-one deal: A personal hype man and an overexcited puppy.
In Hardcase’s eyes you’re superior at everything you do, period. He insists that you’re the best at your job any chance he gets, even going so far as to volunteer your name whenever some mission needs your kind of expertise—annoying, but it’s hard to stay mad at him for long.
Your competence is really attractive to him, and sometimes he forgets you’re not together and lets a few comments slip. Hardcase doesn’t even realize what he’s said after the fact, oblivious to the fact that your face feels like it’s been dipped in lava when he admires “how kriffing good you are at that” and how “hot” it is.
He praises you so much for doing the most mundane things, it’s like a compulsion for him. You could be helping tape him up after a battle and he’s making little observations about how perfect your wrapping is and how gentle you are with him.
Kix overhears this and tells him that he’d better go to you for wound dressing than the medbay, if you’re so much better at it. He just might, if that means he could get you to touch him again.
Hardcase loves your attention, and occasionally that translates into him being intentionally annoying. He’ll pop up all the time when he’s off duty, making himself at home in your office or at your side and bothering you to your wit’s end. He’ll hide your stylus and make you chase him around to get it, or he’ll call you acting as if he has something important to tell you and then manage to keep you on the line for an hour.
The second it seems like you’re getting upset at him, however, he cuts the crap immediately. If you’re not having fun, he’s not having fun, and he wants to make that abundantly clear to you in case… just in case it turns out you’re interested in him the same way he’s interested in you.
CLONE TROOPER TUP
Tup might not be as confident as Kix, or as widely renowned as Rex, or as charismatic as Fives and Echo… and that knowledge can weigh heavily on him. Thinking that, compared to his brothers, he doesn’t have much to offer you is part of why he hesitates to act on his feelings.
Take these thoughts with a mountain of salt—Tup excels at something else, and that’s being an absolute sweetheart. His patience is near-infinite when it comes to you. He’s always happy to explain something (however many times you need) and is the first to lend you a hand if you’re struggling.
Just don’t read too much into his full-body flinches whenever your fingers brush his, the way his words stumble when you get too close.
Being a standard, rank-and-file trooper makes it all the more difficult for him to even imagine catching your eye, but ironically, his status gives him unique opportunities. Doing grunt work around the ship means that you often cross paths, affording him the chance to say hello or strike up a passing conversation. If he’s lucky, he gets the chance to be beside you throughout his shift.
It’s useless to try and thank him for any of his help, he’ll just duck his head and insist that he’s more than happy to give you a hand. Your praise, however, has him sporting a smug little grin for the rest of the day,
The man melts under your hands like butter. You can convince him to do anything if you ask nicely enough, and on more than one occasion he’s left. He regrets it only when you’re half in his lap and doodling on his bare arm, too focused to notice his increasingly flustered demeanor even as you scold him for fidgeting.
Privately, you worry that people are going to use Tup as a doormat—but if you mention it to the rest of Torrent, their hysterical laughter will shut you up fast.
Don’t blame them too much, though. The last time Fives mimicked a whip cracking sound within Tup’s hearing range, he was applying bacta for weeks.
Summary: You're a member of the resistance taken captive by General Hux. His ship crashes leaving you stranded on a strange planet together.
Author's note: I will also be uploading my fics on Ao3 if you prefer to read there. I upload there after I upload here, I will include a link once it is up there. I hope ya'll enjoy <3
☆Here is the link to it on Ao3☆
Content warning: smut, p in v
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We ran out of water a few days ago. The only reason he shared what little he had with me was so he didn't have to drag around dead weight. I've been stuck on a forest planet with one General Hux handcuffed to my left hand for days now. The chain connecting us must've been made for some giant beast because it drags against the floor if we are not standing far enough apart. Apparently, he didn't want me running off. Most of his time is spent glaring at me and grumbling disagreements with every decision that has been made since we crashed. "We should be staying with the ship, waiting for rescue" His ever-present annoyance makes itself evident with his continued whining; he tramples his way through the flora, making sure every creature around can hear his privilege in every footstep. "Do you want to die of dehydration?" I finally turn toward him, no longer dragging him behind but glaring at him from my disadvantaged height.
"Your rescue isn't coming, at least not anytime soon" He fails to comprehend that his rescue means my ruin, and I can not stand idly by while my downfall grows ever near. He was getting mad too, this whole venture had just been silence and yelling taking turns filling the air between us. "So what? We wander the woods aimlessly till we find water?" I roll my eyes so hard it hurts. How dumb does this guy think I am? "No dumbass, unlike you, I have a handful of survival skills. We're following the moss" If he wasn't looking at me like I'm crazy before, he sure is now. "The moss... We're following... the moss." His pissed tone transitioned nicely to a sarcastic one. It was apparent that he didn't believe a word I was saying and probably thought I was trying to waste his time and energy. This is partially true, but I really do want to find water, and following the direction of moss is the best way I can think of.
He stepped so close to me that our faces were a breath apart. We've both been very easy to aggravate since we ran out of water. I try to force him away from me to re-form what little space possible with our current situation. But he takes my light shove as a sign of aggression and grabs my wrist hard. He pushes me and drives my back against a nearby tree. I can feel the roughness of the barks through my clothes from the amount of pressure he uses to pin me between his body and the tree. "Fuck off Red" I bite back.
His anger is now only visible from the tension in the air and the strain on my wrist he has yet to release. His face holds a calm and cold expression I can't read. I try to squirm out of his grasp but he only leans against me harder. His head lowers to my ear as he practically whispers "You should show more respect towards your betters" Smugness coating his voice.
Heat overtakes me, from the anger boiling under my skin to the warmth of his body pressed against mine. There are other feelings present, that I don't want to think about or admit. He may be hot as hell, but he is still the enemy. To think about how damn alluring I find him, or how his scent takes over my senses whenever he is near, is a betrayal of my home and the rebellion.
Speaking of smells. I smelled it before I heard it; sniffing the air a few times to make sure my mind wasn't playing tricks. He looks at me strangely but loosens his grip on me when he notices my attention is elsewhere. I can smell the moisture in the air, and hear the soft sound of a stream. I pick up my pace, dragging him behind me the best I can to the source of my excitement. The long chain connecting us helped.
I come face to face with a cliffside. There is a slight alcove with a steady stream of water rolling from the top of the cliff to disappear on the floor of the rocky nook. All too suddenly I am jolted backward from a hard tug on the long chain connecting us. Hux pulled me close with a hard look in his eyes that told me all he wanted to say. 'Me first, rebel scum' He walked with purpose past me. Oh fuck no. I grab the chain with both hands and yank it as hard as possible. He stumbles backward as I take the opportunity to sprint towards the water.
I feel tension against the chain before slamming against the ground. My side hits the dirt as my chained hand falls above my head. I roll onto my back and let out a low pained groan. The sun above me shines bright and blinding. Hux's shadow drifts over me as he strolls over. The reprieve from the sun's light was almost welcomed if it didn't come from him. He holds a smug smirk as he looks down at me and my resentful expression. "I hope you know how much I hate you" I grumble out as I glare up at him. "The feeling is mutual" He states flatly before making his way to the stream. I push myself off of the ground before following after.
He practically drags me forward, his focus is solely on the source of water. I have to stand and watch as he points his head high and drinks from the only nearby water source; his Adam's apple is prominent with water cascading down his face and neck. He closes his eyes as he drinks; a slight moan of relief passes his lips. Once he had his full he washed his face and wet his hair. Slicking it back in one swoop. The sight was almost... appealing.
Too bad there's an obnoxious prick beneath the nice view. He opens his eyes to immediate eye contact with me. Without a word he slowly moved away from the stream, still close enough that the chain dragged on the floor. I turn my back towards him as I raise my hands to the water.
I repeat his action with a few slight differences. I faced away from him and actively stopped myself from recreating his moan of relief with my own. The second one was hard, it had been too long since I had had water, my lips were chapped and my throat dry. I could feel them absorbing the moisture and alleviating my troubles. Most of my troubles anyway; they cured my physical headache caused by dehydration, but I am still left with the walking talking headache chained to my non-dominant hand.
I hear a sound. Rustling from the woods. Our heads whip in its direction and our bodies make the space between us disappear. Our odds are better together after all. The rustling stops but my fear of what could be lurking stays. "Thoughts on staying here for a while?" I broach the ever-present subject in the air "I hate when I find myself agreeing with you" Contradictory to his words, his voice seemed to lack its usual hateful tone.
We sit in the alcove, which is too shallow to call a proper cave system; it is more like an indentation that leads nowhere. However, it is spacious enough for us to sit on opposite sides of the cave with the chain pulled taut between us. We sit there in silence for a while, which is how we spent most of our time on this desolate planet; each of us too stubborn to speak to the other about anything other than our mutual disdain.
As time passes he gets more fidgety. His impatience is evident in the way he wrings his hands and bounces his leg. I watch from the corner of my eye as he stands and paces back and forth. "Could you not?" My annoyed tone cuts through the once-quiet cave. Stopping in his tracks he whips his head to glower in my direction. "We are wasting daylight sitting around in this dirt hole." He rages through gritted teeth. I roll my eyes at his anger. "You lack patience. We don't know the kind of creatures that live here, and if we leave too soon we might end up it's feast." I am completely disinterested in explaining to this grown man why it would be a bad idea to trek through these unfamiliar woods with nothing on our person to defend ourselves against an animal we definitely heard rummaging out there.
He storms closer, looming over my person and invading my personal space. "We've waited long enough! We must get back to the ship before the sun sets!" It is almost amusing that he keeps referring to that glorified hunk of scrap metal as a ship. I am still of the opinion that we need to give it more time before we can be confident that whatever is out there has moved on. I don't even look at him when I reply, the rocky walls of the cave somehow being more entertaining. "Give it a moment more time"
Suddenly he pulls me up from my position on the floor, his fists full of my bunched-up shirt. "No more waiting we are leaving!" His grip on me is tight as he pulls me close to better shout at me. I practically have to lean back to keep our noses from touching. "I am not going out there just to be eaten, because you can't get your nerves in check!" My voice raises as we glare at each other. "It wasn't a request" Who does he think he is to order me around?! "Good luck trying to make me comply with any demand you give" There's a strong tension in the air as we stare daggers of contempt into each other. His hands have yet to leave my shirt, still holding me close. I can feel his breath tickling my face.
Unexpectedly, the tension in the air changes to something much thicker. My breath gets caught in my throat. Why is he looking at me like that? His eyes drift down to my lips; I'm caught wondering if he kissed me would I let him? I don't have time to fully ponder as he pulls me in hard, crashing us together hungrily. He takes a step forward, forcing me to take a step back, continuing until my back is flush against the rough wall of the cave.
I was raised in war. I've killed in the name of the Resistance. And yet my heart races when his lips are against mine, his hips grinding into mine as our groans get swallowed by the collision of our mouths. While we messily clash together his hands go for my pants and begin to undo them. I help him pull them from my overheating skin, discarding them across the cave. His hands find their place squeezing my ass before lifting me off the ground; my legs wrap around his waist, making the friction between us even more satisfying.
My hands snake down from their position around his neck to his bucking hips. The bruising kiss breaks as we pant for air. My hands busy themselves by undoing his belt, then his pants all together. His lips return to work, this time on the crook of my neck. He sucks, bites, and licks my skin while I take his girth into my hand. He lets out a low muffled rumble into me at the sensation.
I pump his length and message its sensitive head a few times the creamy moisture leaking from the tip being used as a lubricant. I use my other hand to pull my soaking undergarments to the side as I rub him against me. The general's lips roam higher on my neck and begin to leave bruising kisses against the pressure point below my ear. His groans are like music to my ears. With a thrust of his hips, he enters me unceremoniously causing me great discomfort. The pain turns to pleasure as he slowly rocks back and forth inside me.
My legs squeeze around him, telling him to pick up the pace. I look at his face for the first time since we started all this. His eyes hold a piercing, burning focus in them; sweat beads across his forehead as he pushes ruthlessly deeper into me. My hands go to cup his face, a hand pushing his once pristine hair out of his face. The shared look between us is so intense, it's more intimate than him plunging himself into me as his nails dig into my ass. I break the eye contact by grabbing the nape of his neck and pulling his lips back onto mine. His teeth nipping at my bottom lip we devour each other.
My other hand snakes between our colliding bodies, lowering itself to pleasure myself fully. I can feel my release building rapidly as my body tenses. My legs start to shake and our breathing becomes cumbersome. I can feel him shake slightly, his groans becoming more prevalent and his pace quickening with urgency.
He throws his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he loudly moans out into the air. He continues to thrust into me as he rides out his orgasm and brings me to mine. I bite my lip hard as I try to muffle my exclamations. My walls clenched down around his dick, milking it for all its worth. We pant for a moment and a moment only as he pulls himself from me swiftly, making as much space between us as possible. I hurriedly have to get my feet under me as he pushes me off of him. Regret no doubt consumes us both at this moment.
We gather and clean ourselves hastily to get what just happened as far into the past as it can go. What was he thinking? What was I thinking? He is my enemy for a reason and I can't forget it now. More than anything I am pissed at him for kissing me, fucking me, then acting like I am the most repulsive thing on this disgusting planet.
Once clothed I walk past him and out of the cave. If he wanted to leave so bad then I'm not going to stay here a moment longer. The hike felt excruciatingly longer than before with the thick burning tension in the air. I haven't looked at him since he pushed me off of him and I don't plan to. My rage against him has newfound fuel.
Eventually, the trees begin to thin and the heap of scrap he calls a ship is in sight. I can't put my finger on it but something felt...off. He must feel it too, or notice my hesitation, because we both stand still for a beat, taking in our surroundings. It wasn't long before we were enclosed on all sides by Resistance troops with their blasters aimed up at him. I can't help the cackle that escapes my lips. "Looks like rescue did come after all" The look on my face could only be described as smug. I guess my guys got here first. The look of shock and anger on his face was priceless. Someone kicks him hard in the back of the knee to take him to the ground. The cuffs connecting us and keeping me his prisoner are now keeping him as mine.