A/N: I’m FINALLY doing something about my never-ending drafts...a long over due chore. So here’s a cute little thing about the wolf pack giving their imprints a little wolf plush. Just a silly thought I had laying around in there.
Pairings: Sam Uley x Reader; Jared Cameron x Reader; Paul Lahote x Reader; Jacob Black x Reader; Embry Call x Reader; Quil Ateara x Reader; Leah Clearwater x Reader; Seth Clearwater x Reader.
Sam gives you Gamgee. Of course you named the floppy black wolf he’d won at the fair for something Lord of the Rings related. He’s seen the movies, at least the first one, but never read the books and you must have read them a thousand times, those worn-out, tapped-together paperbacks still on your shelf and at least one of them in your hand. Sam had given the plush wolf to you with a little bit of a bashful smile, his dark eyes all alight, picking the one with a missing eye because he knew that was the one you’d want.
The wonky one, the one somebody else might not pick, but you’d pick just to make sure the plush wolf didn’t feel sad about that...if stuffed animals had feelings, that is.
Gamgee was sitting on your lap as he drove you home that night, your head on his shoulder as Sam took the long way back...the scenic route, with moonlight slipping through the shivering trees and not a soul around. Just you and him and a plush wolf, some song playing softly on the radio.
“Which one is Gamgee anyway?”
“What?”
“Which Lord of the Rings character. I don’t remember that one.”
“Sam Uley, you and I are watching all the movies together, I can’t have my man acting like this. And it’s Sam. Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s best friend.”
And at that, he was grinning like an idiot and kept smiling that whole way home.
~
Jared gives you Cheeto Puff. Just Cheeto, for short. And he knows right away where the fluffy, golden-and-slightly-orange wolf with brown eyes got his name from because Jared will never, ever forget the day the two of you met. He had imprinted on your three days earlier, when he’d gone to Forks to run errands with his mother, and saw you in the street with your friends.
Laughing, talking, a bag of Cheeto Puffs in hand.
One of your friends said something stupid and you tossed a puff at him, everyone laughing when he caught it in his mouth.
He’d been missing you (and how weird was it, to miss someone he’d never even known?) ever since, just dying to see you. So imagine Jared’s surprise (and delight) when you showed up on the beach at La Push, slipping away from that same group of friends and listening to something in your CD player, headphones on and eyes on the sea, the sky. This was it. This was his moment, the day happily ever after finally began...it was also the moment he should have gotten your attention before making his move, but, well, Jared was excited.
He was also holding a brand new bag of Cheeto Puffs and walking right over, telling you to catch (which you didn’t hear) and tossing it over (which hit you right in the face).
Jumping up, you pulled off your headphones, looking at the Cheetos laying in the sand, before looking up at a shocked and embarrassed Jared, confused for a moment...before you burst out laughing and he felt himself relax a little bit.
“Dude, what the hell?”
“Sorry, I...thought you’d like them?”
And you did. Sitting on the beach together, you shared the Cheetos and just talked. And it was way better than anything he’d imagined in his head, all of his fantasies paled in comparison to the reality that was you. So when you’d named that goofy looking little wolf Cheeto Puff, Jared thought it was the perfect name, grinning as he stole a kiss.
~
Paul gives you Padfoot. It’s a gray-black of wolf, clearly handmade and something he found at a garage sale. He’d actually stopped the car when he saw it sitting in a box of plush toys as he drove by, letting himself be late to a pack meeting just to get it for you. But it was worth it when Paul stopped by your place, finding you sitting on the couch and reading. He was able to sneak up behind you (for such a big guy, he’s surprisingly quiet) and slip the wolf between you and the boy.
You didn’t even start, the smell of his cologne and the sight of a hand you knew all too well was an easy comfort to you.
“Who’s this?” you asked.
“A gift. Thought you’d like him, that's all.”
“I love him...and I think I’ll call him Padfoot, after the ghost dogs.”
“Yeah?”
Paul liked ghost stories. So the two of you (three, if one counted Padfoot) snuggled up on the couch, reading a battered book of ghost stories together.
~
Jacob gives you Endless. Maybe some would have thought it was an odd name but Jacob thought that it was perfect. The silver-gray wolf was soft, with floppy limbs, and a set of indigo blue eyes that reminded him of the sea...endless, blue, beautiful. It was just the sort of thing you’d like and he was so pleased, bringing the floppy wolf home to you.
And you were pleased too, breaking into that bright, sweet smile and proclaiming his name right there and then:
“I’ll call him Endless.”
Endless became a familiar face in the Black house. You waited there when Jacob was away, rather than with the other imprints, not out of dislike for them but out of love for Billy. You’d cook something together and watch a movie while Jacob was away and you’d help wherever you could. Most of the time, by the hour he finally rolled in, Billy was asleep in his bedroom and you were in Jacob’s bedroom. Sometimes you were reading, or listening to music, sometimes you were asleep.
But no matter what, Endless was there with you, indigo eyes shining as Jacob finally came home to you.
He’d take the wolf out of your lap, declaring that it was “his turn” with you, and place him at the foot of the bed, Jacob’s head in your lap and you played with his dark hair.
~
Embry gives you Strider. And he knew at once who you had named him for: his favorite Lord of the Rings character, Aragorn, using his second name. Embry had always been a fantasy nerd and you were too. When he’d first imprinted on you, you had been strangers to one another and there was only one common interest to bond over:
Lord of the Rings.
You watched the movies together, talked about the books, you even read Tolkein’s other works together. It wasn’t much but it was enough.
And it was not long until fantasy turned to friendship and friendship turned to love. And maybe it was silly, but this was his first relationship and having a girlfriend for an entire six months felt like A Big Deal and Embry wanted to celebrate that. So he got you a fluffy, dark brown wolf with one ear too low on his head and you named the sweet creature Strider.
“You should have told me we were celebrating, Em, I would have gotten you something.”
“Well...you could kiss me a little. Or a lot. That’d be cool.”
And you did kiss him a lot, of course, but it still wasn’t enough. So three days later, you came to his house with a silver-white wolf with dark blue eyes and a silvery ribbon around her plush throat, declaring that Strider needed a wife.
He named her Arwen.
~
Quil give you Mac. It took him exactly an hour and seventeen minutes and more quarters than he’d like to admit to win the pretty brown wolf from the claw machine. And you hadn’t even asked him to do it, either. The two of you had been running errands for him mother and had gone shopping at Forks for her. In passing, you’d pointed out that a stuffed wolf looked just like Quil and, truthfully, it really did.
“He’s cute, just like you.”
“But not as cute as me, right?”
“No, silly,” you’d said, kissing his jaw and smiling sweetly. “Nobody’s as cute as you.”
And he’d decided right there that he was gonna get you that wolf. And, yeah, it took him a long while to finally do it. But he did it, running all the way to school before you got out (because he’d ditched) and waiting for you on the steps, just to give him to you.
“Oh...you are so sweet, aren’t you?” you asked softly, pulling Quil into your arms and kissing his jaw again. “I’m gonna name him Mac.”
“Mac?”
“Like mac’n cheese, for that big, cheesy smile on your face.”
~
Seth gives you Sunny. And it’s really the perfect name for the soft, golden wolf with a braided strap of leather around it, a golden sun hanging from it. It was so cute and it was perfect for you, Seth knew it right then. He’d bought it and, knowing you were coming over, placed it beside him on the couch waiting for you.
“Sunny,” you’d decided. “I’m going to name her Sunny.”
With your bed just beneath your window (you liked to look at the tree outside and listen to the birds), Sunny often sat on the windowsill, as though she were waiting for Seth to sneak in.
And he often did, falling onto purple sheets with laughter smothered between kisses, poor Sunny knocked onto the pillows below and laying just between the two of you. This was probably one of Seth’s favorite moments...sneaking in just to see you, kissing you, and just...being dumb and in love, stealing kisses and talking about everything, listening to music.
Most of the time, he’d snuck out long before morning.
But the pack had been running him ragged and you could not bear to wake him, letting Seth sleep until the sun had risen as birds began to sing. It was only then that you woke him, kissing his neck and whispering his name until he arose. Seth stumbled out of the window and into the tree, flashing that sunny smile as he went. And you watched him until he was gone, resting on the windowsill with Sunny beneath your head, her glassy eyes watching him too.
~
Leah gives you Luna. It was actually Seth that had given her the white wolf with gray eyes, a little moon hanging from a braid of white leather around her throat. It was part of a set, he’d explained, and he was giving his wolf to his imprint. He thought that Leah might do the same with hers.
And she did.
As silly as it seemed, it was sweet, too. Leah knew that Seth would be happy to hear that she’d done it. And she knew that you would like the plush wolf, even if the thought of doing it made her feel a little...bashful, would be a good word for it. But she wanted to do it. She wanted to give you something sweet and to know what you would name the wolf. So when she’d call to see you and you insisted that she come over and stay for dinner, it seemed like a good time.
The house was warm and smelled amazing.
You were bustling around the kitchen in a blue apron and she, wishing to be helpful, was setting the table. So you didn’t notice the wolf until you sat down, seeing her sitting there beside your place.
“What’s this?”
“Just...something for you. From me and Seth.”
You smiled, picking up the white wolf and playing with her little moon charm. It occurred to Leah that you had pretty fingers and she wondered how such a thing could even seem pretty to her…
“Luna. I’ll call her Luna.”
And the wolf was in your arms when you kissed her goodbye, sending her home with a Tupperware of desert for the Clearwaters and your thanks to Seth, kissing her again and then a third time. She could have kissed you forever...but three times was almost enough.
Do you think Plo Koon's mask also has a translator inside it which makes his language understandable in basic?
Because being rather reptilian/insectoid in appearance, I assume that their main method of communication is probably screeching and clicks, rumbles and vibrations.
Also because:
Plo: ... and once Wolffe, Sinker and I give the signal, we will... *mask crackles, unintelligible screeching noises*
*Plo stops talking, adjusts his mask and tries again*
Plo: *more screeching*
Shinies: *horrified whimpering*
Plo: *sad eyes at Wolffe*
Wolffe: *rolls eyes* The General is having translation issues. What he said was 'once we give to signal, you are to advance and rendezvous with us at the marked co-ordinates'. Understood?
Plo: *gentle clicking noises*
Wolffe: And... *sighs* he says he's proud of us.
Everyone else: *stunned silence*
Plo: *soft screech*
Wolffe: *glaring at him* Really, General? Do I have... Ugh, fine. And the General says he... loves us... *blushes furiously*
rip melissa from fear street prom queen you would've loved standing outside the falconer house with a boombox outside tiffany's window blasting cheryl cole's fight for this love
Fix where Ahsoka gets turned into a 3 year old somehow and the 501st have to get to their generals in the middle of the battle with a baby Ahsoka reapeatedly asking “Where’s Mama?”
The clones assume she talking about her bio mom, they get to Anakin and Obi-Wan at the end of the battle.
Ahsoka shrieks (that kind of shriek only toddlers can pull off), “Mama” and immediately runs to Obi-Wan
Everyone spends the rest of the week trying to figure out what Ahsoka thinks they are to her.
Obi-Wan tries not to cry (happy tears ofc) at being called “Mama” he manages not to do it in front of Ahsoka.
Final Verdict
501st, Anakin, the Wolf pack, and most of the 212th: Brothers
Headcannon that all the clones after the alphas have been altered so that they seek adrenaline with the purpose of keeping the war effort going, this serves to explain the entire 501st. This also explains Cody punching droids for fun, any person hyped up on almost double the amount of normal adrenaline would not feel a single fucking thing in their hand if they punched a solid metal object. No wonder the Wolfpack collect shiny things for general buir.
Commander Wolffe x F!Reader
Part 3 continuation of a request for Wolffe and Reader dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.
Warnings: vague discussions of pregnancy/birth, Order 66, canon typical violence/death, angst
What should be celebration ends in darkness as the clones turn on your fellow jedi. The Repulic falls and the Empire rises in its place. You don't know what's become of you're beloved Commander.
Part Three - Despite It All
What should have been a day of celebration ended in fire. The end of the war had been at hand. Count Dooku was dead, the Chancellor was safe thanks to Anakin, Obi-Wan was on General Grevious’ trail and Ahsoka had even managed to capture Darth Maul and help Bo Katan retake Mandalore. You had felt relieved for the first time in ages. Looking out over the Coruscant skyline you had hope. Hope your babes would see peacetime instead of war, that Wolffe and the others would see a life beyond service to the Republic.
Then there was darkness, as if everyone you had previously felt in the force were gone, their light snuffed out at once. Your cry rang out in the empty council chamber as your entire being mourned. By the time you had gathered yourself enough to realize what had happened the clones were already on the steps of the temple.
In a daze you flee the blaster fire and flames with your cloak drawn close around the swell of your belly. Your heart breaks further still with each friend you find cold and still. Returning to the force should be joyous but this was anything but. How could this have happened? It’s like losing a part of your soul as you look back at the burning temple, the only home you had every known ripped away. You do your best to hold back tears as you descend into the bowels of Coruscant. The temple – the Jedi – were your past now, and your future lay in two faint heartbeats.
The world changes rapidly around you in the days that follow. An Empire reborn out of the Republic on the bones of the “treasonous” Jedi. The color quickly fades out of the armor of the clones you spot prowling the streets. That alone speaks to what had gone wrong, that the betrayal may not have been their choice to make. It soothes your open wounds, if only just a little. You try not to wonder what happened to Wolffe or where he is now – or who he is. More than once you reach out in the force, tugging on the old link to your master and only find empty space on the other side.
It’s such an odd realization. You had never been alone in the world before. Before the Jedi, whispers of a memory of a birth family, the halls filled with your fellow younglings, eager students learning and training side by side, then your master in all his wisdom before Wolffe and the others joined the picture. In an instant that was gone, left in hostile territory, ready to give birth any day now. There was no way off Coruscant without being spotted, at least not with your limited resources. You could not risk it. Instead, you struggled to get by and remain nameless in the depths of the planet. Most this far down didn’t care who you were so long as you weren’t in their way. It was a blessing, but it also meant no one would stick their neck out for you either, until you met the Martez sisters. The Corrie Guard had been getting close. You weren’t sure if they were after you or after any other survivors who had the same idea of disappearing into the sea of people below the glittering façade of Coruscant, but there had been too many close encounters lately. You had ducked into what you’d prayed was an unoccupied hanger and come face to face with Trace. Anyone else would have turned you away, her sister even tried but Trace reminded her that someone had stood up and helped them out when they needed it most, so they needed to help you. It was the best accident that could have happened – other than maybe the twins – or maybe it was predestined in the Force. Either way the Martez sisters were a blessing that led you straight to Rex.
It was a small flicker of hope to see him again, a small flame in the vast void.
He also filled in the many blanks as to what led to both your current predicaments. The clones, the Kaminoans, and a chip. You had always enjoyed Five’s company when you were deployed with the 501st, it broke your heart to know he had died trying to warn everyone of the truth. But thanks to him, Rex knew and now you had another glimmer of hope. This order could be fixed. Rex was back to his usual self now that his chip had been removed – others could be too. Rex on the other hand was more concerned about getting you somewhere safe enough to have the babies. He promised you he would. In true Rex fashion he delivered. How he managed to find a senator willing to help you, you would never know, but he did so just in time.
Senator Chuchi and Rex got you off Coruscant and to a trusted doctor just as your water broke. He stayed by your side the whole time and was the first person to hold both your daughters. Rena and Cerria. Rex was incredible but he was not Wolffe. Rex and the others would write off your tears as joy or exhaustion, but they were for your broken heart – broken dreams. And so, you gave yourself a moment to mourn Wolffe alongside all the others you lost before Rex placed your daughters in your arms. The future you imagined may be gone but you still had their futures to protect.
Once all was settled, both you and the girls were deemed healthy, Rex explained what his plans were. He could not stand by and let his brothers remain under the thumb of the Empire. There were a few clones who had already deserted and joined his cause. They had support from a handful of sympathetic senators – which explained why Chuchi put so much on the line to help you get out- and had leads on other clones who were being imprisoned or experimented on. You wondered at how noble he was – he had already given so much – put his life on the line and yet he still wanted to do more. There would be no thanks standing against an Empire. No one cared what happened to the clones now that the war was over. To the powers that be, they were disposable. That made your blood boil. Anger was not befitting of a jedi, but you hadn’t been a model jedi in a long time. You couldn’t stand by either. It was one small way to fight back against the Empire but it was a battle worth fighting.
Rex was a born leader; it did not take long for a handful of clones to become a squad. Boosting ships and supplies from Imperial bases became a day-to-day occurrence. Next came the base in an old mountain top monastery. It wasn’t the ideal place to raise two infants, but you made it work. Everyone on the rag tag team considered you three family. Your daughters would grow up surrounded by uncles. They were always happy to help after a bit of guidance. What they lacked in experience around babies they made up for in enthusiasm. It warmed your heart to see Howzer or Fireball with one of the girls in a sling, talking to them about anything and everything as they went about their duties. Gregor made it his lot in life to concoct the best baby food by the time the twins were old enough to move onto more solid foods. Echo was a sucker for tummy time, he could let them sleep on him, skin to skin, for days if you let him. The domesticity of it all lets you forget your new reality some days. But you couldn’t ignore it for long.
Rex had taken a small squad with him to Coruscant to protect a secret meeting between Senator Chuchi and former Separatist Senator Singh. From their report it had ended fairly quickly. Some sort of assassin had interrupted with a bang. Everyone got out safely and Rex’s team even managed to subdue and capture the agent. It was a prime opportunity. Rex was dead set on getting more info on the elusive Tantiss Base and this agent could be the key, so they brought him back to base. While no one had much luck breaking him for interrogation, Fireball was able to decrypt his data puck, revealing a target register. Senator Singh wasn’t a surprise, but the second target concerned Rex greatly. A young female clone named Omega. You hadn’t met her yourself, but Echo had plenty of stories to share since the Bad Batch took her on the run with them at the end of the war.
You agreed with Rex bringing Omega and the rest of the Bad Batch to base, you needed to know why a child was wanted by the Empire, but Howzer was agitated. He had history with Crosshair he hadn’t had the chance to put behind him yet. You nervously paced the control room, one babe in a sling across your chest, the other across your back as Rex and Howzer went to meet Echo’s ship. Fireball looked on in disappointment at your need to have both your girls close for the time being.
When the doors slid open you could rest a little easier, the two “defective” clones walking in with Rex and Howzer were still in one peace – for now.
“Your numbers are growing-“ the one with the face tattoo marveled – Hunter if you remembered Echo’s stories correctly. His sharp gaze landed on you, but he chose not to ask.
“Well, we need all the help we can get. Once we find the exact coordinates of the Tantiss Base, we have to hit it hard if we’re gonna pull our brothers out of there.” Of the many issues that plagued Rex, which seemed to be a the front of his mind most often these days. “I have questions about the facility, but that’s not the only reason why I sent for you. We recovered a target list from an Imperial operative. And Omega’s on it.” Rex tossed the puck to Hunter.
The other clone shakes his head – Crosshair you assumed by the tattoo around his eye. “Not a surprise. She escaped Imperial custody.”
“So did you. But you’re not on the list.” Howzer snaps.
“Guess I’m not as valuable to them.”
“Or you’re feeding them information.”
“You’re gonna have to back down, Captain,” Hunter steps between the pair.
“You expect us to believe he was held on Tantiss of months, but he doesn’t know how to get back there?”
“Howzer-“ you reach out but Howzer just shakes you off.
Crosshair wasn’t having it either, getting right up in the captain’s face, “whether you believe me or not, it’s the truth. But I’m not loyal to the Empire any longer.”
“You squad may trust you. But I don’t.”
“He’s telling the truth,” you may not act like a jedi these days but that didn’t mean you’d forgotten how to read a force signature. Crosshair held no ill intent; he was telling the truth.
Howzer rolls his eyes as Rex chuckles. “Advantages of having a jedi around.”
“Jedi?” Crosshair and Hunter stare back at you, wide eyed.
Rex introduces you just as the rest of their team joins the party.
“What’s going on?” Omega looked around with a curious glint in her eyes.
Crosshair was the direct type it would seem, “the Empire’s targeting you again.”
The larger brother, Wrecker, laughs. “No surprise there.”
“Why were they after you before?” Rex asks. You couldn’t imagine what the Imperials would need a young clone for.
“To force Nala Se to cooperate and conduct certain experiments.”
A bone chilling answer. What were they doing that was so awful or dangerous they had to force a Kaminoan onto the project?
“Which were what?”
Omega looks down, “she was working on something involving M-count. I don’t know what that means but they were taking blood samples from everyone, even me.”
Concern bloomed into terror. Judging by Rex’s step back you could assume he understood the ramifications as well. Nala Se was a master cloner and if the Empire was forcing her to work on an experiment pertaining to midichlorians after the jedi had been massacred… the implications made you start pacing again.
“M-count?”
“You know what that is?” asks Hunter.
“Well, I’ve heard it mentioned before. But I can’t say for sure.” Rex dodges Hunter’s gaze, kneeling to Omega’s level. “What else can you tell us?”
“When we escaped, there wasn’t enough time to free the other clones. We have to find a way to get them out.”
Rex was sincere as he comforted Omega. “We will.”
Fireball came back into the control room, grin on his face. “Chow time. Gregor’s recipe with a few of my own spicy modifications.”
Wonderful.
Wrecker chuckles, apparently all for it. “Oh, now you’re talking.”
“Wait,” Crosshair interjects, “there’s more you should know… not all of the clones on Tantiss are prisoners. Some are loyal to the Empire. There is a division of clones trained as specialized operatives and initiated into a secret deep cover program run by Hemlock. Their identities are erased. They undergo conditioning. The few that make it through come out different.”
Que more suspicious Howzer. “If the program’s so secretive, how do you know about it?”
“Because they tried to make me into one of them.”
“Tried?”
“It didn’t work. Being defective is in my nature.”
“You’ve encountered one before. The assassin on Coruscant,” Hunter adds.
“We’ve known they existed but never knew exactly what they were,” Rex admits.
“What aren’t you telling us?”
“We captured one. I’ve tried questioning him, but he hasn’t been very cooperative.”
If what Crosshair said was true, it would explain why no one had any luck getting more information out of him.
“You have one here? Alive?” Crosshair sounded more concerned than surprised.
Rex nods.
“Impossible. The Empire would be on top of us already. They have ways of tracking their operatives.”
“I had them double check the scanner. No trackers or beacons,” you add, “they shouldn’t be able to find him or us.”
“It’s not the kind of tracker your scans would pick up. Hemlock’s smarter than that,” Crosshair practically hisses back.
“Where’s the operative?” Hunter asks, “show us.”
Rex grimly agrees and leads Hunter and Crosshair further into the command post.
While they deal with that situation you help Fireball dish up dinner. Wrecker digs in with the vengeance of a man starved while Omega shares a part of her portion with her lurca hound. You’re just about to probe Omega further on Nala Se’s experiments when an explosion rocks the monastery.
“Shit,” you pull Omega down to the floor with you as shots cut through the smoke. You can feel both the girls stir in their slings, harshly woken from their sleep. The last place you needed them to start crying was the middle of a fire fight. You soothe them as best you can, sending calm through your connection in the force. They settle, but you won’t be able to hold the same level of concentration and fight at the same time.
“We got a shooter out here!” Wrecker shouts as Rex tries to re-enter the control room. Throwing on his bucket the tank of a clone returns fire.
Rex and the others duck in, finding cover behind storage crates.
“Shots coming from the back of the room!” Omega calls out.
“Nemec, we need to get comms online.” Rex starts barking out orders. Nemec crawls toward the mail control hub.
Omega turns to you, “what do we do?”
Before you can answer, the shooter hits the control hub causing it to explode, sending Nemec flying.
“Backup plan. Into the command post!” Rex shouts, “I’ll cover you.”
You and Hunter reach for Omega at the same time, ushering her further back into the base.
“Go!” Rex leaps up, laying down cover fire before Fireball rolls in with a flamethrower. Just as everyone makes it to cover another explosion rocks the tower.
“What the-“ Rex dives into the room just as part of the ceiling falls in.
The entire grid for the base must have been damaged in the explosion, the lights die, plunging you all into darkness.
Hunter and Crosshair whip out flashlights as Omega helps Rex up. He turns to you, concern rolling off his signature in waves. “Are the girls, okay?”
You nod, “we’re fine. I’m keeping them calm for now but I’m not sure how long I can manage.”
“Understood. We need to get moving before their reinforcements get here.”
“Is there another way off this spire? Hunter asks.
You and Rex chuckle in unison, “there’s always another way.” He kicks over some spare containers to reveal one of the many escape tunnels he had added as soon as the group moved into the base. Everyone files down the ladder into the spiral staircase below.
“Our leech vessel is docked about ten levels down,” Rex explains.
Howzer sighs, “doesn’t have a hyperdrive though. We won’t get far.”
Rex shakes his head, “no, but we can use it to contact Echo.” Hopefully, Echo gets back to base fast enough to get everyone off world.
The never-ending staircase has you dizzy nearly immediately, exactly why no one ever used them. You try to ignore your unsettled stomach and focus on your girls. They just needed to keep sleeping long enough to get to the ship.
“The ship’s docked just down this corridor.”
“Stop,” Crosshair barks out.
Nemec looks over, “what is it?”
Crosshair points down the spire, more flashlight beams were moving down below. “They’re coming.”
Out of nowhere a shot rings out from above, everyone presses themselves against the wall. Nemec and Rex plant themselves at your side, blasters ready.
Crosshair looks up, “I’ll handle it.”
Everyone takes it as the que to get moving while the sniper stays behind.
Thankfully, the ship isn’t much further. Wrecker seals the hatch as Crosshair catches up.
Rex slides into the pilot’s seat and you slide into the copilot’s chair, powering on the ship as fast as your fingers can work out the sequence.
Everyone piles in, the hound included, who seems fond of Nemec, licking him once his buckets off. “Get down. Off!”
“Don’t worry, she only bites half of the time,” Omega giggles.
“Great.”
Rex calls over his shoulder, “prepare to launch!”
Rena starts to cry at your back as the engine roars to life. Moments after takeoff two shots hit the engine, you can feel the ship losing altitude beneath you. Cerria’s cries join her sisters as alarms start blaring on every control panel.
Rex opens the comms, “Remora-one, we’ve been compromised. Heading to marker 0-2-5 for an extraction. Repeat. Marker 0-2-5.”
Neither you nor Rex can get the ship to course correct, “we’re going down, strap in.” Rex helps you swing Rena’s wrap around to the front so you can curl yourself around both your daughters’ moments before impact.
It’s a rough crash – hitting the jungle tree line first before the ground. When you finally realize the ship has stopped it takes longer than you would like to gather yourself. It has been some time since your last crash landed with Anakin piloting. The alarms have stopped ringing but both Rena and Cerria are wailing in your arms. The smell of smoke and Rex calling your name finally pull you out of your daze. He and Hunter help you climb out of the wreck.
Crosshair and the others are quick to set up a small perimeter, blasters aimed into the dark jungle, but Wrecker looks back over his shoulder at you. “Are the babies, okay?”
Howzer lifts Cerria out of the sling, quick to look her over for any bumps or bruises while you try to bounce Rena into some sort of calm state. “Scared and shaken up, but they’re alright.”
Wrecker smiles back, “oh good.”
After Crosshair is done checking on Omega, Howzer helps you get the girls situated in their wraps. You knew it was a good sign they were heavy against your chest- they were happy, healthy, well-fed babies- but your whole body ached from the crash and made you wish they were a few months younger and smaller. Instead of focusing on the pain you try and concentrate on lulling them back to sleep. The more soothing and sleepy vibes through the force, the better.
“Echo should meet us at the extraction point. We’ll have to continue on foot.” Rex explains.
“How far?” Hunter asks.
“Five klicks north,” Nemec points out a path northward.
Hunter’s gaze jerks up into the tree line, “we’ve got attack shuttles inbound.”
“This way!” Rex shouts before leading the way deeper into the trees as the Imperial ships hover above the crash site.
As the jungle gets denser, you are forced to march in single file. Rex places you in between him and Hunter, “just in case.” But it makes you nervous when you overhear Crosshair and Howzer talking in the back.
“Well… you’re different than you were on Ryloth. So, what changed?”
“Loyalty meant something to me. But with the Empire, it didn’t go both ways. I realized how disposable I was.”
“You’re not the only one.”
They fall silent after that.
Your ragtag squad thought you could breathe a sigh of relief once you reached the ravine. Batcher and Hunter pick up on the sound of an incoming ship as you reach the edge of the jungle. Everyone ducks for cover as soldiers repel out of the ship.
“We have to knock through their line to reach the extraction point,” Rex shouts, blasters drawn.
Omega reaches into her pack, “we’ve got these.”
Hunter and Wrecker launch the smoke bombs without hesitation. Makes you wish you had a bucket to filter out the smoke, the best you can do is cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve. You motion for Omega to do the same. Crosshair pulls your and Omega close when the shouting starts, “stick by my side and stay down.”
It’s hard to distinguish who’s fighting who in the haze but everyone in the group makes it though the line. Once in the clear, Crosshair manages to shoot down their ship.
“How much further to the landing zone?” Hunter asks.
“Just ahead. Almost there.”
Everyone is on full alert as you close in on the goal. Crosshair suddenly turns, rifle at the ready.
“What is it?”
A shot comes out of the tree line before Crosshair can answer, knocking Nemec down. The rest of the team rushes back to cover as Crosshair returns fire.
“Nemec!”
“I’ll draw his fire. Get to the rendezvous.”
Omega comms back, “I don’t like that idea.”
“Too bad,” Crosshair snarks before he rushes off.
You have to drag Omega along as Rex ushers everyone to get moving. The sound of the firefight echoes behind you. Then in the blink of an eye Crosshair and the assassin are in the river.
It’s Howzer who makes it to Crosshair first, pulling him out of the water as the assassin goes over the edge of the waterfall.
Despite it all, it’s not Echo waiting at the extraction point. Batcher barks at the Imperial ship as it lowers the loading ramp.
Your breath catches in your chest. You can feel him, even before you lay eyes on him. But its not quite him. It feels like there’s something between his force signature and yours that wasn’t there before.
Wolffe has a full squadron with him. They vastly outnumber those of you that made it this far. No one is ready to give up just yet though, forming up, blasters and crossbow ready. You don’t reach for your blaster or your saber. You plant yourself next to Rex as Wolffe descends from the ship.
“Drop your blasters. Now!”
It takes Rex a beat to recognize him, “Wolffe?”
“Rex?” And then his gaze falls on you. You yearn to hear your name on his lips again, but your commander falls silent.
Rex lowers his blasters and pulls off his helmet.
Wolffe slowly lowers his own weapons. “I- I thought you were dead. Reports said you were killed in action. That you went down aboard an attack cruiser.” Next comes his bucket.
He looks the same as you last saw him – but it is not the same man who stands before you. He’s something different now. His gaze on you and your daughters is hard as durasteel. You can’t look away either.
“Oh, I did. I lost a lot of good men that day. And today.”
“What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re fighting against us.”
Rex shakes his head, “no. Not against you. Against the Empire. They’re imprisoning and experimenting on our brothers, killed others. Forced us to slaughter the Jedi.” Rex’s hand finds your own, a measure of comfort in your shared grief.
“The Empire wouldn’t do that to us.”
“She has seen it.”
Omega lowers her crossbow. “It’s true. That’s what’s happening on Tantiss.”
Wolffe’s frown deepens. You can feel his inner conflict.
“We have to stop them,” Rex steps forward, “you can help us. You can stand with us.”
He looks straight at you, voice firm, “I am a soldier of the Empire.”
You didn’t think your heart could break any further than it already had but Wolffe managed just that.
“I have my orders. Hand the girl over and I’ll make sure you’re given a fair trial.”
Batcher snarls behind you. “Like the Jedi received a fair trial?” you snap, “no, the Empire – the Sith – will never play fair when you stand against them.”
“That about what you’re doing, Wolffe. I know you’ve been trained not to question orders, but open your eyes. You have a chance at a new beginning, a future not all of us will be lucky enough to experience, and here you are hunting a child. I know that’s not who you are. We know that’s not who you are.”
The conflict flares back up again, but his face drops.
“As your brother, I’m asking you to do the right thing.” Rex’s comm goes off at just the right moment.
“Sir, there’s an unmarked vessel inbound,” reports one of Wolffe’s commandos.
Echo’s ship comes in hot behind you.
Wolffe’s gaze finally leaves you. “Commander?” He shakes his head, “stand down.”
Rex nods at his brother before leading you up the ramp and away from the father of your children. You cannot bear to look back as the ramp seals shut behind you.
