#crosshar x oc

[anonymousartist]

I managed to delete all of my previous work somehow and got so angry I quit drawing. Anyways as a warmup I designed a bunch of RWBY children plus OCs kiddos since I wanted to make teams. Went with original ships bcs I’m still mad about Pyrrha…

#rwby #rwby fanart #my art #bumbleby #rwby whiterose #arkos #renora #crosshares #emerald x ilia #sea monkeys #rwby oc

[wild-karrde]

Guarded - Part 32

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: As always, thank you to the wonderful @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this chapter for me! :)

Wrecker stormed into the armory, almost tripping over Echo and Sabé in the process. “Heard there were some fun toys here for me,” he grunted, the smile apparent even with his helmet on. Echo nodded at him, giving Sabé one last look before guiding his brother back towards the explosives section. Wrecker felt his breath escape his lungs as they turned a corner and faced the wall-to-wall supply of explosives. He couldn’t contain his glee as he immediately began taking stock.

“These are the new remote mines!” he exclaimed, picking up two of the disk-shaped bombs. “You can set the explosion radius so it’s either wider or more targeted. HA!” He was in his element. “And these will be just what they need to deal with the walkers. They’re light and easy to toss. Should stick right to the legs and BOOM! Take ‘em right out from under ‘em.” Echo chuckled at his brother’s enthusiasm as he began passing crates out to various groups and assigning tasks. Wrecker had moved down the line and ripped one of the bazookas off the wall.

“OOOOOOOOOH!” He pushed his helmet up to get a better look at the label on the gun before letting loose a practically maniacal cackle. “These’ll be GREAT.” He took half a dozen off the wall, piling them into Echo’s arms and almost causing him to collapse under the weight.

“Great. Thanks Wreck,” Echo grunted, slowly turning and making his way back down the hall and almost running smack dab into Senna as she rounded the corner.

“OOOF! Sorry!” she yelped, helping steady Echo as he grumbled once more before carrying on towards the building’s entrance, passing Typho who was close behind Senna.

“That’s a lot of firepower,” he observed.

“We may need it,” the Jedi replied as they both approached Wrecker. “What’s the plan, Captain?”

Typho pulled a handheld holopad from his belt just as Tarren and Sabé walked up to them with Echo close behind, having deposited his armful of munitions. Typho brought up Tech’s map of the city, zooming in on the Government Education Center. “We need to take the main hub. They’ve got another distress signal going out there. It’s surrounded by the barracks and a few sets of walkers, but I think we can get through, particularly with all of this,” he said, his eyes drifting to Wrecker, who was ogling another bazooka on the wall behind them. “The important part will be to not get bottle-necked at the main entrance. From what we know, they’ve got armaments set up at the main entrance to the complex. It’d be great if we had that sniper brother of yours right about now.”

“You rang,” came Crosshair’s rasp from behind him. He had his helmet tucked under one arm as he strode up to the group.

“You’re supposed to be with Iden,” Typho grunted.

“Change of plans. Hunter’s injured and staying with her and the others. I came ahead to take his place and help where I can. Now, you were saying something about armaments outside the main complex.”

Typho raised his eyebrow before shrugging, not about to question his luck. “There are two main turrets. If you can take out their operators, we’ll be better positioned to get through the main entrance without getting picked off. After that, I’d recommend you just find a place to hunker down and aim for anything that’s wearing white plastoid.”

“That, I can do.”

“Excellent. Wrecker, I want you and Tarren to take a group and go destroy the walkers on the far east end of the center. There’s a depot over there where many of them have been getting maintenance upgrades. We don’t want those things coming up behind us while we try to breach the main hub.”

Wrecker nodded as he took another dozen explosives in his arms. “Let’s go, Tarren. This’ll be fun.”

The older soldier cast a skeptical look towards Typho before following behind Wrecker, whose loud laugh was echoing down the hallway behind him.

Typho smirked at the departing pair before turning back to the rest of them. “Alright, Senna and Echo, you’re with me. We’ll press the main entrance.”

“What about me?” Sabé asked, and Echo braced for what was about to be an unpleasant conversation.

“Can you even hold a blaster right now?” the captain asked.

“I can-“

“She can’t,” Echo cut her off. “She can hardly lift that arm much less hold a blaster.” He felt Sabé’s glare boring into him, and he returned her stare evenly before turning back to Typho. “I’d recommend having her stay here and care for the wounded with D-4.”

Sabé was about to protest, but Typho put up a hand to silence her. “I know how much this fight means to you, but Echo’s right. You’d be better off staying here and helping out.” She nodded, shooting Echo one last glare before turning on her heel and heading out to find D-4. Typho glanced around those that remained.

“Everyone know what they’re doing?” When they all nodded back at him, he tucked his helmet back on his head. “Let’s move then.”

---

Crosshair stalked behind his brother, the captain, and the Jedi. He still felt some amount of unease for reasons he couldn’t place. The battle’s not won yet. Just the normal jitters. He knew it wasn’t true, something else was gnawing at him, but he set it aside for now, focusing on the task at hand.

The battle still raged around them, small pockets of stormtroopers battling against the various militia factions that had flooded the grounds of the Government Education Center, but the tide was clearly turning. Typho looked over his shoulder at Crosshair who gave him a nod, picking up his pace to get ahead of the group and scout the turrets guarding the main complex. As he got closer, the sniper spotted a large building facing the primary entrance to the main hub. Should be a good vantage point on the top floor. He made his way inside, carefully sidestepping rubble and shattered glass until he found the stairwell and sprinted to the top. Once he reached the top floor, Crosshair pushed into a conference room. It appeared largely untouched by the chaos, the smooth wooden table unscathed other than some dust that likely fell from the ceiling during an explosion. Stepping to the window, Crosshair sighted through his scope, scanning the main entrance to the complex until he found the turrets Typho had been concerned with. As if on cue, his commlink buzzed.

“Crosshair, are you in position?” the captain asked.

“I am. Ready to take the turret operators down on your order.”

“Do it.”

Steadying his grip on the Firepuncher, Crosshair held his breath as he squeezed the trigger. A blue plasma bolt exploded from the end of his weapon, finding its place between the eyes of the stormtrooper sitting in the western turret. Swinging his weapon around quickly, Crosshair aimed for the next turret operator just as the trooper swung around the gun to take aim at him. The sniper was quicker on the draw, blowing a hole in the stormtrooper’s helmet before the man had time to think, his body slumping forward in the gunner’s nest.

“All clear,” Crosshair rasped into the comms.

“Excellent. Wrecker, how are we doing on those walkers?”

An explosion rocked the eastern edge of the complex and Crosshair spotted a small mushroom cloud of smoke and flame erupting from where Typho had indicated the weapons depot to be located. Excessive, but Wrecker’s never been one for restraint. He smiled under his helmet as Wrecker’s cackle echoed over the comms.

“Managed. You won’t have to worry about ‘em.”

“Let’s move in then. Crosshair, keep an eye out.”

“Yes sir,” the sniper drawled, crouching down and scanning through his scope once more. As Typho and the others rounded the corner, squads of stormtroopers began flooding the courtyard. He saw the Jedi’s blue lightsaber ignite and begin swinging, deflecting blast after blast back at their assailants. Crosshair began choosing targets, prioritizing those closest to the front and working his way backwards. Finally, the two forces clashed, shouts and screams carrying up to where he perched on the afternoon breeze. Smoke and blasterfire erupted from where the two lines met. He could see Echo and Senna standing back to back, her lightsaber a blur as she cut through the stormtroopers converging on them. Enemies continued to pour out of the surrounding buildings and Crosshair began focusing on them when the main fight became too difficult to differentiate between friend or foe.

“HEAVIES! NORTHWESTERN CORNER!”

Crosshair whipped the Firepuncher around just as one edge of the battlefield exploded in an arc of plasma fire. There were three heavies, straining under the weight of their weapons as they mowed down the soldiers in front of them. Crosshair quickly adjusted for the range, picking off one of them before the other two took cover behind a pillar. He peppered their cover to keep them pinned down.

“CROSSHAIR WATCH OUT!” Echo’s voice warned through the commlink.

He turned just as a trooper with a rocket launcher stepped out, taking aim at his position. He dove away from the window as the trooper fired, blowing a hole in the building where he’d just been standing. The floor beneath him ruptured with a loud shriek of durasteel, and Crosshair felt the building shudder and begin to tilt. The windows exploded with more blasterfire as the floor began to slide forward. It’s toppling. The sniper tried to stand but fell forward, slapping his rifle onto his back as he tried to scramble back to solid ground. His fingers searched for anything to grasp onto, but all he found was the table legs that were sliding towards him. KRIFF. He felt the entire level slip forward, and for a moment, he was tumbling, his stomach flipping as the floor dropped out beneath him before the wall collapsed forward onto him. He covered his head as best as he could, feeling the plaster and durasteel frame crunch. Finally, everything came to a stop, and he carefully checked his body over before he began trying to move. Trying to get his hands underneath him to brace, he pressed against the rubble on his back. He could hear muffled yelling, but was unable to determine what was being said. Suddenly, some of the weight lifted from his back, and he could hear Echo’s voice.

“CROSSHAIR! ANSWER ME!”

“I’m here!” he shouted.

“RIGHT HERE!” The Jedi.

He felt more weight lift off his back and his helmet visor was suddenly flooded with light. He felt hands brace against his back as more rubble was removed until they slipped under his chest and tugged him out of the rubble. He gripped the left one and felt the stiff metal limb under his grip. Echo’s metal hand is on his right. Crosshair whipped his head around to find himself face to face with Senna, who was tugging him loose as Echo dug his legs out, keeping his head low as blaster fire continued to pepper the air above them.

“I’VE GOT HIM, ECHO! COVER US!” Senna pulled Crosshair free, gently laying him on his back. “Are you hurt?” she shouted.

He took stock of his limbs once more before shaking his head. “No. I’m fine,” he rasped.

“Typho’s pinned down!” Echo yelled.

“GO! Go help him!” Senna replied. “We’ll be right behind you!” She gave one last look at Crosshair, who nodded, scrambling to his feet. Senna ripped her commlink from her belt. “Wreck, where the hell are you? We need you here with whatever explosives you have left.”

“Almost there, quit your shoutin’,” came the reply, and she rolled her eyes.

“Come on,” she said, gripping Crosshair’s arm as they picked their way back over the remnants of the building. Senna stepped around the edge of a wall just as a volley of blasterfire ripped into the stone. Crosshair grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back down next to him.

“We have to get to them,” she said, shrugging out of his grip.

“We’re sitting mynocks here,” he hissed. “If you step out there, you’ll just be blaster fodder.”

She huffed once more, her eyes scanning the area until her eyes spotted Wrecker and Tarren sprinting down the avenue towards them. Senna gripped her commlink again. “Wreck, you got any more of those rocket launchers?”

He laughed. “You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?”

“I sure hope so,” she replied. The Jedi and the sniper watched as Wrecker shouted some orders that didn’t quite carry across the expanse. The soldiers with him knelt down, shouldering the weapons before unleashing a salvo into the main building that the stormtroopers were pouring out of. The structure shuddered before slowly collapsing down, sending a cloud of dust rushing out as the building toppled with a rumble.

“Not quite what I had in mind,” Senna said, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, “but I guess it’ll do.” She whipped around to face Crosshair, her eyes practically glowing in the dust. “You know how to do Sword and Shield?”

“Enlighten me,” he muttered.

“You shoot, I block.”

“Sounds simple enough.”

“Well, let’s go then.”

The Jedi vaulted over the wall they were crouched behind, igniting her lightsaber in the air. Crosshair rolled his eyes but followed behind her, pulling his Firepuncher from his back. Her blade was an icy blue blur in front of him as he fired over her shoulder, thinning the line on their right that had been clear of the building. He could see Wrecker and Tarren charging forward to get to Typho and Echo, who were neck deep in stormtroopers but holding their own still. He smirked underneath his helmet as he and Senna slowly walked forward at a different group of stormtroopers closing from the remnants of the building on the left. Crosshair’s rifle hummed in Senna’s ear as he mowed down the line. Suddenly, she reached behind to grab him and push him backwards. Just as he was about to snarl at her, he watched her raise her lightsaber and block a blaster bolt that came from one of the upper levels of the main building.

“Did you see where it came from?” she called over her shoulder.

Crosshair sighted through the scope until he spotted the marksman a few levels from the top. Righting himself, he stood walking up behind the Jedi. “Hold still for a moment,” he said, and she stilled, allowing the sniper to rest his rifle on her shoulder and fire a blast up towards the top of the building. They both watched as the sniper’s body slumped forward out of the window, falling to the ground with an unceremonious thump.

“Well done,” Senna said, grinning at him.

He scanned the rest of the buildings for any other shooters, but finding none, tapped her on her shoulder blade. “Let’s get moving forward.”

The two of them jogged up to Echo and Typho just as a shout went up from the militia soldiers. Crosshair paused, whirling around to take in the scene around him. The remaining stormtroopers were surrendering, tossing their weapons on the ground as the Naboo forces advanced on them with their blasters drawn.

“Captain?” Senna asked.

Typho gave her a lopsided grin, sweat and dust streaking his face. “It’s over. Wrecker took out the majority of them when he took down that building.”

“He’s lucky we were out of range,” Echo muttered, but a hint of laughter danced at the edge of his voice.

Typho was speaking into his comm. “The order has been given for the Imperials to stand down city-wide. They’re surrendering. It’s done. We’ve won.”

Wrecker scooped up the captain in a bone-crunching hug as he whooped while the other soldiers shouted and leapt into the air. Crosshair reached for his commlink, switching over to Iden’s frequency. “Iden?”

He heard shouting and cheering echo through the other end as Iden replied. “I heard. Are you alright over there?”

“We are. Hunter?”

“Patched up enough to make it back to the house.”

“Alright, I’ll see you there.”

“Crosshair?”

“Yes?”

There was silence on the other end, as if Iden hadn’t considered her words before now. “I’ll...I’ll see you back home. Well done.”

His heart fell slightly, unsure what he had expected. “You too.”

The sniper felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, coming face to face with Senna. He pushed his helmet off of his head, meeting her electric blue eyes with his own amber ones. “Nice shooting today,” she said, a playful grin smeared across her face. He reached down and pulled a toothpick from his pack, popping it in between his teeth.

“Thank you. Not too bad in a pinch yourself,” he said, smirking slightly before hesitantly reaching out his hand towards her. “Also, thank you for pulling me out of that rubble.”

Something in Senna’s expression softened, but that was the only indication she allowed of her emotions at his words. Clasping his arm, she gave him a small smile. “Of course...brother.”

---

The celebrations were raucous around the city. The locals were in the streets, offering the soldiers food and drink as they trudged back to their respective lodgings. Many residents welcomed the soldiers into their homes, wanting to house those that had vanquished the Imperials and freed their city. Typho had organized a group to round up the prisoners, keeping them housed in the Government Education Center barracks under watch while the remaining soldiers celebrated.

Back at the house they’d stayed at, the Naboo soldiers were already dancing and drinking in the yard. Inside, Echo found Sabé patching up Hunter’s wounds with D-4 hovering over her shoulder. He knelt down by his brother, and Hunter reached up to clasp his shoulder. “Heard it was a hell of a fight in the end there.”

“Nah, you didn’t miss much. Wrecker blew some things up, Crosshair shot a few people, and Senna flipped around with her lightsabers. Nothing too thrilling.”

“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

“Is it working?”

Hunter smirked. “We won. That’s what matters.”

“Indeed.” Echo’s eyes met Sabé’s, and she gave him a nod and a small smirk. He knew he’d have to apologize later for keeping her out of the fight. I’d do it again though.

In the dining room, Iden and Typho were greeting one another as Tarren set up a holopad and dialed the queen’s frequency. She and Tech’s holos sprang into view almost immediately. Echo had to bite back a smile at the queen’s nervous fidgeting. It was obvious they’d been hovering near the holo waiting for the call.

“Captain, do you have an update?”

Typho broke into a huge smile. “We have captured the city, m’lady. Keren is ours.”

Echo could see the queen was struggling to contain her excitement, the corners of her lips twitching. Tech had no such inhibitions, breaking into a massive grin.

“Very well. Excellent. Naboo owes you all a great debt. Please convey my most enthusiastic congratulations and gratitude to your soldiers.”

“I shall, m’lady. Now we should discuss next steps.”

Echo took that moment to step outside. Tomorrow could be for planning, but tonight, he felt weary and joyful, perhaps even hopeful. All he wanted to do was take a hot shower, sneak some food and drink, and find a quiet place to unwind. Lost in his thoughts, he crashed into Sabé as she rounded the corner. He felt heat in his cheeks, mumbling an apology quickly as he stepped back away from her. They stood awkwardly for a few moments.

“Congratulations on your victory,” she said quietly.

“Not just mine.”

“I didn’t get to finish the fight.”

“You can’t seriously be angry with me about that. Sabé, you could barely lift your arm!”

She held her hand up. “I know. It doesn’t make it any less frustrating.”

Echo studied her. “Are you angry with me?”

“Slightly annoyed, but I’ll get over it.”

“I don’t regret stopping you.”

“I know you don’t,” she teased. “Didn’t expect you to.”

They stood for a few more moments before he heaved a deep sigh. “Well, I should get upstairs and get changed, I’m sure I stink.” He tried to move past her, but the minute his back was to her, he felt her hand lock around his arm.

“Echo, you’ve been shot!” she gasped, taking in the blaster hole in his armor. He suddenly remembered the burning sensation he’d felt as he’d tackled the stormtrooper in the Government Education Center, and all at once, he felt it. The pain was blistering, radiating across the left side of his back where he’d been hit. He winced.

“It’s nothing,” he said through gritted teeth, but she gave him a knowing look.

“Come upstairs. I’ve got D-4 charging now, but there’s a medkit in my room I can use.”

“Sabé, it’s fine. Really.”

“I didn’t ask, Corporal. Now get marching.”

He sighed in defeat, raising his hands in surrender as she followed him up the stairs to her room. She went over to a small closet, squatting down and digging around in the bottom before pulling out the medkit. She turned, noting the trooper standing there awkwardly in front of her.

“Take off your armor for me,” she said quietly. Echo went to undo the clasps, wincing at the now shooting pain on the left side of his back. He struggled for a few moments before he felt Sabé’s hands on his, shooing them away. “I’ll get it. I can see you’re hurting.” Gently, she undid the clasps and helped slide off the chestplate before moving to work on the rest of the armor covering his upper body. When he was down to just his blacks above his waist, he turned to let her get at the wound, but she held his shoulder.

“Off with that too.”

Echo’s heart stuttered. There were very few people that had seen him undressed since he’d been saved from Skako Minor, and he had every intention of keeping it that way. He was very self-conscious about the metal that crept up his spine and across his abdomen, and he was afraid of revealing the extent of his injuries to Sabé for reasons he couldn’t put his finger on. Rex had cringed when he’d first seen him. What have they done to you? Now, that same apprehension that he’d felt then was growing in his stomach, but somehow, tenfold worse. Sabé tapped her foot impatiently until she saw the look in his eyes.

“Echo, please let me help you.”

Something about the softness in her voice made him relent, and he carefully raised his arms above his head as Sabé tugged the bottom of his shirt up and over his shoulders. She folded it, setting it on a chair in the corner near where she’d neatly stacked his armor. Turning, she took him in, and he squirmed under her gaze. Without hesitation, she stepped towards him, opening the medkit on the bed.

“Sit down and face away from me,” she said softly, and he obeyed if only to not see her eyes on him anymore. Shame prickled at his cheeks. Now she knows exactly how much of me is machine, how much of me is no longer human. Echo had stayed up late at night hating the changes he’d undergone, wondering how he’d ever hold anyone in his arms when one of them was missing. Tech had at least remedied that issue, but still, he hated the thought of pressing his cold metal limbs against someone’s warm flesh. He wasn’t sure why those thoughts were rolling into his mind once more with Sabé sitting behind him, at least that’s what he tried to tell himself, but a tiny voice within him shouted back.

You know exactly why.

He shuddered as Sabé’s warm hands laid on his back. Echo could feel her warm breath against his skin as she leaned forward to inspect the wound. “Good news. It’s not terribly deep. Your armor did its job. Should be alright with a bit of bacta.”

“That’s good,” he mumbled, trying to focus on a spot on the wall where the paint was a bit chipped. Is she looking at the apparatus running up my spine? Or the metal poking out of my pants and wondering if I still have ‘equipment’ down there? He’d gotten plenty of uncomfortable and invasive questions from the regs once he’d returned with Clone Force 99, making him feel like he no longer was one of them, but he was still an outsider with the Bad Batch. He’d existed in the space in between, wondering if he’d ever feel truly at home anywhere again. Things were of course better with the Batch, but he wasn’t one of them. He hadn’t trained with them, hadn’t been brought up with the same purpose, and there were times where that was obvious to him. They were his family, but sometimes he still felt separate.

A slight sting in his back brought his mind back to the present as Sabé flushed the wound with a saline solution before carefully patting it dry. “I’m sorry. I know that probably didn’t feel great,” she whispered before leaning forward and Echo stiffened as he felt her breath against his skin once more, blowing gently against the damaged area. Suddenly, he felt a soft sensation near the wound, warm and damp mixed with her breath, and he realized she was kissing the skin around the wound. He froze, not daring to move as she sat back, not commenting on it as she carefully placed the bacta patch over the injury, smoothing the adhesive down gently.

“There. All done.”

Echo’s mouth had gone dry, and he kept staring at the wall, unsure of what to do as he felt her hands linger on his sides. Finally, she moved away from him, and he released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Sabé came to sit in front of him, her knees resting against his. He found himself unable to meet her eyes, but he felt her fingers slipping under his chin, pulling his gaze up to meet hers.

“What is it?” she asked quietly.

“It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.”

He glanced at her, his mouth hanging open as he tried to find the words, but he wasn’t able to, and he heaved an exasperated sigh. Sabé’s brow furrowed with concern before understanding swept over her face.

“Oh.”

He huffed a hollow laugh. “Yeah. Now you know how bad it was.”

“Echo, I don’t care about that.”

“I do.”

“You shouldn’t.” She slipped her hand into his, flesh against metal. “You’re still the soldier I knew, machinery or not.” She lifted his cybernetic hand to her face, pressing it against her own cheek, and Echo’s breath hitched in his throat. Sabé watched him carefully as she nuzzled into his hand before turning and placing a kiss to his palm. “You’re still you, Echo, and for that, I’m grateful.”

Echo barely dared breathe as she watched him, his heart thundering in his chest. Sabé reached around the back of his head and pulled his forehead to hers. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her, and she moved closer into his embrace. He felt her fingers trace the metal along his spine and he shuddered.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“No, not at all. Not anymore.”

“Good,” she whispered, her hands working around to drag along the plate across his abdomen. “I’m happy it keeps you alive. It’s perfect to me for that reason. Because without it, I wouldn’t have you.” She placed a kiss to the metal wrapped around the side of his head and he shuddered as she gripped his chin gently, her eyes searching his.

“You’re perfect the way you are, Echo. You have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.”

His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he searched for words that didn’t seem right at all. He fumbled in his mind as he stared into her brown eyes, irises darker than his own, piercing and sure.

“I have nothing to give anyone.” He paused, correcting himself. “To give you.”

“What makes you think I want anything? What if I just want you? As you are.”

Echo stared at her, looking for any hint of amusement, anything that would indicate he was misreading the situation. He had to be sure. Losing her would be more than he could take, especially if it was due to his own misunderstanding. Before he could overthink it anymore, Sabé leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. He froze, enveloped in her softness and warmth and for the first time since he’d been rescued, a feeling of safety. Echo allowed his hands to drift to her waist, pulling her against him. She was gentle and tender but not hesitant, very sure of what she was doing as she cradled the back of his head. It was over far sooner than he would have liked as she leaned back, resting her forehead against his. “We should do that more often,” she whispered.

He slid his hands into hers. “Are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I know you’re still grieving,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to intrude on that.”

Sabé gave him a small smile. “Just because I miss one person I loved doesn’t mean I can’t move forward with my life. Padmé would be upset if I just wallowed in my grief. Anyway, aren’t you always the one telling people ‘life’s short, don’t wait’? I’m pretty certain I’ve heard that quote attributed to you.”

He chuckled quietly. “Yeah, that sounds right. I just didn’t think it’d apply to me.”

She grinned at him. “Well then you really are an idiot, Echo.” He laughed at that, and together they sat quietly, playing with each other’s fingers for a few moments before Echo broke the silence.

“How’s your shoulder?”

“Alright. I took some pain meds when I got back. A little stiff, but not the worst I’ve had.”

He nodded against her forehead before leaning forward and placing a kiss on her cheek. He felt her sigh and lean her face against him, and his heart fluttered. “We should get back downstairs. They’ll wonder where we’ve gone.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You really think they’re wondering?”

He grinned at her. “No, but we should still go back down.”

Sabé sighed. “Alright, but at least let me go get you a clean shirt from your room.” She stood, moving towards the door before she turned back to look at him. He met her gaze as he hunched forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“What?”

“You really are very handsome, you know.”

He laughed at that, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck as she winked at him and stepped out of the room. A moment later, the sky opened up and rained hellfire down on them.

---

“What the hell is happening?” Typho demanded, whirling in place as the walls of the dwelling shuddered once more from a blast. Hunter whipped his head around in time to see Tarren come running through the front door of the dwelling.

“Star Destroyers. Five of them. They’re bombarding the city.”

“WHAT?”

The queen stepped forward in her holo. “How can this be? Their equipment is still in the city. Their people! How can they do this?”

Hunter shot a glance at Crosshair. He could see the fear and concern etched in his brother’s face and the words he’d said to them multiple times echoed in his mind.

The Empire doesn’t care about who it harms as long as it has complete control.

He’d doubted him then, refusing to believe that even the Empire would be that ruthless, and yet here was his moment of reckoning as the front windows exploded, sending everyone diving for cover.

“Kestia, I have to go. We must evacuate the forces we have left. We can’t win this against that many Star Destroyers,” Typho’s face was pained as he spoke, but the queen did not argue. Instead, she turned and spoke quickly and quietly to Tech, who whipped out his datapad.

“Tech is sending you the coordinates of this safehouse. Get your people here as fast as you can.”

“But m’lady, your safety-“

“This is the most secure place on the planet currently, Gregar. Get here as fast as you can. That’s an order.”

The captain nodded, unable to argue further as another blast rocked the house. “See you soon, Kes.”

“Stay safe. May the Force be with you.”

Hunter pushed himself up to a standing position, keeping the weight off of his injured leg as he leaned a hand against the wall. Typho was already shouting orders to those around him as another explosion rocked the house. Whirling, he looked at Hunter. “Get to the speeders.”

The sergeant nodded, and he felt a presence at his side. “Give me your arm,” Crosshair rasped, and Hunter threw his arm across his brother’s shoulders. The two men slowly made their way out into the hallway. The air was thick with dust, and Hunter coughed in the haze. Echo and Sabé were sprinting down the stairs, Echo pulling his armor on as Sabé powered D-4 back up.

“What’s happening?” he shouted over the din.

“The Empire isn’t taking kindly to us taking the city,” Crosshair muttered. “We have to get out of here.”

Iden came jogging inside, pausing in front of them. Her eyes roved over the two men before she paused on Crosshair. “Get him to the speeder. I’ll grab your rifle out of the room. I’ll be right behind you. Sabé, Echo, get out there and start directing traffic.”

Echo and Sabé nodded, moving out of the house quickly. Iden gave Crosshair’s shoulder a squeeze as she stepped past him and moved down the hall. He couldn’t be sure why, but Hunter paused after a few steps, turning to look back down the hall, some warning bell in the back of his mind beginning to ring. Iden had already stepped into the room she had shared with Crosshair, hidden from his view. He couldn’t shake the sudden feeling of unease he had, and he was about to turn back around with Crosshair just as one of the volleys from the Star Destroyers above the city tore through the house, exploding in the room Iden had just stepped into and sending smoke and flame shooting out into the hall with a roar.

A/N: Senna Aven is my OC, first introduced in "In Command," so if you'd like to learn more about her, I'd recommend checking that fic out! :)

Tag List: @imalovernotahater @canesjedi31

#karrde writes #fanfiction #fan fic #my fic #star wars #the bad batch #tbb #echo #tech #wrecker #hunter #crosshair #slow burn #romance #angst #tech x oc #tech x ofc #tech x original female character #crosshair x ofc #crosshar x oc #crosshair x original female character #naboo #senna aven #echo x sabe

[asketchysomebody]

Crosshares + Blaine Adel (Part 3)

Here's part 3 of whatever, this time with Blaine.

So let's talk about Hot Chocolate aka Coco x Velvet.

They're married.

They're both huntresses.

Velvet mainly works with Blake and the white fang but she also works with her dear team, Team CFVY.

Coco still works as the leader of team CFVY.

They can't focus when they're around each other.

Like, yeah. We get it

You're married

You don't need to use team speak to show it.

As for Yastsuhashi and Fox, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. Maybe they're married, maybe they're not.

Who knows?

But right now we're talking about Coco and Velvet.

They love each other

And they decided through IVF, they would have a child.

And his name was Blaine Adel-Scarletina

Blaine is a rabbit faunus with his mother's rabbit ears, night vision, and good hearing.

He's also sort of an asshole.

He's an angsty kid who's mad that he doesn't get to spend time with his moms a lot because of their jobs.

He's a rebel.

He doesn't skip school but he steals things, talks back to people, etc.

He's just very angry

His semblance allows him to travel/pass through shadows.

He's a stealthy boy

He's also bisexual

He and Coco fight a lot.

He doesn't like to talk about his feelings because he thinks they're stupid.

And Coco still retains her stubbornness so fights with her tend to last awhile.

He seeks Velvet for surface comfort

Then he just retreats into his room and listens to MCR.

He canonically listens to MCR

That's Canon

His favorite food is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

His weapon is TBA

More on him later

Next is YARO!

#sketch speaks #rwby #rwby oc #ocs #rwbabies #crosshares #coco adel #Velvet scarletina #coco x velvet #Blaine adel #formally Blaine Belladonna #my writing #bri writes

[alcinadimitrescusgf]

Just some Art of My OC and Coco my wife

I love her so much she makes me so happy <3 art belongs to me

#rwby #crosshares #Bumbleby #Whiterose #coco adel #rwby coco #rwby rp #rwby velvet #Velvet scarlatina #rwby v7 #rwby memes #rwby fanart #fanart #self ship #oc x canon #Coco Adel's Wife #yuri anime #fictional other #roleplay #original character #rwby oc #Coco Adel is MINE #artist

[heirsofremnant]

Pepper Rika Adel (Cougar/Mountain Lion Faunus)

Nickname: ‘Pep’, ‘Khani’, ‘Pepperoni’ by Jet and Mars and other close friends.

Age: 19

Gender: Female/Cis

Siblings:

N/A

Parents: Coco Adel (‘Mother’, Adoptive Mother), Velvet Adel (‘Mum’, Adoptive Mother), Sienna Khan (Late Aunt), Umber Khan (Biological Father)

Orientation: Bisexual (Passive in her pursuits of love. She keeps falling for gay men or straight women and is respectfully done for the time being.)

School/Year/Team: Shade Academy/3rd year/ Leader to team PEPR

Aura: Blue

Semblance: Quake, a Semblance that gives her the ability to create tremors. This semblance can be used as little as making an enemy trip or as large as to break the ground beneath her in two. She finds that her powers are connected directly to her emotional and spiritual unrest and tries to keep herself balanced and calm at all times to prevent accidents. Depending on the severity, her Aura could last a while through using this Semblance.

Weapon: Dual Hatchets that double as pistols and combine into a giant axe. Both Port and Sun were sought after to help Pepper finalize her weapons. The names are ‘Clay’ and ‘Bone’.

Emblem: A Gods Eye, a nod to her spiritual powers

Personality: Intuitive, Calm, Spiritual, Open-minded, Neutral, Unwavering, Outdoorsy, Independent, Dreamer, Realist, Artistic, Charming, Passionate

Voice: Grey Griffin (Jackie Lynn Thomas from Star VS the Forces of Evil) (Aussie Accent mixed with Surfer accent)

Trivia:

Pepper has a large tattoo on her back that covers up discrimination scars from her younger teen years. It is an Eagle with its wings spread, making a statement that despite best attempts, she is a free spirit who won’t be silenced.

She had no idea she was related to the late Sienna Khan until she turned 15 and her biological Father contacted her (against Coco and Velvet’s wishes). They chat online for a few months and Pepper begins to wonder what her life would be like had her Father and Mother not given her up. She runs away to his house in an act of teenaged rebellion against her Mother’s. In the end, Umber brought her back to her parent’s place and explained the situation. He has since been accepted into the family and is now a geographically distant but emotionally present part of Pepper’s life.

Umber gave up Pepper after old White Fang members tried to hunt them down and slaughter the family, blaming them for the fall of Adam Taurus even years after his failures. Umber’s wife was killed in one of the attacks, leaving him a single dad of a vulnerable baby. Having no other option, he put her up for adoption reluctantly and hoped for her to have a happy life.

Given her family’s involvement with the White Fang, she has now since become a member of the renewed organization. Peace and Friendship is what she preaches and all the protests she leads are non-violent. This is how she receives many of her scars.

Pepper is a relatively close friend of Mars and Jet. She initially meets Jet Black a week into her first year at Shade. Finding him to be a balanced and level individual, she slowly begins making friends with him. His presence, she often says, is ‘soothing and unwavering’. Through Jet, she meets Mars. Though she can never seem to match his energy level, he always brings a cheery smile to her face. The trio end up getting into a decent amount of trouble.

Pepper is a Medium, in that she can see and clean Aura’s, see spirits, and talk to the dead. She’s also an empath, able to pick up on the emotions of others around her.

She is a huge fan of Jet and Mars’s band, buying all of their CD’s and coming around to recording sessions. One time, Mars convinced Jet to allow Pepper to play a cowbell in one of their songs. He says that he regrets it to this day.

Pepper has select hobbies and fun activities she does with her mother’s. Painting and sketching with Mum Velvet and shopping or hitting up some relaxing cafe’s with Mother Coco.

Coco and Velvet initially wanted a little boy, but when Velvet heard of an orphaned Cougar Faunus girl, she couldn’t say no... and neither could Coco.

Pepper has night vision, improved hearing, sharpened fangs and amazing climbing abilities that most Faunus possess. She practically scales vertical walls with ease. Her legs are also extremely muscular as is her tail. Whacked with one of them and you’ll be crashing straight into a wall.

Pepper has excellent martial arts skills and is an expert in hand-to-hand combat. Both Coco and Velvet trained her hard to improve her self before they handed her any weapons. 

Fox Alistair is her adoptive uncle and she loves spending time with him and Aunt Honey. The pair are really relaxed and the house is peaceful. Her older “cousin”, Aspen, is as close to a brother as she will ever get.

If Pepper is upset, everyone knows. The tremors and thumping of her tail is a clear indicator that everything is not alright.

She has an Australian accent like her Mum Velvet. Much like her Mother Coco, Pepper has a ‘Take no bullshit’ attitude. Her strength, agility and muscular (though tiny) physique helps her win all of her fights as she becomes undefeated in the ring. Through this, Pepper becomes one of the more popular fighters at Shade, admired and loved by many. Pepper, unfortunately for her fans, is quite oblivious to this.

She used to have a crush on Elio Belladonna before she realized he was gay. She also used to have a crush on Esme Belladonna before she realized she was straight (and also too young OOPS). Her bitter feelings over the Belladonna siblings might be holding her back from putting herself out there again.

She’s 5′4″, smallest of the group and smaller than Esmeray.

#Pepper Adel #Pepper #Coco x Velvet #Velvet x Coco #CrossHares #Next Gen #RWBabies #RWBaby #Heir's of Remnant #Heir's #My OC #OC #RWBY #RWBY OC #Sienna Khan #Umber Khan

[sssn-neptune-vasilias]

Masterpost 2019

Hey, it’s about time I made a new one of these after all this time, amirite? Thanks a million for reading my stuff all this time. I might make a poll soon for which fic gets its next chapter.

X for ff.net link

Y for AO3 link

Currently In Progress

Blake What Do Your Faunus Eyes See, Extracurricular edits, Heroes After All, Heroes Against The Odds

RWBY

Tribute To Monty Oum

For Monty (x) (y) This was made to honor the life of the man who inspired me enough to get better.

Non-Shippy Stuff

Shattered Ice (x) (y) Yang and Weiss get into a bad argument

Monsters Once Heroes (x) (y) Plot edit dedicated to portraying Adam as the anti-hero most of the FNDM had seen in him before he was depicted as the sadistic sociopath canon introduced to us

Renora (Nora/Ren)

A Wish Kept Secret (x) Cute Renora fluff, no smut

Excerpts From Ren’s Journal (x) Character exercise dumps for Ren, usually short poems written in his POV

It’s Time To Say Goodbye (x) (y) One of my best stories, reviews are always appreciated

Lemon Tea (x) (y) The title is a pun even though there’s hardly any smut. Just really cute fluff

Let’s Try Something New (x) Butt-stuff

Together, Together (x) (y) Different smutty scenarios following Renora

What If? (x) (y) (Really cute, fluffy Renora)

Heartstrings In Knots (x) (y) My first shibari fic

Arkos (Jaune/Pyrrha)

A Little Less Traditional (x) (y) Arkos pegging *dedicated to pornstarloozy*

I’ll Make A Man Out Of You (x) (y) Pyrrha being super dominant with Jaune *cover by the-stray-liger*

In Our Humanity (x) Character exercises for Pyrrha

Restless Fantasies (x) (y) Pyrrha having some fun in the shower to the thought of Jaune touching himself

Blake/Sun/Adam

Pride (x) Polyamorous Blake/Sun/Adam fic dedicated to the-stray-liger for their amazing artwork

Bumbleby (Blake/Yang)

Blake, What Do Your Faunus Eyes See? (x) (y) Easily my best fic, cute slice of life Bumbleby fluff

North Pole (Weiss/Pyrrha)

Evening Dances (x) (y) Weiss seduces Pyrrha at prom

Monochrome (Weiss/Blake)

Hurricane Checkmate (x) (y) Surprisingly good smut I wrote against my own will

Milk & Cereal (Ruby/Pyrrha)

I Just Wanted A Shower (x) (y) Transgirl!Pyrrha fic I did to fill out a prompt

Black Velvet (Blake/Velvet)

Prey (x) (y) Blake works out her dominant urges with Velvet

Combat Goggles (Yang/Neptune)

Shocking Surprises (x) (y) Whp knew shock collars was an actual kink?

Sunflowyr (Yang/Ren)

Sunflowyr Dragons (x) (y) Sunflowyr being super cute together

Enabler (Ruby/Yang)

Strawberry Sunrises (x) (y) This is Enabler (Ruby/Yang) smut. If you need to avoid this for any reason please do so.

Seabiscuit (Neptune/Glynda)

Extracurricular (x) (y) Self-indulgent fluff of the ship I captain in my spare time *cover by the-stray-liger*

Cinder/Yang

Fanning the Coals (x) My attempt at a darker plot

Crosshares/Combat Totes (Coco/Velvet)

Girls and their Toys (x) (y) Velvet’s super shy so Coco decides to help her

Ladybug (Ruby/Blake)

Don’t Tell Yang (x) (y) Ruby’s coming of age and Blake’s there to show her the ropes

Bundycane (Velvet/Melanie/Miltiades)

The Candycane Club (x) (y) There is twincest (between the Malachite twins) in this one. If you need to avoid this for any reason please do so. (Chapter 1: canon!Twins/Velvet. Chapter 2: Cis-swapped!Twins/Velvet)

Snowbird (Qrow/Winter)

Descending (x) (y) Winter is coming... all over Qrow. Dedicated to the-stray-liger)

Sunny Bunny (Sun/Velvet/Ciel)

Sunny Bunny (x) Sun and Ciel spend some time with senpai Velvet

Black Sun (Blake/Sun)

Free Time (x) (y) Blake tests Sun’s Semblance

Emerald Series

Sunrises (x) (y) Emerald and Mercury start the day together

Sunsets (x) (y) (Sequel to Sunrises) Emerald and Mercury go on a date

Dawn (x) (y) (Prequel to Sunrises, Sequel to Sunsets) Emerald has a little too much fun with her alone time

Blake/Sun/Matte

Pirates In Lust (x) (y) First Mate Matte Skye walks in on Blake and Sun being intimate and is invited to be part of the sandwich

OCs

Bath Buddies (x) (@rosiedoestheirbest’s OCs Opal Rackley and Hana Jinsoku share some time in the bath together. Find both OCs at @teamoshn. Cover art by @stompinmonstersart)

SharkBites (x) (y) A novelization of a dope RP

Marvel

Gwenpool Kisses The Marvel Universe (x) (y)

Heroes Against The Odds (y)

Ficlets

Inappropriate- Renora

Midnight Snack- Renora

Cake- Renora

That’s Not Syrup- Renora

New Firsts- Renora

Bittersweet- Renora

Things About You- Renora

Pressure- Renora

Excited- Renora

Daddy- Nora/Pyrrha/Ren

Fraternizing- Seabiscuit

No Breaks- Seabiscuit

Progress- Seabiscuit

X=?- Seabiscuit

Wounded- Tauradonna

Baby Girl- Bumbleby

Incentive- Seabiscuit

Optional-  Seabiscuit

Fibbing- Renora

Home Remedies- Pyrrha/Blake/Yang

A Schnee’s Penance- Frostbite

Fuck You Liger- Frostbite

Repairs- Reese/Yang

Bail- Blackboard

Frozen- Frostbite

Taste The Rainbow- Reese/Neon

I Don’t Have An Excuse For This- Weiss/Winter/Adam

Beeing A Schnee- Winter/Leila (damnian-wayne’s RWBY OC)

Sin- Nora/Leila (damnian-wayne’s RWBY OC)

Mother’s Day- Ruby (non-shippy)

Dad’s Not Home- Taiyang Xiao Long (non-shippy)

#Masterpost

[wild-karrde]

Guarded - Part 36

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: Heads up for mentions of death and canon-typical violence in this chapter. As always, thank you to the wonderful @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this chapter for me!

“Coming up on the Leviathan now,” one of the Imperial pilots called over his shoulder.

“Very good,” Echo replied. “Hunter, we’re ready on this end. You geared up on that side?”

“Yes,” Hunter’s voice crackled through the comm. “We’ll lead you in. As soon as we get boots on the deck, get moving to find Tech and Kes. We’ll get everything rigged pretty quickly.”

Echo smirked. “Sounds good. How’s Wrecker holding up?”

“About as well as you’d expect.” They’d all managed to find stormtrooper armor to fit into with the exception of Wrecker. As a result, they’d decided he would go in disguised as a prisoner that was being escorted. It would only work up to a certain point, but it was the best option they had. There was no way we were leaving our explosives expert behind when we need to blow up an entire star destroyer. Echo could hear Wrecker grumbling in the background, but Hunter’s response came through pretty clearly.

“You can keep moaning about the binders or you can stay on the ship. Your call.”

Senna giggled next to him, and Echo nudged her shoulder, mouthing be nice. She rolled her eyes before she slipped the stormtrooper helmet over her head. Crosshair was scowling as he slid his helmet on as well, and Echo wondered what it was like for him being back in Imperial armor. Not a question I’m asking out loud.

Senna strode to the cockpit, sitting down next to the pilot. “Alright, you remember the drill, yeah?”

“Yes. We are escorting the transport of the Omicron-class attack shuttle to the Leviathan’s main hangar bay. I am to give clearance codes when prompted, which should happen shortly.”

Senna patted his head. “Good man.” Echo noted the glossy look in the man’s eyes as he turned back to pilot the craft.

“How long do they stay under like that?” he asked.

Senna shrugged. “Until the task is complete usually. I told Hunter to stun their guy as soon as we land in the bay, and we should do the same. Make sure they can’t sound an alarm.”

Echo nodded. “It’s eerie.”

“And manipulative and I don’t like doing it,” Senna muttered, hiding her lightsaber in a hip pouch. “Feels…really low. To take someone’s agency and twist it.”

“Sometimes you have to do the undesirable things to get where you want to be,” Crosshair said quietly.

Senna glanced back at him. “For Tech and you and your brothers, there are few things I wouldn’t do. Doesn’t make this feel any less wrong.”

Crosshair nodded, and Echo wondered again what kind of conflicts must be playing out within him. He was taking careful note of his brother’s demeanor as Iden’s warning in Keren bounced around in his head. He hoped he was up for the task.

“Shuttle, please identify yourself and provide clearance codes.” The shuttle’s communications system interrupted Echo’s thoughts, and he moved to stand behind the pilot again. He felt Senna hold her breath.

“Leviathan, this is escort shuttle 7434, escorting transport of enemy ship to main hangar. Sending clearance codes now.” The pilot reached over and punched a few buttons. The cockpit fizzled with tension, the seconds dragging on until the voice of the flight coordinator buzzed back through the speakers.

“Clearance codes received. Please proceed behind your charge to shuttle bay entrance C.”

“Understood tower.”

Senna released the breath she was holding and Echo felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. Alright. First hurdle cleared.

---

Tech was back in his cell, sitting on the edge of the cot, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He’d hoped against hope that this wouldn’t be the outcome, Kestia falling prey to the Empire, but he’d heard her whisper the words, felt her pull away from him. I failed, Senna. He buried his face in his hands.

It had been at least an hour since Kestia had agreed to become an Inquisitor, and his mind hadn’t stopped racing since. Surely she wouldn’t. There’s got to be some other play here. How could she? He shook his head. He knew the answer. Had the positions been reversed, he knew he would have pledged as well to save her. Perhaps it is just that simple.

The sound of footsteps outside of his cell distracted him from his worrying. He looked up as the door opened and three stormtroopers entered.

“I guess I warrant one less now, is that it?” he snapped, and the trooper closest to him chuckled.

“You know, you’re getting a bit snippy there, Legs,” Senna teased as she removed her helmet, her blue eyes glinting with laughter.

Tech leapt to his feet and went to hug Senna before he remembered his hands were still in binders. Instead, he reached forward, clasping her hands. “Kes-“

“We’ll find her. There’s no record of her cell, but she’s got to be-“

“Senna, she turned.”

The Jedi’s speech cut short as if she’d been kicked in the gut.

“Are you certain?” Echo asked, ripping his helmet off.

“I’m not. But I saw her take the oath. They were threatening to kill me.”

“Then she didn’t turn,” Crosshair said. “If I know her, she’s biding her time.”

Senna chewed her lip. “Either way, this is now far more dangerous than we’d anticipated. We need to move.”

“Senna, we have to find her,” Tech said, desperation rising in his voice.

She met his gaze, a sadness overtaking her features. “Tech, I understand why you want to do that, and we will try everything in our power, but if Kes has turned, it is critical we get everyone out of here as quickly as possible.”

“She didn’t turn,” Crosshair repeated quietly, and Senna glanced at him.

“I hope you’re right.” Pulling her comm from her belt, she pinged Hunter. “We’ve got Tech, but there’s been a bit of a complication.”

Hunter sighed. “Please tell me we don’t know the newest Inquisitor that I keep hearing troopers talking about. Having one onboard was bad enough.”

“There’s another one?” Senna whirled on Tech. “Did you see them?”

Tech’s mouth was a thin line. “It’s Gadge. She’s the other one, or at least an Inquisitor in training so to speak. Turning Kestia was the last step in her initiation.”

Tech could see fear flicker across Senna’s face for just a moment before she wet her lips. “Gadge and Kes are the Inquisitors. It’s unclear if Kes has actually turned or not, but I’m not sure we can stick around to find out. If she hasn’t, she’ll find us. I’m sure my presence here is very obvious to them. We need to get moving. Now.”

“Roger that,” Hunter rumbled. “We’ve got the charges in place on this end. We’ll meet you in the hangar.”

“Understood. See you there.”

Senna nodded at Echo, who slipped his helmet back on. “Alright, here’s the plan,” she said quietly, taking Tech’s hands in hers. “We’re going to get to the flight deck and get everyone on board the ships. We’ll pretend you’re a prisoner transfer. If, and this is a big if, we see anything along the way that may indicate where Kes is or where her loyalties lie, we’ll try to find her, but if not, we have hundreds of people relying on us to clear a path for them to evacuate, and we cannot fail them. Is that understood?”

Tech lowered his gaze, and Senna rested her hand on his shoulder, bending so that she was in his eyeline. “I understand what you’re feeling right now, more than most. But we’ve got to do this.”

“I understand,” he rasped, swallowing hard. “Let’s go.”

Senna gave him a grim smile before slipping her helmet back on and leading him and Echo back out the door with Crosshair bringing up the rear. They’d only gone a few paces when they heard approaching footsteps. Kriff.Tech glanced at Senna as her spine went rigid.

It’s her. Senna can sense her.

Kestia rounded the corner with two stormtroopers flanking her, and Tech’s breath stuck in his throat. He tried to keep his head down, afraid his face would betray him as the queen stalked towards them, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.

“What’s happening here?” Kestia demanded. Tech’s heart sank as he took her in. She was dressed in a black tunic and trousers with a long flowing cloak, similar to Gadge’s. Her hair had been pulled back into a tight bun, and her green eyes glowed in the dim lighting. Her fingers were encased in black leather gloves that were flexing as she took in the scene in front of her.

“Prisoner transfer,” Echo grunted from beneath the armor, and Kestia’s head snapped to look at him, her eyes narrowing.

“I gave no such order.”

“It came from above you,” Echo tried again. Kestia stormed forward, inches from his helmet. Tech tried to keep his breathing calm.

“And who gave that order…Echo?”

Senna reached out with the Force, throwing the two stormtroopers with Kestia against the wall before yanking her lightsaber loose and cutting them down. She whirled to face Kestia, who had her red saber activated, charging forward.

“KES, NO!” Tech shouted, but Kestia continued her forward motion, lunging past Senna just as two stormtroopers rounded the corner. She cut them both down before they had time to register what was happening. Whirling, she faced the four of them, deactivating her saber and raising her hands.

“I didn’t turn. I just had to save Tech.”

Senna removed her helmet, grinning from ear to ear. “I thought that Force signature felt a little warm.” She clasped the queen’s arm in greeting, and Tech could sense her relief, which mirrored his own. “Now, let’s get the both of you out of here.”

“I’ll lead. I’m assuming you have a shuttle in the hangar,” Kestia said.

“We do. You can provide cover for the prisoner transfer. We have to move quickly. Hunter, Typho, and Wrecker are rigging this place to blow.”

“Excellent.” Kestia paused, looking over at Tech. “I know where your armor is stashed. We’ll get that too before we get out of here.” His expression must have betrayed him, because she stepped closer to him, cupping his cheeks in her hands. “You thought I turned.”

“I…I wasn’t sure. It didn’t feel right, not like you, but-“

She kissed him gently, resting her forehead against his. “I couldn’t let you die.”

“You should have.”

“Not when there was another option. And look, it’s all working out,” she teased, the mischievous glint returning back to her eyes. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

The five of them made their way quickly back through the halls of the star destroyer, marching through the detention level unhindered. They passed by several squadrons of stormtroopers, but Kestia walked with her regal persona, daring anyone to challenge her. No one did. Entering the lift, Kestia pressed a button for a mid-level deck. “Your armor is in storage here. Just a few doors down. Shouldn’t take long to retrieve it.”

The hall was empty when they stepped off the lift, and Senna turned her head to look at Kestia. “This feels unnervingly simple.”

“I agree. Let’s move.”

She led them down the corridor to a coded door. Unlocking it quickly, she ushered them inside. “I’ll carry his helmet and his weapon. I think we can get away with him wearing everything else.” Crosshair released Tech from his binders, and he put his armor on quickly. Tech turned, noting Kestia digging around in a crate until she straightened, grinning from ear to ear. In her hands, she held the hilts of her twin sabers. She unceremoniously unclipped the red Sith blade from her belt and dropped it to the floor. “That’s better,” she grinned. Once Tech was suited up in his armor, Crosshair slapped the cuffs back on. Kestia tucked the helmet under her arm, clipping his guns to her hips next to her sabers. “Ready?”

They stepped back into the hall and immediately froze. The lights had been turned out, leaving only the dim emergency lighting along the walkway. “Something’s not right,” Echo said quietly.

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Crosshair muttered as he reached over and undid Tech’s binders. “Give him his blasters and helmet,” he demanded. Kestia quickly complied as Senna drew her saber, taking her helmet off and squinting into the darkness.

“We’ve got company.”

Just then, a red lightsaber blade illuminated at the end of the hall near the lift, the blade’s glow reflecting off of a line of stormtroopers. They could hear the clicks of boots behind them as well as another squadron closed in from the rear.

Tech flipped the visor on his helmet down, counting the heat signatures around them. A dozen in front. A dozen behind.

Gadge strode forward, waving her saber menacingly. “Oh, come now Kestia. I thought we were past all this. Now, all of these people will suffer because of you and your mistakes.”

Senna stepped in front of the queen, igniting her saber, the blue glowing sharply in the dark. “You should let us leave, Gadge. I sense deep down, you have your misgivings about the Empire. You love your planet, but this isn’t the way to save it. You know that. I can feel it.”

Gadge snarled at Senna’s appeal. “A true Jedi? I’d heard rumors that one had been seen on the planet, but now I recognize you from the records, Master Aven.” She crouched low, bringing her saber up. “Killing you will gain me the Inquisitor rank that Kestia is so keen to deny me.”

Senna sighed, raising her saber. “If that’s how you want to play it.”

Kestia slipped to the rear of the pack, igniting both of her blades, the white light illuminating the back half of the corridor brilliantly just as the stormtroopers opened fire. Tech whipped around behind her, firing at the troopers as she deflected their fire back towards them. Crosshair took cover on the right side of the hallway, crouching behind a blast door barrier before opening fire at the line behind Gadge. Echo took up a position on the opposite side of the hall, ripping his commlink from his belt.

“HUNTER, WE’RE PINNED DOWN ON DECK 15 IN THE STORAGE FACILITY. KES IS WITH US, BUT GADGE IS HERE.”

Hunter swore loudly into the comm. “We’ll be right there. Hang on!”

Echo clipped the commlink back to his belt and began firing at the line behind Gadge, picking off a few before a volley of plasma sent him ducking once more.

Gadge charged Senna, and the Jedi easily sidestepped her, deflecting a few blaster bolts back as Gadge whirled back around. Tech risked a glance over his shoulder and could see Senna’s right arm was still stiff from her injury in Keren, but she was holding her own, dropping to her knees as Gadge took a swing at her head from behind and parrying the blow back towards the Inquisitor in training. Gadge let loose an angry roar, spittle flying from her lips as she reached out, throwing a stormtrooper’s body towards Senna. The Jedi leapt into the air, easily avoiding it. She’s wearing her down, but we don’t have time for that.

Tech focused back on the line of soldiers in front of him and Kestia. It felt as though their numbers were multiplying, more and more pouring around the corner with each passing second. He could see sweat dripping down the side of Kestia’s face as her lightsabers hummed in front of him. Wisps of her hair had come loose from her bun, sticking to the side of her face as she deflected each blast back to its source.

“CROSSHAIR, A LITTLE HELP?” she shouted, and the sniper whipped his weapon around, taking aim at the opposite line.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” she teased Tech over her shoulder, and he huffed a dry laugh.

“Not my ideal plan for a date, but what can I say?” he joked, and she laughed, loud and clear.

Suddenly, a burst of blasterfire erupted across the line in front of them, and Tech sighed with relief as he heard Wrecker’s loud cackle. The blue bolts from Wrecker’s DC-17m ripped through the line of troopers, and suddenly, Hunter and Typho appeared, firing rapidly at the line as they fell back around the hall. Crosshair turned back to the line coming from the lift, trying to cover Senna as much as he could while Gadge took another violent swing at her. The Inquisitor turned down the hall, screaming with rage as she watched her soldiers be picked apart by Hunter, Wrecker, and Typho.

“It’s over, Gadge,” Senna tried again. “Give up. Come with us.”

For a moment, Tech believed she might. But then her eyes fell on Echo and she grinned wickedly. Reaching out a hand, she lifted Echo off of his feet, and Tech watched in horror as his brother clawed at his throat.

“You all surrender to me immediately, or the clone dies,” Gadge hissed. “I will have my victory and my title.”

Kestia lunged forward. “Let him go! I’ll do as you say!” but Senna raised her hand, silencing the queen.

“Is this really what you want to do Gadge?” she asked quietly, and Tech was amazed at her calm as Echo choked in the air behind her.

The young woman silently sneered at Senna, who bowed her head, closing her eyes. Tech watched as she lowered her blade, thinking she was going to surrender, but quicker than lightning, Senna struck. Throwing her hand forward, she grabbed Gadge with the Force, yanking her forward and impaling her on her ice blue blade. Gadge’s lightsaber clattered to the floor and Echo dropped, gasping on his hands and knees before slumping onto his side.

“I’m sorry,” Senna whispered, deactivating her lightsaber. Gadge slumped to the floor, clutching the hole in her abdomen and gasping. She spat on the floor at Senna’s feet. “You won’t survive this, Jedi scum.”

“Perhaps not, but I’ll have lived for a better purpose than you have,” Senna said quietly.

Gadge snarled one more time before passing out from the pain, her head thunking against the durasteel.

Tech and Senna immediately moved to Echo’s side, Senna ripping off his helmet and digging for a pulse under his blacks. “It’s there,” she breathed. “He’s just unconscious.” Whipping around, she looked for Wrecker. “Wreck, can you carry him back to the ship?”

The large clone crouched down, handing Tech the detonator he was carrying as he slipped Echo’s helmet back on and scooped up his limp form. Tech slipped the detonator into his belt. Better keep track of that.

Senna turned to address Typho next. “Have Iden start the attack runs. If they can take out another star destroyer, that’ll be a bigger hole to get through. This one will be handled, so have them engage the one east of us. I think I recall that one not being equipped with TIEs.”

“You’re right,” Typho confirmed, ripping his commlink out and barking out orders to Iden.

Hunter gripped Senna’s arm to draw her attention. “Are you alright?”

The Jedi met his gaze and Tech saw sadness in her eyes. “She was young. It’s a shame when you can’t save someone like that, but she made her choice. I’ll be alright.” Senna reached out and squeezed Hunter’s shoulder. “You, Typho, and Wrecker take Echo and get to the Marauder. We’ll follow you out on the attack shuttle. We’ll still get caught in the tractor beam, but once we detonate, we should be able to jump to hyperspace immediately. Make sure Typho distributes the coordinates to the base on the way.” Hunter gave her arm one final squeeze.

“See you there.” With that, he replaced his helmet, tapping Typho on the shoulder as they raced towards the lift. Senna, Tech, Crosshair, and Kestia were close behind them. Suddenly, a blaster bolt whipped by Tech’s head and he whirled as another squadron of stormtroopers emerged at the far end of the hall.

“GO! We’ll cover you!” Senna called over her shoulder, and Tech heard Hunter try to protest, but Senna shot him a glare. “We’ll be right behind you! Now GO!” Hunter heaved a deep sigh before the lift doors hissed shut behind them.

“There’s another lift to the right!” Kestia shouted.

“Let’s go!” Senna shouted, and the four of them took off down the hall, the two Force wielders deflecting the blaster fire from their pursuers as Crosshair punched the lift doors open. The four of them ducked inside, and Tech pressed the button for the hangar level.

“Quite the day we’re having,” Kestia grinned.

“Understatement of the century,” Senna joked back.

“Can we tune up the comedy act later?” Crosshair muttered. “We still have to get off this thing.”

The four of them exited the lift and started jogging towards the hangar just as they heard Iden’s voice over the commlink. “HUNTER? TYPHO? DO YOU COPY?” Senna took her commlink from her belt to listen in as they ran. “We’ve taken out the tractor beam system on the destroyer to your east! We’ve got a hole!”

“Well done!” Typho cheered. “Get our people out of here!”

“Roger that!” The four of them heaved a mutual sigh of relief, Senna releasing a nervous laugh.

“Cap, you on the Marauder yet?” Senna asked.

“Yes, taking off now and-“

“Gregar, we can’t get loose. It was just the one dome on the underside, correct?” Iden’s voice was panicked.

Tech and Senna shared a look as she raised the commlink to speak into it. “That’s correct Iden. You’re sure you destroyed it?”

“Positive, saw it explode myself! But they’ve got us held still. We’re all stuck and being drawn to different destroyers.”

“That’s impossible.” Senna turned to Tech. “Isn’t it?”

Tech paused, looking around before jogging to a terminal just inside the hangar bay entrance. Typing quickly, he worked his way through the destroyer’s systems as Senna, Crosshair, and Kestia came to read over his shoulder. When he found what he was looking for, he swore quietly.

“It’s not just a single tractor beam. They’ve got some sort of network set up. If one ship goes down, the others enhance their beams and take over. There’s likely a relay node contained within the ship that can’t be accessed from the exterior.”

Senna’s eyes widened. “Alright, so if it’s a relay, if we just take out the signal source, then that kills the entire network, correct?”

Tech nodded. “Yes, but it would have to be on the command vessel, which we are not currently standing on. That ship is just to our west, and we are not currently engaging it. And to my knowledge, we do not have the firepower to destroy a ship of that size.”

“They’ll be torn to bits,” Crosshair whispered, and Tech saw his shoulders slump just as an explosion rocked the ship.

“Are they firing on us now?” Senna yelled into the comm.

“Your ship is one of the ones pulling them in. You need to get clear and blow it!” Typho shouted as smoke began pouring into the hangar.

“But that won’t do any good!” Kes said. “They’ll just bounce in additional tractor beam signals. We have to take out the command ship!” She looked wildly between the others, trying to find some sort of hope, but found none. Senna chewed her lip quietly, her mind racing. Tech reached out to Kestia, taking her in his arms.

“I’m sorry, Kes. We tried. I’m so sorry, but I think this might be it.”

He felt her hug him back, burying her face in his neck before pulling his face down to kiss him hard.

“No. It won’t.”

Kestia looked over Tech’s shoulder directly into Senna’s eyes. Something passed between them and Senna’s face softened. A moment too late, Tech realized what was happening as Kestia raised her hands and with the Force, shoved him, Senna, and Crosshair backwards across the deck towards the shuttle.

“KESTIA! NO!” Tech was screaming, but he couldn’t hear his own voice. He felt Senna’s hand wrap around his arm, dragging him backwards towards the ramp of the shuttle. Kestia was looking at Crosshair, and Tech felt the sniper’s hand clamp down on his other arm. He struggled as hard as he could, the muscles under his armor straining against his captors as Kestia finally met his eyes.

I’m so sorry, my love. I have to do this. Carry on this fight for me. This is as it should be Tech.

Her voice echoed in his brain, but still he fought as he watched her pull the detonator out of her pocket, and his stomach sank into his toes. She stole it from my belt.

I’ll take the command ship down. A drop in the bucket, I know, but it’ll save you and the others, and so, it will be worth it. It will save those that fought for Naboo. It’s the least I can do.

“PLEASE NO! KES NO!” Tears were streaming freely out of his eyes, slipping past his goggles and down his cheeks as another explosion rocked the flight deck. “LET ME GO! WE HAVE TO SAVE HER!” he pleaded, but Senna and Crosshair held him tighter.

“You’ve got to let her go, Tech. It’s the only way everyone survives,” Senna said quietly, her voice cracking.

“LET IT BE ME!” he shouted. “LET ME DO IT! IT SHOULD BE ME!”

No, my love. This is my job. It’s what I was elected to do. To protect my people and the ones I love.

Kestia raised her hands again and closed her eyes, sending them flying backwards once more until they slid onto the ramp of the shuttle.

Forgive me, Tech.

“I love you,” he whispered. “Please, no.” His voice was hoarse from the smoke and from shouting as she met his eyes one last time.

I love you too.

He felt her warmth that she pushed towards him through the Force, just as she had in the cave so long ago. Turquoise like the sea. Like stepping into the sun. Tranquil. A calm swept over him, and he allowed himself to be pulled up the ramp of the shuttle, his eyes never leaving the figure at the far end of the hangar. He could see her shudder before she turned on her heel, sprinting back out of the hangar and turning towards the lift towards the bridge of the star destroyer.

Tech could hear Senna and Crosshair shouting as they placed him in a jump seat inside the shuttle. Crosshair raced to the cockpit to begin the pre-flight sequence. Senna was on her comm, shouting at the others.

“As soon as the tractor beams disengage, be ready to make the jump out of here. I’m providing coordinates now.”

“Senna, what’s happening?” Gregar.

The Jedi wet her lips. “Kes is going to blow the command ship. She’ll crash this ship into it, and we’ll be able to escape.”

“SHE’S GOING TO DO WHAT?”

“Gregar, I’m sorry. It was her decision.”

Tears streamed down Senna’s face as the yelling continued in her comm before Hunter’s voice finally came over the channel. “Understood Senna. We’ll be ready.” Gregar’s voice was in the background, but they couldn’t make out his words, but the anguish didn’t need translation.

Senna placed the commlink back in her belt and knelt in front of Tech, grasping his hands as Crosshair began piloting the shuttle out of the hangar.

“We can’t leave her,” he whispered, his hands trembling as tears poured from his eyes.

“She’d be upset if you went back for her,” Senna replied, her voice trembling. “If she doesn’t do this, all of the soldiers that fought for her and this planet will be captured, very publicly tried, and likely executed for treason. She’s saving hundreds of lives by doing this. It’s what she wants most in the galaxy. To do this for her people.”

Tech’s voice broke and he sobbed. “But she’s what I want most.” He collapsed into Senna’s arms, falling to his knees in front of her. His fingers gripped her tunic hard enough to where he was certain his knuckles would rupture from the force, but he couldn’t be bothered to care. Senna cradled the back of his head, rocking him back and forth gently and whispering to him as he wept, violent sobs wracking his entire body.

“I know, Tech. I know. I’ve got you. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Crosshair looked back at the two of them, and Senna met his gaze with bloodshot eyes and tearstained cheeks. He nodded at her and she returned the gesture as she held his brother tightly.

---

Kestia choked back her tears as she raced through the halls of the star destroyer. Alarms were sounding everywhere, and smoke from the various fires that had broken out burned her lungs. She hardly saw any of the crew on the ship, and for that at least, she was grateful. She stepped into the lift, slamming her fist against the level she needed and the doors closed. For a moment, everything was quiet and calm.

What an odd moment to have before my death, she thought. A sort of peace had overtaken her. I’m not afraid to die. But I’m afraid for Tech. The thought wrenched a sob from her as she thought back to the moments before.

Take care of him, Master Aven. I have something I must do. Don’t let him stop me.

Senna’s eyes had widened in understanding, but she hadn’t argued. The Jedi Master had understood time was short, and while Kes knew she had spent several seconds trying to come up with alternatives, ultimately, she had come to the same conclusion.

I will, Kestia. May the Force be with you. Always.

The push had taken so much, her heart ripping apart in her chest at the expression on Tech’s face as the realization hit him. He’d reached out for her so hard, and she’d felt him in the Force.

Crosshair, thank you for your trust and your forgiveness. I know what I must do. Take care of your brother. He cares for you more than you’ll ever understand. You’re a good man, no matter what you think.

The helmet had snapped around to stare at her, but she knew she’d found his eyes behind the visor. He reached back, as much as he knew how to.

It’s been an honor, Kes.

It was more than she could have hoped for from him, and the thought brought a small smile to her face. Glancing up, she saw the lift was reaching her destination. The place I’ll draw my last breaths. I’d always hoped it would have been in Lake Country near where Gregar and I used to swim, but we can’t always get what we want. Taking a deep inhale, she calmly unhooked her lightsaber hilts from her belt. I’ve got to clear the bridge and get this thing piloted towards the command ship. That’s the only way everyone will be able to get out of here.

The lift doors opened and Kestia stepped onto the bridge. A dozen officers and stormtroopers turned and looked at her as she ignited her twin blades and charged.

She easily cut through the two guards at the door before moving to the officers standing on the main walkway. Those at the command consoles were scrambling for their weapons, and the room erupted in blaster fire as Kestia drove her blades through the next few people in her path. A bolt clipped her shoulder and she swore as she swung to stare down the source of the blaster fire. She sent the next round of plasma back at the man, and he slumped over his console. Before she could turn back around, a second blaster bolt hit her square in her left shoulder blade, and the lightsaber in that hand clattered to the ground as she roared, swinging back around to face a row of three soldiers behind her. She leapt off the walkway, gritting her teeth against the pain as she reached out with her left hand to push one of them backwards, sending the officer to the floor. Whirling, she deflected another round of fire at one of the remaining two before driving her saber through the second. She whirled on the prone Imperial, who had drawn her blaster, and before she could squeeze the trigger, Kestia was on her, slicing her arm at the elbow and kicking her in the jaw hard enough to send her head slamming into the hard, cold floor.

Leaping back onto the main walkway, Kestia storming towards the pilot station. Two officers cowered there, and she reached out through the Force as Senna had taught her, closing her eyes as she worked her way into their minds.

“You will pilot this ship on a collision course with the command ship.”

She held her breath, praying that it worked. She’d never tried to manipulate minds before, but she’d seen it done by her previous master. Please work. I can’t do this by myself.

“We will pilot this ship on a collision course with the command ship.”

Kestia exhaled with relief as they turned back towards their stations. The star destroyer began moving, turning so that its nose was aimed directly at the ship controlling all of them. Kestia was reminded of the Battle of Naboo, where young Anakin Skywalker had taken out the Trade Federation command ship. History repeats itself, she thought, allowing a small smile to slip across her face.

She felt the cold seep into her chest before the lift doors opened. How…

Gadge limped onto the bridge, a blaster shakily aimed at the queen. “I won’t let you do this,” she wheezed. “I won’t let you ruin this.”

Something in Kestia’s heart softened at the fear in Gadge’s eyes. She’s so frightened. “Gadge, this has to stop. The Empire isn’t-“

The blaster bolt caught her in her stomach, and Kestia fell to her knees, clutching at the smoldering hole in her abdomen. Gadge limped forward, her jaw set determinedly. “I will stop this. Naboo will rise in the Empire.”

“To what end, Gadge? To be the least subjugated of all the planets?” Kestia gasped. “To be the favored among the imprisoned? Is that truly worth all of this?”

“Lord Vader swore-“

“They swear many things. They swore we’d be left to live in peace when they first rose to power, that planets would maintain their sovereignty uninterrupted, but look out the window, Gadge. What do you see? Your homeworld burning.”

The young woman’s eyes stared out the viewport, and Kestia saw something within her falter. Smoke had been rising from Keren and the other massacred cities for days, and even at this orbit, you could see the black plumes rising into the atmosphere. Kestia cast a glance over her shoulder and saw the command ship looming. Just a few more minutes.

“It’s because they tried to stop us. We have to maintain control, or else there will be chaos,” Gadge attempted to argue, but Kestia could see her stumbling through her reasoning. Her Force signature was wavering like the air around flame, unsteady, unsure. Kestia continued to press.

“I would argue chaos is massacring an entire city to maintain order, even with your own forces inside. Is that truly what you believe is right, Gadge? That everyone must comply or be murdered?”

“That’s not-“

“It is.”

The blaster dropped to Gadge’s side and her fingers dug into the lightsaber wound on her stomach. Kestia felt faint from the pain radiating through her body, and she allowed herself to slump forward slightly, slipping her fingers into her pocket. Her thumb grazed the detonator as she gripped it before straightening. Slowly, she pushed herself to a standing position. Gadge whipped around, observing her as the conflict within her played out on her features. Gone was the Inquisitor to be that she had battled only moments before, replaced by a terrified young woman, grasping at her purpose, floundering.

Kestia took a hesitant step towards her, holding out her hand towards her. “Help me do a little good, Gadge. For our people.”

Gadge glanced at Kestia’s outstretched palm. “There’ll be more. This will change nothing.”

“Not for nothing. Those that fought for Naboo will be safe. Another young woman that shares our gifts won’t be captured by those that would try to turn her from the light. Those that stand against the Empire will see it is not untouchable, that they can win. It will give people hope.”

The young woman bowed her head, staring at her boots. Kestia was holding her breath, hoping against hope that her words were ringing true. Finally, Gadge raised her gaze to meet Kestia’s, her jaw set once more but this time, her eyes glossy with tears.

“For Naboo…m’lady.”

Gadge’s glove slid into Kestia’s hand and the two women turned and watched as the command ship loomed closer, only tens of meters separating the two ships.

“For Naboo,” Kestia whispered as she pulled the detonator from her pocket and pressed the button. She closed her eyes and released the last breath she’d ever take.

Gregar. Tech. The blue of the lakes. The warmth of his eyes behind his goggles.

For Naboo.

---

The captain’s legs gave out from underneath him as he heard his friend’s voice in his mind, calling out his name.

“Kes,” he rasped. He felt strong arms wrap around him, and suddenly, Hunter was there next to him, keeping him from collapsing to the floor. The two of them sank to the deck of the Marauder together. Gregar’s gaze never left the smoldering wreckage of the entwined star destroyers. “I failed,” he whispered. “I failed again.”

Hunter gripped his chin, turning Gregar’s face towards his. “No, you didn’t. She succeeded. Kes won.”

Wrecker quietly made the jump to hyperspace.

---

The explosion illuminated the cockpit of the shuttle, casting long shadows from the three figures that stood watching. Without a word, Crosshair slipped into the pilot’s chair, gripping the controls and turning them away from the deadened Imperial fleet. He could hear whoops and cheers over the commlink channel, contrasting sharply with the grief that filled the inside of their shuttle. As he watched, each of the ships around them blinked into hyperspace. Reaching over, he punched in the coordinates to Yavin-4, and in the next second, they too made the leap, stars streaking by the viewport.

Crosshair turned in his seat towards his brother and Senna. Tech had slumped to the floor, his back against the hull of the ship, his long legs bent as he took his goggles off, dangling them from his hand. He just stared at the floor as tears silently fell, plopping onto the durasteel between his knees. Crosshair looked at Senna. Her eyes were red and puffy, and he could see the same desperation to help reflected back at him in her gaze. Quietly, he slipped onto the floor between Tech’s knees and gripped the back of his brother’s head, pulling their foreheads together. After a few seconds, Tech silently reached up and gripped his brother’s armor pulling him into an embrace before he started silently shaking with sobs. Crosshair reached back and felt Senna slip her hand into his as she knelt on the floor next to them, sliding into a sitting position next to Tech and wrapping her arm around his waist.

The three of them silently mourned, holding each other in the silent cockpit of the Imperial shuttle as it carried them away from Naboo.

A/N: Senna Aven is my OC, first introduced in "In Command," so if you'd like to learn more about her, I'd recommend checking that fic out! :)

Tag List: @imalovernotahater @canesjedi31

#the bad batch #karrde writes #star wars #fanfiction #guarded #tbb #crosshair #romance #slow burn #tech #echo #wrecker #Hunter #crosshar x oc #crosshair x original female character #tech x oc #tech x original female character #echo x sabe

[sssn-neptune-vasilias]

Masterpost

I’m making a new masterpost even though I haven’t published a new story in months because I HAVE added a couple of chapters to ongoing stories and that still counts as an accomplishment

X for ff.net link

Y for AO3 link

Currently In Progress

Black Sun (Semblance Play), Extracurricular edits, Emerald Series Part IV (Emerald/Neo Semblance Play)

Tribute To Monty

For Monty (x) (y)This was made to honor the life of the man who inspired me enough to get better.

Non-Shippy Stuff

Shattered Ice (x) (y) (Yang and Weiss get into a bad argument)

Monsters Once Heroes (x) (Story edit dedicated to portraying Adam as the anti-hero most of the FNDM had seen in him before he was depicted as the sadistic sociopath canon introduced to us)

Renora (Nora/Ren)

A Wish Kept Secret (x) (y) (Cute Renora fluff, no smut)

Excerpts From Ren’s Journal (x) (character exercise dumps for Ren, usually short poems written in his POV)

It’s Time To Say Goodbye (x) (y) (One of my best stories, reviews are always appreciated)

Lemon Tea (x) (y) (The title is a pun even though there’s hardly any smut. Just really cute fluff)

Let’s Try Something New (x) (Butt-stuff)

Together, Together (x) (y) (Different smutty scenarios following Renora)

What If? (x) (y) (Really cute, fluffy Renora)

Heartstrings In Knots (x) (y) (shibari Renora)

Arkos (Jaune/Pyrrha)

A Little Less Traditional (x) (y) (Lots of butt stiff) *dedicated to pornstarloozy*

I’ll Make A Man Out Of You (x) (y) (Really dominant Pyrrha smut) *cover by the-stray-liger*

In Our Humanity (x) (character exercise dumps for Pyrrha)

Restless Fantasies (x) (y) (Pyrrha playing with herself in the shower to the thought of Jaune playing with himself in the shower)

Blake/Sun/Adam

Pride (x) (Polyamorous Blake/Sun/Adam fic dedicated to the-stray-liger for their amazing artwork)

Bumbleby (Blake/Yang)

Blake, What Do Your Faunus Eyes See? (x) (y) (Really cute, slice of life Bumbleby) *NEW CHAPTER*

North Pole (Weiss/Pyrrha)

Evening Dances (x) (y) (Really cute, fluffsmut for Weiss and Pyrrha)

Monochrome (Weiss/Blake)

Hurricane Checkmate (x) (y) (Really cute fluffsmut)

Milk & Cereal (Ruby/Pyrrha)

I Just Wanted A Shower (x) (y) (Transgirl!Pyrrha fic I did to fill out a prompt for someone)

Black Velvet (Blake/Velvet)

Prey (x) (y) (Really dominant Blake on subby Velvet)

Combat Goggles (Yang/Neptune)

Shocking Surprises (x) (y) (Shock collars are involved)

Sunflowyr (Yang/Ren)

Sunflowyr Dragons (x) (y) (Really cute slice of life Sunflowyr)

Enabler (Ruby/Yang)

Strawberry Sunrises (x) (y) (This is Enabler (Ruby/Yang) smut. If you need to avoid this for any reason please do so.)

Seabiscuit (Neptune/Glynda)

Extracurricular (x) (y) (Really cute fluff of my favorite trash ship) *cover by the-stray-liger* 

Cinder/Yang

Fanning the Coals (x) (dark, manipulative dub-con)

Crosshares/Combat Totes (Coco/Velvet)

Girls and their Toys (x) (y) (Really cute Crosshares fluffsmut)

Ladybug (Ruby/Blake)

Don’t Tell Yang (x) (y) (Cute fluffsmut)

Bundycane (Velvet/Melanie/Miltiades)

The Candycane Club (x) (y) (twincest in this one, stay away if necessary) (Chapter 1: canon!Twins/Velvet. Chapter 2: Cis-swapped!Twins/Velvet)

Snowbird (Qrow/Winter)

Descending (x) (y) (Rough Snowbird elevator smut for the-stray-liger)

Sunny Bunny (Sun/Velvet/Ciel)

Sunny Bunny (x) (Velvet convinces Sun and Ciel to spend some time with her)

Emerald Series

Sunrises (x) (y) (Emercury smut)

Sunsets (x) (y) (Sequel to Sunrises) (Emercury smut with mentions of Emberald) 

Dawn (x) (y) (Prequel to Sunrises, Sequel to Sunsets) (Emerald masturbation with Emberald mention) 

Blake/Sun/Matte

Pirates In Lust (x) (y) (Matte Skye walks in on Blake and Sun being intimate and is invited to be part of the sandwich) 

OCs

Bath Buddies (x) (@rosiedoestheirbest’s OCs Opal Rackley and Hana Jinsoku share some time in the bath together. Find both OCs at @teamoshn. Cover art by @stompinmonstersart)

Ficlets

Inappropriate- Renora

Midnight Snack- Renora

Cake- Renora

That’s Not Syrup- Renora

New Firsts- Renora

Bittersweet- Renora

Things About You- Renora

Pressure- Renora

Excited- Renora

Daddy- Nora/Pyrrha/Ren

Fraternizing- Seabiscuit

No Breaks- Seabiscuit

Progress- Seabiscuit

X=?- Seabiscuit

Wounded- Tauradonna

Baby Girl- Bumbleby

Incentive- Seabiscuit

Optional-  Seabiscuit

Fibbing- Renora

Home Remedies- Pyrrha/Blake/Yang

A Schnee’s Penance- Frostbite

Fuck You Liger- Frostbite

Repairs- Reese/Yang

Bail- Blackboard

Frozen- Frostbite

Taste The Rainbow- Reese/Neon

I Don’t Have An Excuse For This- Weiss/Winter/Adam

Beeing A Schnee- Winter/Leila (damnian-wayne’s RWBY OC)

Sin- Nora/Leila (damnian-wayne’s RWBY OC)

Mother’s Day- Ruby (non-shippy)

Dad’s Not Home- Taiyang Xiao Long (non-shippy)

[sssn-neptune-vasilias]

Matserpost: 1/24/17

New one for a new fic and a new year

X for ff.net link

Y for AO3 link

Currently In Progress

Extracurricular edits, Emerald Series Part IV (Emerald/Neo Semblance Play), Black Sun (Semblance Play)

Tribute To Monty

For Monty (x) (y)This was made to honor the life of the man who inspired me enough to get better.

Non-Shippy Stuff

Shattered Ice (x) (y) (Yang and Weiss get into a bad argument)

Monsters Once Heroes (x) (Story edit dedicated to portraying Adam as the anti-hero most of the FNDM had seen in him before he was depicted as the sadistic sociopath canon introduced to us)

Renora (Nora/Ren)

A Wish Kept Secret (x) (y) (Cute Renora fluff, no smut)

Excerpts From Ren’s Journal (x) (character exercise dumps for Ren, usually short poems written in his POV)

It’s Time To Say Goodbye (x) (y) (One of my best stories, reviews are always appreciated)

Lemon Tea (x) (y) (The title is a pun even though there’s hardly any smut. Just really cute fluff)

Let’s Try Something New (x) (Butt-stuff)

Together, Together (x) (y) (Different smutty scenarios following Renora)

What If? (x) (y) (Really cute, fluffy Renora)

Heartstrings In Knots (x) (y) (shibari Renora)

Arkos (Jaune/Pyrrha)

A Little Less Traditional (x) (y) (Lots of butt stiff) *dedicated to pornstarloozy*

I’ll Make A Man Out Of You (x) (y) (Really dominant Pyrrha smut) *cover by the-stray-liger*

In Our Humanity (x) (character exercise dumps for Pyrrha)

Restless Fantasies (x) (y) (Pyrrha playing with herself in the shower to the thought of Jaune playing with himself in the shower)

Blake/Sun/Adam

Pride (x) (Polyamorous Blake/Sun/Adam fic dedicated to the-stray-liger for their amazing artwork)

Bumbleby (Blake/Yang)

Blake, What Do Your Faunus Eyes See? (x) (y) (Really cute, slice of life Bumbleby)

North Pole (Weiss/Pyrrha)

Evening Dances (x) (y) (Really cute, fluffsmut for Weiss and Pyrrha)

Monochrome (Weiss/Blake)

Hurricane Checkmate (x) (y) (Really cute fluffsmut)

Milk & Cereal (Ruby/Pyrrha)

I Just Wanted A Shower (x) (y) (Transgirl!Pyrrha fic I did to fill out a prompt for someone)

Black Velvet (Blake/Velvet)

Prey (x) (y) (Really dominant Blake on subby Velvet)

Combat Goggles (Yang/Neptune)

Shocking Surprises (x) (y) (Shock collars are involved)

Sunflowyr (Yang/Ren)

Sunflowyr Dragons (x) (y) (Really cute slice of life Sunflowyr)

Enabler (Ruby/Yang)

Strawberry Sunrises (x) (y) (This is Enabler (Ruby/Yang) smut. If you need to avoid this for any reason please do so.)

Seabiscuit (Neptune/Glynda)

Extracurricular (x) (y) (Really cute fluff of my favorite trash ship) *cover by the-stray-liger* *EDITS*

Cinder/Yang

Fanning the Coals (x) (dark, manipulative dub-con)

Crosshares/Combat Totes (Coco/Velvet)

Girls and their Toys (x) (y) (Really cute Crosshares fluffsmut)

Ladybug (Ruby/Blake)

Don’t Tell Yang (x) (y) (Cute fluffsmut)

Bundycane (Velvet/Melanie/Miltiades)

The Candycane Club (x) (y) (twincest in this one, stay away if necessary) (Chapter 1: canon!Twins/Velvet. Chapter 2: Cis-swapped!Twins/Velvet)

Snowbird (Qrow/Winter)

Descending (x) (y) (Rough Snowbird elevator smut for the-stray-liger)

Sunny Bunny (Sun/Velvet/Ciel)

Sunny Bunny (x) (Velvet convinces Sun and Ciel to spend some time with her)

Emerald Series

Sunrises (x) (y) (Emercury smut)

Sunsets (x) (y) (Sequel to Sunrises) (Emercury smut with mentions of Emberald) *EDITS*

Dawn (x) (y) (Prequel to Sunrises, Sequel to Sunsets) (Emerald masturbation with Emberald mention) *EDITS*

Blake/Sun/Matte

Pirates In Lust (x) (y) (Matte Skye walks in on Blake and Sun being intimate and is invited to be part of the sandwich) *NEW*

OCs

Bath Buddies (x) (@rosiedoestheirbest’s OCs Opal Rackley and Hana Jinsoku share some time in the bath together. Find both OCs at @teamoshn. Cover art by @stompinmonstersart)

Ficlets

Inappropriate- Renora

Midnight Snack- Renora

Cake- Renora

That’s Not Syrup- Renora

New Firsts- Renora

Bittersweet- Renora

Things About You- Renora

Pressure- Renora

Excited- Renora

Daddy- Nora/Pyrrha/Ren

Fraternizing- Seabiscuit

No Breaks- Seabiscuit

Progress- Seabiscuit

X=?- Seabiscuit

Wounded- Tauradonna

Baby Girl- Bumbleby

Incentive- Seabiscuit

Optional-  Seabiscuit

Fibbing- Renora

Home Remedies- Pyrrha/Blake/Yang

A Schnee’s Penance- Frostbite

Fuck You Liger- Frostbite

Repairs- Reese/Yang

Bail- Blackboard

Frozen- Frostbite

Taste The Rainbow- Reese/Neon

I Don’t Have An Excuse For This- Weiss/Winter/Adam

Beeing A Schnee- Winter/Leila (damnian-wayne’s RWBY OC)

Sin- Nora/Leila (damnian-wayne’s RWBY OC)

Mother’s Day- Ruby (non-shippy)

Dad’s Not Home- Taiyang Xiao Long (non-shippy)

#Masterpost