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cacodaemonia · 24 days

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20 Questions for Writers

Thanks so much for the tag, @lyntergalactic! :D I feel like I've done this before, but it must have been a whole ago. It looks fun! (also, I'm pasting just the questions at the bottom of the post if anyone wants to copy those)

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 247, though I'm not really sure what the ratio is for images versus fics... Okay, apparently, 97 of them are tagged with 'fanart' and have fewer than 100 words, so somewhere around 100 image-only works and 147 fics.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 1,141,145; which includes a few collabs and fics for which I just contributed an image.

3. What fandoms do you write for? TCW exclusively 😅 Though I've done a handful of images for other things like Arcane, Dune, Trigun, The Expanse, House of the Dragon...

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? A bunch of my works with the most kudos are images, but if we're talking fics, then I think it's just some of my oldest ones...

That’s Not How It Happened (This Is How It Happened) - Fives arc fix-it and my first fic.

Orbital Decay - Codywan that I haven't edited since I posted it, so I can't vouch for the quality.

Modulation - Another one I haven't touched since I posted it, but it's an 'Echo gets rescued much earlier than in canon and he and Fives reunite' fix-it of sorts.

Will You Walk With Me? - Waxer's pov from the start of the war to the (fix-it) end, and it mostly focuses on his and Boil's friendship (Waxer & Boil or Waxer/Boil pre-relationship - take your pick). Even though this certainly isn't the best thing I've written, it's my baby. 🧡

Interference - Umbara fix-it featuring minor canon characters and some necessary OCs in the first chapter, then more major canon characters later.

More stuff below the cut, since this is a long list...

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably You're Just Harder to See Than Most, which ends very sadly on its own, but it's part of a larger fix-it including Modulation above, so Fives and Echo get reunited.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Pfff like basically all of them, idk XD;

8. Do you get hate on fics? No, just on one sketch dump, where someone went through 6 chapters of spicy cloneshippy images and then decided they needed to complain about it being gross and immoral 🤣 It was hysterical kjlksahfg

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Oh yes, I'm a certified smut goblin. Not really sure what the question means by 'what kind,' but I guess 'porn with feelings' is probably the AO3 tag that would most accurately describe all of the smut I've written XD

10. Do you write crossovers? Nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! :D

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Hm, I suppose if we're defining that as like, "what ship have you intensely shipped for the longest amount of time," it would be destiel? I was veeeeeery into that ship for many years.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I've had one wip sitting around for over a year, and for a while I was thinking I wasn't going to get back to it ever. But I made a little vibes playlist for it and had some help brainstorming, so I'm hopeful I can start tackling it again after I get some current stuff drafted.

16. What are your writing strengths? Starting something and working on it until it's finished.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I have a lot of trouble generating ideas on my own.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I think it's fine as long as it's either A. very short and clear from context or B. for some reason, the writer is intending to confuse the reader and obfuscate what was said. I know I've said it before, but I'm not gonna scroll to the bottom of a fic every few paragraphs to find the translations for whole phrases or sentences. If the amount of 'other language' starts making the dialogue difficult to follow, I'm just gonna nope out.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Technically, I wrote one thing for Gundam Wing back in like 2000, but I can't even remember what I did with it or what it was about, exactly. Other than that, TCW.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? flsdlfg that's really difficult... idk man, if it's quality we're talking about rather than sentimentality, I'd say it's a toss-up between these three 😅:

My Heart's Red Muscle - Canon-divergent AU where Waxer is a cyborg.

Kinktober 2022 - Character studies/development through smut, where Waxer and Boil find a list of sexy things to try out, so it's kind of meta. It's from my main Open Skies AU, and I'm weirdly proud of this one XD;

We Could Breathe Underwater - Force-sensitive Waxer and Boil AU

Phew! Okay this took me like three sessions to answer, but it was fun :)

No-pressure tags: anyone who sees this and wants to do it, plus @lizardberries @elismor @bilbosmom-belladonna @valkeakuulas @petrifiedforests @marbled-polecat @writegowrite @sophronist @marbled-polecat @ivalane

20 Questions for Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

#tag game #writing #q&a #questions for writers

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ghosts-and-blue-sweaters · 2 years

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Sup! I'm back with another ask!!! How about... Lost In The Woods and Uniquely Normal? (P.S. It's funny that you did the "they're still aliens" in your Modern AU because I actually did that in one of my AUs too!!!!)

DUDE THOSE ARE SUCH GOOD CHOICES OH MY GOSH *excitement*

Lost In The Woods takes place about two months after Echo’s “death” in the citadel arc. Fives has been trying to process the whole thing, but Rex can tell that he isn’t at 100% yet

This is also around the time when Tup and Dogma join the 501st, so everyone’s been adjusting to the newbies

Rex can tell that Dogma’s having a harder time than everyone else—the kid doesn’t talk to anyone except Tup, spends most of his time in the barracks cleaning his armor, and really hasn’t bonded with anyone

So Rex comes up with The Idea

Shortly after landing on a forest-y planet, Rex instructs Fives to go scout the area. The captain also instructs Dogma to tag along

Neither of the two are happy with the arrangement—Fives doesn’t want to hang out with shinies, and Dogma doesn’t want to hang out with grumpy ARC troopers

But it’s not like they can argue with Rex, can they?

Fives and Dogma walk for a while—the whole situation is very tense and awkward—until a storm catches them by surprise and they’re forced to take shelter in a small cave

…they’re forced to stay there until the storm calms down

…which takes about 2 days

SO during that time, the awkwardness slowly leaves the scene, and Dogma and Fives actually bond a little bit! They don’t become besties or anything (have you seen how those two interact in the Umbara arc???) but they definitely understand each other a little bit better by the end of those two days

That’s… that’s kind of it lol

AS FOR UNIQUELY NORMAL EEEEEEEEK

This is a novel I’m working on—not a one-shot like a lot of my ideas—in which Hardcase is accidentally left behind on a planet and befriends an awkward lady named Merilyn

Merilyn is… okay, awkward is an understatement. She stutters when she’s nervous (which is pretty much all the time) says “um” way too much, blushes uncontrollably…

So basically me whenever I socialize-

Hardcase is about as opposite as he can get. He’s comfortable in any situation, talks loud, makes terrible jokes, sees the fun in every situation, and is really just weird—which fascinates Merilyn greatly. She’s never met anyone like him before

The two end up running into each other—no literally, they run into each other. She’d been too stressed out to notice and he’d been too busy trying not to step on any sidewalk cracks

Merilyn doesn’t know what clones look like, and Hardcase doesn’t bother to explain who he is… so Merilyn is left to assume that Hardcase is homeless

Here’s part of their first conversation :D

"Um, Hardcase?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... okay? What-what I mean by that is, y'know," Merilyn asks, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you have any credits, or somewhere to sleep, or-"

"Nope."

"Pardon? You-"

"I just got here. My brothers abandoned me in the woods." He says it so casually, as if he's merely commenting on the weather.

"Your brothers abandoned you in the woods?!" Merilyn squeaks, heart pounding in her ears.

"Well, they didn't know they did. See, I snuck onto their ship, right? And then once we landed, I ran off and climbed a tree, then I fell off the tree, blacked out, y'know, and-"

"You BLACKED OUT?!" Merilyn cries.

That… that’s their relationship in a nutshell, honestly

Merilyn decides to buy Hardcase a coffee (which he’s never tried before. He puts about a bazillion creamer thingies into it) and once he says, “Oh yeah I’m like 11 by the way” Merilyn freaks out and drags him to a doctor

The doctor then reveals that Hardcase is not, in fact, a psychopath—he’s just a clone XD

After that, Merilyn figures that Hardcase should have somewhere to stay until his brothers pick him up, so she takes him to her apartment building and gets the sweet-but-also-terrifying owner, Gwen, to let Hardcase stay for a bit

As time goes on, Merilyn and Hardcase end up becoming friends—Hardcase thinks that Meri is the coolest person ever, and Meri thinks that Hardcase is funny and great to be around

As even more time goes on, they end up becoming… more than friends asfsbjdkfkfl

This is a book I’ve been writing for well over a year, and I’m still not even halfway through just argggg

I might start posting chapters on A03 soon, but I’m not too sure…

I FREAKING LOVED ANSWERING THESE OH MY GOODNESS THANK YOU SO MUCH 🙏

(Also, it appears that we have the same taste in modern AU’s lol)

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intermundia · 3 years

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For anyone interested in stories about Obi-Wan Kenobi—I’ve compiled a chronological list of prequel-era books (Legends and Canon) where he appears. I also have a list of all his appearances in video at the end of the post behind a break bc I do try to respect peoples dashboards haha. I’m still working on figuring out the comics, but anyway here are the books:

It's probably not perfect, but it's better than nothing! I am definitely focused on the prequel era, bc that’s my area of expertise—the empire etc. is beyond me at the moment.

I know there are a sizable percentage of fans who dismiss anything that’s not in red ink as illegitimate characterization sources. I respectfully submit that it’s fun and interesting to have a character with a lot of memories and adventures.

Now, beneath the cut is a chronological list of his appearances in video (101 of them anyway):

Phantom Menace

Attack of the Clones

Chapter 1 (2003 Clone Wars)

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 11

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Cat and Mouse (2.16)

The Hidden Enemy (1.16)

Clone Wars (2008)

Supply Lines (3.03)

Rising Malevolence (1.02)

Shadow of Malevolence (1.03)

Destroy Malevolence (1.04)

Rookies (1.05)

Downfall of a Droid (1.06)

Duel of the Droids (1.07)

Dooku Captured (1.11)

The Gungan General (1.12)

Trespass (1.15)

Blue Shadow Virus (1.17)

Mystery of a Thousand Moons (1.18)

Storm Over Ryloth (1.19)

Innocents of Ryloth (1.20)

Holocron Heist (2.01)

Children of the Force (2.03)

Bounty Hunters (2.17)

Zillow Beast Strikes Back (2.19)

Senate Spy (2.04)

Landing at Point Rain (2.05)

Legacy of Terror (2.07)

Brain Invaders (2.08)

Greivous Intrigue (2.09)

The Deserter (2.10)

The Mandalore Plot (2.12)

Voyage of Temptation (2.13)

Duchess of Mandalore (2.14)

Assassin (3.07)

ARC Troopers (3.02)

Hunt for Ziro (3.09)

Nightsisters (3.12)

Witches of the Mist (3.14)

Overlords (3.15)

Altar of Mortis (3.16)

Ghosts of Mortis (3.17)

The Citadel (3.18)

Counter Attack (3.19)

Citadel Rescue (3.20)

Gungan Attack (4.02)

Darkness on Umbara (4.07)

The General (4.08)

Plan of Dissent (4.09)

Kidnapped (4.11)

Slaves of the Republic (4.12)

Escape from Kadavo (4.13)

Deception (4.15)

Friends and Enemies (4.16)

The Box (4.17)

Crisis on Naboo (4.18)

Brothers (4.21)

Revenge (4.22)

A War on Two Fronts (5.02)

Front Runners (5.03)

The Soft War (5.04)

Tipping Points (5.05)

Bound for Rescue (5.08)

A Necessary Bond (5.09)

Secret Weapons (5.10)

Point of No Return (5.13)

Revival (5.01)

The Lawless (5.16)

Sabotage (5.17)

The Jedi Who Knew Too Much (5.18)

To Catch a Jedi (5.19)

The Wrong Jedi (5.20)

Conspiracy (6.02)

The Rise of Clovis (6.06)

The Disappeared, Part I (6.08)

The Lost One (6.10)

Voices (6.11)

Sacrifice (6.13)

A Death on Utapau (Unreleased)

In Search of the Crystal (Unreleased)

Crystal Crisis (Unreleased)

the Big Bang (Unreleased)

A Distant Echo (7.01)

Unfinished Business (7.04)

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 25

Old Friends Not Forgotten (7.09)

The Phantom Apprentice (7.10)

Revenge of the Sith

Twin Suns (Rebels 3.20)

A New Hope

Empire Strikes Back

Return of the Jedi

#obi-wan kenobi #writing resources #idk if anyone actually wants or needs #this #but nevertheless i am sharing it #star wars #sw #i swear to god tumblr if you change my list again honestly wtf #it keeps deleting and replacing the first three of the list to be the same #ugh whatever #stupid tumblr or stupid molly whichever

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bacarasbabe · 2 years

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Hi hi Tess, my sweet! May I please ask about the cheeky clone drabbles you’ve got hidden away there? 👀 x

Congratulations! You get to hear about my mostly abandoned Fives x Reader fic! It's a friends to lovers/fix it fic that takes place after the Umbara arc. Echo is alive but with the 104th, Dogma is rescued/transfered to the Coruscant Guard, and Fives has a hard time being genuine about his deep feelings because he's never had deep feelings for someone like this before. I cover some no so fun topics too like the reader's ab*sive ex and prejudice against clones. But the ultimate goal was to have Fives eat the reader out in a closet at 79's bc the reader confesses she's never had good oral and Fives obviously and generously offers to help her out. Because what else are friends for 😌

Your fingers stall while tapping out the message. You'll do what exactly? You'll meet up, pretend everything is fine? Pretend that not hearing from one of your closest friends for months on end didn't hurt? Pretend, as always, that you don't want to land a sharp slap against his cheek before pulling him into a crushing kiss? Hoping that beyond all reason Fives kisses you back as you're swept up and left breathless as you finally, finally-

You heave a sigh, stopping your thoughts in their tracks, wiping them away along with the sweat dripping down your face with the back of your hand.

-I'll meet you there after my shift ends.

You hit send and shake the sleeve of your worn gray jumpsuit out, covering your comm. You’re plunged back into darkness. The kind you can only find when crammed into the service shaft of a Venator-class Star Destroyer. The goggles cutting into your forehead stick slightly to your skin as you pull them back down over your eyes. Your hands fall into soothing patterns as you resume your work, striving to finish your repairs as quickly as possible. The bright spark and loud crackling of your welder helps drown out thoughts of your friend. Fives. While he might not be at the forefront of your mind you could feel him settling into your chest. He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive. Your heart sings with every beat.

WIP Game

#omg this makes me almost want to write for the clones again #i forgot how much work and love i put into this fic #its already at 3.5k words #wip game #tess answers #zinzinina #fives x reader #arc trooper fives

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jgvfhl · 2 years

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The Number Lads: Krell is terrible

I am so lazy about these titles lol. Anyway, Umbara continues!! Krell is still a horrible living being!! How will this campaign end?? Read on to find out!

I finally made a Masterlist for Number Lads!

Words: ~3.2K; No warnings

Taking the airbase had been… almost laughably easy. To say the Umbarans had not been prepared for a surprise attack from a highly-trained group of pilots would be an understatement. There had been some heavy defenses, yes, but they had seen Krell march the 501st straight towards their front door and reacted, leaving more than enough room for his pilots to slip through the gaps. Only one hangar had been irreparably damaged, just like Sixes had wanted, and he trusted Captain Marks to take care of the ground troops outside. The control tower had been the trickiest, since they needed it intact, but not broadcasting a distress signal to the entire planet. The Umbarans might have gotten a few seconds of a signal out, but once Death Wing boots hit the ground, the tower had been swarmed and easily neutralized.

Sixes stood by the nose of his X-wing, watching his men reorganize the base and trying to ignore the comments from Remy about Umbaran architecture. Captain Marks’ first lieutenant Victor walked over and saluted. Sixes nodded for him to speak.

“All clear, sir. We have three dozen useable Umbaran ships, I’ve got men working on figuring them out now. It shouldn’t take long.”

“I want them in the air as soon as they think they won’t crash the things. Marks can only keep the enemy occupied for so long out there.”

“Understood, sir.”

Something caught his eye as Victor turned to leave, and he trained his visors’ focus on the disturbance. Blue armor paint. His eyes narrowed. What were they doing here? He left his ship and walked over to the 501st soldiers, quickly recognizing Fives’ helmet from several meters away. Several of his own pilots were gathered around them, probably just as confused as they were.

“Fives,” he said when he knew he was in earshot. He didn’t like to raise his voice unless it was necessary.

Fives’ visor turned sharply, as did his companion. “Uh–Commander?”

“You know these guys?” his companion asked, sounding far too excited for Sixes’ liking. Sounded too much like Sevenset.

“Uh… sort of? What are you doing here, exactly? Sir?”

“Helping. What are you doing here?”

Fives paused, absorbing the answer. “Rex sent us to get Umbaran ships, they’re the only thing–”

“The only thing effective against their weapons’ armor, we know,” Sixes finished for him. “We’ve got three dozen here to use, my pilots will take care of it.”

“Oh.”

His companion visibly deflated. “Aw man, I wanted to try flying one of those things. They looked like fun.”

Sixes raised an eyebrow at the soldier, despite knowing no one could see it under his helmet. “Do you have flight training?”

The man straightened almost to attention. “Nope!” he said, sounding too proud of that answer.

Sixes blinked at him. Fives cleared his throat. “Uh, Commander, this is Hardcase. He was the one who crashed that meeting a couple months ago.”

He nodded. “I remember now.” It was the Sevenset one. His comm beeped with Lieutenant Victor’s frequency. “What is it, Lieutenant?”

“Sir, we’re ready to fly, shall I give the order?”

“Yes, get going. I’ll send you coordinates in the air, but you should be able to follow the sounds of explosions.”

“Yessir.”

Several seconds later, two of the hangars opened their doors and a dozen Umbaran fighters whirred out into the sky, heading almost back the way the Death Wings had come. Some of them wobbled a bit, some had inconsistent acceleration, but for only a few minutes’ work, the pilots flew admirably. Turning back to Fives, he asked, “Do you have more exact coordinates for the rest of your men?”

The ARC pulled out a portable holoprojector and turned it on to a map of the area. After pushing a button a few times, a red dot appeared in the blue hologram, and coordinates appeared next to it. “Here sir. Those are Echo’s coordinates, technically, but he’s not exactly moving fast right now, so he should be with the rest of them.” Sixes typed them into his comm to send to Victor. Fives having a locator on his injured brother was about the least surprising thing about his appearance here.

“Good. You two will stay here, it’s enough of a mess out there as it is. The rest of the five-oh-first and the Death Wings should be here soon enough.” He turned to walk back to his ship, but Fives interrupted him.

“Sir, with all due respect, I’d like to be out there.”

“Me too, sir,” his friend Hardcase seconded, at least having the decency to be more subdued when he was talking about walking back out into a warzone from the safety of a captured base.

Sixes sighed. Rex’s Freaks indeed. “Boys, I’m pretty sure your captain would agree on this one. Stay here, get some rest. There’s barracks here somewhere, one of my pilots can show you where. Don’t pretend like you weren’t just complaining about a twelve-hour march and an ambush.” The last remark was mostly aimed at Fives, but neither of them protested further. Smart choice.

As they trudged off behind two pilots, Sixes raised his comm and typed in Cody’s frequency to send a message.

CC-6666: In case anyone who may or may not have four arms and two lightsabers asks, you gave me authorization to join the campaign on Umbara.

CC-2224: what the hell??? Sixes???

CC-6666: Who else, Commander Spin Kick

CC-2224: okay kriff you, but seriously are you on umbara? why?

CC-6666: Because there’s a besalisk with the highest casualty rates in the GAR in charge of your little towheaded CT and his men, and if you don’t say you told me to join, I still have the pictures Commander Fordo took of you with your “favowite bwankie" when you were three.

CC-6666: Oh and I have the comm code of one of your men in Ghost Company who would be more than happy to share those pictures with the class.

CC-2224: …

CC-6666: That’s what I thought. You’re welcome.

CC-2224: bastard

-scene break-

Sixes trained his men well, and as he had said, the rest of the Death Wings returned an hour later, and the 501st arrived only half an hour later. All twelve of the Umbaran fighters commandeered by Death Wing pilots were returned to their hangars, and the black-clad medics rushed to assist their counterparts in blue with the (worryingly few) wounded. He watched Fives and Hardcase emerge from the barracks and run to greet their brothers, the former finding Echo like a magnet. As relieved as Sixes was to see them safe, he knew their arrival meant something else: Krell.

The besalisk towered over the clones by almost two feet, and was easily twice as broad. His four hands were clasped behind his back as he approached, his ridged brow adding to what appeared to be a resting glower on his face. Sixes was not looking forward to this conversation.

“I don’t believe I’ve seen you before,” the Jedi said, coming to stand in front of him and looking down at him. His voice was low, easily made threatening if need be, he imagined.

“You haven’t, I would’ve remembered, sir.”

The Jedi’s eyes narrowed slightly. Probably doing Force things like reading his aura or something. “Who are you?”

“Commander Death. These men are my Death Wing pilots,” Sixes added, gesturing to them amongst the white and blue of the 501st.

Krell surveyed him for a moment, then said, “I was not aware you or your men would be joining this campaign, Commander.”

“That is unfortunate, sir,” he said, careful to keep his tone measured. No reason to provoke him now. “I’m sure it was an administrative oversight, nothing more. My pilots are a very small group, we slip through cracks easily enough.” It was mostly true. The Death Wings were smaller than a legion should be, but with their renowned efficiency, they didn’t need numbers to get the job done.

“Of course,” the Jedi replied, but there was something less than polite lacing his tone. “Then I can expect your full cooperation to complete this campaign, yes?”

Sixes took a moment, wording his answer carefully. “We’ll get the job done, sir.”

Despite the indirect response, it seemed to satisfy the Jedi for the moment. He grunted and nodded, his throat sac bobbing with it, then stalked away towards the control tower. When he moved out of the way, Sixes found three clones waiting behind him, hitherto invisible behind the looming besalisk. Two of them were Fives and Echo, unsurprisingly, the latter using his batchmate for support as he held his right leg up off the ground. The other was a medic who kept hovering near Echo. Probably waiting to tackle him into a bed, by the look of him.

“Fancy seeing you here after all the noise we made in the group comm,” Echo said dryly.

Sixes shrugged. “I’d heard enough stories from Fours and the Marines about what Krell’s campaigns are like.”

“You know if Sevenset finds out you came here just to spare us the brunt of Krell’s wrath, he’ll never let you live it down,” Fives pointed out.

He was right, of course. Sevenset had apparently made it his life’s mission to prove to everyone that Commander Death actually cared about other people. It was amusing, in a way. “Well, then you two had better keep your mouths shut and your comms clean while I’m on the same planet as you. For your own safety.”

From the tone of their “Yessir,” they were definitely smiling under their buckets, but he didn’t say anything about it. The medic followed them as they left for the barracks, and Sixes turned back to his ship. He heard someone call his rank, and sighed, but turned to face them.

It was Captain Rex, wrangler of the present Freaks. “I… don’t believe we’ve really met,” he said, a little hesitant. “Well–obviously I’ve heard of you, but…” He took off his helmet and offered a hand. “Captain Rex.”

“Commander Sixes.” He grasped the captain’s vambrace firmly. “And technically, we have met.”

The captain’s brows scrunched in confusion. “I… don’t remember it.”

“Yeah, you were barely one standard year, I’m not surprised,” Sixes answered, releasing his arm.

The captain’s eyebrows now rose, then drew together again. “Oh.” Sixes left him to wonder. “And… why are you here? Sir. Who contacted you to join the campaign?”

He must have missed Fives and Echo conversing with him like drinking buddies, then. Why else would he be asking? Well, then it was only fair to let him figure that out. “Cody did. Ask him yourself, if you’re curious.”

Captain Rex nodded slowly. “Got it.” Honestly, Sixes hoped he did ask. He was curious what Cody would tell his favorite CT. “And uh… how do you know Domino?” Ah, so he had noticed the conversation from afar.

“I’m CC sixty-six sixty-six.”

This was met with a pensive stare, until Captain Rex sighed and rubbed his eyes when he put two and two together. “Right… the number thing.” He looked exhausted, and that was saying something for clones. His armor was, like most of his men, in a state of utter disarray: it was covered in dirt, his boots were caked with the stuff, and there was blaster residue left over from some near misses in places you didn’t want near misses.

“You should try to get some rest,” Sixes said quietly. “Your men need you at your best, and this isn’t it. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

They both knew he was right, but it was hard for any commanding officer to take down time. Sixes was guilty of it more often than not. His medics weren’t exactly fond of the behavior. But eventually, the captain nodded. “You need to know about the general–” he started, glancing up at the control tower apprehensively.

He didn’t let him finish. “I know about the general,” lacing as much contempt into the rank as possible.

“You do? Did Domino–?”

He shook his head. “I ran a mission with the Nova Corps soon after Krell did. I learned all I need to know about him from them.”

Captain Rex nodded his understanding. “Wish I’d had the warning,” he sighed. “Any warning.”

Sixes couldn’t help but agree on that one. “Get some rest. I’ll send someone to get you when you’re needed.”

“Thank you, commander.”

“Don’t thank me until General Skywalker’s back and Krell is long gone.”

The captain gave a small smile. “And maybe once we’re off this damned planet, too. Oh, um… one question, since the general’s gonna ask: where did you put the prisoners?”

The general would ask, no doubt, and the general would learn not to ask in the future. “Death Wings don’t take prisoners unless given orders otherwise.”

Captain Rex blinked, the trace of amusement from earlier vanishing. “Oh.”

“What, you thought the moniker was just for show, Captain?”

“Well, no–”

Sixes turned his back to him, returning to get Remy out of his ship, then he could start figuring out how to deal with the temperamental besalisk. “Then you shouldn’t be surprised. Now go get some rest before I comm Fives to drag you there.”

-scene break-

DressedtotheNines: how are things over there Domino? heard you guys took the airbase we found

CrispyDomino: yeah we had some help on that front

RedBoiiiii: YOU’RE ALIVE

CrispyDomino: yeah we’re okay sevenset

d0nut man: yay! how’s the leg echo?

CrispyDomino: getting better, but i’m still off duty for a while yet

CrispyDomino: which is annoying

Loops: wait where’s fives?

CrispyDomino: hopefully he’s asleep, but i have my doubts

DressedtotheNines: wait whose help did you have taking the base??

CrispyDomino: uh…

DEATH: Mine

Leafs: what?? you–what?? Sir??

RedBoiiiii: the commander did what now???

CrispyDomino: yeah

DEATH: They needed the help and my boys weren’t busy

Submarine: how’s the general?

CrispyDomino: oh same as always

CrispyDomino: cranky and ugly with no regard for our wellbeing

DressedtotheNines: i should tell you we’re not exactly having a picnic ourselves, although… obviously we don’t have to deal with krell

DressedtotheNines: we thought that base you’re at was supplying the enemy air support but looks like we were wrong

DEATH: What do you mean?

DEATH: Disregard that, we’ve got a transmission from Kenobi coming through

CrispyDomino: well he might be a CO but i’m not. spill it nines

DressedtotheNines: there’s a giant supply ship in orbit that’s giving them whatever they need

DressedtotheNines: until that goes, these missiles are making the capital mission a suicide run

CrispyDomino: cute

RedBoiiiii: can you blow it up?

Double Trouble: of course sevens suggests that

Leafs: i think if they could have blown up a supply ship, they would have done it already

DressedtotheNines: yeah, trees is right, we don’t have the air support we were promised

CrispyDomino: well… we may have some extra to lend you

-scene break-

Nines had been right: the Separatist supply ship was giving the Umbarans more than enough to defend the capital against any attacks short of detonating half the planet, putting Kenobi and the 212th at a stand-still. The Death Wings’ technical analysts had gone through the weapons database as soon as they had cracked the Umbaran security a couple hours ago, and Sixes did not like the odds of going up against 100-megaton missiles. He didn’t blame General Kenobi’s caution.

On top of this, however, it appeared the enemy was tampering with communications. Kenobi’s transmission was garbled in places, the little polygons comprising his image constantly flickering.

“We’ll just have to take that capital regardless of those missiles,” Krell announced, and even through the blocky visage, he saw Kenobi was taken aback. “My battalion will meet you at the rendezvous coordinates.”

Sixes clenched his teeth at the besalisk’s callousness. Taking a glance around Krell, he saw Captain Rex’s face cloud with worry for a brief moment.

“We cannot expect–” Kenobi started, only for his image to dissolve into cubes as the transmission ended abruptly.

One of the 501st troopers manning the communications tower hurriedly said, “I’ll try to get him back, sir,” navigating the unfamiliar interface as quickly has he could. Sixes shook his head. He knew it was useless.

“Don’t bother,” Krell said. “The enemy is jamming our communications. We are on our own.” The Jedi turned and stalked out of the communications room. Sixes nodded for the captain to go first, then followed them both out and down to the ground.

He was suddenly very grateful Sevenset had bothered to thoroughly encrypt their group comm, which was strange by itself. Hopefully, its breadth of service across multiple galactic channels of communications would keep it open through the Umbaran efforts to interfere. He should still be able to contact Nines. Not that he would tell this to Krell, of course. Only if strictly necessary.

“Commander,” the Jedi said.

“Sir.”

“Your men are pilots, but I trust they have ample skill on the ground, yes?”

As if he needed to ask. But the fact that he did ask was suspicious. “Yessir.”

“Have your men join forces with the five-oh-first. The assault on the capital will take more manpower than they have right now.”

Sixes glanced at the captain behind Krell’s back. He couldn’t be serious, could he? He was a Jedi, he wasn’t an idiot. Captain Rex frowned, but spoke up.

“Sir, General Kenobi had been waiting for air support to destroy the supply ship. The Death Wings could be that support.”

But the besalisk dismissed him, saying, “This airbase must be protected. If we leave it poorly defended, there will be nothing stopping the enemy from retaking it and cornering us.”

“So you want half my pilots to stay here while the other half march on the capital into the face of the missiles that have halted General Kenobi’s men?” Sixes asked, hoping to state plainly just how ludicrous it sounded. His men were pilots. There was a threat in the sky. And he wanted them grounded? Something was wrong here, Sixes could feel it in his blood.

“Should I try to contact General Kenobi again, sir?” Captain Rex asked. “We should coordinate an attack against the capital.”

“No,” Krell replied, waving a hand. No?

So he really was trying to them all killed.

“General Kenobi has his hands full, same as us.” As if to prove a point, several explosions struck the ground only a few hundred yards from the airbase. “We must strike quickly and decisively, with everything we have. Search the base: I want all weapons prepped and loaded.” Krell stopped walking, turning to face the two of them. “Both of you, have your men ready to march in twelve hours. Commander.”

Sixes straightened up to show he’d heard, but he suddenly had very little desire to address this person as “sir”.

“You will remain here to defend this base. The captain will accompany the march to the capital.”

He folded his arms, tilting his head to one side. “Why.”

Krell’s yellow eyes narrowed, an expression enhanced by the crest on his head. He leaned forward, actively looming over him. “Because it is an order, Commander.”

To be continued! ooooo~ Anyway, tags: @23-bears @theultimatesandwich even tho this is wAY past where you've watched in the show lol @mercurydancer @darth-void @nintendolover13

#i write things sometimes #number lads #numbers gang #clone ocs #umbara arc #arc trooper fives #arc trooper echo #captain rex #pong krell #tcw fanfic #the clone wars

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spockandawe · 2 years

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Man, the biggest disappointment of the clone wars, by far, is how BARELY the clones are even characters. 99 got as many lines as most of the other boys. I was expecting echo to have at least *one* episode between invited to be an arc and being sploded. There's still a few seasons left, but I'm only a few from umbara, which means it's time for hardcase and dogma to get, very possibly, less development than cutup and droidbait. I know the bad batch is going to disappoint me in new and exciting ways, but it's.... very unsettling. The random old jedi dude who helped ahsoka find her lightsaber has gotten show attention leaps and bounds beyond arguably every clone we've met. At a minimum, fives and rex will beat him out eventually, for sure, but they've been around for three whole seasons and are losing, badly, to a one-off rando unaffiliated with any main characters.

Like, I was so excited to meet monnk, and stoked to see it was a three-parter where he was featured, so SURELY-- no. fuck you. if you don't already recognize his armor in murky low light, you don't even get to know if he's talking. I watched one mortis episode and skipped the others, because it was AGONIZINGLY dull and i don't need three episodes to tell me anakin is super powerful and gets dangerously attached to his people. I can't believe we dumped all the dathomir momentum for THAT, and there weren't any clones or zabraks to make things fun

Not that I'm.... unhappy here. I'm just kind of stunned by just how much fandom creators are carrying this franchise on their backs. I would still say it's a good show, but i would be DRASTICALLY less compelled if not for fanfic to expand on all these characters who show up to get a name and die. People clown on cody for barely having a canonical personality, but I'm almost halfway through, and he's got more to him than almost every other clone character 🙃 The most developed clone so far is 99, and that's because he's a clear-cut Tragic Archetype 🙃🙃🙃

Just IMAGINE this show with a more modern form factor, something closer to SU maybe, where you've got a large-scale plot happening, but it's easy to zoom in on tighter episodes as necessary, but ALSO can integrate side characters in little ways to round them out before they're central to the plot. 'But SU has a smaller cast--' COOL then take your notes from transformers! I'd hesitate to say most animated versions do a good job of giving the WHOLE cast balanced attention, but it's still an improvement. Imagine I had some idea of who jesse was before umbara! Or kix! That would be wild! But I think they've had one or two throwaway lines each, and it's such a waste of potential.

#my expectations were low! i knew better than to think that this show would reflect fan thought and care #i still hilariously overshot #catch me texting my friend 'NOOOO PONDS' but guess what the show has given me no reason to know Literally Anything about him #i know there are comics #but. come on.#i wanted to see hardcase in action and went to youtube #guess. guess how i found out what happened to him.#cue hurt confusion about why the umbara clips were all i could find #welp! starting to look like there just isnt anything else! :V #star wars #i am still very hostile to the repcomm books but i am desperate for clones to get Any screen time at all #please my children are starving #yess tbb has Issues and the attention is still unbalanced but *some* clones getting to be characters!#wild concept!

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yukipri · 3 years

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Bad Batch end of season thoughts/ramble, bc it's been a week and I just wanna get it all off my chest...

(end of season spoilers and very disorganized rambling)

First off, I do want to say that I enjoyed watching the show. It fulfilled its primary purpose: entertainment. It was nice having something to look forward to every week, and even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was fun. The animation was gorgeous, I liked all the references and tie ins. I will likely watch it again, and will watch season 2. This is by no means meant to be a hate post.

That being said, it is critical so please just skip if you're not into that!

The thing is...it takes very, Very little for me to love a clone. He doesn't need lines, or a face, or even a name, and the default is that I will love him. He can even be a little bastard, like Slick, and it's fine. I always want to know more about them, and wish they had more screen time and time in general to develop their characters. So given that we were getting 16 (20 eps total if we count TCW S7 pilot arc) centered around these guys, I was expecting to absolutely adore them by the end.

And I wanted to love the Bad Batch, I wanted to love them so damn much, and I tried. But I think one of the reasons why they never fully clicked for me was that their thing seems to be "we're unique, we never fit in, we're outsiders in our own home, among the people who are supposed to be our own family, and so we've found our home with each other."

Which! That's usually a wonderful message, and not a particularly rare or unique one either for stories! I usually dig these kinds of stories!

The problem here is the extremely unique situation of the clones. They are literally created to be identical, brain washed to be uniform. They must conform, or are killed off by their creators, and their conformity isn't a choice in the slightest, but one of fear and necessity.

Their uniformity is something that they are also entirely aware of--it's unavoidable, they're clones. Once out in the real galaxy, they all strive to find and establish unique identities for themselves, struggling against a galaxy that just wants them to be faceless products. It's a shared struggle, and all they have are each other, and their brotherhood is sacred as a result. Shunning unique identity is the opposite of who a clone is--it's what they all want.

So on one hand, it's understandable that the Batch stuck out (when all others who would have also stuck out were culled, when individuality isn't allowed). It's understandable that they would have yearned for the brotherhood shared by the other clones, and when they couldn't have it, they stuck closer to each other. It's even understandable that they would feel bitter, having experienced bullying at the hands of the other clones (but isn't it also understandable that the other clones would feel bitter that the Batch gets special treatment, when their own brothers with less-than-beneficial mutations were taken by the Kaminoans to never return?).

And so we have this batch of clones, who the Kaminoans call "mutated," but also specify that their mutations are "desirable" (implying what happens to mutations that are undesirable...). They have their own unique unit, in which they're able to improvise and act freely with seemingly little to no oversight, so long as they complete their mission. No Jedi to obey, no nat-born officers who look down on them. In fact, they look so different from standard clone troopers that most of the galaxy probably don't even know they are clones. They have their own ship (personalized), they have their own possessions (which we don't really see any other clones have), they have their own barracks (probably also very unique), and they even have access to superior weapons and armor (most of the Batch, minus Echo, seem to be wearing modified Katarn-class armor which is supposed to be for Commandos. we KNOW it holds up better than standard trooper armor).

So I'm sure they had some unpleasant experiences growing up, and I do get it. But at least at "present" end of clone wars, they honestly seem to be living infinitely better than all other clones? They still need to follow orders but they have more freedom, and perhaps most importantly, they have clear uniqueness that is denied almost all other clones. And yes, some of the clones on Kamino bully them, but we've seen NONE of the "regular" clones that we know to be particularly nasty to them, and in fact it's Crosshair who starts it by calling them "Regs."

And how does the Batch respond to this situation? By acting superior. It's Crosshair who says and it believes this firmly, and I do feel that the others are likely mostly influenced by this, but it's also true that Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech don't really deny this either. They don't like the "regs," they do act like they're "better." Poor Echo, who they repeatedly seem to forget is in the room, and who they call "machine" and such...yikes yo

So I guess the point is, I just really struggled to feel sympathetic towards them, and was already on a kinda eh about their premise. They're marketed as "the special clone squad"--and yet they're not nice to the clones I love. I thought that wasn't great, but also hoped that the series would work towards them understanding the other clones better, and I love character development so that woulda been fine--but, nothing. A glance from Hunter at Howzer. Extended camaraderie from Gregor, who I feel they mostly just tolerate for the mission, other than Echo who genuinely cares.

And on top of feeling not feeling particularly sympathetic towards what I saw as a pretty privileged group of clones, the Batch seems to place primary blame of their woes on the "regs" themselves, who again, honestly seem far worse off! There isn't blame directed at the people who demanded the conformity from the other clones in the first place, that made it so the Batch couldn't fit in. The Batch was modified due to the Kaminoans (and implied specifically Nala Se). She's the reason why they don't fit in. And the Kaminoans are also why the other clones have to be so uniform, why they must fight to be people and not products.

Bitterness and pettiness can be fine in characters. But it's frustrating to see in a group supposed to be competent and elite, especially when those feelings have consequences. Sure, it sucks when someone throws a food tray at you. You can throw food back. It's not an equal reaction to feel no remorse when you shoot that guy dead in a blaster fight, when for all other clones, having to kill another clone is one of the most horrible, tragic things that one can do (thanks, Umbara).

Fives was the only clone to actually point a blaster at Nala Se.

We know Omega has deeply personal history with Nala Se. She was Nala Se's personal medical assistant. We see her cry when she takes off her head ornament that matches Nala Se. We know that being back in the lab gives Omega complicated, and probably not entirely positive feelings. But we barely learn more about this relationship, other than these glimpses.

And I get the feeling that to Omega at least, Nala Se wasn't all terrible. If Omega grew up with mostly only Nala Se for company, she had to have gotten her sheltered outlook on life, and her willingness to help others from somewhere. Nala Se intentionally let Omega go, to be "safe."

I think Omega's adorable, and I do like her. But I wasn't able to fully love her to the extent I wanted to, because there was always the fear that she was involved in the creation and implantation of the chips. She knows about them, she would have been positioned to do so. I want to think she would never, and I was hoping the show would reassure us of that, but it never did. We don't actually know how Omega feels about Nala Se, or even the chips and their presence in other clones. Instead, all we know is that Omega doesn't like "regs."

And again, "they call me lab scrubber," and "I helped put (or am complicit in putting) mind control devices in their heads," are kinda, unequal. Again I hope it's not the case. But it definitely kept me feeling uneasy throughout the show.

It really boils down to I don't trust or forgive Nala Se, and the Batch's lack of stance against her and the other Kaminoans, and clear distaste for their other clone brothers, really puts them in a situation that makes it difficult for me to take their side entirely.

And then gosh, Hunter. During Crosshair's whole "you never came back for me," spiel, I couldn't help but think he's kinda right. He had 15 episodes. Sure, it's difficult to get Crosshair back. But they could have done something. They could have done research. We could have had scenes of them wondering where Crosshair is, discussions on how best to find him, even if that discussion ended in, "but we can't risk it right now." They could have grilled Omega for information on the chips, which they really shoulda done either way, but especially since that knowledge is important to understanding what (they thought had) happened to Crosshair. Instead, they just ran every time Crosshair showed up. The show could have done better to show that they cared, and were trying, instead of just, y'know, doing chores for Cid. One, "I kinda miss him," doesn't really count as working on getting him back, at least in my books.

The sole exception to all of this, of course, is Echo. Who really, he works with the Batch fine, he's a former ARC and can more than keep up. Skillset-wise, he fits in well enough. But this season really made me wonder why he's with them at all. Crosshair's revelation and true feelings at the end of the season were no surprise to me, as they're consistent with what we've seen of him from TCW S7. But for Echo, a former "reg" to have to work with someone like Crosshair...even if Crosshair thought Echo was "different" enough to accept him, those are his brothers that Crosshair thinks he's so superior to, and has no issue speaking disdainfully about.

The increasing tension between Echo and Hunter, Echo's interest in helping Rex, in helping other clones, in doing something...I do hope they reach a point where Echo demands they go help, or he's leaving.

They gave Crosshair a chance, despite the fact that his choices were willing. I really hope Echo can convince the Batch to help save the other clones who don't have a choice. Because even if the Batch doesn't consider them their brothers, they're certainly Echo's. They matter just as much as Crosshair, and I really hope season 2 shows it narratively.

To conclude, again I'm interested in seeing what happens next, and I want answers about Omega and Nala Se. I find it interesting that they tied the facility where they took Nala Se in with the scientist dude collecting data on Grogu in the Mandalorian and those cloning labs. All of this is interesting, but at the same time I feel like it's trying to build up to Snoke/Palpatine stuff in the sequels which...I don't care nearly as much about, but who knows, could be neat ^ ^;

I'm okay with, and have made peace with the fact that the Bad Batch probably isn't the "clones-centric" show I wanted, and that they'll continue their own story, and probably continue to not care much about other clones in upcoming seasons. That's unfortunate, but alright. I'm interested enough in their story too.

But at the same time...I can't help but think man, if they have the time and budget to do a season 2, after seeing what was (or wasn't) accomplished in season 1...I wish they'd also make a Rex/Cody/Wolffe/"regular clones" show, because in the end, if you're going to do a "clones show"....that's who I want to see most.

If you got to the end, thank you for reading, and being an ear to my ranting ^ ^; Again this is literally just getting this off my chest. If this take isn't one you agree with, please just ignore. For people who did fall in love with the Batch, I'm happy for you, and regret that it just couldn't happen for me. But, I'm hoping that S2 will change my mind, but we'll just have to see! ^ ^;

#the bad batch #bad batch #YukiPri rambles #really i'm not interested in a debate i just want to ramble

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mwolf0epsilon · 2 years

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Ok but on the topic of the clones bullying each other for petty reward points: Do you think that was something that older clones were on board with? The batch seemed sure they couldn't trust the 501st, so was this stuff that could have been happening in the higher clone hierarchy? Also bonus thought: When Echo first joins clone force 99, everyone thinks they have to defend him from the regs, but he immediately elbow drops the first idiot to call him a droid. He's a Domino AND an arc after all.

I highly doubt respectable more experienced clones would be super happy about this sort of nonsense behaviour.

The Alphas I'm 100% sure would have not tolerated that sort of thing. After all, they're all brothers! If they're gonna suffer under the longnecks and some of the less kinder trainers, they might as well have each other's backs through it all. The Nulls probably would beat up any shiny that so much as thought some teacher's pet point system would get them anywhere in life, rather than being there for their fellow clones. I might dare even extend this to the commandos and the arcs who are though sons of bitches and who put their lives in the hands of their brothers more often than not.

In the end, I think it all comes down to the cadets who had lesser contact with veteran clones. They have no real idea of what the war is actually like, and that they shouldn't be making enemies out of each other when they might end up potentially owing their safety to those they've tormented on behest of whatever bantha poodoo they're being spoon-feed by their trainers or even the Kaminoans.

If it stinks, it shouldn't be perpetuated.

I won't lie, the bad batch's willingness to antagonise the 501st annoyed me greatly when they were introduced. None of Rex's men were being disrespectful to them, merely curious and unsure due to mixed responses they've heard about Clone Force 99. Yet almost immediately Crosshair and Wrecker are willing to get into arguments and fistfights just because these other clones are "regs" (and honestly Hunter and Tech let them get away with it for the most part). Basically the Batch is gaslighting these traumatised soldiers who've suffered great losses, and who's captain is currently hoping against hope that he can at least rectify one said loss after suffering through both Umbara and Five's death. A loss which the batch doesn't give a damn about because there's hundreds of "regs". What's another one matter anyway? They're all the same. They supposedly trust Cody, a "reg" commander, so why can't they trust him to pair them with a group of others who won't harass them for fun?

Also I would 100% love to see Echo put some disrespectful shinies in their place after joining the Batch. He's the very last Domino, Five's batchmate who could keep up with him no matter what, and a goddamn ARC trooper. It's not some low grade mean words that are gonna get him down, especially not from some soldier who's so green he ain't even seen what the galaxy really looks like.

If anything, he's probably just annoyed that he's back to basics and having to assert his dominance because the cadets are still asshole bullies, since they think they're extra special just because their trainers said so and gave them an extra ration for picking on another batch of "weaker" brothers...

#star wars #the clone wars #the bad batch #I just think they could have written the batch a little better than they did #especially their interactions with regs #or at least acknowledge the fact bullying was more commonplace on Kamino than they're pretending it to be #also petition to remind the writers Echo is a frigging badass and not a prop?#he can hold his own let him show just how much of a Domino he is #I might still be salty the batch tried to abandon Gregor twice because he's a 'reg'...

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kyber-queen · 3 years

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burning (fives x gn!jedi!reader)

Summary: A retelling of the Umbara arc where reader is assigned to the 501st to assist in the Umbara invasion. Established relationship with Fives, Krell is an ass to reader and Fives is Not Having It, couples that defend one another stay together, lil bit of fluff lil bit of angst lil bit of action we got it ALL

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, medical stuff, mentions of death/injury, Krell is just an ASSHOLE to the reader, a lil kiss perhaps

Author’s Note: This idea has been stuck in my head for AGES, and now I finally have it on paper!! This was really fun to write, as always ANY comments/feedback/questions would be HIGHLY appreciated !! ALSO: ner kar’ta means my heart in Mando’a !!

***

A rumble of murmurs rolled through the battalion of troopers at the sight of the interim general of the 501st. Pong Krell, Fives had identified from behind you. You watched warily as the besalisk exited the dropship, his hulking form broad and dark against the soft glow of the natural vegetation. You fell silent as he spoke with General Skywalker. The newcomer unnerved you. Skywalker seemed hesitant to leave his troops behind—you didn’t blame him. The council had insisted you accompany the 501st to assist with the march on Umbara’s capitol, and even with your short time stationed directly in the unit you had seen firsthand Skywalker’s devotion to his troopers. The prospect of leaving them under the command of the rather imposing figure before him must be daunting.

You snapped to attention as Skywalker introduced you and the Captain, your eyes meeting Krell’s for a moment as he appraised you. His gaze turned your stomach.

He was a Jedi master, you reminded yourself. He had the respect and trust of the council, and as Skywalker turned to leave, you reluctantly acknowledged that he had the General’s trust as well. You shifted a quick glance behind you, seeking out Fives. He stood at attention, his shoulders squared. You’d talk to him later, you figured.

“Commander, will I be graced with the honor of your full attention, or do you have more pressing matters at hand?”

Condescension dripped from Krell’s tone. Your cheeks heated, and you quickly turned to face the new General.

“My apologies, sir,”.

Krell harrumphed, continuing on with his speech.

You watched the troopers’ faces fall as he ordered them to stand at attention when speaking to him. Krell seemed to be a fierce disciplinarian—you doubted there would be much tolerance for open discussion with the besalisk in charge. Still, he ran a highly successful battalion. His leadership style differed greatly from Skywalker’s, but he had the success rates to back up his different strategies. It’ll only be one mission, you figured. How bad could it be?

Krell finished his speech with a sharp nod of his head, ordering the troopers to move out. You lingered in the rear, giving Krell a respectful nod as he wrapped up his discussion with the Captain. Now was as good a time as any to make a more personal introduction.

“General Krell, the council sent me here to—”

“I know why you’re here, Commander. As far as my understanding goes, you are to act as a tactical assistant. I will let you know if I need any such assistance. Dismissed,”.

You frowned, turning away and taking a few jogging paces to catch up with the men. Was it just you, or did the new general seem rather indifferent? You brushed away your thoughts as the terrain rose up to meet the steady pace of your feet.

“Fives,” you called, his helmet whipping around at the sound of your voice. He motioned for his brothers to slow down, allowing you to catch up. You quickened your pace, closing the gap between the two of you.

“So, what do you think of the interim General?” He asked, looking back to his brothers for just a moment as if in reassurance.

“Strict, and almost dismissive” you noted, “but I’m sure his intentions are good,”.

Fives nodded, slipping off his helmet and tucking it under his arm as you walked.

“Me ‘n Jesse were just talking—Krell has the highest casualty rate in the GAR,”.

Your mouth formed into a small ‘o’ as you acknowledged the concerned look on Fives’s face.

His voice lowered, so only you could hear.

“It’s over 50%, ner kar’ta. He’s reckless, and he doesn’t take no for an answer. I—”

You silenced him with a gentle touch to his upper arm, in between the gap in his armor. His eyes drifted to your hand against his skin, and then back to your face. His expression softened.

“I know it’s going to be difficult—honestly, I don’t entirely trust him either—but Skywalker and the council do. We aren’t going to be able to pull this invasion off if everybody isn’t on the same page,”.

Fives nodded hesitantly. You gave him a soft smile in response. The two of you trudged on.

***

After hours of crossing inhospitable terrain, fending off native creatures, and surviving an enemy ambush, your patience with Krell was wearing thin. In the past few hours, he had shown a total disregard for the lives of the men under his command as well as your own rank in the battalion. When you seconded Rex’s call for a scouting party, the General all but laughed in your face. Your opinion meant next to nothing to him. Without the extra reconnaissance, hundreds of men died today. Unnecessarily. You burned. Rex and Fives echoed your frustrations, both men airing their grievances with the interim General.

Rex spoke first, raisng the question of Krell’s inconsiderate and dangerous tactics. He was right, you thought. Krell had crossed a line with his reckless strategies.

The General was less than receptive to Rex’s input, jabbing his large finger into the man’s chest as punctuation to his harsh words. You opened your mouth to remind the General that, according to the Jedi council, you were still his tactical advisor and that you had also adamantly disagreed with his strategies before he dismissed your opinion. Before you could speak, Fives strode up to the General, speaking in fierce defense of his captain.

“General Krell, in case you haven’t noticed, Captain Rex just saved this platoon. Surely you won’t fail to recognize that,”.

Krell’s lips twisted into a sneer, and he ignited his lightsaber menacingly. Your hand instinctively flew to your own saber on your belt clip as you stepped forward in defense of Fives, the weapon igniting in your hand.

“ARC-5555, stand down,” Krell ordered. His gaze flitted over to you, noting the saber in your hand and the thinly concealed fury in your eyes with a smirk. “And Commander, put that out before someone loses an eye,”.

“Sir, yes, sir,” Fives murmured, exchanging a glance with you as you hesitantly switched off your saber.

Krell dismissed the platoon with a smug grin.

You grabbed Fives’ vambrace, dragging him behind a large swatch of vegetation. He removed his helmet, taking a seat on the ground next to you. He sighed deeply. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent—he looked tired.

You wanted to yell. You wanted to complain. You knew neither of you needed that right now.

You reached up to cup Fives’s face in your hand, stroking his cheekbone with your thumb gently.

“When we get back, I’ll issue a report to the council on Krell’s neglectful treatment,” you murmured, offering what comfort you could.

Fives shook his head.

“It’s no use—what’s the council going to do? Give him a slap on the wrist? It’s not just Krell, ner kar’ta. To the majority of officers here, we’re expendable. One man dies, but there’s three more finishing up their training on Kamino and ready to take his place. I wish they’d realize—”. Fives trailed off with a sigh, and his soft brown eyes met yours.

You gave him a sad little smile.

“I love you,” you whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. Fives’ hand moved up to rest lightly against your cheek, his other hand holding the small of your back softly as he returned your kiss with a small grin.

A twig snapped.

You leapt away from each other as if you had both been burned.

You looked around, searching the darkness for a hidden figure. Heavy footsteps sounded to your right.

Before you could turn to follow the noise, blaster fire echoed to your left. Fives slipped his helmet over his head, yanking you back behind the vegetation. Your saber ignited, and the sky lit up with crossfire.

***

After receiving new information from Kenobi, the battered 501st made its weary way to the Umbaran airbase. Under Krell’s command the casualty rate had increased tenfold for this mission alone—the battalion medics were stretched thin. You did what you could to ease the pain of the wounded. Spotting a ridge, Krell motioned for you and the Captain to follow him.

“We’ll advance along the central gorge, and engage their forces in a full-forward assault,” Krell ordered.

You exchanged a look with Rex, who re-examined the terrain with his scope.

“The gorge is narrow, sir. We’ll only be able to move our platoons in single squads,” Rex explained.

We’ll be sitting ducks entering single-file down that gorge, you thought.

“Perhaps a closer recon will tell us if there’s a more secure route,” Rex suggested.

“I agree with the Captain,” you stated. “With the numbers we’ve lost earlier today, we can’t afford to risk the lives of the men we have left with a full-forward assault,” you supplemented.

Krell frowned.

“Obi-Wan and the other battalions are holding off the enemy right now, while they wait for us to take out this base. We don’t have time to look for a more secure route,”.

Krell turned away with finality.

Rex shook his head, turning back toward his men.

This isn’t right, you thought. You jogged to catch up with the General.

“General Krell,” you called.

“What is it, Commander?” he grumbled.

“I’d like to talk to you about possibly reconsidering the full-forward strategy. A short reconnaissance mission could provide vital information in taking this base, and it could possibly save the lives of many of our men,”. Your hands twitched anxiously.

“Our men, hmm? A charming sentiment, Commander,”.

Your brows furrowed. When you next spoke, there was a new intensity to your voice.

“Forgive me for being forward, General, but it isn’t a sentiment. Each trooper we lose is a life that we were responsible for protecting. It is in everyone’s best interest to go forward with the reconnaissance. As your tactical advisor, I strongly suggest you consult with Captain Rex to put together a small recon team,”.

Krell chuckled to himself.

“Everyone’s best interest. Amusing. We’ll proceed with the full-forward assault as planned,”.

You fumed.

“Sir, as your tactical advisor, I insist that you initiate the formation of a reconnaissance team. I do not understand why you fail to realize the gravity of this situation,”.

There was a spark to Krell’s eyes, now. You had angered him. He paused. You held your breath.

“Forgive me for being forward, Commander, but I do not place much weight on the opinion of someone whoring themself out for a clone. I’m sure you understand how this situation appears to me,”.

You sucked in a sharp breath. It had been him in the darkness. You were certain of it. Your chest burned.

“I-I apologize, General,”.

Krell nodded dismissively. You turned away, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. He knew. You’d get expelled from the order, Fives would get reconditioned if he was lucky, and you had no clue what to do about it. You stepped away.

“Oh, and Commander?”

You turned back to face the General, hastily wiping at your face. You wouldn’t cry in front of him. You couldn’t.

“Yes, sir?”

“If you want to remain in your current station, you would do well not to disobey my orders again,”.

Krell was blackmailing you.

You nodded.

“Yes, sir,”.

You stumbled down the hill as fast as you could, spotting Fives amongst a gathering of troopers. He noticed a tear streaking your face, and pulled you away from the crowd. As soon as the two of you were alone, you spoke.

“He knows, Fives. Krell knows about us. He saw us, when we were away from the rest of the platoon, after he threatened you. Maker, I—” Another tear slipped down your cheek as you fought to catch your breath.

“Slow down, ner kar’ta, are you sure? How do you know?”

Fives’ eyes, soft and calm, met your teary ones. You scrubbed at your face hurriedly.

“I went to talk to him after he proposed the full-forward assault without a recon,” you spoke, your voice wavering less this time. “He wasn’t receptive to my explanation, so I asked him why. He said he ‘didn’t place weight on the opinion of someone whoring themself out for a clone,’”.

Fives’ eyes went wide.

“He said that to you?”

You nodded. “He knows,”.

Fives gripped your shoulders tightly.

“Stay here. I’m going to—” Fives started towards the hill, looking up to where Krell stood with an expression of pure rage on his face. A palm to his chest stopped him in his tracks.

“Don’t. I think he’s blackmailing me—I don’t think he’ll tell, as long as I don’t question his orders,” you explained.

Fives cocked his eyebrow at you.

“You really believe that?”

“I have to. What choice do I have?”

Fives shook his head, checking to make sure you were truly alone before pulling you into a tight embrace. You sighed into his shoulder.

“He won’t get away with this, ner kar’ta. I promise you,”.

***

Your hands shook. You had taken the airbase, the supply ship had been destroyed, and it still wasn’t enough for Krell. You remembered when Fives landed the Umbaran fighter just an hour ago, how relieved you had been when he made it back alive. That relief was gone, now. Krell had ordered him to be court-marshalled for disobeying orders. Rex had assured you he would assume responsibility, that he would talk to Krell, and that Fives would be okay. He came back minutes later with a weary face and news that threatened to rend your heart from its chest. He had received an order of execution for Fives and Jesse. You had to talk to Krell—beg on your hands and knees if you had to—you had to get that order reversed, nevermind Krell’s warning not to question his orders. You had to try.

You stood outside the command center, attempting to steady your countenance. One trembling finger pressed the button to open the door.

“General, we need to talk,”.

“What troubles you, Commander?” Krell didn’t even bother to turn around.

“I demand that you overturn the order of execution for ARC-5555 and CT-5597,” you stated firmly.

Krell chuckled.

“We both know you’re in no position to make such demands, Commander,” Krell sighed to himself. “I had hoped you would heed my earlier warning. I should have known it would fall on deaf ears,”.

“General, you are sending two innocent men to their deaths,”.

Krell glanced around, noticing the surrounding clones closely watching your exchange.

“Troopers, leave us,”.

The men filed out of the room quickly, leaving you alone with the General.

“You should be thanking me, Commander,” Krell mused. “Last time I checked, wasn’t attachment cause to be expelled from the Jedi order? Exterminating this clone solves both of our problems,”.

You shook your head.

“They won’t do it. They won’t execute them,”.

Krell hummed, considering your statement.

“Maybe so—but these men will be put to death, even if I have to carry it out myself,”. A twisted smile split Krell’s face as he spoke.

You ignited your saber, your tone fierce and unyielding.

“I won’t let you,”.

Krell tilted his head, both his sabers lighting up in his hands.

“Make your decision carefully, Commander. You’ll be expelled from the Order. You’ll lose everything,”.

Without Fives, you had nothing left to lose.

You swung.

Krell outmatched you with both speed and power. Each of your attacks was met by his blade. You growled. He parried your strike, landing a blow to your cheek with his fist. Your vision swam.

You were on the defensive now. You blocked two consecutive strikes from Krell’s sabers, grunting as he forced your blade closer and closer to your face. You scrambled for footing.

“It’s disappointing, really,” Krell hummed, his voice alarmingly casual. “Wasted potential,”.

Krell swung his unoccupied fist into the side of your head, the force of the blow carrying you across the room. Your saber clattered to the floor. You reached for your hilt, but just as your fingertips curled around the metal, an invisible hand grabbed you by the throat. Your body lifted from the cold durasteel floor, your toes barely brushing its surface. The pressure around your neck tightened. You clutched at your throat, darkness creeping around the edges of your vision. His eyes locked on yours, golden and eerie.

“You’re…Sith,” you choked out.

Krell chuckled.

“Not quite, my dear Commander,”.

Krell’s sneer was the last thing you saw before your vision went dark. You dropped to the floor.

Krell sighed, waving open the command center door. He motioned for the troopers to re-enter before gesturing at your unconscious body with another uninterested wave of his hand.

“Take them to the brig,”.

***

Fives walked to his execution with his head held high. He joked with Jesse, hoping to ease his brother’s mind as they marched towards their uncertain fate. He tried to be strong. All he could think about was you.

Two soldiers had carried you into the brig, placing you gently into your cell just as Fives was led out of the room. He caught a glimpse of your face before he left—you were bruised and unconscious. What had you done? What had Krell done? The markings on your face could not have been left by a Jedi.

As his closest brothers marched in with their blasters, his heart ached. He couldn't meet his end this way. Not while you and his brothers were still in danger. He needed to do something, and he needed to do it quickly. To save his brothers. To save you.

Dogma asked if he’d like to be blindfolded.

Reality sunk in. It was now or never.

They aimed. Fives spoke.

“Wait! This is wrong. And we all know it. The general is making a mistake, and he needs to be called on it. No clone should have to go out this way—we are loyal soldiers, we follow orders, but we are not a bunch of unthinking droids. We are men. We must be trusted to make the right decisions, especially when the orders we are given are wrong,”.

Fives sucked in a breath, hoping his words were enough.

“Fire!”

Not a single shot met its target. Fives breathed a sigh of relief.

As he and Jesse walked back to the brig, the question of his fate as well as yours still plagued him. He was sure you had ignored Krell’s warning not to question his orders—that must have been why you were so bruised and battered. Fives’s real question was why Krell had left you in such a brutalized state. No Jedi would have been so physically cruel. Fives’s blood boiled.

He re-entered his cell, curling up against the left wall. He could see your unconscious form in the cell next to him. He made careful note of every visible bruise and scrape on your body. Your neck was beginning to shade a deep purple color, and you sported a black eye. Each little mark fueled the fire of Fives’s anger tenfold. Krell needed to pay. To think that the man had even touched you, let alone battered you in such away, was enough to burn at Fives’s chest. He needed revenge. He spent the next few hours carefully monitoring your breathing, wishing he could reach out to touch you through the ray shield, wishing he could offer you the same comfort you always gave to him.

When Rex reappeared hours later, explaining that the era of Krell’s leadership had reached its end, Fives jumped at the chance to bring him in. With each new sliver of information Rex shared with him, Fives felt his anger at the besalisk grow. The so-called Jedi had targeted the two people he had cared about most—you and his brothers. As he checked his weapon and strapped on his armor, his expression set into a steely glare. Krell wouldn’t live to destroy any more lives—Fives would make sure of it.

***

The trees rustled with blaster fire and movement. Krell was everywhere. Fives heard the screams of his brothers over the comm—he took each one to heart. He would be ready.

“Steady your weapons—he’s headed our way,” Rex called.

Fives locked in his scope.

The general emerged in a blur of brightly lit plasma. Fives fired. Each shot was easily deflected by the Jedi, his twirling sabers redirecting the bolts effortlessly. Fives growled.

The general switched off his sabers, as if taking on the platoon with his lightsabers was far too easy. His back was to Fives—Krell grabbed a nearby trooper from his cover, flinging the man into the air. Fives saw his chance.

“What are you doing?” Rex hissed. Fives paid him no mind.

He fired five rapid shots at the general’s back. Only one managed to glance off the besalisk’s thick skin. Fives charged forward, swinging his blaster into Krell’s head with all his might. On his next swing, Krell knocked the blaster from his hand with a mere wave of his arm.

So that was how he wanted to play.

Fives readied his fists, throwing and landing three consecutive punches. The besalisk doubled over on the third, caught off guard by the strength of the blow. Fives grinned from under the helmet.

“A taste of your own medicine, yeah?”

Krell rose to his full height, allowing the remark to roll off his back. He lifted Fives off the ground with an invisible hand, before tossing him unceremoniously into the trunk of a nearby tree.

Feeble clones.

Fives hauled himself up from the ground slowly, his head pounding from the collision. Krell was nowhere to be seen. Fives scanned his surroundings—none of his brothers were visible, either. Had he been knocked unconscious? He listened for blaster fire, but none could be heard. He felt around the darkened forest floor, his hand closing around the shaft of his rifle.

A voice echoed to his left.

Fives ran towards the noise. He could barely make out the sight before him through the thick Umbaran fog. His brothers had gathered in a semi-circle around the still form of the former General. He ran faster, stopping when he reached Krell’s body and sucking in a deep breath.

“I stunned him, sir,” Tup explained.

“Nice work, Tup,” Rex praised.

Fives nudged the general with the nose of his rifle. His finger itched at the trigger. Rex pulled at his arm.

“Ease up, Fives. We got him,”.

Fives exhaled slowly, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Yeah, we got him alright,”.

***

You woke up in medbay, your head aching and throat throbbing. You were thirsty. You tried to speak, but your voice came out in a warble. You flexed your hand, realizing it was encased in something warm. You squeezed.

Fives jolted upright. Both his hands encased yours, and his eyes widened.

“You’re awake—are you alright? Do you need anything?”

You smiled, realizing he had fallen asleep holding your hand. Your smile quickly faded when you remembered what had happened that brought you here. Your heart seized.

“K-Krell—” You managed, the words scraping at your throat.

Fives smiled softly.

“Me ‘n the boys took care of him—he’s gone. You’re okay. We’re okay,”.

You nodded as he brought your palm to his lips, kissing it gently before resting it back in your lap. He fell silent.

Your eyes glanced over his weary expression. The lines on his face had grown into canyons in two short days. You hummed, words catching in your raw throat.

“Are you alright?” you croaked.

Fives shook his head, glancing up at the ceiling before looking back down at you.

“I almost lost you, ner kar’ta. Lost a lot of good men, too. Too many men,”.

You nodded, your chest aching at the emotion in his voice. You held out your arms. He collapsed into you, mindful of your new bruises.

The guilt of so much loss was eating at him. It broke your heart. You held him tight against your chest as he murmured an apology into your skin.

#arc trooper fives #arc trooper fives x reader #fives #fives x reader #fives x you #arc trooper jesse #clone trooper tup #captain rex #clone trooper x reader #the 501st #anakin skywalker #pong krell #my fic

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returnofahsoka · 2 years

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Aaahhh yes yes yes, okay get ready 🌈

Sun Wukong 🌻

Fives 🌻

Esteban 🌻

Katara 🌻

Love you, sweetheart ❤

Yesyesyesyes thank youuuuuuu

sun wukong

First impression - fun fun fun!! a trickster god! i can't believe some dude 400 years ago could write such a character, he's so cool and funny!

Impression now - i love him. i would fight him. he's my son, he's my enemy, etc. i can't believe some dude 400 years ago could write such a character, he's so human, so flawed, so perfect. he feels so deeply and he's so alive he almost steps out from the pages. he's still VERY fun though

Favorite moment - OKAY im gonna gO OFF. so they are on this pilgrimage to the west, ordered by buddha, with his found family master and fellow disciples and sure, tripitaka gets into trouble a lot, but there's a time when wukong is tricked into thinking he straight up died. and he blames buddha. because the whole pilgrimage was his idea. and wukong blames him for tripitaka dying. and he goes to him, to finish the mission, their mission, alone, if buddha lets him. he's grieving, he's hurting, he's tired and he wants to go home, but he still says, i will finish the pilgrimage, if they let me. if not, i'll just go home. let me go home. he still tries, he doesn't give up, even then

Idea for a story - this is where i should be exposing my current wip, huh? well, maybe i'd say another idea instead, one that i won't write but i would really love to explore the concept of him helping out his teammates whenever they are injured and then just once have it turned around and have him be the one who needs to be taken care of (either the red boy chapter when he's burned or when he's stung by the scorpion-demon)

Unpopular opinion - he's ace!! he's an aro-ace icon!!! it's right there in the book my dudes (and god bless the 96 series for explicitly portraying him that way)

Favorite relationship - uhhhh difficult question, very difficult, but i'm gonna say with bajie. they are best friends. they also hate each other's guts. they banter, they fight side by side, they pull pranks on each other. they are brothers, they are rivals, and of course, they are foils.

Favorite headcanon - this is canon in some adaptations but basically, he laughs like any regular monkey when he gets really giddy

fives

First impression - which one was fives again? seriously, he was a minor side character when he was introduced, and also a clone, so i didn't really remember him

Impression now - HE'S SO IMPORTANT! he grew so much and he showed a deep side of the clones that we didn't get to see before him and he saVED SO MANY PEOPLE (he could have saved everyone, if tcw wasn't a tragedy disguised as a cool cartoon for kids)

Favorite moment - mhmmm the entire umbara arc. brain go brrrr

Idea for a story - yeah so now i'm exposing a wip i kinda stopped working on. it was mostly about echo, but there were some stories about fives and the domino squad too, about how they used to go out after their deployment on rishi and just watch the stars and the meteors

Unpopular opinion - this is only unpopular with the show writers but WE NEED MORE OF HIM

Favorite relationship - with echo of course!!!! they are so so so important!!!! they are brothers and they mean so much to me!

Favorite headcanon - he would love omega and he would reenact his adventures as he tells them to her as bedtime stories. he would love ezra and think his lightsaber+blaster combo is sick

esteban

First impression - baby boy. baby

Impression now - i would die for this child and i would follow him to the ends of the world. please give him a break with his family

Favorite moment - bro i'm still thinking about the first time he flies the condor 😭

Idea for a story - some fix-it story for the finale for sure, because i will not let this found family split up and everyone go their separate ways. they belong together and if there's someone who knows this and who will do something about it, it's esteban

Unpopular opinion - he deserved so much more than the generic chosen one protagonist story arc the later seasons gave him

Favorite relationship - yeah okay i'm gonna have to say with mendoza. i'm not immune to mendoza going from "this kid i kidnapped and i'm trying to keep alive" to loving esteban as his son, i'm sorry!!

Favorite headcanon - he glows. literally, he glows when he's excited, but usually they aren't in a dark enough place to see it. it's still there

aaand katara

First impression - she was yelling at her brother for being annoying, so what can i say? relatable

Impression now - growth growth growth. she grows so much, she's so strong, she's so kind, she's so amazing and she's so imortant. still one of the greatest role models for little girls to grow up with, really??

Favorite moment - when she decides not to kill that fire nation soldier. truly, that means so much, so so so much

Idea for a story - i would love to write some kind of a girls' day out story, like in ba sing se, but post-finale. suki is also there. mai and ty lee too. i just want them to have fun and get to be normal teenage girls

Unpopular opinion - her relationship with aang was so well developed and yah i love them together

Favorite relationship - with sokka! sorry i'm a sucker for sibling relationships, they make me so so happy!! and sokka and katara have a very realistic brother-sister relationship, like they literally could be me and my brother

Favorite headcanon - that she becomes the ambassador of the water tribe? or is that an actual thing in the comics? idk but the point is she gets to travel the world (in peacetime too), she gets to be part of the rebuilding, she gets to be with aang who is needed everywhere and who is a nomad and yeah. she deserves it :)

#my posts #asks for me #thank you!!#journey to the west #star wars #atla #cities of gold

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