Winter Whumperland Day 9: Jlaktturinn (Left Behind)

Winter Whumperland Day 9: Jólakötturinn (Left Behind)

Fandom: Star Wars The Clone Wars

Summary: After Obi-wan and Cody are assumed to be dead and left behind, Obi-wan tries to find a way for the two to survive

Part 2: soon.

  It was snowing. Battles in the snow were always somewhat strange. The snow was so elegant and pure yet so deadly. The stains in the snow as well as the footsteps had become something of a warning.

    But as the others retreated, Cody wasn't sure what to do. He could barely move. He felt so cold. The snow fell around him, making him look like just another body in the snow.

    He needed to get the general to safety. After the clone had been shot, Kenobi stayed near him. He had called for a medic but not to long after, he was shot in the side.

    It was unusual for a Jedi to get shot when on the battle field. He had to have been destacted. Cody feared he had been why. They were close, too close for a Jedi to be with someone.

    The man tried to call out for someone. His voice never left his throat. It had been a while. Medics had never gotten the chance to find them. The droids hadn't moved forwards yet.

    Kenobi regained consciousness. He tried to look around. All he saw at first were bodies. When his eyes landed on Cody, he panicked at first. Then he saw him shift. He was alive at the very least.

    "Co-Cody?" His voice shook as he shivered.

    The voice brought comfort to Cody. He hadn't even realized Obi-wan was alive. Once more he tried to speak. He tried to stand or even sit up but slipped back into the snow.

    Obi-wan looked around again. He realized they had been left behind. But they were alive. Now the two were on their own. He looked down at his injury then back to Cody. He needed to get over there.

    Slowly he tried to stand. After a moment, Obi-wan was able to get on his feet. He only walked a few steps before falling to his knees in pain. He half dragged himself the other few feet.

    "Dear?"

    Cody looked at him. Again the Jedi looked around. The forest wasn't far. The droids would be less likely to find them there. But so would anyone else. Then again, I was likely no one was going to look for them anyway.  

    It was terrifying. They were alone now. It was cold, they were hurt, and there was no saying if the separatist would take prisoners or if they would kill them on the spot. More than likely, taking a Jedi would be more likely than taking a clone as well.

    It looked like it was getting darker. The forest was their best bet for survival. So Obi-wan grabbed Cody's arm and started to drag him to the woods. He barely knew what was going on. The snow would hopefully cover their tracks.

    It was painful, for both of them. It took a while to get into the forest and far enough away for Obi-wan to be comfortable resting. When they finally stopped, Kenobi collapsed.

    Time passed and he woke up again. It was night now and there were clear sounds of battle droids nearby. Obi-wan looked at Cody. He saw the steady rise and fall of his chest, though he was nervous he was breathing too slowly.

    Gently, Obi-wan draped his cloak over the other. He leaned against a tree and pulled him onto his lap, hoping their body heat together could help them.

    There was nothing else to think about. The Jedi was left to grapple with the feeling of betrayal by the others. Cody and him were still alive. The two had done so much and had given up everything they could to keep the others alive. Now they were alone in the cold.

    But Obi-wan also knew they had to. If they hadn't left them behind, someone could have died. They had to have thought that they had been killed. It was the only answer that brought any sort of comfort to the general.

    It didn't change the fact that it hurt. It hurt in the same way the snow against his fingers hurt.

    Frostbite was inevitable at that point. Hyperthermia would follow. It was freezing. Obi-wan laid his head against the tree and sighed. He watched his breath disappear. He looked down at Cody.

    He was still alive. He hoped the same thing would be true come morning. There was nothing else he could do for now.

    A few hours later, Obi-wan was still awake. He couldn't find a way to sleep. There was too much to try and plan for. Getting them out of there in the condition he was in felt impossible. He felt Cody shift. He looked down, tears in his eyes.

    As they fell, his face burned. "I don't know what to do" he told Cody. "I'm so sorry."

    The clone raised a shaky hand up to the other's face. He tried to dry his tears. Obi-wan smiled slightly. He took Cody's hand in his own and held it. It was more life than he had shown previously so that was at least something. Maybe morning would be kinder to them.

Febuwhump Day 9: Bees

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: Wrecker never liked bugs. But now that Tech's gone, he finds some beauty in his brother's favorite insect. Bees.

  Bugs were not Wrecker's strong suit. Most of the time they weren't a problem, but sometimes they freaked him out. After being stormed by 'the hive' with Cid, he decided he simply was afraid of them.

    This included bees. There were a lot of bugs on Padu. There were a lot of flowers on the island. It was one of the things that the clone liked. Their simple beauty was something most didn't expect a clone to love the way he did.

    But he didn't like the bees. The small bugs freaked him out. Even so he would be around them often. The rest of the batch didn't share his distrust of the small insects.

    Tech had loved bees. "Bees are extremely important to every ecosystem. Almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of the galaxy's crops depend on the insects's pollination."

    "I don't care" Wrecker joked. He nudged his brother.

    However Tech did. Trying to continue, Crosshair cut him off. "We don't care."

    Now Wrecker wished he had listened. The clone watched the bees buzz around the sunflowers that were around him. What bothered him was the fact that they shut him up even though he was clearly excited about it.

    The bees flew near him and unlike every time before, Wrecker let them. Instead of shoeing them away, he welcomed them. Tech's voice rang in his head, "Did you know that there is at least one species of bee on most every planet."

    "Does he just do that?" Echo sighed.

    "Yeah" Hunter answered. "Normal one of them tells him to shut up by now."

    "Bumblebees technically shouldn't be able to fly because of-"

    Tech was cut off by Crosshair. "Shut up" the clone growled. Despite being shut up, Tech didn't seem upset. Instead he continued what he had been doing previously.

    "Seems kinda mean" Echo whispered to his brother.

    "If they don't he'll talk for hours."

    Now Wrecker was left wondering what he was going to say. What else had they left unsaid? What seemingly useless piece of information had they missed out on?

    Wrecker would do anything to hear Tech info dump about bees again. Info dump about anything really. He wanted to know why bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly. More than anything he wanted his brother back.

    "Watching the bees?" Phee asked, sitting next to Wrecker.

    "Yeah" he sighed. "I never liked them before. Actually used to be scared of them. Up until now." A sort of sad smile flashed across his face. "They are actually pretty nice" he sobbed.

    "It's gonna be okay big guy." Phee comforted him.

    A bee landed on the clone's knee. Out of instinct, he screamed. Then he just watched it. Putting his finger by it the insect crawled onto his finger. It was smaller than his finger nail. "Hey Tech."

Febuwhump Day 4: Obedience

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Summary: It takes place when Wreckers inhibitor chip activated.

  Inhibitor chips were scary. That's how Wrecker saw it. In a simple form at least. He saw them for more then just that. They were inhumane. They were cruel. They were so many things that it was hard to comprehend them.

    But at least his never activated. When Rex had showed up and had told them that he knew where to get them removed, the batch followed. They knew it was dangerous. The chips made them a danger to their loved ones.

    Then it happened. Wrecker hadn't thought his headaches were a big deal. He looked at his family and suddenly it didn't matter that there were his family, that he cared about them. He blindly obeyed the chips orders.

    Never once did he think he was wrong. It was like his mind had been taken over completely. The men in front of him may be his family but they were traitors. The girl may be his sister but she needed to be brought back to Kamino. She never should have left.

    Someone else had grabbed the rains. Wrecker had never been one to blindly obey orders but now he couldn't stop himself.

    They tried to stop him. Tech laid still on the ground from where the man had choked him. Hunter and Echo seemed nervous to hurt him. They tried to see if Tech was okay but couldn't make their way towards him.

    Rex didn't seem to pay attention to who Wrecker was. He was a man under a terrible influence. He didn't want him dead but he didn't want him close.

    Trying to get close seemed dangerous. The group tried to get Wrecker's gun away from him. Hunter yelled for Echo to get Omega out of there, just in case.

    The man did as he was told.

    Soon they would have him under control. Not before he knocked Hunter out and pinned Echo. Rex had been thrown aside and Omega had been cornered before Rex stunned him.

    When Wrecker woke up, he felt the shame. The memories of what he had done to his family haunted him. He couldn't look them in the eyes. It almost physically hurt.

    Tech's neck was bruised. There were dents in Echo's legs. Hunter seemed to have a sensitivity to light he didn't normally have. Omega was close to him, trying to comfort him. Rex seemed mostly unfazed.

    As the others started to get their chips removed, Wrecker wondered if this is how Crosshair feels. The blind obedience was something that, once out of it, wouldn't haunt you.

    It was like the worst kind of manipulation. You can't see through it. You're so loyal to your family and then, in an instant, all those years don't matter. It was the worst feeling. That guilt wouldn't go away. At least the chip was gone. 

Winter Whumperland Day 8: John McClain (Held Hostage)

Fandom: Star Wars The Clone Wars

Summary: Caleb is taken by the Separatist.

  Caleb wasn't sure how to feel when he was taken hostage by the Separatist. He looked around in the cell he was placed in and tried to think of how to get out.

   Danger was close. Danger was always close. He was in the middle of a war after all. But now he was in enemy territory. He wasn't sure what to do. No one had ever gone over what to do when captured by the enemy.

    The Padawan thought that might have been an important thing to teach. It was always possible but he never quite thought it would happen. Caleb had thought about it from time to time and had wanted to ask his master what to do but never found a good time.

    Now he regretted that decision. If only he hadn't waited maybe he wouldn't feel so scared.

    There was so much noise in the halls. Even though he was in a metal room all I could hear was the noise of battle droids outside. He finally heard something that seemed like a person he froze.

    Caleb was terrified. What would happen if someone had come in? What was he supposed to do? What if they hurt him?

    Of course he knew not to speak. That was the only thing they had ever told the padawans before allowing them to fight. Don't talk. No matter what, don't talk. It was treason after all.

    When someone did walk in, Caleb felt paralyzed. He realized what this meant. He didn't realize it first that hostages could be hurt. It wasn't until a torture device was pulled out that he really processed the danger he was in.

    After about an hour everything hurt. Caleb wouldn't give. The man was amazed that this child refused to give any information over despite his age. They used everything they could.

    Now Caleb was sitting in a cell. He wasn't just scared now but in pain. Part of him wondered how someone could look at a child and be able to do the things that the man had done to him. Every part of him was in agony.

    The room was cold or maybe he just was. Caleb had found he liked the left corner by the door the most. It was warmer than the others. He wishes he had his cloak. Maybe he wouldn't be shaking so much.

    Some of that could be just how scared he was. The child tried to meditate but found it difficult. He tore little pieces of his clothes off to stop any bleeding.

    It felt like days before anything happened. Caleb could hear gunshots in the hallway. He wondered if he was dreaming. When the door opened and he saw Depa, he stood. Shaking, he walked over to her.

    "Caleb." Her heart broke when she saw him. "I'm here, it's okay." She took him in her arms carefully.

    Tears welled in the child's eyes as he hugged her. "Let's get out of here" he tried to laugh.

    Dogwood walked into the room. He froze for a moment before waking over to his commander and picking him up.  Caleb tried to tell him it was fine but the  man wasn't having it.

    Caleb was going home.

Februwhump Day 1: Helpless

Fandom: Star Wars Rebels

Summary: Kanan opens up about 66.

  It was time. Kanan had never told anyone about order 66. He sat down with Hera and sighed. "Hey love, how are you doing?"

    Kanan didn't answer. He looked at her.

    "I know today is hard on you. Just let me know if you need anything." She stood, assuming like every year, he wanted to be alone.

    "I felt helpless." He spoke. "I was helpless."

    Hera turned around and sat back down in the pilot's chair. She watched Kanan as he shifted, trying to make himself more comfortable.

    "When they killed my master, I had been walking with a few clones. The group was called the bad batch. They had some genetic mutations. That's probably what saved me." Tears already threatened to spill from his eyes.

    "I heard shots. I turned around and the men were trying to kill her. I- I ran. She told me to. It was the last thing she ever said. The bad batch had ignored the order, other than one. They let me go."

    The Jedi looked up at Hera for the first time since he started talking. "I was helpless. From then until I met you, I felt so helpless. It was like I couldn't get control of my own life. Rather it was the alcohol or the memories, I just couldn't."

    The pilot grabbed Kanan's hand gently. "It's okay."

    "I've only felt that helpless a few times. I watched her die Hera. I couldn't save her. I felt that way when Ezra fell back when the Grand Inquisitor died. I thought-" his voice broke. "I can't do that again."

    Tears fell down his face. Hera pulled him into a hug. They stayed there for a minute before Kanan pulled back. "I feel helpless to fate."

    "It's going to be okay."

    "Okay."

Whump The Musical Day 1: Cats (Second Chance)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: After everything, Crosshair still doesn't know what to say to his brothers when he sees them again.

Note: This story takes place at the end of Season 3 episode 4, A Different Approach

There the Marauder was. What now, Crosshair thought to himself. What does he say to them? Will they even want him back? Not knowing how his brothers would react to seeing him again, was unsettling.

As Crosshair landed the ship, Omega ran towards the door. She was so ready to see them again. They were her family. The men were also his family. Yet he had hurt them, over and over. Some of it was his chose, some not.

That didn't matter. A million things ran through his head. With nothing to say, the clone walked towards the door. It's now or never.

With every step, his fears started to invade him. What if they didn't give his a second chance? They had betrayed each other. They left wounds that didn't heal easily on each other's hearts. Some were scarred while others were still bleeding.

He could hear them now. Even if Crosshair couldn't understand what they were saying, he knew they were happy to have Omega back.

Batcher stood beside him. She rubbed up against his leg, trying to provide a sense of comfort to him. The hound walked out with him onto the ramp.

Watching his brothers tense up at the sight of him, hurt. It hurt more then it should have. There was a time where he wouldn't have cared; where he may have even smiled. Now it felt like someone had grabbed his heart and lungs and held them hostage.

Once apon a time, Crosshair had tried to give them a second chance. He offered them a way into the empire, a place he once believed in. He didn't expect to be forgiven.

"Crosshair." There was so much distrust in Hunter's voice. It looked like he froze, like he was faced with an enemy he didn't know how to defeat.

Wrecker didn't say anything at first. Instead, he looked him up and down. It looked like had been though a lot. Of course he already knew about the burn scar on the side of his head. But it was more then that. He looked tired. The man watched as Crosshair's hand shook. He took note of the fact that he looked sick and had lost weight since Kamino. Even through all the clothes, Wrecker knew.

After everything that had happened, everything they had put each other though, maybe it was time to bury that hatchet. The man looked back at Hunter and shook his head gently. Hunter did always have a difficult time trusting people.

With everything they had lost, losing Crosshair wouldn't help them. They had already lost one brother, he wouldn't do it again. In the end, Wrecker had always loved him, even when he was shooting at them.

Turning back to Crosshair, Wrecker started to speak. "Hey" he said. The sniper didn't say anything.

Unsure if what to say, Crosshair just stood there. Wrecker looked deal in thought and Hunter looked as if he may kill him.

Crosshair and Wrecker made eye contact. Neither man broke it. They both saw the fear and pain the other carried.

"I believe in second chances." Wrecker smiled softly. "I want to give you one. You're my brother, Cross. If you'll take us, I'd be happy to have you back."

The man stood there. For the first time in a while, he took a step towards them. Crosshair felt like he was going to cry. After everything he had done to them, to the people around him, Wrecker was so ready to take him back. He wanted to give him the second chance he didn't think he deserved.

No he knew he didn't deserve it. Crosshair had killed innocent people. He had done terrible things. He didn't deserve the kindness that Wrecker looked at him with or the sympathy he had in his eyes.

Their oldest brother sighed, "alright." Unclenching his fist, Hunter tilted his head towards the Marauder. "Come on. We have your gear in the ship."

"Most of your toothpicks too!" Wrecker joked.

Crosshair walked up to him. Standing in front of Wrecker, his eyes started to water. Without enough time to stop him, the man wrapped his arms around his big brother. He sobbed into his chest, holding him as tight, if not tighter, then when they would hold each other in the worst moments of the war.

Surprised, Wrecker held him. Hunter, who had been walking back to the ship, snapped his head up. It wasn't often that Crosshair cried. Some of the anger that had built in his heart, dissolved.

"Let's, give them a moment" Hunter said as he stopped Omega from running over to the others. Batcher ran up to her and Hunter just looked at her. As they walked to the ship he said, "tell me about the hound."

Minutes went by. Wrecker just held him. Every now and again he would whisper something reassuring.

"I don't deserve this" Crosshair finally made at words though his sobs.

"It think you do. You didn't deserve what happened to you, even if I don't know what it is. But, let us help you heal."

As Crosshair started to breathe easier, he loosened his grip on his brother. Looking at him, he sighed. "Where did you learn that?" he half joked.

"Echo actually" Wrecker kind of chuckled. "Welcome home Cross."

@whumpthemusical