Day 11: Bare: A Pop Opera (Outing/Religious Trauma)

Day 11: Bare: A Pop Opera (Outing/Religious Trauma)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Warnings: Homophobic, sexual assault/rape, attempted drowning, and violence

Summary: While in a mission, the batch heads to a very religious planet. After being outed by a reg, the church priest and priestess decided they have to 'save him.'

    Hiding his sexuality was something Hunter never bothered to do. When it got around on Kamino that he was bisexual, it didn't bother him. Sure, some regs threw slurs at him, but it never really hurt.

    But now, all Hunter needed was to be revealed as gay. The planet the batch had been assigned to, was extremely religious. Unfortunately, the citizens weren't accepting of people who were different from them.

    When Tech had come up to Hunter to warn him, he knew to be careful. Tech never said anything about the culture of the civils unless he figured it was important. Sometimes he wouldn't inform them of any cultural disagreements even if it was important to know.

    Church members went to greet the battalion Clone Force 99 was traveling with, as well as to greet them. Every civilian in sight was fitted in white. Women were in white, floor length dresses and men were in various different types of clothing, though it was all white. The only person who wasn't in white was the priest.

    The priest talked to the general then invited him, his Padawan, and some soldiers to come to their church to talk about the planet joining the Republic.

    They walked to the church. There was a strange lack of people one the streets. The church stood over 250 feet. Tech would later tell them that it stood 281 ft. The building was made of a beautiful white stone that had golden accents to it. The steeple mostly composed of gold. It looked sharp enough to impaile a man with ease. The stairs were the same stone. They had been worn down by years of foot traffic. The doors were large and made of Dark Pine wood. It was hard not to stare at the marveling building.

    Stepping into the church, they learned the inside of the stone building was just as breath taking. There were rows and rows of pews; all matching the Dark Pine of the door. The aisle had a blood red carpet laid out on it. The carpet went all the way to the Priest's altar.  Behind the alter was a large, circler staind glass window. It as simple and uniform, much like the whole church.

    The room was beautiful but there was one thing that threw most everyone off. Behind the alter, there was a large water fountain. The fountain was made of marble and bor the church's creast on the top of it. The bottom of the fountain had two foot tall walls to keep the water in.

    Meeting one of the leaders of the church was not something the batch, nor the battalion with them excepted. Hunter realized just how uncomfortable both the Jedi commander and Padawan looked as the priest started to talk about not agreeing with the Jedi's religion but how they needed help so, despite their differences, they could make an exception. The man said that he hoped God would forgive them and the two Jedi just looked at each other, wondering how they ended up here.

    When a reg started to walk up to Hunter, he didn't think much of it. Maybe they needed something. It wasn't until he started to talk that the man realized he was up to no good.

    "By their logic, I'm surprised you didn't start buring as soon a walked in this church."

    The priest and other members of the church started to quite down. They looked in the direction of the 'sinner', trying to figure out what the clone was talking about.

    "What?" Hunter asked. Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair all watched defensely, with Wrecker walking over to the two.

    "You know, since you're a-"

    "Shut up." Wrecker said as he placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder.

    "Since you're a faggot."

    The church was silent. The locals looked at each other like they made a revelation. Something in Hunter's chest tightened when he saw the way they looked at him. There was so much hatred and disgust and even if he was used to the look, this feeling was different. It was why the sparks of anger were in their eyes that made it hurt more.

    "What's wrong with you?" One of the other regs said. He looked apologetic as he dragged his brother away.

    "That was strange" Wrecker said as he grabbed Hunter and led him to the rest of the batch. "Anyway."

    As the mission progressed, Hunter could never shake the feeling that he was being watched. Tech hadn't been wrong about the planets religious practices. But it was nothing that Hunter couldn't handle.

    The Jedi consently had to ignore priest's comments about damnation and the failure of the Jedi to see the one true religion. The general didn't seem to be as bothered as the commander. When clones started to get between the adults and the child, concern rose. When the child's master interfered, that when they knew to watch their backs.

    Watching the church members made Hunter realize just how closely they were observing him. Every time he looked that them, they adverted his gaze.

    The soldiers set up camp near the church per the regest of the priest. The general, a Twi'lek Jedi by the name of Mal, walked up to Hunter. "The priest is requesting your assistance in the church." Something about the way the Jedi talked, made Hunter nervous.

    "I'll go get the rest of my batch and we'll check it out."

    As Hunter started to walk away, the Jedi stopped him, "he just requested you."

    "General, I don't think it's a good idea to go alone." Hunter tensed.

    "The priest asked you to find a girl that's been missing. He told me to have you meet him in the church so he can give you her blanket so you take her." General Mal put a hand on his shoulder, "I gave him a good amount of questions Hunter. Hell, I practically intragated him. The priest just wants to find the girl, you'll be okay."

    Nodding, Hunter went to the church. The big doors felt more ominous in the dark. Slowly, he opened the door and walked in. Shutting it quietly, Hunter started to walk down the dimly lit aisle. "Hello?"

    "Hello, Hunter. The priest walk out from behind the alter. That's when Hunter saw the lit candles by the running fountain. The alarm bells that had been going off in the man's head, only got louder. The clone stopped walking about half way through the church.

    "I was sent to investigate a missing persons case." Hunter answered shortly.

    "What do you believe Hunter?" The priest sounded so calm and kind, yet there was nothing kind about him. Stepping down the stairs, the man walked to meet him.

    "I don't know, sir?" It was an honest answer.

    "Do you know what I believe?" The human man walked over to him. "I believe you are lost, that you have stayed away from the heavens."

    "I was sent to track a missing girl, what you believe is irrelevant right now." Hunter started to walk to the door. "I'll ask around then." Members of the church walked out from a hallway. Grabbing his gun, Hunter was ready to shoot his way out. 

    The priest grabbed his from behind.  The two fought over the gun for a moment before a few shots went off. No one was hit by the stray bullets. Another man grabbed Hunter, forcing the gun out of his hand. The Besalisk man wrapped all four arms around him and picked him up. Hunter kicked and squirmed, trying to get away. Reaching for his vibro-knife, he realized it was already gone.

    The man's grip never softned. The pressure hurt as Hunter's armor pressed into his skin.

    The priest started to say a prayer as the man tossed the clone into the fountain. Hunter started to try to get up. However the Besalisk grabbed him by his hair and held him under the water.

    There was so much going on in Hunter's head. He knew coming to the church alone was a mistake, yet he still did. Kicking at the man's feet, a clawed foot slammed down onto his legs, trapping him. Grabbing at the hand that held him under the water, Hunter panicked. Where they really going to kill him?

    It was suffocating. As Hunter started to feel weaker, the foot moved from his legs and he was pulled out of the water. He heard some of his hair rip out from the force. Coughing, Hunter tried to stand. However he was forced to stay on his knees in the water.

    The priest stood in front of him. "You have been cleaned, however we must rewrite over your sins."

    "What, is wrong with you? Leave me alone." Trying to breathe, Hunter kept coughing, trying to get the water out of his lungs.

    "I'm saving you."

    The Besalisk pulled him out of the fountain. Still trying to fight the man, the soldier listened to the whispers. One woman was saying they needed to  get rid of his tattoo. Another church member was scowling, saying his hair needed to be cut, that it being so long was a disgrace to the lord and far to feminine for any man.

    What Hunter knew for sure, the next time he saw General Mal, he was throwing hands.

    There was a back room in the church. While trying to fight, the church members dragged him inside of the room. There was a table, but that wasn't Hunter's biggest concern. His biggest concern was the women in the corner.

    She stood at about his height and had pale skin paired with her black hair. Unlike every other women in the in the religion, she wore a black dress. However, like all the other dresses it was floor length with flowing sleeves and turtle neck. She looked like a ghost. The women had lipstick that was the bright red of the carpet.

    Now inside the room, Hunter tried to reach for his comm. It was the first chance he had to even think about trying to call for backup. A harsh hand grabbed his wrist. "Don't, we are saving your soul. We don't want you to suffer."

    Trying to speak, Hunter's voice caught in his throat. His breathing, which had already been fast, sped up. The Besalisk man still held him.

    There were scissors on the table as well as a needle and some white clothing. Hunter focused on the girl to see what she was holding. In her hand she held a box. "Bring him to me." Her voice was angelic and soft. Most of all, it was unnerving.

    So the man complied. "Hello Hunter."

    "Let me go."

    "Dear, we just want to free you."

    "I don't need it. Better yet, I don't want it. Let me go, I need to get back to my men." Hatred laced Hunter's words.

    "Hold him still." The women nodded and someone grabbed the needle off of the table. Opening the box, the girl took a necklace out of it. It was silver and bore the religion's symbol, a cross with an anatomically accurate heart in the middle.

    While Hunter struggled, a needle was driving into the side of his neck. Trying to break free, he almost broke the syringe. The women walked up to him, her heels clicking on the ground. Her soft hand cupped the clones face. Then she kissed him. Hunter tried to pull away.

    "When the medicine starts to affect him, you may leave." Everyone nodded. The woman kissed him again, taking her hands around his neck and clasping the necklace on him. Hunter was able to pull away this time.

    "You drugged me."

    "It is a necessary evil."

    Thinking of what the women had said earlier, Hunter started to act weaker than he felt. When the women smiled, the clone knew he made the right decision. She moved the clothing off the table and motioned for them to put him on the table. "Remove his armor."

    With the men still in the room, a Hunter made the painful decision to stay still. After they removed his armor, the man started to feel the real effects of the drug.

    "I have him now. May I act only with the intent to heal and act without any lust" she prayed. The men left and the women climbed into the table and started to remove her clothing.

    Hunter fought the drowsy feeling of the drug. It was like fog had taken over his brain. Starting to try to stand, the woman gently pressed his shoulders back into the cold, metal table. "Don't worry child, I will take good care of you."

    "No" Hunter whispered. "Please no."

    "Oh yes " The woman removed her dress, then his shirt and lastly his pants and undergarments.

    Everything from there was a blur. Hunter remembered the feelings of the priestess touching him. He remembered how helpless he felt and knowing he should have been stronger than this. The women's fingers danced their sinister dance on his skin, making Hunter want to throw up. He wasn't sure if it was the drugs or assault that made him nauseous.

    Hunter was scared. This was a whole new level of helplessness, something like he had never felt before. The weight of the women on top of him, the feeling of his dick in her, the feeling of her lips touching his, all of it was too much. The man hated every part of her.

    Soon, the drug started to wear off. As Hunter regained his strength, the priestess moaned as she reached her finish line. "Stay still dear, you haven't finished. You have to be cleansed of your sins." Pushing him back to the table, the women started to trust her hips quicker.

    The world was clearer, but Hunter almost wished it wasn't. Never before had Hunter felt so weak. Raising one hand, the clone clawed at the priestess, trying to get her off of him. The drugs, even while they were wearing off, still made him mostly unable to fight.

    However he wouldn't need to fight. It was a natural reaction for his body to have given the stimulation it had reserved. Him finishing, had not mentioned he enjoyed it. As Hunter came inside of the priestess, she gasped and grabbed his shoulders, drawing blood and leaving scratches behind.

    Then she got off of him. Feeling stronger, Hunter looked around the room. He found his clothes and armor. The woman was grabbing the white clothing that was supposed to replace his blacks. Now it seemed like a good time for the world to stop spinning.

    After a moment, Hunter tried to stand. Still unclothed, the clone planned his escape. The woman came back over to him, the white clothing in hand and handed him undergarments first. "Here dear, now that you have been rid of your sins, you may cloth yourself."

    Breathing heavily, Hunter snatched the clothes, still dazed. The woman never turned around. Stumbling, he put on the underwear. But as things started to clear more than before, Hunter was hit with everything that had happened.

    Justified with religion, this woman had just sexually assaulted him. She had taken his body with drugs and force. There was no evidence that she even regretted any part of it. She truly believes that her actions healed him. Instead she hurt him. This would take time to scar.

    Hunter's clothes were in the corner. Getting in his feet, the man couldn't submit to this treatment anymore. The priestess had finally turned around to grab the scissors to cut his hair off. The hair he took good care of.

    She was as unsuspecting as he was. Still mostly naked, Hunter wrapped his arm around the woman's neck. Shushing her, he placed one hand over her disgusting mouth.

    When she stopped fighting, the way he hadn't been given an opinion to, Hunter tossed her to the ground. Still stumbling, he grabbed his clothes and put them on. The man wasn't sure when he had gotten his armor on, but he knew it was one. The effects of the drug had mostly worn off but his brain couldn't process the trauma. He was disassociated.

    Hunter placed a finger on his comm. "Cross" he spoke, shaking"

    "Where are you?" He snarled in response. "We have been looking-"

    "The church." Tears started to fall down Hunter's face. The dark room concealed most of the activities. "Please, I need h-" sobs took over the rest of his words.

    Crosshair was silent for a moment. "We're on our way."

    Forcing himself to stand, Hunter stabilized himself. Walking to the door, that was a whole other story. The lower half of him hurt. Nothing quite felt real. But Hunter still opened the door. The smell of candle smoke hit him.

    As the priestess started to stir behind him, Hunter debated killing her. It would be impossible for her to hurt anyone else. It felt like the right thing. But fear grabbed his chest, reminding him it was still there. Choosing between fight or flight, Hunter chose flight.

    Walking into the hall, Hunter scouted the area. It seemed the members of the church respected the priestess's privacy. Still crying, the man placed a hand over his mouth, trying to silence himself. Using the walkway closest to the wall, he ran to the door.

    As Hunter opened the door, he slowly closed it then ran down the stairs. When he got to the last few stairs, he tripped and expected to hit the stone. Instead, Wrecker caught him. Hunter hadn't realized he was breathing so heard until Tech told him he had to slow his breathing down or he could pass out.

    Jumping back, Hunter made sure they weren't touching him. Physical contact was important to Hunter but right now if someone touched him again, he might just kill them, or maybe he'd just shut down.

    "What happened?" Tech asked, calmly.

    "I- they- I can't-" deciding he wasn't far enough from the church, the clone started to walk away.

    For the first time, Crosshair realized that Hunter's hair was damp. The look in his eyes told him that whatever happened, it took a part of Hunter that he had never seen. "What did they do to you?"

    After another moment, Tech's attention also changed to Hunter's damp hair. "Did they, baptis you?" He asked.

    Hunter stopped walking. Not because of Tech, but because the church door opened. The priest and priestess walked towards him. "Dear" the woman started, "you cannot walk away now. You have been saved, don't turn back to your sin."

    The man didn't say anything. Wrecker moved to stand more in front of Hunter. "Leave him alone" he warned.

    "You have been cleaned, both spiritually and sexually-"

    "What?" Crosshair growled. That was why Hunter seemed so lost. Tech hardly looked angry but right now his glare would be sharp enough to kill someone. Wrecker cracked his knuckles and stepped closer to the two church officials.

    "We just need to make a few more adjustments."

    Crosshair pulled him gun. "Stand back."

    "Haven't you hurt him enough?" Wrecker looked back at Hunter. Tears ran down his brother's face and he'd never seen him look so small. Even when facing the separatist, Hunter had never been so shaken into himself.

    "We didn't hurt him-"

    "Yes, you did. Hunter shows clear signals of distress." Looking at his brothers, Tech ordered them to remove their eldest brother from the situation

    "I- please just get them away from me." Hunter cried. "I don't want to be here anymore."

    So the clones left. As they walked Hunter put a hand up to his collarbone to try to ground himself, the chain of the religion necklace started him. Panicking, he pulled the chain away from his neck, snapping it. Holding the chain in his hand, the man threw it far away from him. His breathing, which has slowed, speed back up again and his brothers tried to help him calm back down.

    While trying to report the church officials for Hunter's assault, the general informed them that nothing would come of the report. "I'm sorry Hunter's I really am. No one here would arrest them and" he sighed, "you're a clone. Too many people would view what happened to you as property damage, if anything. Trying to take it any further may not be worth the hurt and once it gets out I don't put it past some people to harass you over it." The Jedi told him that he would do his best to keep him away from them.

    Healing would take time. Every time Hunter stood inside a church, he feared the officials. Even after the war, Hunter felt like he couldn't breathe inside of churches, especially alone with officials.

    Telling Echo his story, had been difficult but it was the only way to explain why the batch avoided churches. But Hunter found it easier to confide in him when he had nightmares or when he was having a difficult day as the memories plagued his mind and stole his focus. They days his body no longer felt like him own and the touch of another human could only hurt him. Somehow the scomp helped.

  Having a daughter, Hunter feared that she would be hurt. But at least someone would be able to help her through it. Hopefully it never came to that. The clone couldn't be sure he wouldn't kill anyone who hurt her the way the church hurt him.

    It took so long for Hunter to feel safe in any church. For the first time, walking to Pabu's church (a common building ground) the man felt safe walking inside. He knew, for the first time in years, that no one inside of the church would hurt him. Healing takes time.

@whumpthemusical

Whump: The Musical Day 9: Sweeney Todd (Razors)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Warning: Self harm and mentioned death

Summary: Hunter was just trying to take a shower. But the quietness of the room allows his mind to wander to memories of the war.

  Turning in the shower, Hunter started to undress. It was been a long time since he had showered. When he removed his clothing, he looked down at his body for a moment. Gently he touched a smaller scar from his time as a cadet. He smiled softly at the thought

    As the water started to heat up, the man started to think. They were two years into the Clone War now. Trying to shake any negative feelings, he stepped into the shower. The water was warm and inviting. It ran over him and he watched dirt from the last mission run off of him and into the drain.

    There was nothing to focus on. The sound of the water hitting the shower floor was the only noise in the room. Hunter looked at his soap in the corner. Most clones didn't have sented soap but he did. When the batch had gone on one of their first missions, they found a few credits and he decided he wanted to take better care of his hair.

    That was the same mission that Hunter had watched a reg get bitten in half. Still alive, the man had screamed for him. The worm like creater, didn't finish off the reg so the Sargent did. Nothing could be done, so, when the reg told him to kill him, he did.

    Shaking his head, Hunter tried to find something else to think about. Looking at the faucet, he turned up the temperature of the water. It almost hurt but not enough for him to change it. Grabbing his shampoo, he out the gel in his hand. The forest and whiskey sent spread across the bathroom. Anything that was sented that Hunter owned all smelled the same.

    Running his hands though his hair, he thought about the last mission. A reg he had met, he had longer hair, about the length of Hunter's, had asked to braid his hair. So he let him. There was no harm that could come from it.

   The feeling of running his fingers though his hair reminded him of it. Despite the hot water, Hunter shook. The reg had shortly after died. The worst part had been that it wasn't a easy death. It was gruesome and bloodly and painful. The man hadn't deserved that and Hunter could have saved him. All he had to do was grab him; get him out of the way of the droids who couldn't see him.

    Trying to get the shampoo out of his hair, Hunter realized he already had. Grabbing the conditioner, he tried to get the step out of the way quickly. Rubbing it into his scalp, he tried to ignore every memory that floated though his head.

    Rinsing the conditioner out, felt to long. Turning the water up seemed logical. The water was burning now. Hunter's skin started to have a red tint to it. After that he decided to shave. He didn't do it often, but sometimes it amdw him feel better. Talking care of his body felt nice and shaving could be helpful.

    Taking the shaving cream off the shelf, Hunter out some on his arm. It was an accident. The man had given himself a cut. It was small but watching the blood run down his arm and drip into the shower, made everything in his mind quiet.

    Then he got an idea.

    Burning water wasn't enough anymore. It couldn't quite stop his mind from hurting him. Taking the razor, he cut his upper arm again. The shaving cream slid down his arm and so did the blood.

    Then he dug the razor into his skin again and again. Hunter had given himself multiple lacerations on his arm. Some were deeper than others but now of them were straight lines. They tended to have smaller cuts around the deeper ones. Crimson blood rain over his arm and down the drain. Tears mixed with water and Hunter pulled the razor away from his skin.

    The memories of the war faded as he looked at the razor. He realized he didn't even grab his own. The handle was orange. So here Hunter was, cutting himself with Tech's razor.

    Something snapped. Going to cut again, Hunter threw the razor out of the shower. Pressing his back against the wall, he sighed. The thought of Tech seeing his razor with blood on it made him panic a little. The concern would kill him.

    The man's eyes locked in on his body wash as he remembered he hadn't used it yet. However, the only thing Hinter was really thinking about was how he managed to grab Tech's razor and not his own. Trying to find a towel, Hunter realized he wasn't alone.

    Wrecker stood in the bathroom, holding Tech's razor. "What happened?"

    "Nothing. Give me a towel."

    Inviting Hunter's privacy, Wrecker opened the shower curtain. In shock, he dropped the razor. "Hunter" he said. "I heard you crying. I didn't know you had, um."

    "Just hand he a towel." So Wrecker did.  After that he grabbed bandages from the cabinet and some hydrogen peroxide to clean it.

    While Wrecker did that, Hunter got dressed. He left his shirt off to the side so that his brother could have an easier time wrapping his upper arm.

    "What happened?" Wrecker copied his question from earlier.

    Hunter just shook his head. His brother took that answer and put some peroxide on a towel. Dabbing it on the cuts, he softly took his hand.

    "Has this happened before?" It was surprising how gently Wrecker could be. Even though Hunter had known with his whole life, it still took him off guard sometimes.

    "No."

    "Please don't make this a habit. Just come find me okay. Don't do this to yourself again. Promise me." Wrecker looked so concerned. Hunter felt bad for putting him through it.

    "Okay. I promise."

    "All done." Taking a fun bandage out of the med pack, Wrecker out one near the wrap. 

    Hunter smiled softly. "Thank you."

Day 4: Les Misérables (Survivors Guilt)

Fandom: Star Wars (Post Order 66)

Summary: Obi-wan Kenobi deals with his guilt.

    It had been years since the end of the Clone War. Obi-wan still thought about it often. He wondered how he survived or why he kept persevering.

    When he was 25 he survived a battle with a sith. As a padawan he should have been the one laying in the ground. But instead Qui-gon, his only father figure, died.

    During the war he watched his friends slowly die off until he was the only survivor of his friend group from his earlier years. It didn't seem fair. He still stood even as his men fell beside him.

    Maul killed innocent people to get his attention. He killed Satine just to get to him. Her death had been his fault yet he walked away.

    The Jedi purge had killed most every Jedi. The clones, their most trusted ally had killed their Jedi generals and commanders. The younglings in the temple had been slaughtered like cattle. They were defenseless.

    Most of the council had fallen yet he was alive. Instead of fighting, Obi-wan walked away. He hid Luke from his father; a monster he had taken part in creating. Even if by accident, there had to be something he could have done for Anakin.

    Everyone around the man died. Their ghost haunted every corner of his cave. They whispered in his ears, asking him why he survived.

    Maybe he needed to go outside. So the man walked out of the cave. He let the hot sun touch his skin. Every part of his old life tormented him. The memories plagued his life. They destroyed him in the same way he domed the people around him.

    The sun only made him hotter. He had hoped that maybe it would melt some of the guilt that had frozen him, but it didn't. Luke was around five now.

    The man had fallen into a routine. Yet nothing he tried made him feel any better. Obi-wan didn't want to spend the rest of his life miserable, he didn't want to be consumed by the tormenting memories and guilt that he had been swallowed whole by.

    Maybe a walk could help?

    Walking around, Obi-wan couldn't escape his own mind. Padme should be raising her children. But Obi-wan had let Anakin kill her. He couldn't save her, maybe no one could.

    Dealing with others survivor guilt had been easy. Obi-wan knew how to comfort Cody when his brothers died, he could help with the feeling that he should have done more or that he should have been there or that it should have been him. The jedi could explain that nothing could have been done and that his brothers wouldn't want him to feel so guilty over something he couldn't control.

    The same has gone for Anakin and the rest of his men. Obi-wan had talked to Kit Fisto when he started to feel that way and he had helped to calm Depa Billaba with the death of her first battalion. He had helped to guide Anakin in helping Rex with the guilt of Umbara.

    It wasn't so easy to get rid of the guilt yourself. Nothing helped. Obi-wan started to run. Like running would do anything. You can't outrun yourself, it's impossible. Getting away from the cave, from where his lightsaber rested, seemed like a good idea. Maybe he just needed to get away from that faster?

    It was hard to run in the sand. Stopping, Obi-wan sat in the scorching hot sand. What was doing? This was where his life was supposed to go. He was supposed to be living happily with the people he'd lost.

    There was nothing left to do. So he walked home. Tears fell from his eyes as he walked. The guilt worsened with every step.

    Being the survivor was hard. It might have been one of the hardest things Obi-wan had ever done. But there was no way to change that. The fact was he wasn't god, he wasn't even close. All the people who died were going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. Obi-wan Kenobi was just a man. No man on his own can prevent death. No matter how hard they try they can only put it off.

    The entrance of the cave Obi-wan sighed. Facing himself, he walked in and sat down on his bed. Laying down, he let every feeling drag him down until he was lying there sobbing. Sometimes you have to let yourself feel it.

    Hours went by and he finally calmed down. The feelings would live with him forever. The memories would haunt him forever. There was nothing he could change and now he had to live with it. Why he survived, Obi-wan still didn't know, but there had to be a reason. There had to be. The Jedi just wished he knew what it was.

June of Doom Day 3: Ambushed

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: we're resting in a village before continuing with their mission, the batch faces an unforeseen event.

    "Thank you." Hunter told the Tagrutan lady as his squad entered her home. They had been in the woods near her village as night felt. While Tech tried to stabilize Crosshair's broken leg, the women and her wife had stumbled upon them. Then she invited them back to her home, offering to let them stay the night so that they could take care of Crosshair's injuries and rest.

    "Of course, anything to help out our troops."

    Walking into the living room, they found that one of their hosts had pulled out a pull out coach. There were light sheets on the mattress and a few small decorative pillows.

    "Stay still." Tech told Crosshair. "You have broken your Tibia, I need to stabilize it so you don't make it any worse."

    Crosshair just scowled. Tech instructed Wrecker to move their brother's leg into the mattress. The batches host brought them some water and bread. She handed them out to each clone before informing them that her and her wife would be heading to bed. "Wake us up if you need anything or before you leave."

    "We will." Hunter sat in one of the corners of the sofa bed and ate his bread. The soldiers talked about their next move and how to complete their mission.

    As Tech finished wrapping Crosshair's leg, Hunter spoke. "We have a long day ahead of us, get some rest."

    It was a few hours later when Hunter woke up. Tiredly, he went to find what was making the noise. Walking to the door of the house, he looked out the window. There seemed to be nothing there. However the rhythmic clanking of battle droids was the only thing Hunter could hear.

    It wouldn't be the first time that the man heard something that wasn't there.  Maybe he should wake up Tech to get his opinion. Walking back over to the living room, he gently shook Tech awake.

    "Do you hear that?"

    "What should I be hearing?"

    "Droids."

    "I do not hear any droids, however you hear better than in do. I think it best we check." Standing from the corner of the sofa be occupied, Tech grabbed his shoes and put them on. Falling his brother's lead, Hunter grabbed his shoes and put them on. Quickly, as he had done a million times before, he tried them.

    Standing back up, Hunter walked to the door. Tech stood beside it. They had never bothered taking off their armor, just in case they needed to leave quickly.

    The air outside was vastly different from the warth of the house. It was a chilly night, one where the cold air bit you. Tech made sure Hunter was okay with the quick temperature change. He was more sensitive to fast changes the environment. After his brother nodded, the two walked into the surrounding woods.

    The pine trees stood tall around them. The night sky was dark with stars littered across it. The clones walked towards the sound of the noise until they no longer heard the sound. It hadn't faded, just holited. Tech and Hunter looked at each other and they came to the same realization.

    They were surrounded.

    Hunter had been so sure that he was imagining things; so sure it was just his mind playing cruel jokes on him, that he hadn't thought to wake up Wrecker. Now they had to hold off an ambush on their own.

    Just as they thought, the droids revealed themselves as the two soldiers drew their blasters.  Ducking behind a tree, Hunter took out the droids that had landed on the clear side of the tree. The pleasant scent of the pine trees was taken over by the smell of oil and melted metal.

    Grabbing Tech, Hunter pulled him behind the tree. "Wrecker, come in."

    While waiting for a reply from their younger brother, they started to take out as many droids as they could. More droids just seemed to replace the others.

    As Tech leaned over the tree, he remembered the empty space from where the droids Hunter had taken out had stood. More than likely, others would take their place. Of course, he was correct. Shooting the one that was about to kill Hunter, he caught a bullet to his left shoulder blade. Hunter disposed of the droid before asking "are you okay?"

    "I was shot in the left scapula at an approximate distance of fifty feet" Tech hissed, "I am not okay."

    "Wrecker, now would be a good time!"

    Waking up, Wrecker looked down at his comm, then over to the empty corners of the sofa. Finally registering the panic in Hunter's voice, he answered.

    "What's going on?"

    "Droids. A lot of them. Tech's been shot but he's still conscious, just in pain."

    Already walking out the door, Wrecker asked "where are you?"

    "Just follow the sound of blaster fire." Hunter sighed. It shouldn't take long for Wrecker to find them. It had taken 20 minutes to get out as far as they had and they hadn't been running.

    "Okay. Be there soon." With that, Wrecker turned off his comm.

    With more droids coming from all sides, Tech tried to think of a plan. The pain in his shoulder seemed to be getting in the way of forming many coherent thoughts. They needed a plan, nothing would change that.

    Breathing began to be more complicated. Tech looked over at Hunter. "We need a plan."

    "You don't have one?" Hunter asked, shooting another few droids before turning to face him. Most of the time, it was almost impossible to tell what Tech was thinking based on his facial expression; however, currently all that Hunter could see was pain and fear.

    "No. It is getting very difficult to form cogent thoughts." His voice was shaking as tears had started to form in his eyes from the pain.

    "Okay." Shooting some more droids down, Hunter tried to put together a plan. While the batch came up with strategies together and Hunter worked on them often, it was sort of like a hobby for Tech. "We wait." Wrecker would be there soon.

    "Okay."

    Wrecker ran through the forest. Briers caught on his ankles and rocks stabbed into the bottom of his feet. The sound of blaster fire was getting closer and closer.

    As the droids closed in, Hunter looked over at Tech. "How much longer do you think we have?"

    Tech shot a droid on their side of the tree, "maybe five minutes. There is only so much we can do. I would" he hissed as he rose his left arm to shoot another  droid. "I would comm Wrecker."

    "Okay."

    The droids cornered them, forcing their backs as far into the tree as they could. The two brothers looked at each other. They had an understanding that they had done all they could. "I'm sorry." Hunter said.

    "It is not your fault."

    As they prepared for death, they heard a large amount of rustling in the bushes. Hunter sighed as he realized Wrecker had made it in time.

    "Raaahhhhhh!" Wrecker burst through the bushes he was around. Plowing through the droids, Wrecker grabbed his gun and started shooting them down. Hunter pulled Tech up and the two helped Wrecker dispose of the rest of the droids.

    "I wish you had arrived a moment earlier." Tech sighed, "however I am aware you likely did your best and I am solely talking out of pain."

    Gently, Wrecker picked up Tech and the brothers made their way back to the house. When they arrived, Tech informed Hunter of what to do for his shoulder.

Wrecker sat on the couch, pulling his feet onto the bed. "Wrecker" Hunter started, "where are your shoes?"

"I didn't put them on."

"Are you okay?"

Pulling a thorn out of the bottom of his foot, Wrecker said, "yep. I'm good."

"Okay." After finishing taking care of Tech's shoulder, Hunter walked over to Wrecker and bandaged his feet.

The sun would rise soon and the batch would have to continue on with their mission. It would be a success, even with the injuries that had proven to be a challenge for the batch.

Familiar chapter one

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: Pabu was eerily familiar to CX-2. Clone Force 99 felt like someone to him. Why they mattered, he couldn't remember.

Notes: Spoilers for the episode Point of No Return

Chapter two: Research of the Past (coming soon)

  Why was Pabu so, familiar? That was the only question going through CX-2's head. It felt like he should care about it and its people; like somewhere deep down, he didn't want to be there to hurt someone.

    Still, he was there to find the target. A girl named Omega was an m-count target, so he had to take her to Tantus. It shouldn't feel so wrong. Just like fighting Ct-9904 shouldn't have felt like a betrayal to himself.

    Seeing the pirate was already so eerily familiar. Being in her presence made him smile and he felt warm. Her sweet but sassy voice, her beautiful hair, they seemed like they meant something to him. Maybe they had.

    CX-2' stood on the wall that separated lower and upper Pabu. There, near the water, was the Havoc Marauder. It was the ship that the group of rogue clones flew and from the information that the man had, lived out of. It was a modified Omicron-class attack shuttle. Ct-9902 had made the changes to the ship.

    Maybe there was a reason CX-2 hesitated to shoot the ship. By the ramp, Ct-9903 stood. The man had been named Wrecker, which fit him well. There was something unsettling about the thought of him blowing up, like he had personal feelings about. Maybe that was why he shot the ship's wing where he did.

    It was easy to see and it wasn't in his blind spot. Seeing him notice the explosive and grab the power droid and jump away from his home, made blowing the ship up slightly easier. It shouldn't have.

    Why was he so reluctant to hurt them? Clone Force 99 were traitors. The Bad Batch had killed imperial soldiers and officers, they had destroyed the empires properly. Killing them, would be good for the galaxy, yet CX-2 hesitated to do so.

    So he walked away. Finding Omega was his mission. Destroying the Marauder was to ensure they stayed on the planet. Making the call to be ready to burn the island and its people to the ground, was not one he had wanted to make.

    There was a place near the top of the mountain. Maybe, CX-2 thought, I should go up there. Maybe the girl would be there.

    The leaves of the tree that stood on the platform swayed. It was a beautiful and proud Weeping Maya Tree. Near the top of the mountain was a communal space. Walking inside, the man looked around for the target. The room was filled with artifacts.

    A jade tree sat on a shelf that almost made him smile. Shaking it off, his eyes scanned the shelves and landed on a stuffed Tooka doll and a pair of shattered goggles.

    CX-2 took a step back. Then he walked towards the shelf. With much kinder hands than he had been treated with, he picked up the goggles and stared at them. The weight of the glasses in his hands was uncomfortably familiar.

    Startled, he laid them back down. Looking at the doll, CX-2's breath started to catch and tears welled in his eyes. The name of the Tooka was on the top of his tongue and he knew it shouldn't be.

    When he woke up, Hemlock had told him who he was didn't matter. He had said that he had been an imperial soldier who had amnesia from his last mission. When he asked what his name was, he was told it was CX-2. Something always felt wrong about that.

    Removing his helmet, CX-2 placed it beside the googles. Picking up the stuffed toy, he pulled it closer to him. "L-" her name was the only thing he could think about. With his mission long forgotten, he tried to piece the rest of the tooka's name together.

    "Lula?"

    The room was silent. The lighting was warmer than he had remembered and all the noise of the outside had disappeared. Without the helmet, everything was blurry. However it felt like CX-2 could see clearer than he had remembered.

    The reason he hated the thought of hurting Clone Force 99, the reason he knew Lula's name, the reason the pira- liberator of ancient wonders was important to him; he had known them. The people had been something to him at some point in his life. But who were they?

    CX-2 needed to know. Still holding Lula, he stood there overwhelmed by his discovery. As his breathing continued to speed up, he sat on the floor. Clutching the doll he tried to think. Where did he go from here?

    The man could go back to the empire and complete him mission or he could lie and say that he had made a mistake, leave, and escape come his next assignment. Staying and fighting for the empire meant he would likely never get his answers. However, staying with them also meant he would survive.

    Standing, the man set Lula down next to the googles. Clearing the tears from his face, he placed him helmet back on his head and reached from his comm. Then he let his hand fall back to his side. If someone had already found her and he told them she wasn't on the island, he'd be killed for treason.

    Finding Omega became his next objective. While that may have already been his mission, now he only intended to keep her safe. Leaving the building, CX-2 sighed. In truth he was scared. He knew what Hemlock could and would do to him if he was caught.

    But he needed to know who he was. Learning who these people were to him meant betraying what he knew. Committing an act of treason didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

    Walking though the streets of Pabu, he ordered the flame throwers to be put down. There was no need just yet to burn down the island.

    Almost twenty minutes later, CX-2 found the girl. She stood in the middle of the street, ready to give herself up for the safety of the people. Before she got a chance to give herself away, the clone grabbed her and pulled her away from the street. "Shhhh."

    Confused Omega was silent.

    "You are an adolescent. I am going to inform the others that I was mistaken in identifying you. Stay hidden."

    "What?" Was all Omega could think of saying.

    "You are a child, I will not subject you to the experiments of Tantiss. You will be safe here once I'm through with my tasks."

    Taking the alley, Omega asked "where is it?"

    "What?"

    "Tantiss. I need to know."

    "Where Tantiss is, is of no concern to you. I need you to stay hidden."

    Ignoring him, Omega asked again. "I'll walk into the street and give myself up right now. If you really want to keep me safe, you'll tell me."

    "One day you will know. Currently, it is safer this way. Accept the opportunity that it being given to you. It is not the time."

    "Then when is?"

    "When you have a plan."

    "I have a plan! I-"

    "Is it a good one?"

    Omega was silent. "Fine."

    "Find a place to hide."

    The girl nodded. While she was sceptical of the sleeper agent's intentions, at least Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair wouldn't be so worried.

    Walking away, CX-2 reached for his comm. "I had mistaken a similar looking civilian for the girl. The target is not here." He sighed. "Gather your men and be ready to leave."

    "Yes sir."

    Hoping this risk would pay off, the man pondered what answers The Bad Batch could have for him. Soon, he would have his answer. Maybe while he waited for his next mission, he should do most digging into who these people really are.

June of Doom Day 6: Broken Promise

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Summary: Four times Hunter broke his promise to Crosshair about leaving Kamino.

    "When our training is over, I'll find a way to get us the hell away from here." Hunter sat with Crosshair. They were 15 years old. Well at least their bodies where. Their brother Tech was in the medical bay. Some regs had decided he was 'too different' and thought that starting a fight would resolve his 'problems'. He was barely breathing when Crosshair found him.

    "Where would we go?" Crosshair looked up at his brother. They say on the floor, Crosshair's back against the wall. His knees where pulled up into his chest.

    "I'll figure it out. I promise." Hunter put his hand on Crosshair's knee. "I promise."

    "Will Tech be okay? They really messed him up."

    "He'll be okay. We'll help him get though it."

    "When I find out who did this, it's over for them." Drying his eyes, Crosshair stood.

    "I know."

    "When the war is over, we'll get out of here. We will never come back to Kamino."

    "If we live to see the end of the war." Crosshair stood by his bunk. His tone was bitter as he spoke. He held his helmet under his right arm.

    "We will." Hunter sat on his bunk. Wrecker had come into the barracks, years in his eyes, after some regs made fun of his scar. They had started to come up on his blind spot and scare him. While the batch did the same thing, they did it out of love.

    "I need to get out of this place." Out of frustration, Crosshair threw his helmet to the ground.

    "I know. I promise, when the war is over, we'll leave." Hunter sighed and leaned against the wall of his bunk.

    "You said that before."

    "Cross, things changed. This is where we need to be."

    "After the war, you promise?"

    Standing, Hunter walked over to Crosshair's helmet and picked it up. Gently he handed it to him, "I promise."

    Now it was after the war. Hunter sat in the front of the Marauder. As they left Kamino, likely for the final time, Hunter looked at where Crosshair should be. However Crosshair was still on the planet. It was his choice to stay with the empire. It was his choice to stay on Kamino

Hunter understood why Crosshair hated kamino so much. It was always raining, cold, and if it wasn't raining, it was humid. The regs never acted like they were their brothers; their family. The Kaminons lacked the ability to see them as more then weapons. There was so much to hate about it; yet Hunter never did.

Crosshair was alone. Hunter had broken his promise to get him away from kamino. He hated it, but he had broken that promise over and over. Walking back to the bunks in the Marauder, the man sighed as he sat on his bunk. If he had a chance, he'd take his brother far away from the Empire.

Topica City was gone. The Empire had destroyed it. For once, it wasn't raining. Everyone was okay. Hunter stood on the landing platform that the batch had landed the Marauder on. He stared at Crosshair, trying to figure out what to say. Maybe he should remind him of their promise or how he could keep it this time.

Instead, Crosshair stayed on the platform. The batch left him there, on kamino. It was the empire that made Crosshair stay. His inhibitor had long been removed so he must believe in the cruel and corrupt system the Empire had built off the destruction of the Jedi and the Republic.

Some promises are meant to be broken. There was only so much that was in Hunter's control and staying on wasn't in it. It may have been his home but it was Crosshair's house.

Sitting in his bed, Hunter thought back to 15 years old Crosshair and teared up. He really did try to keep the promise of leaving kamino.