AHAHAHHFJFJFBS YESSSS

AHAHAHHFJFJFBS YESSSS

The Lucky Batch!☘️

AHHH FINALLY AFTER LIKE A MONTH I FINISHED THIS FIC!!

Prank Wars

“Shh! Here he comes, here he comes!” Boots snickers to Thumbs, who is nervously fidgeting with his fingers. “Relax, Thumbs. It’s just a small one, he won’t be that mad.”

“Hmm, okay,” Thumbs replies. He waits as the Jedi gets closer, and Boots slaps a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. Thumbs lets out a snort-like sound and averts his eyes, body shaking as he holds in laughs. Other clones sitting around the mess hall began to take notice of the Jedi as well, some doing better than others to hide their amusement.

“Mind if I sit here?” Mace asks, motioning to the seat across from Boots and Thumbs. Kriff, they were going to lose it.

“Sure thing, General Windu,” Boots manages, briefly looking at the Jedi before quickly looking away again.

“How has Clone Force 37 been lately?”

“We’ve been great, sir. Ballast hasn’t blown up nearly as many things as he usually does,” Boots replies. Thumbs just sits quietly, panic flowing through his veins mixed with amusement.

“Are you okay, Thumbs? I sense some struggle within you,” Mace asks. Thumbs has to use all his strength to drag his eyes forwards to look at the Jedi. When he goes to open his mouth to speak, all that comes out are laughs.

“Is there something funny?” Mace questions, looking behind him and expecting to find a scene.

“W-well, General,” Thumbs says, biting his lip to try and calm his laughter, “you have a little something right…here…” he says, motioning in circles around his eyes. Mace’s brows furrow before he looks in the closest mirror like object. His mouth drops slightly and he quickly turns back to face the clones before him. The two clones had put ink on the Jedi’s macrobinoculars earlier, and now there were turquoise circles around his eyes.

“I’m going to assume it was someone from your Lucky Batch that did this?” Mace says dryly as he looks back at the clones, his expression much less amused than the rest of the room.

“We wouldn’t know anything about it,” Boots lies. Mace’s eyes narrow before he leaves the room, heading to a refresher to wash off his face. Little does he know, that’s the paint they use for their armor, which has a tendency to remain stuck on skin for weeks.

~~~

“Careful! Don’t step on it, Ballast!” Jackal says as he places down the bubble wrap.

“Well why did you start on that side? How are we supposed to get out without stepping on it?” Ballast retorts. Jackal purses his lips for a second, realizing his mistake.

“Okay, we’ll just pick it up and then put it back down when we leave,” he responds before going back to covering the rest of the floor. The clones had been in the Jedi’s room almost all day, and the amount of area they’d managed to cover with bubble wrap was amazing. No spot was safe from them, not even the refresher.

“Okay, I think we can start our exit now,” Jackal says as he looks over the room. The two clones worked to finish their “project”, laying down bubble wrap until they reached the door. Once outside, they high five with smug looks on their faces. Then they hear him coming, and dive around the corner that happens to be right next to Mace’s room. They listen intently before they hear his door open, and the sudden shriek from the poor man when “pop”s erupt under his step.

The clones break out in laughter as they listen, Ballast losing his balance and falling from behind their cover. He looks up and makes eye contact with Mace, who is standing in his doorway.

“Run!” Ballast yells at his brother before he pushes himself up and sprints away down the hall, away from the angry Jedi.

~~~

“I feel like this is a bit mean,” Ryder says as he stands with his brother.

“It was a bit mean to make us all clean the entire Jedi temple for Ballast and Jackal’s prank,” Skip responds.

“Yeah, but, I’m still new. I don’t want to be transferred because of this. I don’t want to lose another family,” Ryder argues.

“Hey,” Skip said, placing a gentle hand on Ryder’s shoulder, “you won’t lose us, and you won’t be transferred. I promise, okay?”

Ryder nods, but he’s still hesitant with their idea.

“Just be glad I’m going for one of my more laid back pranks,” Skip adds. “Okay, here he comes. Act natural.”

Ryder picks up his mug and takes a sip of his drink.

“General Windu, good morning!” Skip says as the Jedi walks in. He nods to the clone, a brief acknowledgment as he wanders over to the pot of caf.

“Is this stuff fresh today?” He questions, looking at it suspiciously. “I had some the other day that was at least a standard week old.”

“Fresh as a cucumber,” Skip says.

“Fresh as a cucumber?” Ryder questions, the saying not making any sense.

“It’s the first thing that came to mind,” his brother shrugs, eyes flicking back to Mace as he poured a cup of caf. They both watch as the Jedi takes a big swig, his face pleased for a few seconds before it slowly changes. They can see the moment the hot sauce kicks in, and Mace’s gaze quickly finds theirs.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Skip chuckles as the Jedi’s expression grows angry, “it’s a special blend of ours. We like to add a bit of hot sauce to our caf.”

“Hot sauce?” He breaths out, the heat in his mouth burning furiously.

“Yeah, it adds a nice kick,” Skip responds. “Right, Ryder?”

“Uh, yeah. It really gets things nice and hot,” he adds.

“W-water,” Mace chokes out. He looks around frantically for a sink. When he does, he pours out the coffee and turns it on to fill his mug with water. But nothing comes out.

“Oh, the water isn’t working in here for some reason,” Skips says. Mace’s eyes went even wider before he ran to the fridge.

“I drank the last of the milk, sorry,” Ryder adds. “But I think this might help.” Ryder hands Mace a bottle of vinegar, and the Jedi looks grateful for him at first. When he takes a swig, however, his eyes dart to Ryder’s, and the clone feels his soul leave his body.

“Run!” Skips yells before grabbing his brother and sprinting from the room.

~~~

“Okay, just loop that string through there and…done!” Sparks straightens up and turns to high-five his brother. Cypher has a mischievous and happy grin from setting up the trap with Sparks.

“Ballast may be the mechanic, but I’m the engineer,” Sparks says while admiring their work. “And my stuff doesn’t explode.”

“Well, hopefully it’ll work,” Cypher replies.

“Oh, it’ll work, don’t worry about that. You just have to worry about Mace finding out it was us,” Sparks snickers. He gives the discrete system one last look over before ushering his brother out of the room. They slip around the corner and peek around, waiting for the Jedi to appear.

Sparks can’t help but giggle excitedly as he waits, anticipation for the scene.

“Shh, shh, here he comes!” Sparks whispers before slinking out from their hiding spot and into the hall. As Mace reaches his door, the two clones walk slowly and casually down the hall, careful to not miss anything.

“Hey, it’s about to happen,” Cypher says while nudging Sparks.

As Mace enters his password, the boys hold their breath and watch. The second he steps into the room, he triggers the wire.

Air horns blast as confetti and glitter flies into the air, a bucket of slime tipping over and pouring onto Mace.

Laughter erupts from the brothers as they stand just past Mace’s door. They were keeling over, bodys trembling from their amusement.

“Find something funny?” An angry voice asks from behind them. They immediately stop laughing and look at the Jedi before each other. They make a silent agreement before bolting in different directions. If they split up, Mace wouldn’t be able to catch both.

He didn’t even end up chasing either of them, just angrily sighing before stomping back into his room.

~~~

Rane worked by himself, that much was common knowledge. So it was no surprise that he was going to prank by himself.

It was the middle of the night, and after casually watching the Jedi over the course of the week, he had been able to find out the code to his quarters. And now he was enacting his master plan.

“Alright, little buddy. I know this isn’t exactly a good place to be releasing you, but I need you to trust me, okay?” Rane looks down at the spider in his hands, and it stares back silently.

Rane quickly types in the code to the Jedi’s room and slips inside, shutting the door behind himself. He creeps his way over to the bedroom door before pausing. He looks down at the spider again before slowly opening the door. He peers inside to see Mace snoring into his pillow. He stifles a laugh before slowly bending down.

“I need you to go over and crawl onto him. Try to wake him up, if possible.”

The spider merely stares back silently again before Rane sets him down. He closes the bedroom door before rushing out the main door and into the hall. He silently waits outside of it, hoping that it wouldn’t be too long before he gets a reaction.

Just as he is about to open the door and check on the spider, he hears a scream come from inside. He claps a hand over his mouth as he doubles over in laughter. Never, in his existence, would he have thought Mace’s voice could go so high.

“AHHHH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OUT!” Mace screams from inside his room. Footsteps approach the other side of the door, and Rane barely has time to jump out of the way as the Jedi runs out into the hall.

“General Windu! Is everything alright?” Rane asks as seriously as he could muster. Mace looks at him with sheer terror in his eyes before it changes.

“You. You did this,” he says, pointing a finger at Rane as an angry expression settles on his face.

“Did what, sir?” Rane asks, still trying to act oblivious.

“The spider. This was your doing. How did you get inside my room?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir.”

“I’ll give you one more chance to come clean. Just admit that this was you, and I’ll let you go.”

Rane stares at him blankly before his eyes dart to the ground. The spider was crawling out and towards Mace again.

“Like I said, sir. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mace’s eyes narrow before they shoot wide again. He looks down to see the spider crawling up his robes, and he screams as he runs away, shaking his robes violently to try and shake it off. When it does fall to the ground, Rane picks it up and carries him back to the barracks.

“Gotta return you to Foxy,” he says as he makes his way back.

~~~

“Okay, do you think this is enough?” Jack asks as he motions to the tray of cookies.

“That’s perfect!” Foxy says, Pepper nodding beside him.

“Okay, so just tell me one more time how-“

“Maker, Jack. Okay, so, we are going to put your cookies out as bait,” Foxy says, Jack nodding along as he listens, “General Windu is going to see the cookies, and he’s going to go over and eat one,”

“Right,”

“And then, we’re going to release the ants,”

“Okay this is where I get confused.”

“What are you confused about?” Pepper asks.

“The ants are just going to know where to go?”

“Yes.”

“And just in case, we’ll leave a trail of crumbs to lead them over to where they need to go,” Foxy added.

“Alright, let’s just hope this works,” Jack says while turning to the door of the Jedi’s quarters. He quickly types in the password Rane had given them, and they sneak inside. Jack took his cookies over to the table where they would bait Mace, Foxy laid a trail of crumbs over, and Pepper checked on the ants.

“Alright, everything is set up,” Foxy says as they all meet back up at the door.

“Ants are ready,” Pepper confirms.

“I can smell the cookies from here,” Jack says proudly. “There’s no way General Windu will be able to resist.”

“And now we wait,” Foxy says, leading them out the door and down the hall. It was just their luck that Mace happened to be returning to his room as they walked.

“General Windu,” Pepper nods, earning a brief nod from the Jedi.

Mace pauses for a second to turn and look at the retreating clones, suspicion running wild. He dismisses it though, as he didn’t expect Jack or Pepper to ever attempt to prank him.

As he enters his room, he’s immediately overcome with the smell of fresh cookies.

“Maybe this is an apology,” he thinks out loud. He smiles and walks over to the kitchen where he finds the cookies waiting. He eagerly grabs one and sniffs it, making sure nothing smells out of the ordinary. When he’s satisfied that they’re harmless, he takes a bite. His eyes shoot open and he swallows before hurriedly taking another bite.

“Maker, I know Kenhla said Jack’s baking was good, but this…this is-“ his sentence was cut off by him shoving another cookie into his mouth. As he goes to grab a third, he lets out a shriek as he feels something run across his hand. He looks down and sees ants crawling over to the cookies.

“What the-where are all these ants coming from?” Mace says, suddenly becoming frantic. “No no no! Not the cookies!” He watches as the ants scramble over the treats, taking chunks off them and carrying them away.

“I wanted to eat those,” Mace whines as he falls on his knees, facing down sadly.

“Should I make him another batch? I kind of feel bad,” Jack asks. The clones had snuck back over and we’re standing outside the door, listening to Mace inside.

“No! The whole idea of the prank was that he didn’t get the cookies!” Foxy says.

“You can give him a cookie sticker,” Pepper says, pulling one from his pocket.

“Good idea!” Jack says, taking it over and slipping it under the door. He suddenly hears footsteps approaching, and before he can stand up, the door whooshes open.

“…cookie sticker?” Jack asks hesitantly, watching as Mace’s gaze turns deadly.

“Come on, Jack!” Pepper says, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him away from the seething Mace.

“What about my ants?” Foxy yells.

“Get new ones!” Both Jack and Pepper respond as they flee the scene.

~~~

Kenhla walks into the room to find all her clones sitting in a circle while Raffle walks around them, fly swatter in hand and smacking each on top of the head as he passes.

“You,” *smack, “are,” *smack*, “NOT,” *smack*, “allowed,” *smack*, “to,” *smack*, “prank,” *smack*, “Jedi,” *smack*, “that,” *smack*, “aren’t,” *smack*, “in,” *smack*, “your,” *smack*, “battalion!” *smack*. “ESPECIALLY,” *smack*, “NOT,” *smack*, “MACE,” *smack*, “WINDU!” *smack*.

“What’s going on?” She asks her Padawans.

“Raffle found out about the prank wars the others had on Master Windu,” Brisk explains.

“I thought they were pretty funny,” Luna giggles.

“STOP SMACKING ME!” Skip says as Raffle rains down a bunch of swats.

“I KNOW THIS WAS YOUR IDEA!”

“BUT THE OTHERS HELPED! AT LEAST SWAT THEM MORE AS WELL!”

“Oh, don’t worry, I will,” Raffle says before moving into the next person, which happens to be Jack.

“Hey! I didn’t want to do this!” Jack defends.

“BUT YOU STILL DID!” He says before moving on again.

“Sorry, Ryder. I gotta do this,” Raffle says, almost apologetically.

“S’alright. I understand.”

“Maker, don’t make me feel bad about it,” Raffle says as he quickly swats the newest member.

“How long has he been swatting them?” Kenhla asks.

“About 20 minutes,” Brisk responds.

“And you’ve just been sitting here?”

“I made popcorn!” Luna says while holding the bowl out towards her master. Kenhla smiles and takes a piece, popping it in her mouth and settling down with her padawans to watch the clone Captain reprimand his batch.

The Lucksters!

@lavenderstaars @lynnpaper @foxlock @maygalodon @oo-hazel-oo @mango-peachjuice @radbatch @letsunity @burnthashbrown27 @generaltano @catboy-tech @cosmicghostie @namesmox @monako-jinn-stories @longearedowlfromouterspace @lusiawonder @just-another-dreamerr

Another soft Foxiyo forehead touch. It’s a theme :) 

HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING

First painting of 2021! Renewal is a fitting theme, I think. 

Crosshair X Fem!Reader FanFic

It Started With a Vacation

Thank you @maygalodon for helping me with a part of this chapter!!<3💜 everyone go check her out!! They do amazing art!!

Master List

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Thirteen

When you woke up, you were practically laying completely on top of Crosshair. Your face was buried in his right shoulder while his chin rested on the top of your head and your legs were tangled. He was holding you securely to him, and his eyes were squeezed shut.

You felt him dreaming, and you sensed his unease. You looked up and immediately reached up a hand, resting it on his cheek gently. Using the force to calm him, you softly stroked his cheek with your thumb.

Slowly, his face relaxed, and he calmed. His hold on you loosened from a desperate clinging to a secure hug. You let your hand wander up to his hair where you gently ran your fingers through. As you did, you closed your eyes and laid your head back on his chest, letting out a content sigh.

“What are you doing, princess?”

His sudden question only slightly startled you, but you lifted your head and met his gaze. Your hand stopped and your face flushed

“You were having a nightmare,” you said, beginning to pull your hand away. Crosshair stopped you, though, grabbing your hand and returning it to his hair.

“Feels nice,” he mumbled, closing his eyes and leaning into your touch. You wiggled your fingers in his hair again and a tiny but soft smile came to his lips. You smirked to yourself as you reached your other hand up and poked his nose. He scrunched it and opened his eyes to look down at you again. You giggled and poked him again, and this time he smirked at you before biting your finger tip.

Keep reading

This took me way longer to finish than i expected, so reblogs are appreciated

Also, this is my 7500th post, so happy... 7500th post day? lmao

Also huge fuck you to people who spoil the new episodes here, without using any tags. Do better people!

once again a *chefs kiss* to the wonderful author Jinn

Crosshair X FemReader FanFic

It Started With a Vacation

Main Master List

Story Master List

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty Eight (18+)

Chapter Twenty Eight (PG)

The sounds of many feet sprinting past your door wakes you up in the morning. Delightful squeals are surrounded by the sounds of a few chuckles, as well as two voices warning to be careful. The feet run past your door again, and the squeals and chuckles follow. You roll your eyes, smiling to yourself as you throw the covers off of you and head to your door. As you open it, the boys run by again, Cyar’ika in Tie’s arms as the others chase him.

“What are you guys up to?” you ask, and they stop and smile at you.

“We’re seein’ who can hold onto Cyar’ika the longest before someone taps ‘em. When they do, we ‘ave to give ‘em Cyar’ika and they ‘ave to run and try to not let the others catch ‘em.”

“You’re playing a version of ‘tag’ with my child?” you question, raising an eyebrow at them. Tie nods, and you just shake your head with a small smile. “And how is my little princess doing this morning?” you ask, reaching out to take her. Tie pulls her away, a smirk coming to his face.

“Not so fast, y/n. Ya gotta catch me first,” Tie says before breaking into a sprint.

“I’m not chasing you to be able to hold my own child!” you call after him before turning to the others.

“I don’t think he’ll give her up unless you catch him,” Hex says, and you just sigh before taking off after him. It doesn’t take much for you to catch up, and sure you might have used the force a little bit to slow him down, but soon enough, you tap him and he stops to hand her over.

“Game over,” you say when the others catch up. “We’re not playing ‘tag’ with my daughter anymore.”

“Party pooper,” Sans mumbles, and you shoot him a glare before smirking as you respond.

“For that comment, you get to change her poopy diapers for the entire day,” you say, and he opens his mouth to argue, but you shake your head. 

“You’re mean,” he replies, narrowing his eyes and sticking his tongue out at you. Cyar’ika giggles at him before trying to imitate his expression. “You know what, I’m fine with changing poopy diapers if it means I get to spend more time becoming her favorite uncle,” he says, wiggling a finger in her face.

“Psh, as if you’ll ever be her favorite,” Aid retorts, and Sans turns to him to glare.

“You don’t stand a chance either.”

“I have a better chance than you.”

“I think currently, Hex has the best chance,” you cut in, and the others give you offended looks while Hex looks on proudly.

“I am pretty great, aren’t I?” he says, and you just roll your eyes and laugh before leading them off to get breakfast.

“Are you the ones making all that noise in the halls?” Ahni says as the boys follow you into the dining room. 

“Us? Make noise? Never,” Steele replies, and Ahni just laughs before setting out plates for them.

“You know, you should never lie to your cook,” she starts, “they could end up poisoning your food.”

“Ah, you would never hurt us,” Sans counters, waving a hand dismissively. 

“Hmm, perhaps you’re right, or perhaps my kindness is an illusion of who I really am.”

Steele snorts at that, rolling his eyes while taking a bite of his food. “Yeah. You could never be mean. You’re too sweet and caring.”

“Oh really? Is that a test?” she teases, and Steele shakes his head.

“No, I’d prefer to keep living in a galaxy where I only know nice Ahni.”

Ahni sits down next to Kwol, and she offers a smile to Steele. “Well, hopefully you will get to.”

“I, on the other hand, have definitely witnessed an Ahni that is…” Kwol starts, but pauses when Ahni gives him a warning look. “An Ahni that is not the same that you have always known,” he finishes carefully, and she gives him a side eye before looking down at her own plate to begin eating.

“Don’t worry, Crosshair has seen many sides of y/n,” Sans says, “and he’s doing just fine.”

“Since when are you an expert on my relationship?” you question, and Sans just gives you a look that seems to say “it’s obvious.”

“What are everyone’s plans for today?” Ahni asks, and you open your mouth to begin when a beeping from Sans’s comm interrupts

“It’s the Council,” he states, and answers it.

“Commander Sans, we hate to interrupt your…vacation,” Mace says from the other end, “but we have been informed that Commander Bly and General Secura are in need of assistance on a planet near Dohbar. We were wondering if you would be able to head over and help out.

“Well, General Windu,” Sans begins, “it’s only me, General Jinn, and Jawa squad here. The six of us won’t be much help.”

“Actually, I was hoping to talk to King Barren about that. Is he around and free?”

“Yes, he’s right here with me,” Sans says. Kwol gives you a confused look and you just shrug, and he moves to sit next to Sans.

“Hello, Master Windu. This is King Barren.”

“Hello, King Barren. As I’m sure you heard, we are hoping to have Commander Sans lead reinforcements to help aid Commander Bly and General Secura. We also understand that the rest of the 17th battalion is here on Coruscant. We are asking on the behalf of the Republic Alliance to have soldiers from Dohbar help-”

“Absolutely not,” Kwol interrupts, his tone firm and final. “Dohbar may have a senator in the Galactic Senate, but we are still a neutral system, and will remain so.”

“Please, it would only be for one battle.”

“It will never be only one battle for you,” Kwol counters. “Our assistance in one battle would put Dohbar on the Separatist’s radar, and we will be exposed to attacks on our planet and in our system. Dohbar will not risk its neutrality for your war.”

“And does Queen Monako share your sentiment?”

“Yes,” you respond. “Although I am a general in the GAR, I am a queen to Dohbar first. My people’s safety here is always my priority. I will not send my own army to fight in a battle that we are not, and will not ever, be involved in.”

“I understand, General Jinn,” Mace replies. “I am sorry to have bothered you all. We await your return to Coruscant tomorrow.” The comm ends after that, and the men of Jawa Squad share silent, conflicted looks with each other.

“Are you sure we can’t just take even a small force to help-”

“No, Aid,” you say, cutting him off. “Dohbar will not get involved in this war. I will not set my people on that path.”

“But you’ll allow us to keep fighting on the front lines?” Steele asks, a sour tone coming to his voice. 

“It’s different for you guys.”

“Why? Because we’re bred for this? Because we’re just tools for the Republic?” Tie asks, jumping into the argument.

“No, well, in a way, but you’re not tools, not in my eyes. But you are soldiers of the Republic.”

“We didn’t get a choice in the matter,” Steele counters.

“I know, but as a queen and a general, I need to do what’s best for my people, even if I’m not always able to for my troopers,” you try to explain, but it only seems to make them more upset.

“So you’ll fight for them but not us? You’ll refuse the Council’s request for your people but will only try to fight them for us?” Aid says, pitching in.

“That’s not anywhere near true,” you say, trying to suppress the anger that wants to come out. “I fight for you all the time! I’ve straight up refused to let you go into battles that I knew were not going to end well, and make sure you get plenty of rest when you need it!”

“But you still let us run into battle and die for the Republic, but you won’t let your own people do that,” Sans says, keeping his eyes down and not looking at you.

“Hex, you of all people should understand me,” you reply.

“But we don’t, General,” Sans says, standing from his seat. “I don’t think this conversation should continue. Jawas, let’s go. We’ve finished eating, and we should all just calm down.”

“Or we could go help Commander Bly and General Secura ourselves, because y/n refuses to do it herself.”

“You are not understanding me,” you defend, and Sans holds up his hand in a motion for silence.

“I said this conversation is over. Boys, let’s go. General Jinn,” you cringe at his use of your title, but raise your gaze to meet his, “we can talk later.”

“Sans…” you start, but you don’t know what to say. You don’t have to say anything, though, because he understands how fighting with them hurts you deeply. He knows that you can only do so much for them, and that you’re able to do more for your people. He also knows that, if you had the power, you’d protect them and everyone else in the 17th like you protect your people. 

As they leave, you feel yourself lose your appetite. You sit and move your food around your plate absentmindedly for a few minutes before deciding to get up and clear your mind. Ahni and Kwol ask if you’d like company, but you say no, and that you were going to spend some time with Cyar’ika.

You carry Cyar’ika out to your garden and sit with her under your favorite tree. You set her down and watch her crawl around, looking curiously at everything around her. You can’t believe how much she’s grown and learned in only a few months. Time seems to be going by too fast, and you wish you could spend more of it with her. But as your earlier conversation mentioned, you are a general, and you have your duties to your troopers. But you’re also a mother, and a queen, and that just adds to all the responsibility you have to balance.

“What am I going to do with everything?” you sigh, reaching out and brushing Cyar’ika’s silver hair from her eyes. She looks up at you with her sparkling eyes and you melt in her gaze. “You better not start using your adorableness on me to get your way, little princess,” you say, giggling as she looks at you blankly. “You and your father are going to get along so well some day. He’ll probably spoil you to the point where it’s a problem.” You huff in amusement at the idea of it and shake your head as you smile. You pick her up and take her into your arms, letting her cuddle up to you. “I hope I’m a good mother for you,” you whisper quietly, staring off into the distance. As if in response, you sense feelings of comfort and assurance coming through the force. You pull back slightly and look down at your daughter, and smile after a few seconds. “My little Jedi princess,” you say, “just like her mother.”

~~~

A knock at your door stirs you from your thoughts, and you pull yourself back to reality. You look down and groan slightly at the documents still pulled up on your datapad, still unread and unsigned. “I’ll do that tomorrow,” you mumble to yourself before heading to your door. You open it, and the boys of Jawa Squad are standing outside of it.

“Hey, y/n,” Steele says, “we’d like to talk to you again.”

“Of course,” you say, moving to the side and motioning them in. They all find a seat in your room, and you sit down with them. 

“First of all, I’m sorry for starting the argument earlier,” Steele says, and you nod. “It was very uncalled for and…I didn’t fully understand your words and I just jumped into an argument.”

“None of us fully understood your words, but we took the time to try to after our argument,” Aid continues. “Sans helped us try to understand better as well.”

“We know that there’s only so much you can do for us,” Tie adds, “and we’re thankful for everything that you are able to do.”

“It hit a nerve in all of us when you were so adamant about keeping Dohbar out and neutral, especially when we have to fight in the war, and it’s our brothers out there who needed the help,” Hex says.

“But we understand now that it’s different for Dohbar and us. Dohbar is its own system, and the GAR is under the command of the Republic. As queen of Dohbar, you’re able to make decisions with more finality for your people than you are as general of the 17th, and we know that if you could, you’d never allow us to go anywhere that would be a risk to our lives. But as Tie said earlier, we are bred for this. Our reason for existing is to fight in this war and defend the Republic, as much as we, and you, may hate the reality of it,” Sans finishes. “So, we are all sorry for the argument.”

“I’m sorry for acting as I did as well,” you say. “I should have remained calmer than I did and explained better. I love you all, so much, and you’re right. If I could, I’d do everything to ensure your complete safety. Unfortunately, I can’t, and so I have to settle with being the best general I can to protect you on the battlefield.”

“We love you too, y/n,” Sans says. “And sorry for calling you by your title earlier, I know you don’t like it when we do.”

“It’s alright,” you assure him, “now, we can spend all night apologizing to each other, or, we can all have a big cuddle pile on my bed.”

“Cuddle pile!” Tie and Aid say at the same time, already jumping on and getting situated. You roll your eyes and laugh softly, Hex and Steele both smiling at you before joining the two already there. “Everything alright, Sans?” you ask as he remains standing beside you, staring off into space.

“Yeah…just…I received a report from Bly after his mission…things were pretty bad. But I understand why you couldn’t let Dohbar get involved.”

“How bad was it?” you ask, but Sans shakes his head, offering you a small smile.

“Don’t worry about it, y/n. It’s nothing you should worry about.”

“But it is something I could have helped with,” you sigh, and Sans gently rests his hand on your shoulder and offers you another smile.

“I wouldn’t have wanted you to. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your people for our war.”

“But-”

“No more arguing about this,” Sans says with a slight chuckle. “Now, there’s a cuddle pile waiting for us to join.” You take a few moments to look at him and study his expression before sighing and going to the bed. You crawl on and the boys immediately surround you, letting you lay in the middle. Hex takes the outside, Steele between the two of you, and then Tie, Sans, and Aid on the other side. 

Throughout the night, when Cyar’ika woke up, Aid or Hex would get up to comfort her. When you tried to, they told you to lie back down and relax, that you deserved a night of uninterrupted sleep. You appreciated their intent, but you still woke up every time she would fuss. After a while, they both finally let you help them calm her down, and they watched curiously as you did so. The secret was that you used the force to calm her, something they could not do themselves. Of course, you didn’t tell them this, because they’d probably tell you that you “cheated” somehow.

When you wake the next morning, it’s much later than you had intended to wake up, and you immediately wake the others as well.

“Mmm, leave me alone,” Tie mumbles in his sleep, rolling over to ignore you. You roll your eyes and shake him gently, and he just swats his hand at you.

“Come on,” you say, turning to shake Steele awake, “we don’t have much time to prepare to head back to Coruscant.”

“Can’t we just go back later?” Aid asks, and you decide to disrupt their sleep by sending waves of discomfort through the force.

“Alright, alright,” Sans grumbles, crawling over Aid to get off the bed. “Someone’s in a hurry today.”

“I have a feeling,” you say, narrowing your eyes as you try to focus on it, “something’s going to happen.”

“What’s going to happen is I’m going to sleep in my own bed tonight,” Hex says, “Steele stinks too much.”

“Hey! I do not!” Steele counters, and you just fold your arms and give them all a look.

“Are you guys going to go get ready now?” you ask after they all stop talking and look at you.

“Yes, ma’am,” Tie says mockingly, and you gently pull on his braid as he walks by, earning you a tongue out from him. You giggle and then close the door behind them so you yourself can get ready for the return to Coruscant.

After you dress and wash up, you head over to Cyar’ika’s room and get her up and ready for the day. You spend some time with her and Ahni as the boys finish getting ready, and all too soon you’re saying goodbye again and heading back to the center of the Republic.

“Everything alright, y/n?” Hex asks as he finds you in the bunk area. “You’ve been back here almost the entire flight.”

“I’m trying to meditate to figure out what feels so off to me,” you respond, “although I can assure you it’s nothing to do with you guys-well, not exactly.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asks, sitting across from you and removing his helmet.

“You guys will be involved in this…situation, but nothing bad is going to happen to you. It’s almost like…I’m sensing the Bad Batch.”

“Missing your man?” he jokes, but you shake your head.

“It’s not that, I think they might end up needing help.”

“Need help? The Bad Batch? Now that’s less likely than Fox liking Palpatine. Actually, no, I think it’s more likely, but just slightly.”

“Either way, I want our scanners and transmission to be on wide range, just in case someone ends up needing help.”

“You got it, y/n,” Hex says before standing up and heading back out into the main area. You watch him for a second before closing your eyes and beginning to meditate again, trying to focus on where this feeling is coming from. Something about it keeps taking you back to the Bad Batch, and you’re becoming increasingly convinced that they’ll be in need of help soon.

After a while, you leave the room and head to the cockpit, sitting in the chair next to Tie and watching the stars fly past.

“Something on your mind, y/n?” he asks, and you nod.

“It’s just that feeling…”

“Well, is ya Jedi mind telling you to go anywhere specific? Maybe ya can point me in a direction and we can find somethin’.”

You think for a second, wondering if you should just continue on to Coruscant or if you should deviate from your course and look for whatever the cause of this feeling is. “Yeah, we can try that.”

“Alright, I’ll pull the ship outta hyperspace,” he replies. “Just keep in mind this is a royal transport. We don’t got any guns.”

“Actually,” you say, reaching out and pressing some buttons in a specific pattern, “Dohbarians never go anywhere without weapons, not even into space.”

“You’re pretty strong with firepower for a peaceful system,” Tie chuckles, and you just smirk in response.

“Yeah, well, you don’t keep peace without posing a threat to those who try to challenge it.”

“That’s fair, I guess,” he says, taking control of the ship and pulling it from hyperspace. “Alright, where to?”

You close your eyes, concentrating on the feeling. You take a few moments before holding out your hand and using it to help feel what direction to go. Tie watches until your hand comes to a stop, and then he begins to fly in that direction. After a few minutes, you move your arm, and again, Tie follows it. 

“What’s going on?” Aid asks while walking in, leaning against the doorframe. “Why aren’t we in hyperspace? And what are you doing with your arm, y/n?”

“She’s guiding me towards that strange feelin’ she's been havin’,” Tie explains, turning the ship slightly as your arm moves.

“Does she have any more of an idea of what it may be?” Aid asks, sitting down in the seat behind Tie.

“Didn’t say, and I think she’s focusin’,” Tie replies. 

Suddenly, you open your eyes and grip the sides of your seat. Something is very wrong about what you had been sensing. You watch as a planet comes into view, and you immediately know that’s the right place.

“Check for transmissions,” you say, and Hex, who you hadn’t noticed join the group, immediately sets to work. At first, all you get is static crackles, but then a few words are able to come through. 

“-ech, how’s that -ission coming?”

“It appears to- eached a ship n- by, though I’m -re who it is.”

“This is Commander Hex of the 17th battalion, can you hear me?”

“-arely came thr-. -ate your battalion aga-”

“The 17th battalion. This is Commander Hex.”

“The transmission should be getting better since we’re about to enter the atmosphere,” Tie states, and he prepares the ship for entry.

“How many troopers do you have?” The transmission is nearly clear, save for a bit of static.

“Uh, five, plus General Jinn,” Hex responds.

“Oh. Well, I guess any amount of help is welcome.”

“Were you expecting more?”

“Not exactly. We weren’t expecting any help, but more is always preferred.”

“Alright, focus, Tech,” Hunter jumps in. “Can you track them, or can they track your comm to find our position?”

“Already on it,” Sans says. “Tie, fly two klicks west and then one klick south west.”

“Give me the coordinates, I can get there easier my own way,” Tie counters, and Tech starts rambling them off, repeated to Tie by Hex.

“What’s the situation like down there?” Hex asks, and you watch as his expression remains neutral as he listens. “It’s not too bad, definitely not ideal. Nothing they can’t escape with our help.”

“Good,” you reply, and without warning, Tie jerks the ship and maneuvers it to fly sideways.

“What the karking hells, Tie?” Steele shouts from further back in the ship, having been tossed into the wall. 

“Sorry, gotta avoid all these trees,” Tie responds. “Welcome to Kashyyk, boys.”

“Lovely,” Sans says as Tie turns the ship back upright. “Now, where the hells are we going to land?”

“Right here,” Tie responds, and as soon as he speaks, a cannon blast lands right in front of the ship, covering the viewport with dirt and debris.

“Everyone, out!” Steele yells, and everyone runs to the door. You’re the last one out, and as soon as you jump, a blast hits the ship and blows you further away. You roll a few times as you land, and immediately cough up dirt and blood. Your vision is blurry and you’re dizzy for a second before standing and regaining your senses.

“Get down, y/n!” Aid yells, and you duck just in time as another cannon shot flies past where your head had been a second ago.

“They’re just through these trees over here,” Tie says, waving everyone over as he begins to run towards the Bad Batch’s spot. You follow as well, trying not to stumble as you do. Something in your side sends a wave of pain with each step and breath you take, but you ignore it for now to keep running. 

“Welcome to the fight!” Wrecker says as you break through the trees to join them. 

“Woah, you need to get that taken care of now,” Hunter says as he looks at you. You furrow your brows in confusion before Aid comes into view and pulls you to the side.

“Sit,” he says, and pushes you down, not giving you time to argue. You still don’t know what’s going on, but a scream of pain leaves you as he pulls something from your side. You look down through tear filled eyes and see a piece of bloody wood. “I will never understand how you can ignore things that are literally sticking out of you and focus on the battle,” he mumbles, almost angrily. “Lift up the shirt.” You do as he says, and he applies the bacta, making you hiss through your teeth. 

“What’s going on here?” a voice says, and you look up to see Crosshair standing on a branch above you. 

“Hello, Snarky,” you say, smiling up at him. He jumps down, and takes his helmet off as he kneels beside you. He offers you a quick kiss on the forehead before he looks at your wound. “Princess-”

“No, don’t even say anything about me sitting out of the fight,” you say, and Aid clears his throat.

“You won’t be doing anymore fighting unless I deem you well enough,” he says as he stands. “Now, I saw you land and hit your head. Were you dizzy or did your vision blur at all? Were your steps unbalanced?”

“No,” you say, and he merely raises a brow at you. “Fine, yes, but-”

“You’re good enough to finish this fight, but when we get back to Coruscant, you’re getting a full exam.”

“Wait, what?” Crosshair says, and you grab Aid’s hand to help you stand.

“It’s alright, Cross,” you say, setting a hand on his arm. “This hopefully won’t take long, and then we’ll be on our way out of here.”

“Fine,” he says, slipping his helmet back on, “but I’m going to keep an eye on you.”

“How about you keep an eye on our targets instead?” Hunter says as he runs over, shooting at the droids breaking into the trees where you all are.

“Sir yes sir,” Crosshair mocks before jumping up and climbing into the tree again. You watch him for a second before joining your men, jumping right into the middle of the battle. 

“So, what exactly is the situation?” you ask, and Tech moves to stand beside you as he blasts the droids and you deflect the returning blaster fire.

“We were on a mission to deliver some defensive weaponry to the Wookiees, and as we were about to leave, the Separatist forces decided to attack us. We have not been able to get back to our ship.”

“How long have you been fighting them?”

“Not long, but since we were not prepared for an attack like this, we have not been able to make our leave.”

“Well, hopefully we can help with that,” Sans says, standing at your other side.

“Do you guys have any sort of plan?” Hex asks, and Hunter responds briefly.

“Get out alive.”

“Yeah, well, how you intend to do so would be nice to know,” Steele says.

“Just do your thing and we’ll do ours,” Hunter replies before giving a hand signal to the rest of the Batch. You decide to just focus on the fight in front of you, making sure your men are safe.

After a little while, you barely have made any sort of progress with the droids. You’d noticed Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker popping into view every so often, but never paid much attention to what they were doing. You’d just kept your eyes on the droids in front of you and took out as many as you could. 

“Alright, is everything in position?” Crosshair asks the others, and they confirm it. You’re confused as to what he’s referring to, but before you can ask, he tells you to do something. “Princess Cyar’ika, I need you to move slightly to your left.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m going to shoot your lightsaber.”

“What?” you ask, more confusion seeping into your tone.

“Just trust me, okay?”

“Just don’t break it,” you reply, “is this good?”

“Tiny fraction to the right…a bit more forward…perfect. Now lift your saber directly above your head.” You do exactly as he says, and wait. It feels as if each second crawls by as you wait for him to shoot, but when he does, you can’t bear to risk blinking. His skill always mesmerizes you, especially when he does a trick like this. As soon as his shot hits your saber, it’s deflected off and strikes through a droid, only to hit a tiny metal disk you hadn’t noticed before. It bounces off, hits another droid, and strikes a metal disk that Wrecker holds up in the air. Another droid, then a disk Tech tosses up. Droid, a disk Hunter throws forward. Droid, disk on a tree. Droid, disk on another droid. It continues to bounce all around, and then the real surprise happens. 

You hadn’t noticed the pile of explosives Wrecker had set near the entrance of the trees, where the droids are coming from. Thankfully, no one is standing near it as the blaster shot bounces off a final disk and strikes the pile. You duck down instinctively, and so do your men. When you look back up, trees are falling down onto the droids. With their way now blocked, you can find the Batch’s ship and head back to Coruscant.

“A warning woulda been nice,” Tie says while walking over. Everyone gathers near where you stand, and the Batch just exchange glances with each other before Hunter speaks.

“Sorry, we just didn’t know how to explain plan D-43 in time for it to work,” he says while shrugging.

“The explosion is what he was referring to,” Aid counters, a slightly annoyed look on his face.

“I agree,” you add, looking toward Hunter. “You should know that others don’t always like not knowing what’s going on, especially if something could be a danger to their lives.”

“But no one was hurt,” Tech states, and you shoot him a look.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that they could have been, and you know that I never would have forgiven you if something serious, or even fatal, happened to one of them.”

“She’s right, we shoulda given them a warning,” Wrecker agrees. “Especially me, I was the one who put the explosives down. It was my responsibility to ensure everyone knew, and I didn’t do that. I’m sorry, y/n. And Commander Sans, Captain Hex, Major Steele, Medic Aid, and Sergeant Tie. I promise that next time I will ensure your safety and that you’re aware of the danger.” Your men exchange their own glances with each other before turning to Wrecker and nodding, offering him small smiles.

“Thank you, Wrecker,” Hex says.

“Commando Wrecker, if we want to get formal,” he jokes back, letting out a chuckle while setting his helmet half on his head.

“Alright, we need to get going, we’re already late as it is,” Hunter states.

“So are we, because we decided to help you,” Steele says.

“And our transport was blown to bits,” Tie points out. “Sorry ‘bout that, y/n.”

“It’s fine, I can just use Kwol’s transport since he barely does any off-planet work,” you reply. “You guys got room for six more on your ship?”

“Plenty, as long as two of us share a bunk,” Crosshair says, smirking as he puts a toothpick in his mouth.

“Perfect, I can cuddle with Wrecker then,” you tease while stealing his toothpick and putting it in between your own teeth, earning a scoff from the sniper before he puts his arm around your waist and pulls you into him. 

“Not on my watch, you won’t,” he says, playfully biting your ear. “Mine.”

“I’m pretty sure everyone knows she’s yours already,” Hunter says, rolling his eyes as he walks by. 

“Someone jealous?”

“Of you? Never. I can find a partner easily.”

“Oh really? Then how about we make a bet?”

“What kind of bet?”

“I’ll explain on the ship,” Crosshair replies, and Hunter nods before leading everyone on. 

“Mind if I take a gander at your controls, here?” Tie asks as he stands in the cockpit. 

“I do not mind, but just don’t touch anything. We don’t need a repeat of what happened last time someone didn’t know what they were doing,” Tech replies.

“Ah, don’t worry. I would never touch anythin’ I didn’t understand when it comes to ships.”

“That is comforting to know. Perhaps if I need to step away for a second, you could take control for me.”

“I would be honored, sir,” Tie says, throwing up a playful salute. Tech eyes him for a second before nodding and turning back to the controls, beginning to take off.

“So, what’s this bet you’re on about?” Hunter asks as he sits on his bunk. 

“If you can get a partner as easily as you seem to think you can,” Crosshair starts, taking a moment to work in a nice shine on a part of his rifle, “then how about we put a time limit on it?”

“I’m listening,” Hunter says, taking his bandana off and throwing it into a pile of dirty clothes and bandanas.

“I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen him without one of those on,” Steele whispers to Hex.

“After a while, I began to wonder if he was born with it,” Sans adds.

“I wonder how long he kept it on for,” Hex replies.

“We’ll go to the Uscru Entertainment District, and I’ll give you two hours to find a partner and bring them back to the Vos Gesal Hotel. If you don’t make it on time, you owe me a box of toothpicks. If you do, I’ll buy you a new bandana. Hells, I’ll even add in another if you manage to get two partners to come back with you.”

“Deal,” Hunter says, and the boys each stand to meet each other in the center of the room and shake hands, sealing the bet.

“You’re pathetic,” you tell Crosshair when he sits down again. He’s sitting on the floor between your knees as you sit on his bunk. He looks up at you with a smirk on his face.

“Why?”

“Because, you make a bet and ask for toothpicks?”

“Princess,” he says, setting his rifle down again and standing up. You watch as he continues to smirk, and he leans over you. You feel your cheeks warm as he gets closer, his form looming over yours. “I already have everything I could possibly want right here.”

“Save it for when everyone is not around,” Steele says, and the others chuckle along with him, including Crosshair.

“Asshole,” you mutter, and a hint of playful warning flashes in his eyes.

“Careful what you say, because I can be real mean if I want to be,” he warns, the smirk coming back to his lips before he places a small kiss on your forehead and sits back down where he had been.

The rest of the trip back to Coruscant is uneventful. You end up falling asleep on Crosshair’s bunk while he finishes up cleaning and shining his rifle. Hex, Sans, and Hunter have a conversation while Steele chats with Wrecker. Aid joins Tie and Tech in the cockpit, but ends up falling asleep as the two pilots talk about pilot stuff.

The feeling of something small repeatedly hitting and bouncing off of you pulls you from your sleep. You roll over and instantly get poked by something in the cheek. “What the-” you begin, and look down to see a toothpick on the bunk. “Really? You couldn’t have woken me up like a normal person would?”

“No,” Crosshair chuckles, “because I’m not normal.”

“You’re certainly right about that,” you mumble before standing and stretching. “Alright, Jawa Squad, I’ll see you soon. I’m going to skip out on dinner with you guys tonight and head back to the Temple to take a shower.”

“Good, I could smell ya from the cockpit,” Tie says, and you stick your tongue out at him, making him chuckle.

“I need one as well, I think I’ll join you to conserve water,” Crosshair says, but you shake your head and stop him. 

“You have to go to that hotel and wait for Hunter to return with his partners,” you say.

“Not yet, we all need to freshen up before any of us go anywhere,” Hunter says. “Crosshair has plenty of time to go with you.”

“Another time,” you say, earning a slightly pouty look from your snarky sniper. “Don’t act like that, there can only be one child-” you stop yourself from continuing, eyes going wide for a second before you compose yourself.

“What?” he asks, clearly confused.

“Nothing, never mind. I was just going to make a joke and then realized I couldn’t…at least not yet.”

“Oh…kay…” he says, slightly suspicious. Tech gives you a thumbs up as if to say “nice save” as he walks behind Crosshair. “Will you at least come and keep me company while I wait for Hunter tonight? I’ll just be sitting in the lobby, and it’ll be pretty boring without someone there with me.”

“Sure,” you say, “just let me know when you’re heading over.”

“We’ll pick you up at the Temple and then I’ll drop you two off at the hotel before heading out,” Hunter offers, and you thank him before saying goodbye to everyone else and heading back to the Temple.

You quickly get ready, slightly annoyed that you can’t enjoy a nice long shower like you wanted, and dress in some comfortable but nice clothes. You look in the mirror and think for a second before deciding to put on a cute dress. Almost as soon as you’re done getting ready, you get a ping from Crosshair letting you know that they’re about to reach the Temple. 

When you reach the hangar, they’re both by a speeder waiting. Crosshair is leaning against it with a toothpick in his mouth, and Hunter is standing at the front. As if on cue, when you step out of the elevator, Crosshair’s eyes find you. They slowly roam down your body then back up, and a sly grin comes to his lips. He flicks his toothpick away and unfolds his arms, walking the last few steps to greet you.

“I see we both had the idea to try and tempt each other tonight,” he says, and you feign innocence.

“What ever do you mean?” you ask, and he huffs in amusement before slipping his hand onto your waist and leading you to the speeder. He takes your hand and helps you on, and Hunter just rolls his eyes at the gesture before getting into the front.

“No funny business back there,” he says before starting the speeder and taking off. Of course, now that he’s told you not to, you decide to tease Crosshair as innocently as you can. You plop your legs on top of his and sit back against the other side, putting a bit of distance between the two of you. Crosshair eyes you briefly while his hand finds its way to your leg. He slowly trails it up till he reaches your knee, and unexpectedly, he slips his hand around and begins tickling you.

“Crosshair!” you say, gasping as you try to pull your leg from him. He just chuckles, holding onto you so that you can’t pull away and escape.

“Maybe you shouldn’t put your feet in my lap if you don’t want to be tickled,” he teases, and you just glare at him while continuing to try and struggle out of his grasp.

“You better stop shaking this speeder around or I’ll let you fall out,” Hunter warns, and both you and Crosshair stop messing around and sit normally, though he keeps giving you certain looks that only you understand the meaning of.

“Alright, I’ve got a tracker set on the speeder, so when you arrive, the timer will start automatically,” Crosshair tells Hunter when you reach the hotel. “It can only stop and reveal the run time with a code that I have memorized, so you can’t tamper with it or try to cheat at all. And just for good measure, we’ll be sitting in the lobby waiting as well, keeping track of time after I’m notified by my wristcomm that you’ve arrived.”

“You really went all out for this,” you comment, and the two men look at you before exchanging a glance.

“Bets are sacred to us. Not just the Bad Batch, but all of us clones. We will do everything possible to ensure a fair game.”

“Okay then…” you say, remembering how serious the men of the 17th always were with bets. “Well, I’m going to head inside and sit, it’s a bit cold out here.”

“I’ll be there in a minute, doll,” Crosshair says as you walk away, and his voice lingers on the last word for a second. You almost pause in your steps when he says the word, but you merely stumble slightly before composing yourself again and walking inside.

Wow, you think to yourself, this is a nice place. No wonder why Crosshair told Hunter to bring the partner here. Wait-how does he know about this place? The question sends a wave of jealousy through you. Has he brought someone here before? If he has, was it while you two were together? Would he dare do something like that to you? You, General Jinn, Jedi Master, Queen Monako of Dohbar-

“May I assist you with checking into a room, ma’am?” a man says from behind the front desk. You pull yourself from your thoughts and look at him, and he jumps slightly when you do. “My apologies, miss, I do not mean to intrude.”

“What?” you ask, and then you realize you’re glaring at him. “Oh, I’m sorry,” you say, a wave of embarrassment washing over you. “I’m not mad at you, I was just in my head when you spoke.”

“Ah, I see,” he says, relaxing a bit. “Now, may I help you get checked in?”

“I don’t have a-”

“Room 9904,” Crosshair says, walking up behind you, “reserved for a Mr. Crosshair and Ms. Jinn.”

“And is this man with you?” the man asks, and you nod.

“Yes, but I wasn’t aware he’d gotten us a room.”

“Of course I did,” Crosshair chuckles, “you didn’t think we’d spend the night in the lobby, did you?”

“I…” you begin, but then you shut your mouth and shake your head, hiding the small smile that slips onto your lips.

“Here is your keycard,” the man says, “have a lovely stay.”

“Thank you,” you and Crosshair say at the same time. He holds out his arm for you and you loop yours into his, and he leads you to the elevators.

“Room 9904?” you say, and he nods with a slight smirk. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” he replies. “Besides, I never would have invited you if I truly meant to sit in the lobby the entire night. I know you have many other things you’d much rather do than that.”

“Yeah,” you say, “I could name a few things…”

“Hmm,” Crosshair hums, and he guides you out of the elevator once it reaches the floor. Only a few doors down is your room, and he slips his arm from yours to open the door.

“This is really nice,” you say, a hint of sourness coming to your tone. “How did you know about this place?”

“I’ve been here before,” he says, and he notices your instant mood change. “Princess? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” you say, a bit too quickly and harshly. “Just perfect.”

“Cyar’ika, I know when you’re lying to me.”

“Why have you been here before?” you ask, turning to face him. “I thought I was the only one you’ve ever been with. Are you sneaking off with someone behind my back and bringing them here?”

“What?” he says, shock covering his expression. “What in the hells are you talking about? Where did you even come up with that?”

“Answer my questions,” you say through clenched teeth. “Or else I’m going to walk out of here and take a taxi back to the Temple.”

Crosshair just looks at you for a second as if you’re crazy before he sighs and sits on the edge of the bed. “I haven’t been here with anyone other than my brothers,” he starts, “and an off-world political figure. Some king or duke or something. We were on a mission to protect him, body-guard sort of thing. He stayed here, and so we did as well. That’s how I knew about this place.” His expression changes then, to one of hurt and offense. “Do you really think I’d cheat on you?”

You bite your tongue, looking down and feeling guilty. Of course you don’t, but ever since you found out you were having Cyar’ika, and even more since then, you’ve felt insecure and worried about stuff like this. “No,” you start, keeping your gaze down as you walk over to sit next to him. When you do, he gently takes your hand into his and rubs his thumb over the top. “I just…I guess I’m a bit insecure about it. Ever since I was away for so long…I’d be worried that, I don’t know, you’d get too…built up.”

“Princess Cyar’ika,” he says, using his free hand to gently turn you to face him, “I will never, ever, even think about another person for as long as I live. You are the only one I want to be with. You are the only one who can even tempt me in any sort of way. All I want is you.”

You stare into his eyes then, and you can see how serious he is. He truly does love you more than words can express, and you love him just the same. Instead of responding, you reach up to his face and pull him closer to you. You close your eyes as your lips meet, and you let the desperation of your kiss consume you.

***

You lay in his arms, reveling in the moment. You take the time to just enjoy being close to him, as you seem to get less and less of these moments as the war progresses.

“I love you,” he says after a while, and you smile as you look up at him.

“I love you too, Crosshair.” A beeping sound comes from his datapad then, and he sighs while giving you a kiss before he stands and starts to dress. “Where are you going?”

“I had the tracker programmed to tell me when Hunter is on his way back,” he says, “I’m going down to the lobby to greet him.”

“Don’t take too long,” you say, stifling a yawn as he chuckles.

“Don’t worry, my Princess Cyar’ika,” he says, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Crosshair only sits in the chair for a couple minutes before the front doors of the hotel open. He sees Hunter walking in with a Chiss woman and a Duros woman.

“I see you’ve taken a fancy to blue tonight,” Crosshair says, quirking an eyebrow at his brother.

“These fine young women were kind enough to accompany here,” Hunter replies, each of his arms around one of their waists. “Now if you’ll excuse us.” He nods to the front desk man as he heads toward the elevator, no doubt having already checked in and gotten his room ready. Crosshair doesn’t care, though. Hunter was .0743 of a second late. Crosshair won the bet.

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