Protocol 57: Get The Captain To Rest

7567 sits alone at the table.

The numerous decoms of their batch means that no one has to risk the attention of the Kaminoans by sitting next to him. They will share his pod later, promising to remember him. Eventually he’ll be shared between batches as a cautionary tale and one of pride. It’s a cold comfort but it’s a comfort all the same.

That is why he startles when a larger clone drops onto the table across from him. It’s a CC, and they’re never allowed over with the CTs. They’ve passed in the hallways as they march along to the next tasks and later, once the CTs have enough training to be useful, they will send the CTs out into battle sims.

But right now, despite all sense to the contrary, there is a CC sitting across from 7567 and it is smiling—not a kind smile either, like 7567 sometimes sees shared between his batchmates behind their trainer’s backs. It’s a sharp slash that shows off a threatening number of teeth and a promise of blood.

“You’ve been requisitioned, verd’ika.”

A cold pit opens at the base of 7567’s abdomen and he feels himself collapsing in on it like a black hole. He doesn’t know what that means but he does know that it’s new. New things happening to him is never good. He licks his bottom lip and swallows hard. “Sir?”

“New orders.” The CC, 1010 the tattoo just below the hinge of his jaw denotes, leans in with a fierce expression. “Every CC batch is getting an ad. Do what you’re told and you won’t be decommed. Tayli’bac?”

“I don’t…” 7567’s breath hitches. He doesn’t understand what the CC is saying and he doesn’t know what it wants. “Tallyback?”

Some of the tension eases around CC-1010’s eyes. “Tayli’bac. Understand?”

“Yessir.” 7567 says, because he does now. He draws his brows together just the slightest bit and purses his lips in annoyance as he takes his last bite. “I know how to follow orders, sir.”

Fae Moth Au part 1

Based on @waterlily707’s au

Check their art it’s awesome

Anakin cursed

That wasn’t a new thing. Specially since he was lost in the middle of the forest with no cell service. Anakin wondered who was so important enough that both Ashoka and Obi Wan would drag him out in the middle of nowhere.

“It will be fun Anakin” He muttered “They are good people, he said” Anakin threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

“I’m OBi WaN KeNoBi and I LIKE DIrt and TREES and torturing my YOUNGER BROTHER!” He kicked a hollowed tree stump. “Stupid trees.”

A few days ago…

“Anakin, can you take a couple of days off work pleaseeeee? Obi Wan and I want you to meet some people and their realllyyy cool!”

Ahsoka and Anakin were sitting in a cafe in which Anakin spent most of his time programming for his job. Anakin looked up from his programming for a second to look at her. “Yeah sure, if I want to get behind this project.” He snipped

She rolled her eyes “come on! It’s Obi Wan’s friends and-“

“Obi wan has friends?”

“Haha ha, anyway their really cool! And I’d think you would get along with Fives and Rex.”

Anakin frowned “What kinda name is Fives?”

Ahsoka grinned knowing that Anakin’s curiosity would probably get him to come along. “Fives is a good guy… although he tends to attract trouble like a certain someone I know.”

“I don’t know what your talking about.” Anakin said his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“It’s settled! You’ll come with us to meet them!” She said cheerfully

Before Anakin had a chance to respond she wrote down an address on his notebook he kept on him to help sort out his programs and scurried off.

Anakin stared at the address before shrugging “what’s the worse that could happen?”

Present day

It was a lot worse. Anakin had now been wandering for an hour after parking his car near a rusted pole that had the address on it. As he trudged through the muddy trail he found that the pathway had slowly disappeared into the surrounding woods. And when he turned back to look at the trail he found it vanished completely.

Now here he was yelling at nothing and kicking some poor tree log, hoping that Obi Wan or Ahsoka would magically show up.

Eventually he came across a stream and attempted to follow it to lead him somewhere.

“Don’t follow that stream” whispered a unfamiliar voice from the trees.

Anakin to his embarrassment later shrieked and slipped on a loose mossy patch only for home to hit his head. Dazed and as he lost consciousness he swore he saw a person coming toward him at a distance.

Part 1 done! I love @waterlily707’s moth au. its so cute! I made it a modern au as well cause idk how to put it in a cannon universe. Part 2 will hopefully come soon if my schedule lets me. Part 1 Is a little short but in part 2 I’ll try to make it longer!

Okay, so my one-shot might not be a one-shot anymore

-----------------------

The first time Obi-Wan Kenobi sees CT-7567, he's balanced on Commander Wolffe's hip like he belongs there, the cadet pointing to a holographic map and giving intel about certain sections of Tipoca City. It was still alarming to hear the voice of a soldier come from the body of a child, and this one was screaming loss hurt anger into the Force that made his heart ache. Wolffe is relaying such intel to his troopers down on Kamino, and it takes a moment to register the Jedi had joined them with his ever-present shadow behind him.

"General, Cody." He nods, and the cadet looks up in curiosity. Kenobi could feel Cody suddenly radiate an innate need to protect this child, and knows things are about to become interesting. "The kih'vod has been helping us with some of the last strongholds."

"Very well, please continue...?"

"CT-7567." The cadet responds, and Kenobi wonders what name he'll be given one day. Cody, who usually stuck to his Jedi's side like glue, instead moved to stand beside Wolffe, who hands the cadet over without a moment's hesitation. In turn, Cody adjusts so 7567 is on his hip now, and the cadet is eyeing his golden armor with a dozen awed questions. The older clone just gives him a soft look, and 7567 turns to keep explaining the weaknesses that could be accessed, as gathering up Lama Su and his remaining doctors was critical for a complete takeover. He apparently had been good at sneaking around with his batchmates, and true to fashion, Lama Su is dismayed to find his secure bunker was quite the opposite. The cheers of thousands of clones rise up when he's secured, and Kamino was theirs, theirs to do with what they wanted, what they should have been able to.

Make it a home, rather than a place to suffer and be stifled.

7567 has no more tears to shed, watching through footage as Lama Su and the others were placed in cells for interrogation. He rests his head on Cody's shoulder, and the commander just murmurs something in Mando'a before adjusting his hold. Kenobi excuses himself so he can return to the city, leaving Wolffe and Cody with the young clone, and for a moment they stare at each other.

"Gree and Ponds are already on their way, I told them to meet us in your quarters," Cody speaks first, and Wolffe grumbles. "It's either that, or fight your wolf pack for the kid, like I don't feel them staring at me."

"Wolf pack?" 7567 asks, and Wolffe puffs out his chest, and some of the clones working on the bridge let out a few whoops.

"It's what we all call ourselves here." Wolffe grinned, and 7567 giggled a bit at how proud they all were. Cody just rolled his eyes, but the smirk on his face betrayed his amusement. There's a beep on Wolffe's comm, and he groans after reading the message.

"Kriffing Neyo heard about it, and he's coming with Monnk. Just how many commanders did you let in on this?" Cody had the decency to look sheepish, and the datapad in his hand becomes a shield.

"Well, I told Fox first..."

"No you didn't." It was no wonder some of the harder-to-reach CC's were poking their heads in. "You do know Neyo is an adenn chakaar when it comes to kih'vod's right? Fox needs to learn how to keep his mouth shut."

"Right, you tell that to the man in the worst position." Cody scoffed, and it was not long before the two devolved into a bitching fest, with 7567 watching with wide eyes.

He was learning so many curse words.

"Is THIS the one I've heard so much chatter about!?" Commander Bly had the subtly of a raging bantha, and there was some laughter from various clones as he practically force jumps his way across the bridge. "Let me see let me see!" 7567 doesn't get a chance to say anything when he's scooped up from Cody's hold, gripping onto armored arms as he's spun around with an excited gasp. His voice has the twinge of some accent 7567 has never heard before, and he finds he enjoys it almost immediately. "He's a blonde!"

"Careful, you'll fling him through a wall if you're not careful," Wolffe grumbled, but chuckles when the cadet grins at the new CC.

"I'm keeping him, it's official," Bly stated quite proudly, before grunting when someone slaps his helmet from behind.

"You don't get to decide this early." 7567 noted the CC who had smacked the now spluttering commander holding him was decked out in green, and recognized that he serves under a Jedi he had seen about a year prior on a rare stop on Kamino.

"Fox would rip you a new one if you did that before he got to see the kih'vod for himself." The one in green berates Bly, and the accented clone grumbles before setting the cadet down for the first time in hours.

"Is the Fox you keep mentioning the Coruscant Guard commander?" He feels a little awkward asking, but the various CC's nod in answer, and 7567 grins. "I've heard he's really cool."

"Fox? Cool? In what universe?" Bly cackles, removing his helmet to grin at the cadet, and his fellow leaders do the same. Despite each of them sharing the same face, 7567 can already pick out differences in each of their faces, and it reminds him of his batchmates.

No, he's not going to cry in front of all of them, not right now.

"He serves the Chancellor, and according to some...data we found, he gets to see all the Senators all the time!" 7567 is beaming as he rambles off what he knows, and every CC is suddenly transported to the times they were younger and a little more carefree before the war sunk its claws into them. 7567 doesn't see the way they look at each other, and what Wolffe saw in him was made solid for all of them.

"Sorry I'm late, someone wasn't in their barracks like the comm said."

Not a single soul on The Triumphant had ever seen so many commanders in one place before, and work was abandoned to watch one of the rarer clones grace their presence. Not many of them got to see one of the men hand-trained by Jango Fett himself, so comms are beeping all across the ship as those on the bridge recorded what they could, as well as sending said news out to the nearby other cruisers.

"Sorry Ponds, Bly here decided to ignore that, and here we are." Gree greeted, the two knocking their forearms against each other before Ponds looks down at the small clone, whose wide eyes are looking up at the recon expert.

"Blonde?" Ponds knelt down so the two were eye to eye, removing his helmet and setting it on the floor by his knee. "Lama Su hates blondes."

7567 didn't realize just how wide his eyes could go.

"I forgot you were blonde, the shiny dome makes one forget," Cody smirks, and there are more than a few snickers, including one from 7567. The commander just shrugs, and seems to just analyze the younger clone in front of him for a moment, before giving a small smile.

"You're going to have the most annoying adoptive ori'vod this side of the known universe." It's a statement more than an observation, and Ponds was never wrong. "I have spoken."

"Sir, Commander Fox sent word he'll arrive within a rotation, and to quote, "not let the others steal the kih'vod, or he'll have all caff allotments pulled'." A communications clone reported to the group, and he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Not fair!" Bly complained, and the various commanders start bickering and laughing at each other all at once. 7567 is picked up by Ponds when he stands to join the fray, and for the first time since he had left that horrible room, it's like his batchmates are the ones bickering and laughing with him.

He doesn't realize he's fallen asleep, face buried into Ponds' chest plating like it's the most comfortable pillow in the world.

"I think he'll fit in just fine." Gree hummed, standing beside his friend as they watch the others bicker.

"He'll have to, we're not letting him go."

Error 404 for Rex!

Thanks for the prompt! Hope this is satisfactory! (Also @razena88 since this was another one you mentioned in your reblog!)

Error 404: character refuses to admit they’re sick

Although he was loathe to admit it, the Blue Shadow Virus had taken quite the toll on Rex’s immune system. That meant that it was much easier for him to get sick than it was for other clones who hadn’t caught that virus. Thus, he had become quite the expert in hiding the fact that he was sick.

It wasn’t that he got sick very often, mind you. Anytime he felt hot and cold at once or had a headache that felt like it was caused by something more than lack of sleep or dehydration, Rex could take care of it on his own. He didn’t count that as “sick,” seeing as it normally went away within a rotation of it happening. He could function through that. However, what he was experiencing right now seemed to be a little bit more than just a headache and a fever, considering it felt like his stomach was continually doing flips inside of him. It was like he was seasick, like how little cadets often felt seasick on Kamino before they got used to the way the buildings gently rocked with the rough seas below. Regardless, Rex chalked it up to needing some more food and water and went about his day.

“Captain! You’re looking a little green. Are you doing alright?” The question came up practically out of nowhere (for Rex that is). Had he been paying more attention to his surroundings, he would have noticed Fives slinking up to him in the mess hall. Rex had been too focused on finishing his meal without throwing it all back up for him to notice.

He did not jump at Fives’ sudden appearance at his side. He did not. Rex glowered down at the ARC and rolled his eyes, “Of course I’m fine, Fives. Just a little hungry.”

“Are you sure, because it looks to me like you’re having trouble finishing your meal. Are you sick?” Fives asked.

“No, Fives, of course I’m not sick. We clones are engineered to stay healthy, you know,” Rex replied, shaking his head at him.

“Okay. Fine. Then finish your meal right now while I sit with you,” Fives said, crossing his arms across his chest and holding his chin up, “If you’re truly as hungry as you say, then you won’t have a problem doing that, right?”

Oh, that stubborn kriffer. Fives had learned to be that stubborn from somewhere, however, and two could play at that game, “Fine, Fives. Not a problem.”

Rex turned to his meal and regarded it carefully. Force, just looking at it made him more nauseous, somehow. His stomach continued doing flips and he felt a mixture of hot/cold— no, he could not have a fever on top of nausea. That simply wouldn’t do. Then he’d be sick, and Captain Rex of the 501st Battalion could not be sidelined by something as simple as a little virus.

“I’m waiting, Rex,” Fives said, looking at Rex expectantly.

“You’ll call me ‘captain,’ or ‘sir,’ Fives, remember?” Rex said to the bratty trooper. Fives rolled his eyes at him— such insubordination! Rex wouldn’t have it any other way.

The blond clone picked up his ration bar and forced himself to take a bite, ignoring the way it caused his stomach to protest. Then he took another, and another, until he’d finally finished the entire bar. The nausea was ten times worse than it had been to start off with, but at least he’d eaten.

“I have to say, Captain, I didn’t think you’d manage it,” Fives said, sounding impressed.

Rex opened his mouth to say something along the lines of, ‘Of course I managed it, what do you take me for?’ but his stomach practically screamed at him. He jumped out of his seat and made it to the nearest trash bin just in time to throw up all of the food he’d just eaten. He felt a steady hand on his back, warm and reassuring, and he allowed himself to relax ever so slightly.

“You must’ve picked up some virus from the last planet we were on, Captain,” said Fives from his side.

“‘M not… sick,” Rex managed between gasps for air. It felt like was finished vomiting for now, and he had to admit that his stomach hurt a lot less than it did beforehand.

“Sure, Rex, you’re not sick,” Fives agreed, “Just indisposed of, right?”

“No,” Rex said, forcing himself into a standing position from where he had been hunched over the bin, “I’m fine.”

“Sir, I just watched you throw up a meal, which I had, very painfully, watched you force down even though you knew it would make you feel worse. C’mon, I’m taking you to Kix,” Fives said, holding an arm out for Rex to lean on.

Rex huffed and pushed him aside, intent on continuing with his duties for the day, but he didn’t make it more than a step before his knees buckled from underneath him. Fives caught him easily, placing a hand on his forehead as he did so.

“Force, Rex, I can even feel you’re burning up through my gloves,” The ARC trooper said, repressing a sigh, “We’re going to the medbay.” Rex had no choice but to go with him.

When they were about halfway there, Rex managed a pitiful sigh and looked up at Fives forlornly.

“Fives,” he said in a small voice, “I think I might be sick.”

Fives smiled down at him kindly, “I know, Rex, but you’ll be better in no time.”

As he was ushered onto a bed and fretted over by Kix, Rex instinctively knew that Fives was right.

Astronomy

"My memories, they get fuzzy here and there, I don't remember a lot most the time, except Fives, I can't forget him, and sometimes, I really wish I could-"

TW for Echo being absolutely awful to Rex and blaming him for Fives' death in the worst way possible.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Echo knew he wasn't the easiest to live with. Sure, he wasn't as much an ass as Tech was in the morning or as annoying as Crosshair, whose insecurities leaked out like a broken facet, but he still wasn't easy. He didn't take a whole hour to do his hair like Hunter and regularly dropped knives, and he also didn't look right through his brothers, able to place exactly what was wrong like Wrecker. He wasn't as bad as he could be, but he wasn't better.

He used to be better. He used to be perfect. But he'd fallen so far, half the time, Echo didn't know who he was anymore. His name didn't really feel like his anymore. But what would his name be? Echo looked down at his arm, studying scars he didn't remember getting, they danced up his arm until his clothing covered the rest. Ever since Rex rescued him, he was trying to place himself in this universe again. He was supposed to be dead. He wasn't supposed to get a second chance. But he wasn't, and he does.

Echo let out a sigh as he commed Rex, some part of him always sparked back to life when he spoke to his former Captain. But Rex didn't answer, so the last living part of Echo stayed dead. He'd just go inside.

"-No, if I ever do something as shitty as that, just leave me, let me suffer in my own stupidity, it'd do me good." Crosshair chuckled as he took a drink, "Your turn." He said before looked over to Echo and gestured towards a glass, "Join us?"

"Please, join us," Tech took a drink, "Alright, if I turned evil, shoot me on the spot and take my bed, don't let Wrecker or Hunter have it. They stink."

"-What are you two even doing?" Echo asked as he sat down. He gladly took a glass and poured himself a drink.

"I don't know if you'd call this putting together our wills, but that's basically what we're doing, except only in the case we turn evil, not if we die." Crosshair filled him in, "-and we're drinking, so it works."

"Seriously though, if I turned evil, or something more stupid than usual, I know you'd just let me think you'd never come-"

"-But we would," Tech laughed, "Not right away of course, but we'd never actually leave your sorry ass." They laughed some more, "You'd be dead within the week." Their banter continued but Echo stopped listening.

Crosshair's words echoed in his head, "-You'd just let me think you'd never come-" Echo looked at his brothers, laughing away at such a ridiculous thought: losing one another. Echo envied the fact they never had to live with the pain of a forever goodbye. He envied the fact they could joke about it and that's all it was: a joke.

"I'm gonna go move Hunter's knives slightly out of place-"

"This is why you're the smart one, good man, Echo." Crosshair nodded, refilling his brother's glass once more before he left.

"I'm the sma-"

"No-"

Their banter was fazed out yet again as Echo headed in the direction of Hunter's knife collection. He shifted a few of them but moved them back, he couldn't go through with it. Even if it was meant to be a joke, Echo found it cruel. He didn't know why, so he just stared at them, Crosshair's words still echoing in his head. "You'd just let me think you'd never come-"

Echo knew they were joking, he'd made those same jokes with Fives, Jesse, and Kix countless times. He'd laugh and drink with his brothers just as Crosshair and Tech did. But they were brothers and Echo was just invading. Echo went outside, reminding himself that there was nothing for him back with the 501st, without Fives, that there was no home with the 501st. Not anymore. Echo missed his family, but he was with his family.

Fives was dead, and when he died, Echo imagined everything bright and wonderful died with him. Every sunrise and blooming flower ceased to exist now that Fives was dead. Echo, though not bright nor wonderful, died too. He didn't exist without his brother.

Echo wondered how Fives carried on without him, who got him out of trouble, who consoled him after a battle, who loved him when Echo left. Did Fives know I was alive? Did he know I wasn't dead? Could he feel it? Did he know? Echo wanted to ask Rex questions about his brother but everytime he did, he'd watch the Captain start to down. He'd full with such sorrow, such... Guilt.

His comlink blinked and Echo answered it, Rex. "Echo, hey! Sorry, I just got back to Coruscant-"

"How did he die?" Echo inturrupted Rex, who froze instantly.

"W-What?"

"Fives. How did he die, what happened, what actually happened?" Echo practically hissed but desperation made him a monster. He was more machine now anyways, so what was the difference between monsters and men, men and machines?

Rex's stomach twisted in a knot, he felt his heart break all over again, "-I" Rex looked up at the scowl on Echo's face. Rex couldn't do it. He couldn't tell him. He opened his mouth and nothing came out. He gave Echo a plea, refraining from crying.

"-It's because of you, right? He's dead because of you?"

"Echo-"

"Tell me!" Echo screamed, "Tell me that you got him killed! Tell me that it's your fault he died!" Echo wanted to tackle Rex to the ground, it was his fault, it was written all over his face, Rex knew what happened, he was there when it happened, and he didn't do anything to save him, "Tell me how you got my brother, my best friend, killed, Rex, tell me how you killed my brother."

"I didn't, I didn't-" Rex mumbled as his eyes teared up and his voice was a desperate whisper, "Echo, please." Rex looked at Echo, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Echo, I didn't save him."

Echo saw a tear run down Rex's cheek and it only filled him with anger that quickly came then simmered away because some part of Echo knew it wasn't Rex's fault, but all the same, "He was my brother and he came to you for help," Echo sobbed, breaking his shell of anger on the spot, "He came to you for help and you got him killed-" shaking his head, Echo wished he hadn't said anything at all, that he hadn't picked at this wound, if only he'd just let it bleed. "He needed you and all you did to help was have a bullet shot in his heart-"

Rex was light years away from Echo, crying at the blue imagine of him, teary eyed and angry and all because he couldn't talk and he couldn't hang out. He'd been rendered powerless in shock, so all he could do was cry and accept all of Echo's yelling. Everything Echo accused him of, Rex believed. He'd gotten his brother killed and that was on him. He needed him, and instead, Rex got him shot. "I can't do this Echo," Rex looked up, "Everything you said, I can't defend against, I know, I know I failed you and Fives-"

"Don't say his name!" Echo cried, "You don't get to say his name, if you had been better he'd still be alive!" Echo knew he wasn't who he should be, he knew he was being awful and he knew better. But he didn't care. He didn't care. God dammit, he didn't care. So through teary, bloodstained eyes, he took aim, "You don't deserve to be here, Rex, Fives does, he would have never done that shit to you, he would've done something." Echo cried, absolutely furious.

All Rex could do was stand there, head hanging low as he tried to gather the will to hang up and end it. But he deserved it. He deserved each punch Echo threw, he deserved to hate himself all over again. "He would've done something-" Fives would've fought to hell and back, Fives deserved to be alive, and if Rex could trade places, he would, if only to see Echo smile. But that's not how this works. Echo wasn't even yelling anymore, he was only crying. Through his crys, he choked out all the anger at its target "-It's your fault, it's all your fault, you didn't do anything, you didn't do anything and he died because of it,

Because of you-

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-7567 | Rex, CC-1010 | Fox, CC-3636 | Wolffe, CC-5052 | Bly, Alpha-17 (Star Wars) Additional Tags: Crack, i guess, there is not a trace of hurt in here, Alpha-17 is a tired dad, his cadets don’t give him any breaks, cody and his squad kidnapped rex i don’t make the rules, brothers being brothers Summary:

Inspections are coming up. They have absolutely nothing to hide. Nope. Not a thing. What do you mean there’s someone hiding? You should get your head checked. Alpha-17 just wants a break from his cadets. Only once.

Hello :) Missing my siblings so I wrote this :)

It’s sorta a continuation of this, which is a modern AU where Alpha is the oldest. @plainshobbit all of this is your fault <3

*

Alpha had agreed to babysit for the morning so mom and dad could catch up on sleep. He didn’t have work, his only class was in the afternoon, and for once he was caught up on homework. So while their parents slept in and the other boys left for school, Alpha got Cody his breakfast and Rex a bottle. 

There was one couch in the living room where you could sit and see inside the kitchen, so Alpha settled there with Rex and the bottle and kept half an eye on where Cody sat in dad’s chair with the armrests, smearing scrambled eggs across the kitchen table. Hopefully he got some inside his mouth. Alpha would have to remember to get him a snack later. 

Cody had good balance and Alpha had specifically put him in the only chair he couldn’t fall out of, so eventually he turned his attention from the kitchen to trying to get Rex to fall asleep with the power of warm milk. It was slow going. Rex was a weirdly alert baby. 

Alpha had been five when Fordo was born. He hadn’t been able to help at the time but he’d helped a lot in the ensuing years. He didn’t remember much from when Fordo was a baby, but he remembered everything from when Cody was a newborn, and Cody had been sleepy and serious and calm. 

Rex cried. A lot. If he wasn’t being held he was crying. Anyone who said babies didn’t have personalities didn’t spend much time around them. 

But Rex had also been up all night, and apparently warm milk was just as effective on fussy babies as happy ones, and eventually Rex fell asleep, his little scrunched up face going lax and milk dribbling out of his mouth. Alpha wiped it up and set the mostly empty bottle on the floor and adjusted Rex to be upright against his shoulder. He didn’t want to burp him while he was asleep, but if he did burp or something Alpha wanted to be prepared. 

Finally he breathed a long sigh and closed his eyes and let his head thunk against the back of the couch. He hadn’t been up all night, but he hadn’t gotten as much sleep as he should have, knowing he was going to be dealing with a toddler and a newborn in the morning. 

This was going to be a long day. 

After a few minutes he actually started to drift off so he didn’t notice the terrifying pitter patter of little feet until it was almost too late, jerking his head up just as something squishy slammed into his legs and catching Cody’s slimy hand right before it landed on his jeans. 

“No. You can’t touch, you have egg on you,” he said, very stern. 

Cody gave him a look that said as soon as Alpha let go of that hand he would also have egg on him. 

“Don’t test me, brat,” he muttered under his breath. 

Maintaining eye contact, Alpha released his grip and gently nudged Cody in the stomach with a socked foot. Cody scowled and took a few steps back. 

Leaning as far over as he could without dropping Rex, Alpha fumbled around in the diaper bag next to the couch and found a packet of wipes. Cody whined and wriggled as Alpha cleaned his face and hands, but suffered the indignity. Alpha would have to remember to clean the kitchen before their parents woke up. 

When he was clean Cody again threw himself against Alpha’s legs, waving one fist in the air in Rex’s general direction. 

“Wha’ ith?”

“What is it?” Alpha translated. “It’s baby Rex.”

“Baby Reth?”

“Baby Rex.” Alpha shifted the baby, regarding Cody with a raised eyebrow. “You want to hold him?”

“Ho’l da baby?” 

“Hold the baby, that’s right. Come sit.”

Cody pulled himself up onto the couch, grunting with exertion and heaving a sigh as he flopped next to Alpha. 

He’d held Rex once already, in the hospital when they’d all gone to visit mom, propped up next to her in the bed and with dad’s arms supporting his own. But that had been a whole four days ago and he likely didn’t remember. 

Alpha hesitated, and then carefully set Rex on the cushion on his other side and reached over to pull Cody into his lap. Cody kicked his legs, giggling as he settled. 

“Hold still. You have to hold still.”

“Ho’d still?”

“That’s right. Hold still. Now, put your arms like this.”

Alpha tugged at Cody’s arms until they were curved with enough room to cradle a baby.

“Dis?”

“This. Right. Good.”

Alpha leaned over, making sure he didn’t dislodge Cody, and picked up Rex. Ever so carefully he maneuvered the baby into Cody’s hold, keeping his own arms wrapped around both of them so as to keep the whole squirmy mess of small child contained. 

Cody made a little sound of excited wonder when Rex settled in his arms, miraculously still asleep. Alpha smiled, resting his chin on top of Cody’s head. They were both so very small. 

“Sleepin!”

“Yes, the baby’s sleeping.” 

Cody pulled a hand free– Alpha adjusted his own hold to compensate– and patted Rex forcefully on the head. 

Alpha sucked in a breath. “Gentle, Cody. You have to be gentle. See, like this.”

He maneuvered until he could free his own hand, and then took Cody’s and smoothed down Rex’s curls. “Gentle.” 

“Gent’o.” 

“That’s right. Good job.”

With Alpha’s help Cody sat still and stroked Rex’s hair for almost a full minute, before he got bored and wiggled to be released. Alpha lifted Rex up so Cody could squirm down out of his lap. 

Cody took off towards the stairs, thundering up with all the strength in his little legs. The older boys had started locking their doors as soon as Cody learned to walk, so he should be fine on his own up there for a bit. 

Alpha settled back against the couch once again, Rex a warm weight against his chest. His hair was very soft, and he had a lot of it– dark wispy curls on his head and dark soft fuzz on the back of his neck and shoulders. The blue blanket he’d been sort of swaddled in had come untucked with all the movement, though somehow Rex had remained asleep. Maybe the harder it was to get a baby to sleep the harder it was to wake them up. 

Alpha re-wrapped the blanket as best he could, pressed a kiss to the top of Rex’s head, and then grabbed his phone with the intention of doing some mindless scrolling while he waited for the sound of something breaking to echo down the stairs.

Seguir leyendo

Fic Masterlist

This is so that they’re all in one place on tumblr! These aren’t in any particular order other than the one that I thought of them in as I was writing out the titles in this post. The links and summaries are below the cut! I hope this is helpful! As I write more, I’ll be sure to keep this updated.

Multi-Chapter Fics:

What Died Didn’t Stay Dead — The 501st suffered a devastating blow on Umbara with the loss of Captain Rex at the hands of Pong Krell.

Rex doesn’t understand why he’s still around after having died, but he realizes that he might be able to use this to the advantage of all of his brothers.

Or: Rex is a ghost, and he’s just as confused about it as everyone else is.

Mars AU — A role-reversal AU in which Rex gets caught in the explosion at the Citadel and is experimented on by the Techno Union, and Echo is promoted to Captain of the 501st. This series explores what would be different and what would stay the same.

Losing Track (of What We’re Fighting For) — the first installment, which spans from Rex’s rescue through Order 66

Cool Clone Commanders (+ a Slightly Less Cool Captain) — A series of missing scenes and brotherly shenanigans during Losing Track (of What We’re Fighting For)

Brand New War Begins — Order 66 has been executed and the galaxy is in shambles. In an attempt to pick up some of the pieces, Rex and Echo split into groups on missions to save those who may have survived. Meanwhile, two lost souls run into each other and the future of the galaxy is drastically changed as a result.

One Shots:

Golden Heart — Kix has always wanted to help his brothers; that’s why he’s always wanted to be a medic. One day, when he’s first starting his medical training, he helps a blond cadet with a concussion. Years later, after the war has begun, history repeats itself.

A Bit of Tin — Echo notices a familiar medal on display in the Bad Batch’s ship and asks them about it. It leads to a conversation about their old batchmates.

When You Let it Leave, it Can’t Hurt You — The Bad Batchers find a holopic in their barracks when they return to Kamino after a mission. It holds nothing but bittersweet and painful memories for Echo, but he eventually learns that just because it hurts doesn’t mean he should forget.

Promotion — When Anakin Skywalker is Knighted, Rex is given a promotion as well, much to his surprise.

Homecoming — After the Clone War ended with the reveal of Chancellor Palpatine as a Sith Lord, Fives and Echo get the reunion that they deserved all along. The rest of Domino Squad joins in on the fun.

Comfort — Kix has been awake for nearly 24 hours trying to save as many brothers as he could. A breakdown was inevitable. Luckily, Echo is really great at comforting brothers who are hurting.

Tackling Grievous — Cody tackles Grievous yet again, and Rex comms him to give him a piece of his mind. Obi-Wan’s enjoying this far too much for his own good.

Keep Your Eyes Open — Cody gets a concussion during a battle, but luckily Rex is there to make sure he stays awake.

I Know You — “This is not who you are. I know you better than that.”

Anakin says these words to Ahsoka on Mortis. Years later, Ahsoka says them to Anakin on Malachor.

What’s in a Name — Fives has been in ARC training for 2 weeks when he runs into Clone Force 99, who are preparing to ship out of Kamino for their first mission.

Or: Fives meets Clone Force 99 and accidentally gives them their other name.

Where I Confess My Doubt — A supply run takes Ghost Crew to Umbara. Everyone’s worried about Rex.

A Great Man — To Rex, Fives was a great man, and great men deserve to be remembered. *Ao3 link here*

The One Left Behind — In which Death watches a particular clone captain repeatedly lose, and still continue to fight.

Only Time Will Tell — The clones wake up with memories of their lives up to their deaths only a few weeks before Kenobi was due to arrive on Kamino in the original timeline. Rex stays strong for his brothers— he has to. But who will stay strong for him? *will likely end up being a series of oneshots*

Little Brother

Part Five of Te Ori Bal Te Kih

CC-2224 had grown used to seeing the aftermath of a trainer’s abuse, but that didn’t mean it didn’t still piss him off.

To say he was pissed when his batch come across the CT outside the training room was an understatement. He’d thought it would lessen up after Andin and the other trainers Fox scared off left but apparently not quite. 

“What’s your name vod’ika?” He asked as he knelt down in front of the young cadet.

The boy looked up fearfully at the sound of his voice. Besides the fact that he was blond and beat up, there didn’t appear to be anything else wrong with him. 

“Easy, we aren’t going to hurt you,” CC-5052 told him. 

The young clone’s eyes darted to each of the CCs nervously. He hunched his shoulders in to make himself seem smaller. 

“My designation is CT-7567.” He responded quietly.

“Look kid, what are you doing over here?” Wolffe asked. “These rooms are restricted to most of the clones.”

7567 looked up at Wolffe.

“I was training here.”

The CC batch looked at each other.

“You’re modified?” Wolffe asked skeptically. “You’re a CT though.”

7567 narrowed his eyes challengingly at Wolffe.

“Yeah and what of it?”

2224 shot his brother a glare.

“Nothing, we just didn’t know there were modified CT batches that’s all.” 

7567 slumped back a bit. 

“We weren’t intentionally modified. They think some of your tube juice leaked into ours.” The blond buried his chin into his knees. “Only me and another cadet in my batch can grow.” 

-

I'm thinking of posting this story to AO3 soon in it's full and continuous format!

CC-2224 -> Cody; CC-5052 -> Bly; CT-7567 -> Rex

Mando'a: vod'ika - little sibling

For the bad things happen bingo, I Will Punish You For Your Friend's Failure, with Obi Wan and Rex during the Zygeria arc with Rex being punished by the slavers.

Oooooh, happy evil brain twinkles.

TW for blood, child death, and mildly graphic torture. No specifics because spoilers but do be cautious.

•••

There is an enemy, and it is within, the Jedi taught.

You will encounter foes of all forms in your years as a Jedi. There will be cruel tyrants and selfish politicians, ruthless criminals and violent terrorists. Possessive lovers, radical reformists, slavers and desperate people willing to do whatever it takes to achieve what matters to them. And then the next thing, and the next.

But these are not the enemy.

The Jedi have only two natural enemies.

The Sith have been extinguished from the galaxy, lost to ruin. What the Jedi did not destroy, the Sith themselves did, locked in the raw emotion of the Dark Side, turning on one another.

And the Jedi are left with the true enemy.

You are the enemy, the Masters warned. Your weaknesses are your real enemy.

All obstacles can be overcome as long as you master yourself.

Fear will lead you astray. Push through it.

Anger will corrupt you. Abandon it.

Envy will poison you. Purge it.

Grief will break you. Overcome it.

And if you fall, you will fall as yourself, at peace. A true Jedi perishes for the right reasons, where not even self-possession could stop the sheer numbers of the opposition.

The enemy is within.

•

Obi-Wan Kenobi took a deep, steadying breath. The enemy is within, he reminded himself. My fear is the enemy. These people cannot destroy me.

The broken wrist, clumsily bandaged and still forced to work, whispers that otherwise. The bruises along his spine groan in misery. There was a cut on his upper lip that had bled and dried in his beard and lips. Someone had driven the handle of a whip into the muscles of his left leg, and it could not bear his weight.

He opened his eyes just in time to receive a stunning blow across the face.

Despite the fancies of holodramas, a strike to the face is nothing to brush aside.

The Jedi reeled, his head exploding, his face stinging. White light erupted behind his eyes and his nose burned as if he’d dived too deep into water.

“Who is your Master?” a voice demanded.

Obi-Wan blinked rapidly, gasping for air. His entire head throbbed; he was on his knees but his back had arched back so far his head was a foot from the floor. Wincing, he dragged himself back up and stared passively into the snarling Zyggerian’s eyes. “I am.”

A roar of discontent. “Wrong!”

The hand came back, but this time it closed around his throat.

•

Qui-Gon caught him by the shoulders, one hand moving upwards to press against the side of his Padawan’s neck.

“You are stronger than your fear,” he said. “Because your fear is only part of you. Your strengths outnumber your fear, Obi-Wan.”

Behind the boy’s young eyes, though - flashes of remembered horror, children dead in the streets of Melida/Daan and the screaming sound a blaster bolt made as it grazed close, so close, to his ear - and hit another boy instead —

Obi-Wan gasped as if drowning, his mind convinced that he was not getting enough oxygen.

Fear was going to kill him.

Fear was the enemy.

“Oh, Padawan,” sighed his Master. And then the hands left his neck and his shoulder, leaving Obi-Wan bereft, plunged into ice cold waters of terror and trauma, his failures haunting him like the ghost of Cerasi.

•

Obi-Wan choked, bucking involuntarily as the meaty hand clenched around his throat, crushing his air pipe.

He couldn’t breathe.

Still. What did it matter, if this monstrous slaver killed him in a fit of rage? Obi-Wan was more than this man and his pride, his greed, his disregard for life.

Obi-Wan was a Jedi.

His body’s automatic response to being abused and killed was nothing.

He was more than his fear.

“Damn Jedi!”

The hand released him, and the red-haired General slumped to the floor, unable to stop his forehead from colliding painfully with the uneven slag flooring. More blood. He tasted it in his mouth, he felt it dripping down his forehead.

“Very well,” the same voice continued. “The punishment must suit the prisoner, in some cases. How lucky of you. So special.”

They cannot hurt me, Obi-Wan reminded himself. My body is not my soul. I am more than my fear.

And then two more slavers entered the room at a summons, dragging a struggling figure between them.

Rex.

Obi-Wan’s fear spiked so sharply he felt his chest stab with physical pain.

No, he told himself. No. Fight it. Fight it—

The Zyggerian behind him sensed his rising emotion and grabbed him roughly, one hand on the thick collar around the Jedi’s throat, and the other dug painfully into his hair.

•

Obi-Wan shuddered.

A bomb - Twela, Bruin, Conno, Toorun, and others went flying, flailing helplessly in the air.

Toorun rolled on his side and got back up.

Conno collided with a vehicle and lay still.

Bruin landed on his feet and stood up, grinning in shocked relief, and then dropped with a bullet in his head. Blood spattered stone.

Twela landed on a pile of rubble.

When Obi-Wan found her, she had been lying there for an hour while the battle wore on, a rebar shoved through her stomach.

It took her two days to die—

Cerasi, falling into his arms. Gasping. Blood everywhere. Her father screaming. Blood on Obi-Wan’s hands—

Nield, his friend, telling him he didn’t belong - kicking him out of the camp to die alone - blaming Obi-Wan, rightfully, for the death of Cerasi and the peace she had helped create—

But as quickly as they had been taken away, the warm and solid hands of Qui-Gon Jinn were there again, this time on his back. Pulling him. Tightening around him.

Obi-Wan blinked rapidly, gasping and shaking, pressed into a warm embrace while his Master rocked him gently, whispering encouragement into his hair.

It was good to be held.

•

Obi-Wan twisted, struggling in near-panic to get away from the arms restraining him.

“Stop it!” he yelled. “Stop!”

They did not stop.

The Zyggerians had been on Rex for over two hours, holding him down, methodically slicing the soles of his feet, throwing their fists into his abdomen and face and throat, slamming his head against the unforgiving ground.

The Captain was a mess; bruised and bloodied, involuntary tears making his damaged face glisten.

Rex had finally started to scream five minutes ago, and still they would not stop—

“Stop! You’ll kill him!” Obi-Wan shouted, his bound hands clenched so tightly that his palms were torn and bleeding. “Stop!”

“And now the bird sings,” the slave master crowed, laughing down at him. “So high and mighty, Jedi?”

“Leave him alone!” Obi-Wan demanded.

The slaver’s face darkened.

Two things happened at almost the same moment.

A knife was drawn from seemingly thin air and without hesitation or fanfare was plunged into Rex’s thigh; the Captain screamed again, writhing.

A button was pressed, and the collar around Obi-Wan’s neck blazed with electricity that made him convulse, blinded, agonized.

“You don’t give the orders here,” the master snarled. “Haven’t you learned? You’re not in control here!”

•

“You are in control, Padawan,” Qui-Gon murmured, rubbing his hand up and down the boy’s back, following the still too-prominent line of his spine. Up and down, up and down.

“I’m not,” Obi-Wan sobbed. “I’m a failure.”

“You haven’t failed until you’ve let yourself down and decided not to get up again,” his Master replied firmly. “You are master of yourself, Obi-Wan, and therefore master of the situation. You can rise above. Even if you need help to do it. You are not a slave to fear.”

•

“Slaves are not masters,” the Zyggerian bellowed, and Rex screamed again.

Obi-Wan shuddered and twitched on the floor; he felt filthy, ragged, used. Now useless.

“You don’t make the rules!” A kick to the abdomen that deprived him of air. Once again suffocating. Drowning.

All he could see was the bloodstained floor. All he could hear was the voice, and Rex screaming through gritted teeth.

“Every time you cross me, I’ll punish your freakish friend. And anyone else that crosses your path. I! Am! In! Control! Here!” Each of the final words was delivered with a sharp jerk on the chain that had been attached to the collar.

Obi-Wan choked and wheezed.

Pain.

Terror.

Helpless.

I can’t —

“Who is your Master?”

“You are,” Obi-Wan told Fear, eyes glazed, blood spattered across his vision. Maybe permanently. Like a brand. Like Cerasi’s lifeblood on his shaking hands.

“Who is your Master?” the slaver asked again.

Obi-Wan stared vacantly upwards.

Fear looked back at him. Outside him. Inside him. Triumphant.

“You are,” whispered the Jedi, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

He slumped to the floor.

Rex’s screams faded as the punishment abruptly ceased; the Clone lay on the stone floor, limp and in terrible pain, staring with abject fear in his eyes at the fallen Jedi.

His utter relief that the pain was over, that they had taken their hideous hands off of him, was warring with his worry.

And his growing terror.

If even General Kenobi could be controlled...

“A good start,” the slave master said thoughtfully, trodding deliberately on Obi-Wan’s damaged foot. “And I was told Jedi did not feel fear.”

•••