#bad batch x reader

Between pants you explained to how Shrieking Sylph could create tornadoes with the mere beat of its wings, how Lockjaw could take bites off literal mountains and would have told him how Deathmarch poisoned the ground with every step when it became too much and you dropped to your knees. Your gunlance touched the grass before you did. With an urgency you hadn't felt since, well, less than an hour ago- which was way too soon to your liking-, you pulled your helmet off before emptying your stomach on the forest floor. 

Tears ran down your cheek at the acid burning your throat. A canteen appeared in your field of vision and you shakily reached for it. You shuddered as you washed your mouth and spit the water onto the grass. You looked up at Tech through blurry eyes, jaw tight. He hadn't stopped typing on his datapad, unfazed by your predicament. You fingers tingled with the urge to grab the piece of technology and throw it as far as you could.

"Is this a natural reaction to-" Tech started asking but was cut off by Hunter as he saw your hands close into a fist.

"I apologize." The sergeant moved between the two of you as you stood. He reached for your forearm when you huffed shakily. "Is there a way to make it more bearable for you?"

You exhaled sharply through your nose and closed your eyes. Now wasn't the time to contemplate your life choices. Or give in to your intrusive thoughts.

The rainforest was silent around you. Predators and preys had long fled the area, the fear of crossing paths with a Cataclysm pushing them to abandon their homes for safety elsewhere. It was calm enough, and more importantly, safe enough, that you could allow yourself some reprieve.

You pointed at your chest, then at Raek and finally at the sky above.

"You can avoid the smell up there?"

You nodded.

"Get in the air, we'll keep contact over comms."

You nodded again in thanks and turned on your heels to put some distance between you and the object of your annoyance. Wrecker handed over your discarded helmet as you walked by him. You hummed, thankful.

"You'll be okay?" You did not need to see his face to know he was worried.

You nodded, a small smile stretching your lips without effort. It must have reached your eyes because he mirrored your expression and stepped away to allow you access to your mount. You slid your helmet back into place and approached Raek in a light jog. He leaned down lightly, just enough for you to leap and reach up to grab your saddle. You pulled yourself up and sat while ensuring to not disturb Silica's position anchored at the base of her sire's neck.

Raek glanced back once to confirm that his cargo was ready before raising his wings and taking to the sky. The relief was near instant. The wind flowed over Raek's scales with little restriction to beat onto your armor. The ceiling of leaves was cleared in a matter of seconds and before you knew it, your eyes squinted at the unfiltered sunlight. Raek kept climbing, each beat of his wings bringing you higher and higher and away from the pungent smell that brought fear into the hearts of even the strongest wyvern.

He stabilized under a few clouds. You inhaled deeply, feeding your lungs with clean oxygen. Your muscles relaxed in satisfaction while a moan escaped your lips. Silica turned to level you with an equally relieved gaze. She chirped softly when you patted her head.

"Still in range?" Hunter's voice sounded in your ear.

"Still am," you confirmed. "Keep going South. We'll stay right above you for the last klick of the dead zone and come back once the air is breathable."

"The dead zone?" he asked, tone lowering in uncertainty.

"Ah, force of habit. It's eh- the zone in which people are most likely to die during a Cataclysm encounter," you explained. "Two klicks from the wyvern is the dead zone, ten klicks the danger zone, yada yada. But there's no Cataclysm so we're safe."

"These zones-" Before Tech could finish the sentence, the comms were drowned under the sound of a scuffle and his line cut abruptly.

Hunter's voice returned as if nothing happened, "Sounds like a plan."

You chuckled when you heard Tech's indignant complaints in the background.

For the first time in almost a whole day, you allowed the wind to pick up your worries and sweep them away. Flying was something you did on the daily, more often than not multiple times a day. Despite your lack of wings, you knew it was written in your DNA. It was a part of you, a need to fulfill else you'd get fidgety. Maybe that explained why Silica thought you were her parent.

As antediluvian as riding a wyvern was, it remained an undeniable fact that it was faster and safer than crossing the rainforest on foot.

In order to remain close enough to the clone squad should anything arise, the Starios had to fly in circle, like a predator stalking its prey. Thankfully, years of performing air maneuvers saved you from getting dizzy. What it did not help with however, was the boredom.

Scouting the horizon and keeping an eye on the ground used to be stimulating. Day and night, Halria bursted with life. Yet your little drip of repellent had cleared the area so thoroughly that you only had water to keep yourself entertained.

The moisture from the clouds gathered onto your visor and with nothing else to do, you tucked your chin to your chest, chose one droplet and mentally cheered it on to win the race against its peers to the bottom of your visor. The entertainment was short lived and showed how bad you were at choosing because out of three water droplets, none won the races.

You huffed and wiped the water away.

"Does one of you want to try his hand at flying?" you asked, fingers pressed to the side of your helmet to activate the comms.

"I prefer to stay on the ground where its stable and safe." Echo said.

"Tech and I will pass." Hunter assured.

"Actually I would appreciate to-"

"Wrecker would love to." Crosshair cut in. You huffed a laugh at the obvious teasing.

"I eh- I don't know if I can do it." Wrecker admitted. You cocked your head, intrigued by the consideration in his gravelly voice.

"But you would like to?"

You did remember hearing of his interest to ride on Raek's back over the comms, back when you were supposed to escort them to Zeppham and before Tech opened his mouth and stole your attention away.

"It looks fun," he admitted. "But last time-"

"Last time doesn't count." Hunter rebutted. "We were all on edge. Literally. And this time, you won't be hanging by a leg."

You blinked several times. Hanging by a what? No wonder the man was scared of heights.

"You sure it'd be fine?" Wrecker's voice softened.

"I promise. We don't have to go that high either."

There was a pause.

"Okay. I'll try it." His tone wasn't the most confident, but you understood. You were used to beings fighting their fears. Granted, it was the first time you'd tackle a fear of heights but the principle was the same.

The corner of your lips moved upwards as you reached forward to Raek's neck.

"Hey big guy, wanna show Wrecker that flying is the best thing? He's a little scared so let's take it easy for him, 'kay?"

With a grumble, Raek dove and in an attempt to not scare the man further than he already was, slowed his approach once he breached the leaf ceiling.

You scooted forward and out of the saddle. With an outstretched hand, you invited the soldier to join you. Wrecker's steps faltered. You patiently waited, mind off the acid smell still floating in the air.

You were about to reassure him that it was alright to rethink his decision when he pushed forward and scaled Raek's side. He sat heavily in the saddle and you heard the tightening of his gloves around the leather as Raek resumed walking to keep up with the clones.

"Let me know when you're ready," you told him, head turned to look at him. His helmet might still be on, his taunt body was easy to read.

Silica cooed from her spot against your thighs.

"I-I am."

You hummed.

"If you need to get down, let me know." You spared him another glance. "Keep your head level. Look forward," you told him and his helmet snapped back up. "One of the best thing about flying is the view, so don't look down, look around."

"O-okay." He didn't sound convinced. You pushed through the woozy feeling in your stomach, the smell affecting you once again in a vengeance. You needed to stop talking but you'd be damned if you destroyed his attempt at overcoming his fear.

"Release your shoulders. Yeah, just like that. And keep your grip. It'll be shaky for a couple seconds until we get over the trees and stabilize, okay?"

"Okay."

You grinned. He already sounded slightly more sure. Only slightly.

You patted Reak once and he got into position. Wrecker's breath caught in his throat at the first beat of Raek's wings. He groaned, unsure and probably regretting his decision.

"Hang in there Wrecker," Echo encouraged.

"I am," he assured, the shake in his voice betraying him.

Leaves fell around you and once again, the sunlight welcomed you with open arms. The rocky movements subsided and Raek remained amongst the tree tops. The canopy of leaves created a sort of floor, creating an illusion that you were not two klicks above ground.

"You doing alright back there?" You turned to take him in.

He was so taunt he looked ready to break. His visor met yours and you saw visible efforts into his attempts at relaxing his shoulders. It took some time, the muscles slowly releasing until finally he looked like he could breathe.

"I'm alright." His helmet slowly moved downward. You reached over before he could get a good look and lifted his helmet back up with a finger.

"Look around," you reminded him.

He obliged. You kept a close eye on him, ensuring that he wouldn't glance down again. His breath stuttered.

"Woah," he breathed.

His head swiveled slowly, taking in Halria's natural landscape. The mostly untouched wilderness was a beauty to behold. Cities and villages were build around nature as to not disturb the ecosystems that kept them alive. After all, they were part of it; they came from the earth, used its resources to thrive and would return to it once their role has been fulfilled. The circle of life, a core pillar of Halrian's culture.

"So, how's the view?" you asked.

"It's really nice." He kept his eyes glued to the horizon.

"Told ya." You grinned and breathed deeply.

Silence followed, light and comfortable. Wrecker kept lightly moving against your back as he took in the scenery.

"What's the other best thing?" he asked after a few minutes, the painted face on his helmet staring you down.

"What?"

"You said, one of the best thing in flying was the view. What's the other?"

"How calm and freeing it is." Wrecker hummed, looking back around. "Up here, you feel so light it's like you can forget everything. The wind blows but there's calm through the noise, you know? It's so serene. And the sky is endless. You could just go wherever whenever. I don't think there's a better feeling than this sense of freedom."

A few seconds stretched in silence and only then did you notice your bout of rambling. You scratched at the heat creeping up your neck.

"Ah, sorry about that. It might sounds a bid dumb-"

"It's not," he shook his head firmly. "It sounds nice."

Your gaze fell forward out of habit. Thankfully your helmet was still firmly in place and hid your softening expression.

"And then there's the adrenaline rush when you go crazy fast, but that might be a bit too much for your first time," you added to remove his attention from you when he leaned closer.

"Y-yeah. I think we're good like that," he forced a laugh.

"We're good," you confirmed.

Wrecker, despite his initial fears, fared pretty well. He remained still, managed to keep his body to a fairly relaxed state and overall did not seem to panic. It could be the easiest session of fear acclimation you ever did. A great thing, considering your attention was needed elsewhere.

Silica chirped, her own wings attempting to open. She only managed to slightly lift them before the wind pushed them back to her body.

"You'll get there eventually, Silly baby. Now might be a bit soon."

A helmet hit yours from behind, startling you.

"Oh, she wants to fly too!" Wrecker remarked.

You swallowed, all too aware of the hard armor pressing against yours.

"She still lack the muscles to fight the winds though."

"Aw." Wrecker reached around you to pat the baby's head. "You'll grow up big and strong! Don't worry!"

She thrilled in response.

"She'll be able to fly this high up in about a year."

"A year is nothin'! You got this!"

You offered your own pats, agreeing with Wrecker.

"Will you fly with her then?" he asked.

"Only if she chooses me."

"She needs to choose you?"

"Yeah. Riding requires trust. And I don't mean the I-would-lend-you-my-favorite-weapon kind of trust, but the deepest kind there is. The I'd-let-you-stab-me-because-I-know-you-have-a-good-reason kind of trust." Otherwise they could propell you from their backs when in midair or bite you in half. Not an ideal situation when you have no wings and no hard exterior shell. "And this is only truly acquired between partners. Raek chose me as his Rider, so I can ride on his back. Anyone else would be at risk of getting hurt if they tried."

"Oh. So- eh- Is it okay for me to…?" he trailed off, his voice lowering into uncertainty. You reached behind yourself to lay a hand on his knee in hopes of appeasing him.

"You're fine. There's a difference between being carried and riding," you explained, dropping your hand back to your side. "Riding means that I can give orders and directions. It means that we are a team through thick and thin. Being carried is simply to enjoy the ride without a say on anything. If someone other than me tried to take control, it theoretically could get messy."

"Only in theory?" Echo asked over comms.

"There are always exceptions to a rule," you pointed out. "A majority of wyverns are guarded and warried in nature since the world can be unforgiving, but Raek is easy-going and sociable. He wouldn't mind some small requests as long as he or I trust the person. Silica will most likely be the same as she grows up. She also trusts me fully since I raised her. I would advise against ordering any other wyvern though."

You felt Wrecker's body deflate against your back.

"Oh. So does Raek trusts me?"

"We both do," you confirmed. "He also wouldn't have let you carry his only child if he didn't."

You could almost feel his beaming smile.

"She's great. I hope she chooses you."

You looked at the baby and you knew she wouldn't. A wyvern only chose one Rider and she already made her choice.

"We'll see."

You could not even be mad about it. Her choice was sound.

The small mountain chain that was the Acer Range became visible. Soon enough you would reach its base and the clones would complete their mission. Then you would go home and return to your routine.

You stared ahead, unsettled. Why did you not feel excited by the prospect?

A shake brought you back to reality and made Wrecker gasp in surprise and light panic. Your hand returned to Wrecker's knee while Raek fixed you with a questioning gaze. You touched his neck in reassurance.

"All good big guy, just thinking."

He grumbled before turning back around and descending.

"Guess it's time to go back down, huh."

If Raek judged that the smell was tolerable, then it was time to regroup. Other wyverns could also think themselves sufficiently distanced from the threat and stall around to see the development.

"Get ready Wrecker, it'll be bumpy again," you warned, your grip returning onto Raek's neck.

The troopers came into view. They walked in a loose formation with Hunter at the head and Crosshair holding the rear. The men looked up as Raek flew overhead and landed meters away.

"Still in one piece?" Crosshair asked, his rifle resting upwards against his shoulder.

"Yeah! 't was great!" Wrecker admitted, dropping down Raek's back. You followed suit and thanked your partner with a few chin scratches.

"We're out of the dead zone then." Hunter walked up to you.

"Yup. And the mountains are not too far out either. Another two hours and we should be there."

"Great! And then we can get some grub!" Wrecker cheered. You repressed a laugh.

"Let's get there first and then we'll decide on our approach." Hunter said.

"Depending on the time you need to extract the crystals we might be able to start your operation today."

"Multiple variable comes into effect. Considering the rock formation surrounding the crystals, as well as their size and quantity, it might take an hour, possibly more." Tech supplied.

"Let's not waste time then. We need to get in and out, and clear the Dread Vox territory before nightfall." You resumed the march, the others in tow.

"How long until then?"

"About four hours."

"Let's make this quick."

The hike to the Acer Range was uneventful, if only a little hot. The winds on the ground were nothing compared to the ones that blew through the sky.

Wrecker groaned next to you. "Got any more rations, Crosshair?"

The sniper did not gratify his brother with a glance, choosing violence instead. "Sure do."

"Aw, would you mind if-"

"Yes."

"But-"

"You got your part. This," he says, showing off his ration bar, "Is mine." He all but shoved the whole thing in his mouth when Wrecker reached for it.

"You're mean!" Wrecker's face fell.

"Shocking it took you that long to notice," Crosshair said through his mouthful.

Hunter turned to Wrecker. His look was crystal clear. He had heard this exact chain of event before. You would bet your life it happened more than once too. "Wrecker-" he started before you jumped in.

"You can have my leftovers." You held out the pouch containing the nuts and berries you foraged before dinner last night. Thankfully, the Calamity smell was now nothing more than a memory. Your appetite had returned in earnest once the clones had pulled out their own supplies, prompting you to munch on the mix and watch the show that was a bunch of brothers interacting with each other.

Wrecker reached for the snacks with unveiled enthusiasm.

Crosshair clicked his tongue. "Figures you'd steal the guide's food."

The hand nearly grabbing the pouch recoiled. "I'm not-" The light waiver in his voice pulled your brows together.

"It's not stealing if I'm offering," you rebuked. You grabbed his bigger hand and dropped the bag into his palm. "He's just jealous I didn't offer him any."

Crosshair rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, a grin pulled at Wrecker's lips. "I'm sure he is." He engulfed a handful, the movement quickly followed by the sagging of his shoulders and a groan. "That's so much better than rations."

"Glad you like."

You turned from him to walk up to the sergeant who was already looking at you with a soft expression.

"You didn't have to." He trailed his gaze back forward and slightly leaned sideways towards you. "You haven't eaten much," he added, his voice low enough to get swallowed under your partner's heavy footsteps.

You shrugged. "The tonic I drank earlier gave me a boost, so I don't feel the need to eat much. I would've given them to Raek otherwise."

"In that case, thank you." He pulled away and wiped the sweat covering his brow.

"Can't your brothers speak for themselves?" you asked with a grin.

He glanced down at you for a split second. "What do you mean?"

"You keep apologizing and thanking me in your brother's stead. Mainly apologizing." You held out your canteen. "Didn't take you for one to apologize to anyone, if I'm completely honest."

Hunter hummed in recognition. "Now that you point it out, I guess I did." He reached for the container and a single brow rose un emphasis. "Thank you." A breathy laugh escaped you. "Tech can be overbearing at times, but it doesn't come from a bad place, it's just how he is. His lack of filter has caused us some troubles in the past and sure, I don't usually apologize so easy, but if you decided to up and leave, we'd be in one hell of a problem." He took a few sips of water.

Now, that was interesting information that you were not surprised to hear. Tech? Causing issues because of his mouth on multiple occasions? Not too shocking.

"Ah. So you're spoiling me to stay in my good graces."

"Can you blame me?" he asked, handing back your canteen. Liquid still sloshed at the bottom. You downed the rest and strapped it back to your side.

"No."

The trees became sparse and soon you came to a halt at the bottom of a rock wall. The descending sun was a clear reminder of the race you participated in. You craned your neck and pointed at the Lemgona cave. Its entrance opened onto the side of the cliff, approximately sixty meters above ground.

"This is the cave."

Silence stretched and you turned to Hunter for his thoughts.

"It's pretty up high. I don't think we'll have time to climb up, extract the crystals and climb back down before nightfall." He glanced between the setting sun and the cave entrance.

"Who said climbing?"

His eyes narrowed in a squint. "How do you propose we get there?"

Raek leaned down next to Echo. His emerald wing lightly pushed his arm.

"How else? We're flying."

Echo looked back at Hunter, his body taunt. Tech pushed past him to climb onto the saddle.

"Better than climbing." Hunter shrugged.

"Three can go at a time." You beckoned Echo after you as you stepped up to Raek's wing. The man was more relaxed once he joined you and reached for Tech's outstretched hand. Despite the help, it was obvious the cybernetic forearm would make for a difficult climb. "Mind giving us a boost big guy?"

Raek kindly lifted his wing. Echo stumbled and caught himself onto his brother. With support, he managed to slip behind Tech while you jumped before them. A glance back confirmed that everyone was balanced and you signaled to Raek to go ahead.

The ride was short. Too short for Tech's tastes but you quickly reminded him of his initial goal. Raek left and soon after, Hunter slid down your partner's side.

The Lemgona cave opened into a long corridor, its walls sparingly covered in various crystals and moss patches. Less than three meters in and the cave became as pitch black as a stormy night where no moon shone through the sky.

The men unclipped their helmets from their belts and put them back on. Lights fixed at the side of their helmets shone to life, burning your eyes at their sudden appearance. You blinked a few times to chase away the sting before turning your back to the cave. You brought your fingers to your lips and whistled. The sound bounced against the rock wall until it faded in the distance.

"What was that for?" Crosshair asked.

A cry answered your call.

"I don't have fancy equipment like yours. Mine is more, I don't know, antediluvian?" You couldn't help the jab at Tech.

The beating of wings became closer and closer. You held your arm out and out of the sky shot a bird the size of your torso and abdomen combined. Sharp talons closed around the scales protecting your shoulder and upperarm while a beak cawked in greetings. You scratched its chest in appreciation.

"This is Chik, my Moon Feather."

Chik was a magnificent bird. His long, jet black feathers shone under the soft light of the runes marking them. The warm white glow reflected onto his sharp green eyes.

You produced a few pieces of dry meat from your pouch. He gleefully ate them and preened, the runes on his feathers shining stronger.

"Nice bird," Echo said.

You agreed with a nod. He truly was great, in more ways than one.

Tech pushed closer and you knew time had run out.

"Chik will open the way for us. Right?"

A sharp cry answered your question and Chik was airborne once more. The runes on his body shone like a beacon as he flew deeper into the cave system. The stone walls in a six meters radius became visible as if a small part of the sun - or moon in Chik's case - had been brought down to the dephts of the cave.

"Huh. Guess fancy tech is not always on par with the natives," Hunter mumbled. The beam coming from his helmet was now invisible through Chik's natural shine. He reached up and clicked it closed. "Stay close lads. The comms might jam any seconds now."

"I detect a considerable electromagnetic field," Tech supplied to which Hunter acknowledged with a grunt and added,

"Comes from all around, but its stronger below."

You looked back at him, puzzled. Before you could ask what he meant the comms line fizzled with static. It was promptly turned off.

"Are the markings on his feathers the result of man intervention?" Tech's visor covered his face for a few seconds until he pushed it upwards to type on his datapad.

You dropped your previous question in the face of Tech's curiosity. It was not worth it. You turned back around and the men's footsteps followed closely as you guided Chik to where you needed him to proceed.

The crystals were a few levels below where the ore grew more prominent. Coincidentally, it also happened to be Dread Voxes' favored grounds to meet up and mate, all due to the same electromagnetic field affecting your equipment. Nature had a funny way of protecting valuable resources.

If you were lucky, the Dread Voxes would all be on their merry way to their female's nest to prepare for the arrival of their egg. If you were very lucky, there would be no frustrated male who hadn't managed to impress a lady and would be more than happy to use your crew as an outlet. If you were even luckier, the caves would also be void of other aggressive leviathans.

It was a lot of ifs and way more luck than you tended to have on a normal day. Gunlance firmly in hands, you progressed through a tunnel leading downward.

At least you could rely on Chik to warn you of any danger in advance. While Raek had great hearing, he remained a rainforest flyer. By nature, he wasn't as reliable through the caves as he was in the trees. His sense of smell would be hindered by the lingering pheromones of mating season and he couldn't perceive the changes in electromagnetic fields that the nocturnal wyverns often emitted to guide themselves through the dark.

Chik on the other hand, was a master of both environments. He slept in caves at night and scouted the forest during the day. He could both rely on his light to roam the darkness as well as rely on the same electromagnetic field used by bigger predators to avoid them. He was the product of a perfect evolutionary line and a perfect friend to have.

"Is it far down?" Echo's unease carried through his voice.

"Not too much. Just a few levels."

An arm lightly bumped into your shoulder. Wrecker muttered an apology.

"How did you find this place?" he asked soon after.

"I needed ore for a new helmet." You knocked on the side of your protective gear. It had been tedious work to gather all the materials Finn said he needed to make your vision a reality. Despite the sweat and blood, it had been oh so worth it. "Some minerals found in here are known to resist electromagnetic fields and low frequency sounds, so I wanted to make a helmet out of it. Protect my ears and all."

"Why that kind of protection in particular?" Echo wondered.

The question shouldn't have caught you off guard but it did. And it almost caused you to falter. Almost.

"I- eh- It used to be useful when I was raising a Tree Howler. They're very affectionate primates, but he was pretty mischievous and loved to sonic screech at me. Apparently, making me pass out was fun." You coughed to keep your throat open. You missed him. Him and every single one you lost that night. "So yeah. Thats how I found the crystals. Didn't think they were useful at the time, but I guess I was wrong."

Out of the corner of your eyes, you noticed Echo's visor move to meet his sergeant's. Guess your diversion wasn't subtle, not that it needed to be anyway.

"They are said to be able to bring a person back from the brink of death," Tech supplied without missing a beat and you were grateful he followed your change of subject. Until you registered his words.

Cold seeped under your skin.

"Sorry, th- what? They can what?"

"Bring a person back from the brink of death," he repeated in the same nonchalant tone like it wasn't the huge deal that it was.

A weight fell into your stomach. Healing crystals.

Was this even real? Could someone or something truly be saved using a rock? Sure, they were a nice orange color, had a weird fire pulsing into the semi-translucent shade and even radiated some warmth that you doubted to be innocent, but could this be a cocktail to prevent death? If anything, it looked like an obvious trap. Pretty things are often deadly after all.

Your heartbeat picked up at the thought Tech planted into your brain. Could you have saved your family if you had harvested the crystals months ago and not some stupid ore? Perhaps, had you not been too much of a coward in the face of the otherworldly orange, warmth-radiating crystals then you could have protected your charges like you had swore.

Warmth seeped into your armor from your neckline where Raek pressed his snout and breathed deeply. He pushed you aside lightly, a low rumble resonating through his body in chastisement. You swallowed hard. The memories of that night still haunted him as well, that you knew for a fact, and yet he was the one keeping you whole. He had forgiven you long ago… no, you doubted he even blamed you to begin with, however he was the one keeping you from breaking apart. Despite the terrible loss he subsided, he still took care of you. This care, while being exactly what you needed, was so heavy to bear.

It brought a new sense of guilt back to the surface. Raek was still grieving his mate, day after day without fail, while burdening himself with keeping you afloat. More than once you wondered if he regretted his decision to align himself with you. It must be heavy to deal with me, you'd tell him. And every time he would force you into a snuggle pile and trap you under his weight for hours until you learned your lesson and relented. Raek was strong, he could carry you and your feelings without so much as a flinch. He would carry your burdens along with you without fail. He was way heavier after all, this was nothing to him.

You stumbled under the weight of Raek's head on your shoulder. The pointed look he gave you once you got back to your feet was clear. Still heavier than my conscience will ever be, got it. You wrapped your arm under his jaw and pressed your side to his head. The contact shushed some of the angry voices resonating in your mind.

"For what it's worth," a hand brushed against your upper arm, bringing you back to reality. Echo stared back. "Even we don't know how they work. Probably need some Jedi voodoo to work or something."

Your head fell back to Raek's with a snort. He might be right.

He might also be wrong.

The tunnel split into a smaller corridor, prompting you to push the miasma of dark thoughts away to mull over later. You guided the group to the left and further down the cave system. It was a relief that the tunnels were large, otherwise you might have found yourself even more on edge. Closed areas were not your favorites, not when you could be flying in an open sky. The cold feeling creeping under your skin wasn't fear, no. It wasn't as visceral, but it reminded you that you did not belong in this place. Thankfully, Chik's light added another layer of relief as the darkness beyond his reach was absolute. Again, not a fear, but basic survival skill. Who knew what kind of teeth were waiting in the dark for a fleshy snack to venture right into their maws?

A loud gasp broke the otherwise silent atmosphere. Goosebumps spread over your arms at the surprise in the clone's voice. You spun just in time to see Echo struggle against something on his armor. He jerked his arm back in a few quick successions, curses escaping his lips. You sidestepped Wrecker to get a better look of his struggle. A few strings were stuck to his vambrace. Off-white. Shiny. Thin but surprisingly sturdy. You followed the strings with your eyes, up and up until your gaze caught the shape of two stick-like appendages poking out of a hole in the ceiling. Your breath caught in your throat.

"Echo," you whispered, the sound ending in a squeak. Of course there had to be a Silent Weaver. "Stop pullin-"

The warning came too late. The leviathan crept out of the hole, its sight sending a shiver down your spine. Eight legs, two scarily long fangs, hundreds of eyes staring you down and a sticky rope escaping out of its abdomen were just the nightmare fuel you could have done without. Its size rivalled Raek's and never in your life had you wished more that your partner had the ability to breathe fire.

"Hells." Crosshair muttered before rising his rifle.

Your name died on Hunter's tongue as soon as Echo's feet left the ground. Curses flooded the tunnel. You aimed at the silk line stuck to Echo. Bullets cut through the line, clean and effective. Echo crashed to the ground at the same time a gust of wind blew past your side. The air howled around the shockwave before ending in a loud clap as the high-pressured air hit the leviathan in the legs.

Its right side caved momentarily. The next second, its whole body came crashing down.

Reflexes took over and you jumped backwards, away from the tons of flesh falling from above. Your arm collided with something hard, sending you stumbling at the same time the leviathan hit the ground. Chik's light was snuffed by dust and rocks, leaving you to blindly crawl backwards on your ass.

Breathing was lightly tedious with all the dust, but it soon became impossible as the ground opened under your sprawled self. A feeling of free-falling gripped your guts. The feeling, while one you were familiar with and sometimes enjoyed, was deeply unsettling when you knew Raek was not there to catch you. Your eyes scrunched closed while your hands flew to cover your head. Over the sound of your heartbeat thundering in your skull, you managed to distinguish the distant sound of a roar. It might also have been the rocks hitting each others on the way down, you weren't sure anymore. A silent prayer left your lips, a last wish for your family to be safe. All breath escaped your lungs halfway through, cutting your hopes short as you hit the ground.

Pain flared from your backside up to your spine, forcing a wheeze past your lips. Through the fog of pain, you knew that every second counted. You needed to scramble away from the raining rubble if you wanted to survive. You needed to get away right this damn second. But your body was too shocked to move. Your muscles were stuck in position, unable to relax from your fetal position.

The Silent Weaver crashed a few feet away, too close for comfort but far enough that you were still breathing. Then came the first rocks, their masses meeting the ground like small explosions urging you to get the hell up. The explosions grew stronger and closer, but never quite touching you. Not enough to hurt anyway. Some hit you from the side, most likely ricochetting off the ground, but none came at you directly. At last, your hands fell from your protective stance and your eyes grew wide.

Above you, covering your body with his, was Wrecker. Even on his elbows and knees, his form dwarfed yours completely. The light on the side of his helmet burned your eyes, forcing you to squint to see the rocks hitting his back. They beat into him without respite, yet Wrecker kept his stance without faltering.

The ruckus progressively came to a stop. As the world stilled, you reached towards his chest. Your fingers stopped short of touching the plastoid. What could you do? There was nothing you could truly help with, not in your position. Was he hurting? He must be. There were no sings of straining on his part, but who knew what kind of weight he was taking on right now.

"Wrecker," you whispered in a low breath, voice wavering in concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked in stride. How he managed to sound so composed, you had no idea.

"Y-yeah, I am."

"You sure?" he pressed. "Nothin' broken?"

A few beats of silence passed as you took a moment to assess your condition. Toes wiggled fine, fingers stretched between your bodies, chest raised with each breath and head tilted up to fully take him in. Carefully as to not hit his arms or legs, you shuffled from your side to lay on your back. The small space separating the two of you only allowed so much wiggle room and your side brushed onto him as you moved. Wrecker's breath stuttered audibly and you froze, scared of disturbing his position.

"Don't move too much. I- eh…" he trailed off, his helmet now touching yours at the foreheads. "Just don't."

A sharp rock stabbed the small of your back but you could ignore it.

"Okay."

A hum of approval resonated between the two of you.

Then the silence registered in your brain like a shock.

The Silent Weaver should be onto you by now. If the fall hadn't been enough to kill you, then it surely wasn't enough to kill it. Yet, the world was dark and eerily calm. Tearing your eyes from Wrecker, you tried to move your head to look around but found yourself stuck in place. His forearms, you deduced. His elbows encompassed your shoulders and he must be protecting your head with his arms.

From your limited point of view, all you could see were walls of rock surrounding you from all sides. From top to bottom, the sediment covered the two of you like a blanket. A blanket that would have crushed you to death had the man not volonteered himself to be your personal shield.

"Are you okay?" you croaked, hands now fully pressing against his chestplate- not to push him but to feel him. Maybe offer some support. Something.

"Ha. I'm stronger than I look, remember?"

You could hear his grin as you stared in light shock.

"But this is- that's-"

"This is nothin'!" he assured with such enthusiasm that you couldn't help but believe him.

"Still, we need to get out of here."

Another look around showed no opening. No gaps. Some of the rocks were small enough that you could push them, but who knew how much rubble was on the other side? Perhaps it wouldn't even budge, but it also could disturb the fragile balance that kept everything from crushing the two of you.

You stared at the walls enclosing you. They were so close. Too close. Their holds on you was tight, like the grip closing in on your chest.

Your heart picked up, fast and hard. Your next breath was heavy.

"Hey," he coaxed softly. "The others will get us out. Don't worry."

Your gaze moved back to the familiar patterns of his helmet. Forget the walls. Forget the rocks. Focus on Wrecker.

"You okay?," he asked again.

I'm okay, your brain supplied on habit, but your body wasn't fooled. Your breath cut and your fingers closed around the neckline of his armor.

"Hey, it's alright. I got you. My brothers will get us out and we'll be fine. Silica will give you headbutts soon, okay? Just, eh, keep breathing. It'll make them come faster."

A wavering smile stretched the corners of your lips.

"You promise?"

"Yeah. I promise."

"Okay."

The next breath came slightly ragged. The next one was easier and the one after that was even better. You laid there for what felt like hours, but realistically, you knew only minutes passed. You remained still, concentrating on your breathing while keeping your sight solely on him. The plastoid under your fingertips was solid, anchoring, just like his voice.

"Good girl, you're doing great," he praised, his voice more gravelly than usual thanks to the constant physical effort.

Heat spread under your skin like a wildfire. Your gaze fled away from him as you let go of the clone to gather your hands to your chest in a bout of self-consciousness. At the sight of the rocks, you closed your eyes firmly and wrung your fingers together.

Amongst the white stars swimming behind your eyelids, Wrecker was there, bare-faced and smirking. Your fingers hurt under your grip.

Only then did you truly realize that your armor brushed his in many places. Places that shouldn't be touching. Heat crept up your cheeks. Earlier, had you…? Surely you hadn't… Your hips, had they…? You desperately searched your memory, trying to remember if your hip had touched something when you shuffled to your back. Maybe? It also could have been the rocks. But then, could it also have been his codpiece? The uncertainty ate at your mind.

"What's wrong?" he asked in light urgency.

"I'm alright. Just eh-" you faltered, brain too occupied to function properly, "it's getting a bit hot in here."

"Ah, sorry. Might be my fault. Tech says I run hotter than others, or whatever that means."

You mentally facepalmed. Count on you to make him feel bad when you're the one making a mess.

"I'm sure it's not you, don't worry about it. I'm usually good with heat. It just caught me by surprise."

Good girl, your brain repeated as if to mock you. You were ready for the ground to swallow you whole for the second time that day. Hopefully it would be gracious enough to take you alone this time.

"That's good," he said and you shivered in response. Gods, you were a mess. At least your helmet was firmly in place. "Your armor looks way more comfier than mine that's for sure. Bet that helps."

"I could have one made for you if you wanted," you blurted faster than you could think. Why was your brain not functioning when he was around? Why were you talking so much?

But more importantly, why would he ever want something from you? Your ways were too outdated for them and-

"Really?"

The hope in his voice gave you pause. You tentatively looked up at him.

"Sure. I have plenty of material to spare."

"That'd be great!"

Tension left your body in a sigh.

"I'll work something out once-" you nearly jumped out of your skin at the sound of rubble being moved by your head.

Smaller rocks fell from their previous position and hit you lightly. Another beam of light pierced through the slowly crumbling wall and before long, you found yourself looking at a white, painted crosshair. The man stared you down once he dug a hole big enough to take you both in. His visor moved from Wrecker, down to you, then back up. The snort that followed was too jugdmental to be innocent. Heat flared to your cheeks once again.

"Hey Cross!" Wrecker acknowledged. "Good to see ya!"

"I'm sure," Crosshair said under his breath, followed by a snicker.

He resumed his task of moving rocks around until he could finally grab onto you and pull you out. He kept his grip on you until you managed to stay upright on the pile of debris. Once you got your bearings, you assisted digging Wrecker out.

"Ah, this feels good!" Wrecker groaned in satisfaction as he stretched his back, arms open wide. "Thanks Cross!"

His brother clicked his tongue.

"Don't do that again," he grumbled before turning to you. "Hope you know the way out of here."

You straightened. "What about the-" Words die on your tongue at the sight of the ceiling. No holes in sight. "What the hell?"

"Bigger rock fell after us," Crosshair explained. "Plugged the hole."

"Huh." Begrudgingly accepting the fact that an easy escape was not in your cards, your gaze fell down to the small hill that was the Silent Weaver, its head half gone under a boulder. "Guess we're going deeper then."

"Oh great! Look what I found!" Wrecker's voice caught your attention and you swiveled to take him in. He dug up your gunlance.

Crosshair ignored his brother to address you. "Deeper?"

"To find the annexing tunnel to go back up."

Crosshair's helmet tilted downward. You followed his line of sight to your fingers digging into your palm.

"Deeper is not better," he remarked.

"I haven't been this deep before," you admitted.

Crosshair paused. "Then how do you know about the annexing tunnel?"

Your weapon appeared between the two of you and you grabbed it from Wrecker with a thanks. Gunlance in hands, you looked back towards the void of the tunnel for a second.

"That's how this cave system works. Others have gone deeper, but they were better equipped and, well, they had their partners."

Raek's absence was a major point of anxiety. While you were a competent hunter and were capable of taking care of yourself, it was healthy to know your limits. And you knew yours. Fighting a wyvern tribe in a tunnel without competent backup or viable escape route was way past your abilities. Two, you could manage, but more than that would pose a serious problem.

"We'll try and stay under the radar." You made your way to the Silent Weaver and pulled at the silk covering parts of its body. With difficulty, you dislodged it from the leviathan to stick it to your pauldrons.

"What's that for?" Wrecker wondered, closer now.

"Covering my scent. I prefer to pass as a predator than a prey. Hopefully it's known in these parts and we'll be given space."

"Right. Make sense."

He put down his axe and did the same, while Crosshair watched from the sidelines.

"Cross! You too!"

"As if I'd ever." He sneered.

"You have to!"

"Watch me."

With a grunt, Wrecker approached his brother, determination making him look bigger. A short scuffle took place, Crosshair doing his best to keep his brother at arms lenght without giving in to his annoyance and start a full on brawl, before he seemingly gave up with the most pissed off expression and let Wrecker stick some silky webs onto him. All in all, you were grateful for the subtlety of it all. None of them yelled, and the sharp teeths remained oblivious to your presence.

They stuck close to your sides, the lights fixed to their gear helping as much as it could to navigate the darkness. Steps after steps, you walked deeper into the cave system. You were thankful that the Lemgona cave wasn't a tortuous labyrinth but consisted instead of a main tunnel that connected smaller ones together. Finding the main path meant that you could walk your way out easily. In theory.

In practice, you'd have to make it without encountering anything remotely hungry, which was less easy to do. Even smaller prey kept far away from these parts.

On top of that, you slowly came to the realisation that perhaps you were afraid of the dark after all… just a little. Without Chik's light, it felt like the walls were encasing you tightly. It was as if you could touch the rock walls just by sticking your hand out slightly. It was irrational. Your brain knew that. You knew that. But the two moderately small beams of light did nothing but help the irrational thoughts proliferate.

Your mind slowly fueled with monsters lurking in the dark, like nightmares creeping around for an opportunity to feast. The darkness was near suffocating and frayed at your nerves. It reminded you of the stone tomb that encassed you mere minutes earlier.

Calm down, you urged yourself. There's no real danger. Just you and the clones and the silence and-

In a short spike of panic, you reached to your right, hand tightening around an armored arm. Wrecker glanced down, the beam of light reflecting inside your helmet for a short second. You squinted through the stinging in your eyes, only relaxing once fingers found yours and interlocked in a soft grip. His thumb softly stroked yours and you chose to focus on the contact. Your heartbeat settled in response.

His footsteps echoed through the otherwise heavy silence. Crosshair progressed with ease, blaster at the ready. Soft scratches could be heard in the distance, far enough that you kept walking in its direction. You silently wished that the entrance would appear soon.

"Do you eh- think the others will be okay?" Wrecker's concern bled through his words.

With a deep breath to control your own nerves, you nodded. "Raek and Chik will keep them out of trouble."

"Like they did for us?" Crosshair butted in.

Your eyes closed slightly at his insinuation. "You try detecting a web string in the dark. See how that works out for you."

Before you figured something out she dropped to the ground, ass in the air, eyes fixed on the horizon. On your left, a few metres ahead played three Stripped Sables. They jumped over each other, pushed and nibbled. Silica’s feet lightly scratched the ground, her tail high in the air. Her jaw jumped in quick succession, soft chirps escaping her in her excitement. 

You kept an eye on her as you walked, Raek doing the same. Apart from seeing her siblings play-fight, she had never participated in a hunt before. Her positioning could use some work, yet her body seemed to somewhat know how to place itself. 

In her progression, her tail ruffled some high grass and alerted the Sables to her presence. She bolted as soon as they spotted her, closing the distance as fast as she could. The Sables fled in all directions, momentarily confusing her. She slowed before picking up behind one. She lost ground until she tripped at a sharp turn and tumbled over herself. She laid on the ground, panting slightly.

You caught up to her. “Not bad for a first time.” 

“Aw, don’t worry, you’ll get one next time!” Wrecker assured her, his cheery tone perking her up. She chirped and stood back up, ready to start over.

The cycle repeated itself as the group progressed, her spotting small prey before running after them. Wrecker cheering her on every time she missed. To his credit, you were certain she would have already given up had he not been lifting her spirits at every turn. 

“She’s getting better.” Hunter noted. 

He was right. After her third attempt she had lowered the height of her tail while making sure it did not touch the ground, after her fourth she kept her wings tightly tucked against her sides, on her sixth she stopped chittering, slowing her approach and on the seventh she brought back a squirming Winged Fox. 

“You gotta finish it before-” The Winged Fox managed to land a kick to the side of her face and her grip loosened. Echo recoiled as it fell to the ground and fled through his legs with Silica right on its tail until it took to the skies. 

“Aw that was close.” Wrecker looked between the escapee and Silica beating her wings to no avail.

“You’re selling her short.” 

“It’s slowing down.” Crosshair pointed out.

The Winged Fox’s wings moved considerably slower each passing second. In its panic, its heart pumped blood faster through its system and accelerated the effect of the venom. Once it reached the brain, it was game over. The moment she got a bite in, its fate was sealed.

“This would be the effect of the neurotoxic venom.” Tech pushed his glasses up his nose. “Its action period is quicker than I theorized.”

Once it fell within her reach, Silica jumped to regain her prey and brought it back to your feet. 

“It ain’t the most dangerous at her age, but the thing with neurotoxin is that even a small dose has nasty effects. It might not stop your heart but something important will get affected for sure.” You knelt to pat her head. “Good girl. Now you gotta finish it.” 

She looked at you, the mammal trapped in her jaws unmoving, but still breathing. 

Raek grumbled behind Crosshair. She glanced between the two of you, shook her prey lightly and bit down until a crunch resonated. You pat her again, pride swelling in your chest. Your baby’s first successful hunt. 

“Great job Silly baby!” You removed your helmet to rub your face on the top of her head. She chirped, mouth still full. 

“You did great!” Wrecker chimed in with his own pets once you stood up. 

“How old is she?” Echo glanced down at your baby tearing through her meal and gulping it down. Her feeding forced the group into an impromptu break. 

You returned your helmet back on your head. “She hatched a month and a half ago.” Echo’s eyes widened in surprise. 

It had been a tedious task to keep a hatchling alive, it was your and Raek’s first time ever having to care for a baby fresh from the egg. The first week had required a lot of trial and error, many sleepless nights, forced you into mithridatism and stole the feeling at the tip of your right hand fingers from the repeated accidental nibs to your hand. It had been painful, but very much worth it. 

“She’s pretty young.” Echo said as he switched his helmet from his hand to his scomp to grab the canteen offered by Hunter.

“And still very much dependent. Considering the way she keeps looking at you for guidance, I’d say she imprinted on you.” Tech observed. 

Happiness and pride filled your chest. Yet, there was still a tinge of sadness coating the feelings. She imprinted on you because she had lost her biological mother. 

“Imprinted?” Hunter used the break to steal a swig of water.  

“Raek and I were the first things she saw. She perceives him as her father, and me her mother.” You clarified. 

His eyebrows shot up, mildly impressed. “You got one hell of a kid.”

The corners of your lips pulled upwards. “She’s gonna work more on her hunting skills and pretty soon we’ll have to work on flying lessons. I won’t be much of a help there.”

“Could cushion her falls.” Crosshair smirked.

You laughed, already seeing yourself being thrown to the ground under flailing weight. “Yeah, definitely could.” 

Once the only remaining traces of the Winged Fox was the blood tainting the grass, Silica bounced to her sire, chirping with every step, belly full. 

“Guess the break is over.” 

Thanks to the migration season, there were less territorial wyverns to worry about, allowing you to spend the following hours in idle chatter with Wrecker. Tech occasionally chimed in with various questions whenever you had to make a detour to avoid crossing too close to a nest or offered commentary if he wasn’t in agreement with Wrecker’s reenactment of their mission involving creatures trying to mate with them.

You were busy laughing, images of an insectoid creature trying to mate with the clones because they were running around with a stinger flashing through your mind. You had to remove your helmet to wipe at your crying eyes, Crosshair’s annoyance at the retelling was way too obvious and entertaining. Your feet caught unto something, earning a yelp out of you. Hands grabbed your arms to keep you upright as you tumbled to regain your footing. 

“Thanks.” You straightened against the hard plastoid offering you support. 

“No problem!” Wrecker boomed, crouching to gather your helmet and hand it back to you.

“She alright?” Hunter asked, prompting you to look down at the sprawled baby feigning death in the middle of the path.

“Huh. You done, Silly?” She whined in response. 

“She’s tired?” Wrecker crouched next to her. 

“She’s not used to that kind of activity.” You strapped your gunlance to Raek’s side and crouched before Silica. You moved your hands to your back, and with a coo, she climbed your armor like a tree. Her feet grabbed your hands for support while her leaf-shaped wings rested over your shoulders, covering your chest. She affectionately hit your head with hers. You nodded off Wrecker’s offer for help before standing with a huff and securing your grip on her paws.

“How heavy is she at her age?” Tech wondered, eyes glued to his datapad. 

“I’d say about thirty pounds, more or less.” You noticed the clone typing the information on his device. "Didn't know that was information worth saving.” 

“Of course. There is very little information on Halria and its fauna in the Republic databases. Recording data to further our knowledge is fundamental.”

“I guess you’d want to look at our Compendium then.” His eyes flew to yours, sparkling with interest. “It gives a description of every wyvern and leviathan of the planet and stuff like their weak points, their habitats-” 

“I’d highly appreciate it.” He cut you off through his rapidly growing interest. 

“I’ll give you my copy once we’re back.” You offer.

“Your copy? You only have one?” His bemused tone told you that he most probably kept back up of his back ups. 

“It’s on paper.” You couldn’t imagine having multiple copies of the thick tome. One was plenty enough and fulfilled its function perfectly. 

“Don’t you want to keep it?” Echo wondered from the back of the group.

Shrugging, you performed a quick, full turn on yourself to get a look at him. “I’ll get a new one in a few months time if I say mine got shredded.” You told him, walking backwards. 

“You’d lie for Tech?” 

“Knowledge is what keeps you alive. Plus, I’ve read the thing about four times already.” You turned back around when your package started repeatedly pushing your head with hers. “Besides, it’s not gonna hurt anyone.” Unlike your charge if she keeps banging on your head. You were thankful for the extra padding you added to the interior of your helmet. 

“Why all the face rubbing?” Wrecker asked. “She’s been doing that a lot.”

“That’s how wyverns display affection.” You rubbed your head against hers and she returned the gesture. “They don’t exactly hug.” 

“She sure looks like she’s hugging you right now.” He grinned. 

Your steps faltered for a second. The feeling of her wings tightly tucked against your chest plate finally registered, not only as an occurrence, but as a hug. 

“Huh. Guess you got a point.” Warmth spread through you at the realisation. “Thanks for pointing that out.”

Wrecker’s head tilted at the softness of your voice. “Why?”

You adjusted your grip on the sturdy little feet and pushed her slightly higher so she could hug you better. “She’s gonna grow really fast. I can still hold her now, but in a month she’ll be way too heavy. And I wanna remember that hug, so thanks for pointing it out.”

He beamed. “You’re welcome.”

Gazing forward down the trail, a single thought rang through your mind. If only he had been a villager. It would have been nice to hang out with him. Perhaps he could have helped you with the orphanage seeing as he liked them younglings as much as they liked him. Forging connections with wyverns came naturally to him, so much so that you were certain many of your charges would have competed between themselves to become his partner had he been one of your peers. Wrecker’s kind nature drew them in and seeing him go would most definitely trouble Silica who has been bonding with him through the attention he showered her with. 

The sun nearly reached its peak, cramping up the heat beneath the trees. You were grateful for both the coverage offered by the leaves and for the slits running down the sides of your pants. The air caressing the exposed skin of your thighs was heavenly. How you wished to simply jump onto Raek’s back and take to the sky, the force of the wind would cool you down instantly. Alas, duty tied you to the ground. A side glance to Tech wiping down sweat trailing down his forehead told you that they were not immune to the heat either. 

Despite it, none of them voice any complaints. They pushed through, determination and discipline guiding their steps. 

You took in their armor, dark - at the exception of Tech's -, intimidating, the paint singed at some places. Before yesterday, you had never met a soldier and hadn’t given a thought at the war gripping the galaxy. You were amongst the lucky ones, you supposed, fortunate enough to not know the pain that came with the conflict. You had your own killing machines to take care of, both those who looked up to you and those who wanted to feast upon your flesh, but now faced with the very men fighting for your side of the war, you couldn’t help but feel like you had been self-centered. 

“How’s it like being a soldier?” You asked before you could truly think it through, your gaze inadvertently moving to his cybernetic eye and the scar marring the side of his face. 

Wrecker looked down at you, brows furrowed in confusion. 

“What do you mean?”

“Do you like it?” You clarified. In spite of your limited attention to the war, it was well known that clones were literally bred for war. Your planet was under the Republic’s wing after all. The thought of being created to serve a sole purpose given to you by others sat wrong with you and that was withstanding the fact that they were created for war. These men walking next to you were not weapons nor computer systems, they were sentient and kind and funny and fully deserved to have a say on their own lives. 

As a Rider, it was one of your duties to protect your village. You had chosen this life knowing that you could very much lay down your life one day to offer assistance to others, a choice they didn’t have the chance to make. What did that make them in the eye of the Republic? Things to manipulate at their own will? The prospect of these men being objectified, used and replaced if broken without a single thought to who they were angered you. 

“It’s great! I get to blow things up!” The genuine smile and enthusiasm threw you off slightly, simmering down your boiling thoughts. You hadn’t expected this much joy at being used as tools. Yet, this wasn’t exactly what he had said, had he? 

As tempting as it was to push the question of his willingness to play soldier, you knew it was wrong and would lead to nothing. It wasn’t like they would suddenly have an epiphany and desert because one little lady in a rain forest asked questions they most definitely asked themselves at some point. Mutinous talk should probably stay unheard. 

“Isn’t it dangerous?” You couldn’t help but add. Wrecker shrugged. 

“Guess it is. But I know explosives and how to work them fine.” He grinned. “And the clankers have no chance against us! We have a one-hundred percent success rate, you know!” He finished with pride. 

You hummed, his energy soothing your concerns if only slightly. The discoloration of his cybernetic eye and the nasty scar on the side of his face was enough to keep you rooted in reality. Wrecker could die at any moment. Probably almost did more than once. Your stomach dropped at the thought. 

You physically shook the thought from your mind and stubbornly decided to avoid thinking of the reason why you were this…worried - no - concerned in the first place. 

“I don’t know how you do it. Fighting in a war sounds scary.” You faintly recall hearing that droids were taller than you and came in numbers so as to overwhelm their enemies. In your ears, being faced to a sea of tall robots ready to send you to your grave with only a blaster to defend yourself sounded pretty scary. You were not well versed in anything military, but you could guess that they being commandos explained the size of their squad as well as their efficiency and successfulness. 

“It’s alright. The clankers are just big bags of scraps! Not like that big flying wyvern with the blade tail, that one was scary. And you chased it away like it was nothin’!” 

You pursed your lips as realization came too late. War wasn’t something you knew and the unknown scared you. Yet, all they’ve ever known was how to maneuver active battlefields and come out on top. The reverse was also true; wyverns that were common, low hindrances for you were humongous threats to them. 

“Spathas sure are imposing.” You agreed. “But you get used to it after a while. They aren’t the quickest around so you can easily get one down if you know where to strike.” 

Between the trek through the thick rainforest, Silica’s semi-constant squirming and her overall weight, it did not take long for your arms to become sore. She wasn’t as small or light as she used to be. The temptation to push your limits and continue carrying her was strong, however it wasn’t an option, not when you were the main fighter of the group. It was your responsibility to keep the group of clones safe and to do so, you needed your energy to fight in case of a wyvern or high leviathan attack. Dead arms would not do you any good.

“Right, you should be fine by now. Down you go.” You tried to let Silica down by releasing her feet but she held on, wings flexing and feet moving to the small of your back for support, shifting the burden of her weight from your arms to your back and core muscles. You clicked your tongue. “Hey, I said down.”

Low rumbles drowned her whines as she remained stubbornly attached to you. Before Raek could even take a step closer to remove his child, she suddenly detached from you in a squeak. 

“It’s alright, I’ll take her!” Wrecker turned her in his arms so she laid on his front, his forearm offering the same support you did behind your back. 

You grabbed the axe from his other hand before it hit someone. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to!” Silica rubbed her head on his helmet so hard you wondered if he had enough padding to protect his head from the composite. “She likes me!” He pointed out loudly, happiness dripping from his voice. 

Yeah, you’d need to keep a close eye on her once the commandos left. 

Strapping the axe to your back, you shrugged. “As you wish, but put her down whenever she gets too heavy.”

“Ha! That’s not gonna happen. I’m stronger than I look!”

A huff escaped your mouth without your consent. He was built like a brick house and looked strong enough to bend metal walls with some punches. Stronger than that? You were almost scared to ask. 

“Is that even possi-” A shimmer caught your eye and muscle reflexes kicked in. The axe was already in your hands, fingers pressed to the trigger activating the Sparsuchus cells forming the weapon. You brought the axe up in a swift cut through the air, launching a shockwave towards your target. The Vanisher is quick to jump to another tree to escape the attack, its camouflage failing as two blaster bolts charred the thick skin of its back and the shockwave dug deep gashes in the flesh of its hind leg. 

Crosshair’s support fire came as a nice distraction as you rushed forward, engaging the Vanisher. The clone’s yelps of surprise soon morphed into barked orders that you barely registered under the roar of the raging high leviathan. You dove forward to avoid the leaping beast, its arm-long claws reaching for your frame, following with a swipe of your axe to its already injured leg. The shockwave splattered blood in every direction, covering half of your visor. 

Habits urged you to jump backwards and create distance in case of retaliation, yet the Vanisher ignored you in the face of the rain of bolts hitting its form. You wiped the blood away and took in the men’s positions. Echo and Tech flanked Crosshair who slowly retreated to create distance between them and the navy beast, marching right under Raek’s belly. The Starios used his imposing wingspan to intimidate the threat into staying away from the clones, menacing snarls backing his threats. Wrecker was nowhere in sight while his sounds of protests were everywhere, coming from further away. Knowing your partner, he probably forced the trooper carrying his young to the back of it all, far away from the danger. 

A black streak caught your eye, prompting you to jump back into the fight as Hunter reached the other side of the leviathan, his sword at the ready.

“Squeeze the trigger!” You yelled at him, your own strike falling in tandem with his. Your shockwave did not go unnoticed this time. The Vanisher turned on itself, claws flying to cut you apart. Its movements were slower than moments prior, allowing you to leap backwards and avoid the hit. 

Quick on your feet, you performed a dance so familiar it was almost second nature. You alternated between offence and defense, striking and dodging. The sound of your heartbeat resonated loudly in your ears and heat engulfed your body in a well-known blanket. Your once emerald armor became progressively tainted in blood and dirt. 

With Raek keeping away to cover the clones and most probably keep tabs on the precious stowaway, you were left to take care of the majority of the altercation. 

You slashed twice as hard as you usually would in hope to shorten the fight. What would usually take nearly an hour, you aimed to cut in half. Battles of attrition were a weekly occurrence. Everyday you worked on your endurance, but you couldn’t tell if the commandos were the same. They most probably were resilient, however fighting a wyvern required another whole level of fighting durability. 

Hunter’s use of the Orixus sword showed that he wasn’t used to this type of weapon, or perhaps it was the size that caused problems. He manipulated it just fine, although fine could not win against a high leviathan. He would need to master it, yet there was no time for him to learn. On the bright side, what he lacked in power, he offered in distraction. 

As the Vanisher concentrated on Hunter and you didn’t have to dodge every two seconds, your own hits connected with force. Each strike resonated like thunderclaps, the blasts wearing away at the wyvern’s health and resolve. 

The Vanisher screeched, pressing its face to the dirt and scratching itself with its front paws. The sudden frenzy caught you by surprise mid strike, leaving you open for a tail to hit you square in the side as it jerked around in pain. The air whistled in your ears as you flew through the air, before you crashed on the ground. 

Your lungs emptied on impact, keeping you from yelping as you bounced and tumbled into various rocks and roots protruding from the earth. The world stabilised and the pounding in your ears eased. Oxygen returned to your lungs, slowly, carefully. Each breath caused a burning pain to envelop the right side of your chest. 

Hands supported your shoulders as you sat up. Tech looked you over, his visor covering his eyes. You could hear his voice but did not register any words. He reached over and you tried to push his hands away from your helmet. You were fine. Sore, but fine. 

Just as you successfully managed to untangle yourself from the pushy engineer and began standing up, bigger hands pushed your ass back to the ground. You grunted both in discomfort and annoyance. 

“Get off.” Your new attempt at pushing Tech away failed. He removed your helmet and grabbed your cheeks to keep you steady. “I’m fine.” 

“You were projected twenty-seven meters away and crashed. The chances of you suffering a concussion, spinal trauma or bone fractures are-”

You struggled against Wrecker’s grip. “I’m just winded.” You took care to slowly breathe in as to avoid wheezing. That would probably get him going forever. “‘s not the first time I got knocked back. I’ll live.”

“My scans show that you are not, as you say, 'fine’.” He leveled you with a no-nonsense look. “Four ribs are bruised and two of them sustained small cracks.”

“So, none are broken?” 

His eyes closed to a slit, half intimidating, half daring you to protest against his next words. “No. Not yet.” 

A beat of silence passed. 

“So I’m fin-”

“You’re not!” He admonished. 

“Do we need to abort the mission?” Hunter’s voice came as you rolled your eyes at Tech’s outburst. His presence brought you up to speed. If he was here, who was fighting the Vanisher? You glanced behind him to see Raek keeping guard over the unmoving body of the leviathan. You slumped. 

“Good job on the kill.” 

Hunter towered over your seated frame. His head tilted to the side. “Raek did most of it.” He turned to his brother. “So, abort?” 

“If she refrains from entering another fight-” The snort that escaped you was purely unintentional. Tech glared in response. “Perhaps we should go back and request another guide.”

“As much as I’d like to, it would be a waste of time. I just need a tonic and I’ll be right as rain before dinner.” You pushed the hands keeping you down and this time they let go. “You seem to forget that this is what I do for a living.”

“A tonic? This is bones we’re talking about!” You ignored Tech’s indignation to scout for your lost weapon. Echo kindly handed it over. 

“I am aware of what ribs are, thank you very much Tech.” You mumbled as you put your helmet back onto your head. 

“Yeah Tech, stop badgering her. She said she’s fine.” Wrecker came to your rescue. “Didn’t know the axe could do that!” He said, his attention now on you.

You turned to him, appreciative of the support. “It’s the Sparsuchus cells, they-” You stopped short, your brain registering something wrong. “Where’s my four-legged baby?” Your head swiveled around, trying to find your fiery orange hatchling. 

“She’s right behind m-” Wrecker turned as he answered, his words dying on his tongue as he took in the green grass behind him and the absence of said four-legged baby. 

Your heart pumped faster. Your ribs hurt. Hunter cursed. 

“She can’t be too far.” Echo tried to reassure you as your head snapped in Reak’s direction in the hope that she had joined her sire. Your hands became clammier by the seconds, the lack of visuals on your charge affecting you greatly. You looked around frantically with no better result.

“He’ll find her.” Crosshair nodded towards his CO whose head was slightly angled downwards like he was concentrating. 

Seconds passed, silence stretched, your nerves frayed. You couldn’t dare glance back at Raek. He was meters away, tearing through the flesh of the Vanisher in the prospect of the upcoming lunch. You knew he would soon start shredding smaller portions for his girl if he wasn’t already. 

You knew you had to tell him, the words were on your tongue, but your head was so full of what ifs and of bloody memories, your ears were bombarded with phantom cries and your veins were on fire. 

Nausea gripped your throat at the thunderous sound of heavy steps marching your way. The slow progression felt like fatality. You craned your neck to take in the approaching wyvern, his questioning yellow eyes meeting yours as you removed your helmet. 

Raek has been your partner for nearly half your life. One glance at your devastated expression was all it took. He glanced around, noticed the disappearance of his offspring and immediately took off into the sky in a roar.

Tech and Echo fought to regain balance as the powerful beat of Raek’s wings moved the air and lifted fallen leaves off the ground. Instincts screamed at you to follow suit, to look every bush, upturn every den, yell her name until she came back, to not stop until she was back in your arms, hitting your head hard enough to give you brain damage. 

Phantom wings wrapped around your shoulders and laid on your torso. Your blood froze at the thought that the hug she gave you merely an hour ago would be the last. 

Your heartbeat quickened as heat spread through your veins, urging you to move. Your first step was wobbly, the second was more secure and the third was determined. A hand grabbed your wrist in a steel grip, interrupting you in your mad dash. You attempted to pull your hand free as you fixed Hunter with a mask of panic. 

“Let-”

“That way.” He pointed to the side. His hand squeezed as your head snapped in the direction. “Stay with us. Let us help.” 

You nodded, a new heat wave engulfing you. They ran by your side, Hunter at the lead. Distant cries reached your ears, followed by laughter. Human laughter. 

Your hand clutched your axe tighter, the other shoving your helmet back in place.

This time, before Hunter could stop you from breaking formation, you hurriedly side-jumped him and breached the line of trees. With a curse, the men followed. 

Bile rose in your throat.

Pinned under a Shimmering Tyrant was your small hatchling, crying out. Her tiny frame squirmed in the grass in a desperate attempt to free herself and cower away from the gaping maws closing around her head. 

Your heart stopped. You were too far to do anything.

Silica screeched the same time you did.

Heat shot past your neck in a blue bolt and hit the Tyrant in the eye. It recoiled and yelped in pain, scratching its head in the dirt like the Vanisher did minutes prior. Crosshair’s rifle remained trained onto the beast, its barrel passing right over your shoulder. 

Laughs abruptly came to a stop. Five sets of eyes turned in your direction, their expressions ranging from surprise to anger. 

Without the leviathan keeping her down, Silica crawled to her feet, whimpering. You approached, the sight of her so close pulling at your heartstrings. One of them, dark-haired, green eyed and annoyingly muscled, pushed her back down with his foot, his gaze never leaving your form. 

His armor, along with his comrades’, were composed of mismatched materials. Chimeraos fur, Pygmy Woodland wyvern hide, Sparsuchus scales, Nautile scales… A colorful combination. Yet, there were no Shimmering Tyrant spikes in sight. 

As you closed the distance, your brain registered the size of the scales covering his chest. Some could cover the pad of your thumb, where others were as small as your pinky. They were nowhere near the average three-inch adult size scale. 

Something in you snapped. 

“Let her go.” You growled, jogging to get closer. Hunter’s call of your name fell on deaf ears. The raider lifted his rifle, aiming at your head. The Shimmering Tyrant hissed in warning from where it stood behind its partner. “She’s mine.” Against your wishes, your feet stopped moving.

Progressively, your surroundings noticed the scuffle. The lower leviathans fled through the underbush to regain the safety of their dens, insects put an end to their chirps and klicks to scurry away, the breeze fell. The forest became silent, enraptured, watching as tension rose and eagerly awaiting the upcoming disaster.

The raider scoffed, a smirk stretching his lips in a cocky manner. “Found the runt first though. You know what they say, finders keepers.” 

Your blood boiled. “You fuckin-”

“Let’s talk about this, lads.” Hunter intervened. You heard his cautious steps join your side. You were certain the hand on your bicep was meant to be something calming or reassuring. It was clear to anyone with eyes that the situation at hand had to be handled carefully to ensure the best outcome and Hunter, as a seasoned CO with wartime experience and a perfect success rate was the best one out to tread the situation. It was wise to give him the reins. 

Yet as it turned out, you were way past your limits allowing you to think wisely. 

“Right right.” The same man waved you off with a hand. “You want the flyer back?” He twisted his boot on Silica’s nearest wing, causing her to bellow in pain. “Whatcha have to offer for it?”

“You can stay alive, how’s that for payment?” You spat, venom dripping from your tone.

The Rider laughed as Hunter called your name again and pulled you behind him, his grip tightening in warning. “You should let the men do the talking, darling. We’d get better results.” He snickered, his gun still aimed at your face, boot digging into Silica’s wing who kept crying. 

Hunter took a step forward to take control of the negotiations when you held him back using your free hand. He hadn’t noticed him yet. 

“Men?” You scoffed. “Sure. Talk to her dad.” 

The ground shook as Raek slammed into the ground from above, the sounds deafening through the silence. Dirt and leaves flew upwards, blinding the Raiders who lacked helmets. 

Hunter tensed. Clear as day through the momentary chaos, you heard his breath catch in his throat, and you knew he hadn’t missed it either. 

The dust settled, revealing the Shimmering Tyrant stuck in Raek’s mouth, blood oozing in constant rivulets, and the Raider leader crushed under sharp talons, wheezing. Blood splattered from his mouth as he attempted to cry out.

You crept forward, your eyes never leaving the Raider’s comrades, filtering through them to find which one would snap out of their daze first. One of them gripped his sword tighter and you were ready. You dashed forward, parrying the sword aiming for Raek with your own weapon. A kick to the stomach sent the man tumbling back.

The Shimmering Tyrant was thrown overhead as bolts rained on the Raiders and Raek roared. The men fell like flies. 

With shaky hands, you discarded your axe to kneel beside an equally shaking Silica. Cuts  littered her shoulder and neck, and blood trickled out of some tears in her right wing. Instincts took over, guiding your hands to your pouches and layering coats of bacta. 

Tech and Echo kneeled beside you, looking her over. Their words were lost under the enraged roars of your partner digging his claws deeper into the offending man. The clones shared a look before looking back at you. 

The Raider’s muffled gasps and pleas for mercy came to an end in a wet crunch as his chest was crushed under Raek’s weight. Echo’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. On autopilot, you stuck bacta patches wherever needed. It wasn’t until your baby crawled into your lap and forced herself as deeply into your body as she could manage that you got control over your shaking. She was back into your arms. Alive.

The clones retreated from your side under the stern gaze of the emerald wyvern. With the added space, Raek approached to lean his head against Silica’s back, comforting himself with her contact, just as you were. 

“She okay?” Wrecker asked, his anxieties bleeding through his tone. You released a breath as you stood, pushing your fear and anger as far down as you could before nodding once. His shoulders dropped in relief for a short second before he became taunt again. 

“‘s not your fault.” You assured him.

Even if your heart told you otherwise, your brain knew that you could not hold what happened against him. The fact of the matter was that it wasn’t the first time Silica had ventured away from where she should have stayed put. She was supposed to be at home, waiting safely for your return along with the rest of your charges. She was Raek’s and your responsibility, not Wrecker’s. The fault laid in your camp. You should have anticipated that Wrecker’s attention would be solely on the fight and not on a careless hatchling, he was a soldier first and foremost. If anything, you were now certain she wouldn’t sneak away again. 

“I put her down to try to get the lance…” He explained, eyes full of remorse. “I didn’t think people would take her.”

“Considering the significant distance we crossed to find her and how none of us noticed any of these intruders, it would be a safe hypothesis to say that she ran away.” Tech pointed out. 

“He’s right.” You chimed in when it became clear that he did not believe a single word his brother said. In the face of Wrecker’s self-inflicted pain, the last of your remaining outrage snuffed out. “No harm, no foul, Wrecker. It’s what she needed.” He frowned, his eyes screaming indignation. “It might sound harsh, but experience is the best teacher.” 

Raek retreated slightly, allowing you to lift his offspring onto his back where she balanced herself with practiced ease. Silica’s shaking had subsided enough that you were confident in her ability to stay where you left her without tumbling down. Soft whines followed you as you made your way to the Raider’s body to kneel next to it, staining your poleyns in red. 

“What are you doing?” Crosshair wondered, watching you carefully push the body of the man over so he laid face up. 

“Freein’ his soul for its passage.” You explained, as you used a clean cloth from your pouch to remove the blood from around his mouth and nose. “He might have been an asshole, but he was someone’s child and friend. Maybe even a brother. Or a lover. He deserves to be freed.” You weren’t against Raek’s actions, he had protected his child from harm and retaliated the way nature did when it was threatened. Echo’s weary gaze betrayed his thoughts, those in which he believed the situation went overboard. Your opinion differed. Human morals could not be forced onto wyverns and leviathans. “I don’t know what brought him to be this vile, but I do believe in second chances and his soul deserves to pass onto the next life.” You fished through your belt, pulling out the soulstone you kept in there. “Perhaps he’ll turn out better than he did in this one.”

A feeling of heavy judgement prickled the back of your neck and you knew, almost to the point of hearing his words in your head, that Tech was rebutting your beliefs. He probably would have done so verbally if Hunter hadn’t snapped his head in his brother’s direction.

With more care than you probably should offer, you reached over and touched the smooth, translucent stone over the man’s heart. You mumbled the cleansing prayer under your breath, the words leaving your mouth with an ease you were not happy to possess. In response, warmth engulfed your fingertips as the soulstone reacted to the trapped soul and pulled it from its confines. You turned your hand, presenting to the sky the once colorless stone now shining a light blue. Its surface cast a soft glow against your palm. 

“It changed.” Wrecker noticed in awe. 

“The stone acts as a temporary refuge for the soul. It helps them to find the path to the Next.” 

You finished the last verse of the prayer and watched as the blue glow escaped the stone by the top, dissipating through the air like vapor. The soulstone was cold once more and the cycle was complete.

“You believe that it acts as a catalyst for reincarnation?” Tech asked, his hand reaching up to touch the side of his glasses. The red light fixed to the frame stopped blinking. 

“At least to free a soul for its next purpose, yes.” You noticed how his eyes moved from the stone to your eyes, doubt fighting with his logical mind. “You believe in the Force, yet not in souls?”

“The Force’s presence has been proven time and time again through sightings, analysis and experimentation, whereas souls and reincarnation haven’t.”

“You’ve seen one just now.” You pointed out, lifting the soulstone in emphasis.

“I’m positive that there is a logical explanation to this phenomenon.” Tech’s tone warned you that he would not take any argument on the matter.

Not that you cared. “Knock yourself out.”

“If you’d let me borrow the stone-”

“Not a chance.”

With the help of Echo who kept a hand on his brother, you avoided the engineer and knelt next to another Raider. You frowned at the steady rise of his chest. You were certain he got shot by a bolt. Even more strange was the lack of plasma burns. Looking over the rest of the Raiders showed that they shared the same state of unconsciousness. Some of them used wyvern scales to protect their most vital organs which would be blaster proof if the scales had been from an adult. Young ones had no chance against a 10,000 degree bolt. And that did not count for those with pelt armor.

“Thought your blasters were more lethal than that.” You remarked.

“That would be something called stun mode.” Crosshair explained, his rifle leaned up against his shoulder. 

You raised an eyebrow. That was an option? How did they survive this long sparing whoever aimed at them? You pushed the thought away, not having the energy to open that can of worm. “Neat.” You said instead. 

But then this brought up another issue. What would you do with them? As they were, their chances of survival were close to none should you leave them behind. With a click of your tongue, you pulled a metal flask out of your belt. You grimaced in apprehension. 

“You all might want to stop breathing for a while.” You warned them as you stood back up.

“Why?” Hunter asked.

“‘cuz that thing stinks so bad you can smell it klicks away.”

“And you need that because?”

“You guys stunned them for a reason, I’d wager. I don't know how long they’ll be out for, but if we leave them as is, something will just come around and get them. And this,” you shook the bottle and the sound of liquid sloshing around reached your ears, “is one of the most powerful repellents that can be found on Halria. It will keep any nasty fang away for days.”

“Seal your helmets, lads.” Hunter ordered, walking back.

Seals? Lucky bastards. You took a mental note of requesting an enhancement to Finn, the village’s armorsmith. With a deep breath, you removed the lock covering the cork and opened the bottle. Raek jerked back, his instincts telling him to flee far away from the threat, and Silica whined in fear. You spilled a third of the liquid onto the unconscious men, having no qualm into ruining their armor and possibly their sense of smell before closing the bottle and bolting. 

You rarely used your reserve of Cataclysm wyvern urine, mainly because it was terribly hard to obtain and its rarity made it an invaluable resource. Cataclysm wyverns were omens of death and brought natural disasters in their wake. They were feared by every organic species on Halria due to their size and destructive power. Obtaining a urine sample required to kill one of such beasts, which was no small feat. These fights tended to happen once every other generation and always brought their share of heavy losses. The last one, four years ago, nearly took your life. 

The clones kept the rhythm with Raek holding the rear. Your lungs burned in protest at your lack of breathing, but you pushed through. You needed to put as much distance between you and the spilled urine to save your olfactive receptors. 

You held your breath until black spots danced amongst the leaves and your steps faltered. Oxygen filled your lungs in a gasp but you kept running. The pungent smell burned your nose and was so potent you could almost taste it. You gagged and immediately mourned the fact that you couldn’t take Raek and fly high enough to escape the smell. As a last resort, you slowed your steps and avoided Crosshair to grab your pack off your saddle and pull out a tonic. You uncorked the vial with your teeth after pushing your helmet half off your face and threw your head back to down the medication in one go. The bitterness that usually made you cringe was a welcome change to the previous acrid one.

“You doing okay?” Hunter asked as he fell back to your position. 

“I’ll survive.” You assured. “Just gotta clear the first two klicks and then I’ll be able to breathe without wanting to hurl or eat dirt to change the taste.” You almost heard him cringe. “Be grateful for your seals.”

“Believe me, I am.”

“Using the repellent was unnecessary.” Tech cut in. “We did not have any reason to use stun mode other than regulations. We do not harm civilians if it can be helped, but if nature follows its course, then we are not to blame.” 

You spared him a single, annoyed glance before your foot caught into a rock and your helmet fell back into place with a vengeance as you fought to keep your footing. 

“And you’re telling me this now?” You grumbled.

“You didn’t offer us time to explain.” He countered. 

You stayed silent, idly wondering if dousing him the rest of the repellent would make you feel better. With a sigh, you decided that no, it wouldn’t, and continued running. 

When you slid into the empty seat across from him, a slow, amused smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"You're a long way from the dance floor, gorgeous," he drawled, his voice a low, gravelly purr that cut right through the noise of the bar.

"Maybe I prefer the view back here," you replied smoothly, leaning your chin on your hand, refusing to back down from his intense gaze. "Though I wasn't sure if you were actually watching the room or just hiding."

Crosshair leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, tilting his head as his eyes locked onto yours. "Hiding? Please. I just don't waste my time on things that don't interest me." He let the toothpick drop to his fingers, twirling it idly as his gaze dropped to your lips before locking back onto your eyes. "But you... you're easily the most interesting thing in this entire place."

"Is that your way of asking for my name?" you teased, a playful smile playing on your lips as you shifted a fraction closer, the heat of the bar suddenly feeling a lot more concentrated.

"I don't care about names," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave, heavy with a dangerous charm. "Names are for reports. I'm much more interested in finding out if you taste as sweet as you look."

"You talk a big game for someone sitting all the way in the back by himself," you countered, your voice dropping to a provocative whisper. You reached across the sticky table, your index finger daringly tracing the rigid line of his forearm, feeling the muscle flex instantly under your touch. "Are you just going to stare at me all night, or are you actually going to do something about it?"

Crosshair’s eyes darkened, a predatory glint flashing in them as he caught your hand, his long, calloused fingers wrapping firmly around your wrist. He didn't squeeze, but the possessive weight of his grip made your pulse spike. He pulled your hand slowly toward him, his thumb rubbing small, agonizingly slow circles against the sensitive skin of your inner wrist.

"Careful, sweetheart," he warned softly, leaning in so close you could smell the faint, sharp scent of his drink mixed with woodsmoke. "You're playing with fire, and I don't play gentle."

"Who said I wanted gentle?" you fired back, your heart hammering against your ribs as you leaned in to match his proximity, your lips barely inches apart. The heavy thumping of the music faded into nothing but background noise, the only thing that existed was the heat radiating between the two of you.

Crosshair let out a low, rough chuckle that vibrated right through you. His gaze drifted down to your mouth again, heavy and deliberate. "Let’s get out of here. My apartment is only a few blocks away," you whispered into his ear, gliding your hand across his hard chest.

He didn't say another word. He simply stood up, his hand sliding down from your wrist to lock his fingers securely with yours, pulling you out of the crowded bar and into the cool, quiet night air.

The moment the door to your apartment clicked shut, the lingering restraint shattered completely.

Crosshair slammed his hand against the wall beside your head, pinning you against the door as his lips met yours in a deep, bruising kiss. A breathless gasp escaped you, which he immediately drank down, his tongue sliding into your mouth with a hungry, desperate heat. His hands anchored firmly at your waist, lifting you slightly to press your hips flush against his. You could feel the rigid, hard line of his desire against your thigh, making a soft moan echo in the quiet hallway.

"You've been driving me crazy all night, Princess." he growled against your lips, his breathing already ragged as his hands slid beneath your shirt, his calloused palms searing against your bare skin.

He pulled the fabric over your head, tossing it aside carelessly before mapping your body with his hands and lips. He pressed hot, open mouthed kisses down your jawline, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of your neck until you were whimpering, your fingers tangled tightly in his short, silver hair.

Guiding you down the dimly lit hallway, his touch stayed heavy and possessive, keeping you flush against his side until you reached the bedroom. Before even thinking about joining you completely, he intended to take his time. He pinned your wrists above your head with one hand, his heavy body hovering over yours as he looked down at you, his chest heaving.

"Look at you," he rasped, his fingers trailing down your sternum, tracing the curve of your ribs down to your hips. "So beautiful. So perfect for me. Tell me what you want, sweetheart."

"I want you to ruin me.” you breathed, arching into his touch, your body begging for the friction.

"Is that so, Princess?” he whispered, a wicked, dark smirk stretching across his face as his hands move up to grab and tease your breasts. "You want me to ruin you?”

You moan, falling deeper into his lean chest while he teases you. ”Fuck..yes.. ruin me…”

"Good girl," Crosshair murmured, his deep voice vibrating right against your skin.

He climbed fully onto the mattress, his long limbs shifting to trap you completely beneath him. Reaching down, his large hands gripped the waistband of your pants, slowly sliding them down your legs along with your underwear, tossing them to the floor and leaving you completely bare beneath him. He slid down your body, his mouth following the trail his fingers had just blazed. He kissed his way down your stomach, his breath hot against your skin, making you shiver and press into the mattress. When his hands parted your thighs with a firm, unyielding pressure, you gripped the bedsheets for dear life.

When his mouth found the center of your heat, your hips buckled off the bed. Crosshair used his tongue with a ruthless, sharp precision, swirling and pressing against you in a rhythm that had you sobbing within seconds. His fingers gripped your hips to hold you still, his thumbs digging into your skin as he drove you absolutely wild. He listened to every broken sound, taking pride in the way he could make you unravel.

He slid two fingers inside you, stretching you out, his thumb never stopping its agonizingly perfect friction against your core. "Yeah, take it Princess.” he growled against your wet skin, his voice muffled but incredibly dark. "Look how wet you are for me.”

"Mm.. please.. more," you cried out, your hands tangling in the blankets.

Just as you reached the absolute edge, your body trembling on the precipice of a massive release, he suddenly pulled away, leaving you aching, empty, and burning.

He slid back up your body, his chest heaving as he stared down at you, his eyes dark with pure lust and triumph. "You like that, sweetheart? You like how easily I can make you shake?”

“Ah…please.” you moaned, wrapping your legs around his waist, pulling him down by his shoulders. "I need you inside me. I can't take it."

“Do you now?” he growled, a dark, dangerous smirk spreading across his face as he looked down at how thoroughly unraveled you already were. Then, his voice a rough order against your ear as he aligned his hard length at your wet, aching entrance: "You want me to ruin you that bad, huh, Princess?” He let out a low, wicked chuckle, a dark and deeply attractive sound that sent a heavy shiver straight down your spine.

With a low, possessive groan, he drove himself deep inside you in one smooth, heavy push. The sudden, overwhelming fullness made your eyes roll back, a loud cry escaping your lips. He stayed still for a moment, letting you adjust to his size, his thumb sweeping away a stray tear of pure pleasure from your cheek.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he groaned, his forehead resting against yours, his breath hot and ragged.

Then, he began to move.

The pace was fierce and demanding, a steady, punishing rhythm that had the headboard knocking against the wall. Crosshair was relentless, his muscles flexing beneath your hands as you gripped his shoulders for dear life. He pulled your legs higher, draping them over his shoulders to drive even deeper, hitting the exact spot that sent electric shocks of pleasure through your entire body. The room was filled with the sound of skin striking skin, your breathless cries, and his low, guttural grunts.

“Ugh, fuck, you're so tight," he growled, his pace quickening, becoming beautifully chaotic as he felt your inner muscles tighten frantically around him. "Just like that, Princess, take every inch of me.”

"Ah..I’m..I’m close!” you sobbed, grabbing his muscular bicep, completely lost in the rhythm, your hips arching up to meet every heavy thrust.

He picked up the speed, his thrusts becoming shallow and rapid, driving you right back up to the peak he had built earlier. "Come all over my dick, Princess," he rasped, his dirty words whispered directly into your ear as his teeth grazed your earlobe. "Show me how good it feels.”

The friction and the heat built to an unbearable intensity. With a final, deep surge, your walls clamped down around him as a shattering orgasm ripped through you, causing you to scream out into the quiet room. The sensation pushed Crosshair right over the edge. With a loud, ragged shout into the crook of your neck, he thrust one last time, unloading himself deep inside you as his entire body went rigid, trembling against you as the final waves washed over you both.

Afterward, the fierce intensity gave way to a profound, quiet tenderness.

Crosshair didn't just pull away and turn his back, instead, he provided the kind of aftercare that made your heart ache with warmth. He carefully slid out of you, rolling onto his side and immediately pulling you against his chest. He reached down, pulling the thick, heavy blankets up over your shivering shoulders to shield you from the chill of the room. Brushing a stray lock of sweaty hair from your forehead, he kissed your brow tenderly.

"Stay right here," he whispered, his voice incredibly soft compared to the gravelly commands from moments ago.

He disappeared into the bathroom, returning a minute later with a warm, damp cloth. He gently and thoroughly cleaned you up, his touch incredibly light and respectful. When he climbed back into bed, he drew you tightly into his arms, your back pressed against his chest. His long, calloused fingers began softly stroking your arm and hip in soothing, rhythmic patterns, whispering quiet assurances into your hair until your breathing evened out and you fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

When the soft morning light filtered through the blinds, you blinked awake, shifting to reach for the warm space beside you. It was empty.

A sudden pang of disappointment hit your chest as you realized Crosshair was gone, the sheets beside you already cold. But as you sat up, turning toward your bedside table, your eyes caught a small piece of flimsiplast resting under your glass of water.

You picked it up, unfolding it to find sharp, precise handwriting tracking across the page:

I had to report back to barracks before sunrise, but I didn't want to wake you. You looked too peaceful. Last night was more than I have words for. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the way you look at me and the way you sound when you're completely undone under me.

I know I said back at the bar that I didn't care about knowing your name. I lied. Tell me yours tonight. Proper this time. Just you and me. Be ready by 8.

— Crosshair

Hunter’s boot drops to the floor instantly. His dark eyes lock onto yours, a sudden, intense heat flaring behind them as his gaze traces the line of your collarbone before snapping back to your face. A slow, incredibly dangerous smirk tugs at the corner of his lips, and he leans forward, wrapping his large hands around your waist to drag you off the console and straight into his lap. His chest vibrates with a low, gravelly chuckle right against your ear. "Is that right?" he whispers, his breath hot against your neck as his grip tightens possessively. "You come up here looking for trouble, cyare, you’re going to find it. Now, are you going to keep teasing me, or are you going to do something about it before I do?”

TECH

Tech is standing by the primary diagnostic screen, entirely absorbed in a system readout with a hydrospanner in hand. You walk up behind him, stepping so close that your chest brushes his shoulder blades. You slide your hands under his open utility vest, your fingers tracing the heat of his ribs through his undershirt, before leaning up to press a soft, lingering kiss right below his ear.

"Tech," you whisper, your lips brushing his skin as you speak. "You’ve been staring at this screen for hours. I think your sensors need a completely different kind of input."

The hydrospanner clatters instantly out of his hand, bouncing off the workbench. Tech freezes entirely, his breath hitching in a high, strangled gasp as a fierce, dark flush rushes up his neck. He doesn't pull away; instead, his hands drop to cover yours, pressing your fingers harder against his ribs. He turns his head slowly, his goggles slightly askew, his dilated eyes fixed entirely on your lips. "Your... physical proximity is severely disrupting my focus," he breathes, his voice uncharacteristically deep and breathless as he spins around in your arms, trapping you against the edge of the workbench. "If you persist with this specific trajectory of stimulation, I will be forced to shut down the main systems entirely to accommodate you. Choose your next word very carefully."

CROSSHAIR

Crosshair is sitting on a storage crate in the secondary hold, meticulously threading a cleaning patch through the barrel of his rifle. He looks completely untouchable, a toothpick balanced lazily between his lips. You walk straight up to him, stepping right between his parted knees. You reach down, your fingers sliding into his short, silver hair, gently tilting his head back so he’s forced to look up at you, before your other hand slides down to slowly trace the edge of his jawline.

"Crosshair," you whisper, leaning down until your lips are barely an inch from his. "You spend so much time cleaning that rifle. I'm starting to get jealous of a piece of metal."

The toothpick stops moving instantly. His sharp eyes narrow, a dark, wickedly amused heat flaring behind them as he stares up at you. He slowly sets the rifle aside, his movements agonizingly deliberate. Before you can even finish your sentence, his long fingers wrap tightly around your thighs, effortlessly lifting you up onto the edge of the workbench. He steps in close, crowding right between your knees, his hands dropping to press flat against the wood on either side of your hips to trap you completely.

He tilts his head, a slow, devastatingly attractive smirk tugging at his lips as his gaze drops to your mouth. "Awh, is the princess getting jealous?" he draws, his low, raspy voice dropping to a quiet, teasing purr that vibrates right against your skin. He leans in closer, his lips brushing the shell of your ear as his hands slide up to grip your waist, pulling you flush against his chest. "You're a real menace, you know that? If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask. There is no need for you to be jealous of anything, you should know that you’re mine. Or would you like me to remind you, Princess?

WRECKER

Wrecker is sitting on the main lounge bench, lazily tossing a small thermal detonator casing up and down in his hand, looking thoroughly unbothered. You walk over, step directly onto the bench beside him, and straddle his lap, settling your hips against his. You slide your hands down his massive chest, your fingers digging lightly into the thick muscle of his shoulders, and lean down to look into his wide eyes.

"Wrecker," you tease, a playful, flirty smile on your lips as you trail your fingers up to his jaw. "You're always bragging about how much weight you can carry. Let’s see if you can handle this."

The metal casing drops to the floor with a loud clang as Wrecker let out a heavy, rumbling gasp. His massive hands immediately fly to your hips, his fingers digging into your skin with a sudden, possessive grip that completely stops his usual loud laughter. His face goes bright red, a massive, breathless grin spreading across his lips as he looks up at you. "Oh, you think you're real funny, huh?" he rumbles, his deep voice dropping to a low, rough growl that makes your chest tingle. He effortlessly shifts his grip, lifting you higher against him until you're completely trapped against his massive frame. "I can carry you across the galaxy without breaking a sweat! But since you're already up here... I'm not letting you down until you say please."

ECHO

Echo is leaning against the terminal console, flipping through a datapad with his human hand while his prosthetic arm rests quietly against his side. You saunter into his space, sliding your hands up his chest to wrap around his neck, pulling yourself up on your tiptoes so your body is pressed fully against his. You let your fingers twist lightly into the fabric at the collar of his shirt, leaning in until your breath fans over his lips.

"Echo," you murmur, your eyes dropping to his mouth before flashing back to his eyes. "You’re always so disciplined. It makes me really want to see what happens when you completely lose control."

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He's not affectionate in the stereotypical way. It's still Tech, after all. But he shows his affection in other ways. He sometimes says wonderful things about you like it's totally obvious and he's surprised you aren't aware. He seeks you out and loves to spend time with you. It's especially meaningful if he's overstimulated and seeks you out anyway. It's a sign you became his safe person. And honestly a huge honor. Same goes for physical touch. He's generally not very fond of it, but he will melt at any touch from you (most of the time, he can still be too overstimulated sometimes) if you're his comfort person. His biggest love language is probably acts of service, though. He will just do things for you without you ever having to ask, sometimes before you even realize you need them.

Also, another way he shows affection is placing his hand on your shoulder (as we see in the show on multiple occasions lmao)

Example:

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He would infodump a lot. He would spend A LOT of time with you. The friendship would probably start with you two having some shared interest, so he would talk with you about it a lot. He would also learn more about your other interests.

C = Comfort (How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack?)

He probably has a list of things that help you most, ranked. So that would depend a lot on who you are as a person and what your preferences are. Although if it was the first time...

He'd help you when you're feeling down by offering to do things with you that he knows you'll enjoy. Engaging in conversations about your interests. Stuff like that.

He'd help you when you were having a panic attack by keeping you grounded, helping you through useful exercises (point out x things you can see/hear/touch/smell/taste, etc). He'd also be very technical about it, assuring you that you'll be fine and you're just experiencing a panic attack, which will pass soon. Other specifics depend on what your symptoms are. If you're cold, he'll get you a blanket/give you his jacket, if you're hot, he'll fan you, etc.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He's never thought about it before you. Never even saw it as option. After you enter a relationship, he starts to think about it more often. You're preparing some meal and he just stops and stares at you, his mind suddenly running into directions it never has before. You're doing something with Omega and suddenly he's wondering how your children would look like if you had any. You're taking late night walks around Pabu and suddenly he realizes he wants to do this with you every day, till you both grow old together.

Now, Tech is great at following directions, so he would definitly be a decent cook. Same goes to cleaning. He likes things to be organized a certain way, so it'll never be a problem for him.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He would try to be gentle, but he'd be very matter of fact about it. He'd explain why he wants to break up, etc. And he'd likely see no reason why you can't stay friends afterwards (unless you did something like cheating).

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He's so comfortable in the relationship that at first he doesn't even think about it. He doesn't exactly see a point. Pabu is a small place where everyone knows everyone, so it wouldn't really change anything legally. You'd have to drop hints and eventually tell him straight up that you want to get married. His proposal will be perfect, though, he knows exactly what you like and dream of.

He won't really think marriage is that big of a deal. That is, of course, until the day of, when he will panic and his brothers will have to talk him down. And then he'll actually see you walking down the aisle in your wedding outfit and he'll genuinely cry. This might be the only time you'll ever see him cry, maybe except for the births of your children, if you'll have them.

And he will blush and suddenly start stammering if someone calls him by your last name.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Emotionally, he may be a little blunt sometimes, obviously. He says what he thinks and doesn't really get unspoken social rules. He'll certainly try to be gentle, but it won't always work.

Physically, he's super gentle. Not to the point of treating you like glass, of course, but he is careful. You're his most precious thing and he wants to treat you right.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Yes and no. He likes hugs, but only from specific people, at specific times, under specific circumstances, and under his rules. The closer he is to someone, the more he considers them his comfort person, the more likely he is to accept and even initiate hugs. He accepts hugs from his brothers and Omega (though not always), but you're the only one he actually initiates them with sometimes, and that's LONG into the relationship.

He rarely does fast hugs. Hugs with him often turn into cuddles.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Okay, I feel like he'd totally be one to not say it because he thinks it's obvious. He won't make a big deal out of saying it, and he'll likely do it while saying other things. Like "blah blah blah blah blah because I love you blah blah". And when you appear shocked, he'll just go "Well, of course I love you, is that not evident?"

Another way this could go is him just having a realisation at a random time. Like, you'll just be doing something absolutely normal you do every day and he'll just stop dead in his tracks, look at you weirdly for a while and then go "It would appear I am in love with you".

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He doesn't think he gets jealous — he insists he trusts you, therefore jealousy is illogical — but he absolutely does. Hes a bit insecure and if he sees some hot guy talking to you, he WILL get nervous. He doesn't really clock the feeling as jealousy, though, he just becomes very annoyed and prone to snapping at people.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Around others, his kisses are pretty brief and gentle. When you're alone, it depends on the setting. In the bedroom he tends to be much rougher — though still not really rough unless you ask him to be — than normal. It also depends whether he's overstimulated. If he is, he'll usually just give you a quick peck, if anything. If he's not, his kisses tend to be longer. He practically melts into you as all the tension leaves his body. He likes to kiss the palms of your hands, for some reason. On himself, he likes the quick cheek kisses. It makes him all giddy and causes him to blush every time.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Okay, it's not that he's bad with kids specifically, it's more that he's bad with neurotypical people in general. And children are still people. So he'd still be very much as awkward around them as he is around adults. Unless said kids were autistic as well, of course, then he'd suddenly be the best at handling them out of all of his brothers.

If he had kids with you, though, it wouldn't really be a problem. He'd still be Tech, of course, but raising someone since they're born is very different from just meeting a random person. There wouldn't be the factor of being unsure, uncomfortable, and having to mask. And your kids would grow up used to this, so they wouldn't see his bluntness and literal thinking as a problem either. Also, if you two had kids, he'd read every single book even slightly relating to children and parenting he could find.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He tends to wake up after you, since he often stays up late tinkering with stuff. When he wakes up and it's sunny, he'll always squint in a very specific way. It's REALLY cute. And he'll keep squinting until he has his goggles on. Before he puts them on, though, he likes to stay in bed for a while and just cuddle with you. He's very clingy while sleepy. When you two get out of bed and get ready, you usually make breakfast together. It's all really domestic and intuitive. You know each others needs and do things for each other without even giving the other a chance to ask. It's also pretty much the same every morning. Tech has his routines, and you two practically merged it with yours, so now you have one shared routine.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He usually stays up pretty late so it depends on whether you do too. If you don't, he'll often join you in bed when you're already asleep. But sometimes he'll go to bed early specifically to spend time with you. If you're also a night owl, he'll let you help with whatever he's doing and you'll spend that time talking quietly with each other.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

I'm a bit torn on this one. A part of me thinks he'd just sit you down after you start dating and insist on sharing life stories. The other part of me thinks he'd reveal things about himself slowly, during moments where it's a valuable context.

P = PDA (Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag about their S/O in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?)

He's very upfront about your relationship and he does brag A LOT. He's not really touchy, at least that's what people think. But his brothers can see how touchy he is with you compared to everyone else. He's not scared or embarrassed to show his affection in public either. But whenever you initiate something, he'll still blush like a teenager and start stammering a bit. It's just the effect you have on him.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Are you kidding? It's literally Tech. He remembers every little thing. He NEVER forgets anything. He remembers every single detail, no matter how small.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Probably when he first realized he could fully relax and unmask around you. He was fixing the Marauder and babbling about something while you sat next to him, and he suddenly stopped mid-sentence when he realized he's not filtering his behaviour or words at all.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He knows exactly what you're capable of, and he'll remind you of your limits should you forget them. "Are you sure that is the wisest course of action?" "Would you like me to accompany you?" He'd protect you mostly by making sure you're prepared and warning you of any dangers. And — if it comes to it — he can definitly fight.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Oh, he would be perfect at all this. He'd know exactly what kind of dates and gifts you dream of. He'd remember every anniversary and plan something perfect. He's also a huge perfectionist so even everyday tasks will be done flawlessly.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He's very blunt sometimes (obviously) and might accidentaly hurt you with something he says. He also tends to get so focused on singular tasks that he forgets about the whole world, including you.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He doesn't pay it THAT much attention, but he IS a little insecure about his appearance, especially when he's put next to his brothers — like Hunter and Wrecker — who are much more muscly than him. Not to a crazy extent, but he will be a little surprised when you choose him over his obviously more conventionally attractive brothers. That is not very probable statistically.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Absolutely. He reaches levels of comfort with you he never even thought possible before you showed up. I don't think he'd ever be able to accomplish this with anyone else if he lost you.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He fixes his goggles with his middle finger (I wear glasses and do that so now he does too. Except I do it out of habit and he does it deliberately).

If you want more headcanons about Tech, make sure to check out my autistic!Tech headcanons. It also touches up on his relationship with the rest of the Batch.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He doesn't like rude people. He also wouldn't want his partner to be set on "fixing" him. It's something that he heard a lot throughout his whole life, that he needs to change. He wants to feel comfortable with you, not have to even increase the masking compared to his regular level.

Z = Zeal (Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?)

Hunter moves the datapad onto the workbench next to him, his heavy, armored arm instantly wraps securely around your shoulders to pull you flush against him. Because of his enhanced senses, your sudden presence completely grounds him. He buries his face into your hair, breathing you in deeply, and begins making an incredibly soft, rhythmic humming sound in his throat, trait he only ever displays when he is one hundred percent relaxed.

"The datapad can wait," he whispers, his gravelly voice dropping to a soothing, private register as he presses a soft kiss to the crown of your head. "You're much more important to me, cyare.” He gently rubs his thumb against your arm, completely content to stay frozen in that exact position for hours just to keep you comfortable.

TECH

Tech is completely in his element at his workbench, goggles securely on and wires spilling across the table as he hyper focuses on fixing a broken terminal interface. His fingers move at lightning speed across the keys while he mumbles rapid calculations to himself, totally lost in his own world. You walk up directly behind his chair, lean over his shoulder, and gently rest your chin right on top of his head. When his typing doesn't stop, you take your hands and softly cup his face from behind, your fingers resting right over the strap of his goggles.

"Tech, I want your attention," you say softly, your voice cutting through his frantic muttering.

His hands instantly hover over the keyboard as a bright, geometric pink flush creeps up his neck and spreads across his cheeks. "I am currently handling live electrical currents, which makes this specific positioning highly illogical and potentially hazardous," he squeaks out, though he makes absolutely no effort to move away from your touch. The second you gently nuzzle his hair, he lets out a defeated little huff, carefully powers down his datapad, and pushes his goggles up onto his forehead.

Turning his chair around to face you, he grabs you by the waist and pulls you right into his lap, burying his face in your neck. "If you required companionship, you merely had to state the parameters," he murmurs, his voice dropping to an incredibly soft, shy register as his heart beats a mile a minute against your chest. "I will always adjust my schedule for you. The terminal interface is a fixed variable and your presence is... significantly more time-sensitive."

CROSSHAIR

Crosshair is lounging lazily on his bunk, chewing on a toothpick while staring blankly at the ceiling of the hold. He looks entirely unapproachable, radiating his usual cynical aura that effectively keeps the rest of the galaxy at a distance. You completely ignore the invisible barrier, climbing onto the narrow mattress and crawling right over his long legs until you lie down flat on top of his chest like a human blanket, resting your chin on his sternum.

You look straight up at him and say clearly, "Crosshair, I want your attention."

The toothpick immediately stops moving between his lips, and he rolls his eyes dramatically while letting out a small, possessive smirk. "You are incredibly needy today," he mutters, his voice a low, lazy drawl that lacks any real bite. He pretends to be annoyed by the disruption, but his large hands immediately find their way to your waist, tightening their grip to pull you up until your face is perfectly level with his.

He plucks the toothpick out of his mouth, tosses it onto a nearby shelf, and uses his long, steady fingers to gently tuck a stray piece of hair behind your ear. "Fine," he whispers, another tiny smirk forming on his lips as his thumb lingers to trace your cheekbone with uncharacteristic gentleness. "You win. But if you're going to use me as a mattress, you're trapped." He rolls over just enough to tuck you securely against his side, wrapping his long limbs over you completely so you can't escape even if you wanted to, before resting his chin on your head and closing his eyes.

WRECKER

Wrecker is sitting cross legged on his bunk, happily sewing a loose patch onto Lula while humming a loud, clunky clone marching cadence. He is absolutely bursting with physical energy, completely occupied with his favorite tooka doll. You walk directly into his line of sight, tug gently on the hem of his tank top, and open your arms wide.

You give him the absolute highest concentration of puppy-dog eyes you can muster and say, "Wrecker, I want your attention."

His eyes go wide as saucers, and he instantly drops everything he is holding. Lula falls to the floor and his sewing kit rattles against the frame, as a massive, radiant grin splits across his face. "CUDDLE TIME?!" he booms out at the top of his lungs. He immediately catches himself, clapping both hands over his mouth with a guilty look to ensure the noise didn't scare you, before whispering loudly, "I mean... cuddle time?"

He scoops you up into the biggest, warmest bear hug in the galaxy, lifting your feet completely off the deck and spinning you around once in the air before falling backward onto his bunk with you safely tucked on top of his chest. He acts like a walking radiator, making you feel like you've been wrapped in a heated blanket fresh out of the dryer. He reaches down to tuck Lula right between the two of you, rocking you gently from side to side. "You're the best, you know that?" he beams, wrapping his massive arms securely around your back. "We're staying like this forever! No one's allowed to wake us up!"

ECHO

Echo is standing near the cockpit threshold, intently reviewing tactical flight maps on a datapad in full soldier mode, his posture perfectly straight and serious as he checks off standard maintenance protocols. You walk up to his side, slide your fingers into his human hand, and gently interlock them.

You lightly tap a quiet cadence against the cool metal plating of his prosthetic arm, look up at him, and whisper, "Echo, I want your attention."

He blinks rapidly, his highly trained tactical brain completely short-circuiting at the sudden sensation. He looks down at your joined fingers, then up at your face, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of crimson in the dim lighting of the ship. "I... I was just completing the perimeter logs," he stammers, but the datapad is shut off instantly and clipped to his belt anyway as he squeezes your human hand back with an incredibly tender, protective grip.

You followed him as he toured you home, ending up in the bedroom. Crosshair's attention was drawn to the bedside table. Resting beside the lamp was a small wooden tooka figure. The carving had aged over the years. The wood was a little worn and there was a small scratch on one side, but it was still unmistakably the same one. The same one Crosshair has spent hours carving during a hyperspace jump a few years ago. He recalled you teasing him about the proportions when he'd given it to you. Slowly, he crossed the room and picked it up. For a long time moment, he simply stared at it. "You kept this?" His voice was quiet. "Of course I did." His eyes flicked towards you briefly before returning to the carving. His thumb brushed across its surface, tracing the marks he'd made. Carefully, he set it back down on the table.

Crosshair turned to the bed. The mattress dipped beneath his weight as he sat on the edge of the bed, his arms resting as his sides. His eyes were focused on the quilt below him as fingers traced the intricate patterns of the fabric. You eyed him for a moment, then pushed off the doorframe you had been leaning on. In two slow strides you crossed the room. His head lifted as you stopped directly in front of him. Crosshair stared up at you, his brown eyes searching your face with uncertainty. It was as if he was waiting for the inevitable moment you decided this had been a mistake. You could practically see the doubt lingering behind his eyes. The fear. The expectation that sooner of later you would tell him to leave.

Instead, you reached for him. Your hand rose slowly, giving him a chance to pull away if needed. He didn't. The moment your palm settled against his cheek his eyes fluttered shut. The reaction was so instinctive that it stole the air from your lungs. Your thumb brushed gently across his cheekbone. Beneath your touch, you felt the roughness of scared skin, the warmth of him, and the subtle shaky breath he released. Crosshair leaned into your hand before he could stop himself.

His hand slowly lifted from his lap and closed around your wrist. Not to move you away, but to hold you there. His fingers curled carefully against your skin. You watched his throat bob as he swallowed. When his eyes finally opened again, his face had softened. "I love you, Cyar'ika." That's all that it took for the tears you had been holding in to slip down your cheeks. Your other hand came up to caress the other side of his face. A relieved breath escaped him. Then his arms slid around his waist, pulling you forward until you were standing between his knees. You melted into his instantly, your own arms sliding around his shoulders as he buried his face in the crook of your neck. Crosshair held you tightly against him. One arm was on your hip and the other pressed against your back. Your fingers slipped into his hair. The silver strands were softer than you remembered. Gently, you combed your hand through them, pushing them back form his face. Crosshair sighed into you, puffing warm air into your collarbone. The reaction made your chest ache with affection. For all his sharp edges and stubborn pride, he's always melted beneath simple acts of tenderness. His forehead brushed against the side of your neck as he tilted closer, seeking more of your touch. A smile tugged at your lips. "I love you too," you mumbled against his hair as you placed a kiss.

After a bit, he finally pulled back just enough to look at you. His hand rose immediately, thumb brushing under your eye. The pad of it caught the trail of the tears that still lingered there. His brows pulled together at the sight of them. "Hey," he spoke quietly. His hand slipped behind your neck, guiding your forward long enough for him to press a kiss against your forehead. Then he leaned back against the mattress, never letting go of you. "Come here." You didn't need to be told twice. Crosshair tugged you down with him until you were both stretched across the bed. You curled closer, resting your head against his chest.

It wasn't long before sleep had begun to pull you under, your eyes growing heavier with every slow stroke of his hand along your back. Nestled safely in his arms, you let yourself drift off, lulled by the steady rhythm of his breathing and the warmth of his embrace.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •