“Seconds”

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me?? drawing angsty clone wars art?? in this economy?? more likely than you’d think.

(sorta-redraw of this thing from a year ago)

“Crossfire” pt.5

Commander Cody x Reader x Captain Rex

The glow of neon signs cut jagged shadows into her face as she pushed open the doors to 79’s. The music hit like a punch to the chest—thick, thrumming, alive. She hadn’t meant to end up here.

But when she’d gotten off the transport, alone and empty-handed, with the kid now a ‘Republic asset’ and Palpatine’s cold praise still ringing in her ears, this was the only place her feet knew how to take her.

The clone bar was alive with movement and noise, filled with off-duty troopers trying to forget the war for a few short hours. They laughed, danced, drank like their lives depended on it.

She just wanted to disappear into it all.

The bartender handed her something neon and stupid. She drank it fast, then another. And another. The buzz settled in her limbs like comfort. Like numbness.

He was just a kid. Force-sensitive, and full of light. And I handed him over to Palpatine.

She tried not to think about it. So she drank more.

And then—they walked in.

She saw them before they saw her. Cody, in civvies but still too clean-cut, golden-brown eyes scanning the room like he couldn’t turn off the commander inside him. And Rex, just a few steps behind, his shoulders broad, jaw tight, wearing the weight of command like a second skin.

She blinked slowly, trying to decide if this was real or just the alcohol playing tricks.

It was real.

They saw her. Stopped short. Eyes locked.

And then they came to her—Cody first, Rex just behind.

“You’re alive,” Cody said, voice low, controlled, but his gaze moved across her face like he was checking for wounds.

They were both staring. They weren’t angry—not really. They were trying to hide the storm of questions behind their eyes. She didn’t owe them anything. But that didn’t stop the guilt from slinking down her spine.

“So…” She lifted her drink lazily. “What brings the Republic’s golden boys here tonight? Hoping to find someone to help you forget how screwed everything is?”

“You were gone for months,” Rex said quietly. “And you didn’t answer a single comm.”

Cody added, “You could’ve told us you were alive.”

She glanced between them. “Why? So you two could fight over who gets to scold me first?”

That stung. She saw it in Cody’s jaw, the twitch in Rex’s brow. She hadn’t meant it. Or maybe she had.

The music shifted to something slower, darker. The kind of song that made people sway too close.

Cody surprised her by offering a hand. “Dance with me.”

She laughed, bitter. “Feeling sentimental, Commander?”

He didn’t smile. Just held out his hand again.

She took it.

On the dance floor, Cody kept one hand steady on her hip, the other barely brushing her back. He was tense—like he didn’t trust himself. She moved closer, body brushing his. Just enough to test him.

“You’re trouble,” he murmured, eyes locked on hers.

“You like trouble,” she shot back.

He kissed her.

It wasn’t rough or desperate. It was slow—cautious. Like he’d waited too long and didn’t want to screw it up. She kissed him back, lips brushing his softly, dangerously, until someone bumped into them and she stumbled, heart suddenly pounding.

She pulled away. “I need air.”

She didn’t look back as she weaved through the crowd and pushed out into the alley.

The night air was damp. She pressed her back against the wall, tilted her head up, breathing hard. The buzz in her chest had turned sharp now. Fractured.

“What was that about?” a voice asked behind her.

She turned.

Rex.

Of course.

He stood in the mouth of the alley, arms crossed, eyes dark.

“Jealous?” she asked, half-laughing, half-daring him to admit it.

He stepped closer. “You shouldn’t play with him.”

Her smirk faded. “I’m not playing.”

“You kissed him. After months of silence, you show up drunk and just—”

“What, you mad I didn’t kiss you first?”

He didn’t flinch. “You’re not okay.”

Something cracked in her.

“I’m trying,” she whispered. “I don’t know how to do any of this. The war, the kid, you. I never signed up for this mess.”

They stared at each other in the quiet.

Then Rex crossed the space in three strides and kissed her.

It wasn’t gentle. It was fire. Frustration. Longing. Everything unsaid between them. She clutched his shirt, fingers tangled in the fabric. When he pulled away, his breath was ragged.

“I’ve been thinking about you every damn day,” he said.

Her heart slammed in her chest. “Then why didn’t you come find me?”

“Because I didn’t want to find you dead.”

The words dropped like lead.

She stepped back, swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean to hurt either of you.”

“You still did.”

She nodded. “I know.”

He left her standing there, alone in the alley, unsure which kiss she regretted more—and which one she wanted again.

⸻

“You kissed her?” Cody’s voice cut the dark like a vibroblade.

Rex didn’t even flinch. “You did too.”

Cody let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah. I did. Because I’ve been worrying about her for months. Because I thought she might be dead. Because when I saw her again, I felt like I could finally breathe.”

“She kissed me back.”

“She kissed me back, too,” Cody snapped. “You think this is some kind of pissing contest?”

Rex stepped forward, voice lower now, rawer. “No. I think it’s too late for either of us to play noble.”

There was a pause—long and quiet. Neither of them looked at the other.

“She doesn’t belong to us,” Cody said, jaw clenched.

“No,” Rex agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want her to.”

Cody nodded slowly. “Then we’re both idiots.”

“Yeah,” Rex muttered. “But we’re in it now.”

Silence.

They didn’t say anything else. They couldn’t. There was no answer—no right move. Only damage done and more to come.

⸻

Her head was trying to kill her.

It had to be.

The pounding behind her eyes felt like someone had set off a thermal detonator inside her skull, and her mouth was dry enough to make Tatooine jealous. She rolled over, groaning, pulling the blanket over her face.

And then she noticed it.

Breathing.

Not hers.

She froze.

Lifted the blanket.

And there—laying on top of the covers, one arm behind his head, the other holding a data pad, perfectly at ease—was Kit Fisto.

She bolted upright with a groan, clutching her temples. “Please tell me we didn’t…”

Kit set the datapad aside. “No. You were very vocal about not wanting anyone in your bed unless it was Commander Cody or Captain Rex.” He smirked, just slightly. “You said, and I quote, ‘If I can’t have both, I don’t want either. But I do want both.’”

Kit’s lips pulled into a serene grin. “You passed out the first time halfway through crying about your crops.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I found you stumbling through the lower levels, completely smashed,” he said, voice maddeningly calm. “I walked you home. You insisted I stay because the ‘walls were conspiring against you’ and also because you thought I was ‘probably the only Jedi who doesn’t want to vivisect you.’”

“…Sounds about right,” she muttered.

“You also tried to get me to do a dramatic reading of your bounty logs.”

She groaned again. “Kill me.”

“I would’ve, but then you started crying again.”

“Okay!” She threw the blanket off and swung her legs over the bed. “Thank you for your public service, Master Fisto. You may go now.”

Kit rose with Jedi smoothness, unfazed. “You told me you trusted me, last night.”

She paused.

“And you said you didn’t know if you trusted the others anymore. Not even yourself.”

That sat in the room for a beat too long.

She turned to look at him, eyes bloodshot but suddenly sober. “Did I say why?”

He shook his head. “No. You fell asleep on the floor halfway through telling me about a defective hydrospanner.”

She let out a weak laugh.

Kit stepped toward her, not close, but close enough to offer peace.

“I don’t think you’re the enemy,” he said softly. “But I do think you’re lost. And I think you’re trying to keep the war from turning you into something else.”

She stared at him, the noise of last night crashing down like static. Rex. Cody. The kid. Palpatine. The Council.

Kit stood and poured her a glass of water. “You cried. You yelled. You kissed one of the clones on a dance floor and kissed the other in an alley. And then you tried to fight a waitress because she wouldn’t give you more shots.”

Everything was bleeding together.

“Why didn’t you just leave me in the gutter where I belonged?”

“Because, despite my early concerns, I don’t think you belong in a gutter.”

She sipped the water. “I’m sorry.”

He gave her a nod. “I’ll leave you to sleep it off. But… maybe don’t wait too long to talk to the people you care about. This mess? It only gets worse if you let it rot.”

“I should’ve stayed gone,” she whispered.

Kit didn’t argue. He just nodded once and said, “But you didn’t.”

And then he left.

Leaving her alone in the echo of too many choices—and a very, very bad hangover.

⸻

Silence took over the apartment, broken only by the kettle still screaming on the stove. She didn’t move. Just stared at the ceiling. The weight of the night was heavy. The confusion heavier. Every memory came in splinters—Rex’s hand on her waist, Cody’s voice in her ear, the heat of lips, the taste of regret.

A knock at the door pulled her from the spiral.

She froze.

It knocked again. Three times. Familiar.

She crossed to the door and opened it slowly.

Rex stood there, hands in the pockets of his civvies. No armor. No helmet. Just tired eyes and a quiet storm in his chest.

“…Hey,” she rasped, voice still ruined from alcohol and heartbreak.

He gave her a once-over. “You look like hell.”

“Feel worse.” She stepped aside without another word.

He walked in slowly. Glanced around like he was expecting someone else. “You alone?”

“Kit Fisto left an hour ago. He was just being decent.” She watched his jaw twitch. “Nothing happened.”

He didn’t look at her. Just stared at the empty bottle on the counter. “Everyone’s talking.”

“I know.”

He finally turned. “You kissed me.”

She swallowed. “Yeah.”

“Then you kissed Cody.”

“…Yeah.”

He took a breath, like he’d been holding it for too long. “You can’t keep doing this.”

“I didn’t plan to.”

He looked at her then—really looked at her. Like he was searching for something beneath the haze and the jokes and the armor she wore.

“What do you want?” he asked.

She looked down. “I don’t know.”

“You can’t keep hurting us while you figure it out.”

“I’m not trying to,” she whispered.

“Then stop running.”

Silence.

She didn’t know what to say. Not yet.

Rex turned to leave.

But at the door, he paused. “When you figure it out… when you really know—come find me. If it’s not me, I’ll live. But don’t kiss me again unless you’re sure.”

Then he left.

And for the first time in months, she didn’t want to run.

She wanted to stay. And clean the pieces she’d scattered.

⸻

Whispers traveled fast in the Temple.

Faster than transports.

Faster than truth.

By the time Master Kit Fisto stepped into the Council chambers, most of the senior Jedi were already seated—and they were looking at him with measured, expectant expressions.

Even Master Yoda’s ears twitched a little too knowingly.

Mace Windu’s stare was sharp as a lightsaber. “We’ve heard some… interesting accounts of your whereabouts last night.”

Kit didn’t blink. “Then I assume you already know I spent the evening ensuring a very drunk bounty hunter didn’t choke on her own regrets.”

Murmurs among the Masters. Ki-Adi-Mundi’s brow furrowed. “This isn’t the first time she’s been seen involving herself with members of the Republic.”

Luminara’s tone was clipped. “Nor the first time she’s manipulated proximity for influence.”

Obi-Wan folded his arms, but said nothing.

“She didn’t manipulate anything,” Kit said evenly. “She confided in me. The kind of honesty we’ve been demanding from her.”

Mace tilted his head. “And?”

Kit looked at him directly. “She’s in love with both of them—Commander Cody and Captain Rex. But that’s not what concerns her most.”

Now Obi-Wan stirred. “Go on.”

Kit’s voice was low. “She’s terrified of the Chancellor.”

Yoda’s ears perked. “Hmmm. Afraid, she is?”

“She didn’t say it directly. But I could hear it. She’s afraid of what she knows… and what he might do if she doesn’t play along.”

“That doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous,” Ki-Adi-Mundi warned.

“It means she’s been alone in the middle of a political war, with no clear side to stand on,” Kit replied firmly. “We sent her into the shadows and now condemn her for adapting to them.”

“She took a child from a warzone,” Luminara said. “Lied about how she got him. Hid from the Republic.”

“Because she was ordered to,” Kit said, sharper now. “And when that order changed—to something unthinkable—she defied it. She saved him.”

Silence followed that.

Windu was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Do you believe her loyalty lies with us?”

Kit hesitated. Then nodded. “I believe her loyalty lies with the people she cares about. And right now… that includes two of our most trusted commanders and Captains.”

Obi-Wan finally spoke. “The Chancellor won’t like this.”

“No,” Windu agreed, standing. “But he doesn’t get to dictate how we perceive loyalty. Or love.”

Yoda’s voice, gentle but sure, followed: “The dark side clouds much. But clearer, the truth becomes. Watch her, we will. But trust her, we must begin to consider.”

Kit bowed his head. “Thank you.”

As the Council slowly began to adjourn, Windu approached him quietly.

“You’ve changed your mind about her.”

“I have,” Kit admitted. “Because I stopped looking at her record… and started listening to her heart.”

Windu nodded once. “We’ll see if that heart leads her back to us—or away for good.”

⸻

She had just finished showering off the night—physically, anyway. The emotional fog still clung like smoke in her lungs. Her clothes were clean, the kettle quiet, and the apartment smelled faintly of burned caf.

When the knock came again, softer this time, she already knew who it was.

She opened the door, and there stood Commander Cody. Arms crossed. Still in his armor minus the helmet. His posture was less “soldier on a mission” and more “man at the edge of patience.”

He gave her a once-over. “You look better.”

She gave a tired smile. “You should’ve seen me this morning.”

“I did. In the alley.”

That shut her up.

He stepped inside, letting the door hiss shut behind him. He didn’t bother walking further in—just stood there, facing her like she was on trial. And in a way, she was.

“You kissed me,” he said flatly.

“I did.”

“You kissed Rex.”

She nodded. “I know.”

He exhaled through his nose. “Do you want us to fight over you?”

“No.” Her voice cracked like old glass. “Never.”

Cody tilted his head. “Then what are you doing?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.” He stepped forward. His tone was low—not angry, not accusing—just tired and honest. “You know exactly what you’re doing. You run when it gets too real. You lie when someone gets too close. You play both sides of everything so no one ever gets close enough to hurt you.”

She looked away.

“I don’t care who you choose,” he said, voice gentler now. “Rex, me, no one. I care that you keep lying. You keep manipulating people. You keep running. You say you care about us, but you treat us like we’re temporary. Like we’ll disappear the second things get hard.”

She stepped back, eyes welling up. “I’m trying, Cody. I didn’t mean for it to get this complicated.”

“Everything gets complicated with you.” He uncrossed his arms. “And I can handle complicated. But I won’t be your second choice. And neither will Rex.”

Silence.

Her throat was raw. “You’re not a second choice. You’re… you’re Cody.”

“Then stop treating me like a backup plan.”

That cut deeper than she expected.

He moved toward the door, then paused.

“For what it’s worth… I don’t regret kissing you. I’ve wanted to for a long time. But if it’s not real—don’t do it again.”

The door opened.

“Cody.”

He stopped.

“I’m scared.”

“I know,” he said softly, not turning around. “So am I. But we don’t get to use that as an excuse forever.”

Then he was gone.

And she stood there, in her too-clean apartment, surrounded by silence and the scent of burned caf, wishing she could burn away the shame just as easily.

Prev part | Next Part

I had a crazy thought today: What if Echo wasn't the only part of the Algorithm? What if the Techno Union had another person (Reader) hooked up at a separate location? They would have both Echo and Reader work together to solve complex strategic problems. What kind of relationship would form between the two, and what would happen after Echo was rescued?

“A Ghost in the Circuit”

Echo x Reader

The first time you heard his voice, it was distorted—filtered through wires, machinery, and pain.

“Who are you?”

You blinked through the sluggish haze of chemical sedation. The light above you flickered, casting your enclosure in sickly green. For a moment, you thought it was another hallucination. The Techno Union’s experimental sedatives had a way of blending reality with memory.

But the voice came again, clearer this time.

“You’re… not one of them.”

“No,” you rasped, throat raw. “And you?”

He paused. Then, quietly, like a truth long buried:

“CT-1409. Echo.”

That name—Echo—stirred something in the recesses of your mind. A ghost of a clone you’d heard rumored to be dead. Lost on the Citadel. But if he was here… then you weren’t alone in this twisted hell.

They Called It the Algorithm.

The Techno Union had no use for your body—just your mind. Your military experience, your understanding of Jedi tactics, your intuition. You’d been captured during a failed mission on Raxus, and while you expected torture or death, you hadn’t expected this: to be strung up like some living datastream, brain siphoned and cross-linked to an interface you didn’t understand.

They called it a miracle of modern war-efficiency. You called it a cage.

And Echo… he was the other half of it.

You weren’t in the same room—your pods were separated—but your minds were connected via the neural interface. Whenever they activated the system, your consciousness merged with his, just enough to collaborate on what they called “Strategic Simulations.” War games. Problem solving. Target prioritization.

You both knew the truth: they were using your combined intellect to predict Republic troop movements. Every algorithm you helped solve, every solution you helped generate, killed people you once called comrades.

“I hate this,” you whispered one day, during a low-activity cycle when the painkillers dulled your tongue. “I hate being part of this.”

A pause. Then his voice—steady but soft.

“So do I. But I think better when you’re here.”

You blinked. “…Thanks?”

“No, I mean it.” There was an awkward silence. “When I thought I was the only one… I was slipping. Couldn’t hold onto myself. But then you came. You reminded me who I am. Even in here.”

You swallowed, chest aching at the vulnerability in his voice.

“You’re not just a number, Echo,” you said. “You’re a person. And I see you.”

He didn’t answer right away.

“I see you too.”

⸻

Over Time, a Bond Formed.

There were days the interface ran endlessly—your minds linked for hours, pressed together in shared thought. You knew when he was angry, when he was calm, when he wanted to scream. You learned the rhythm of his reasoning, the cadence of his sarcasm, the echo of grief.

You shared stories in the dead zones. When the machines weren’t listening.

He told you about the 501st. About Fives. About Rex.

You told him about the Temple, your Master, your reckless flying.

Sometimes, you joked about escaping together. About finding a beach somewhere.

“Too many clones for me to trust the ocean,” he’d mutter. “One tide shift and half of them are trying to build a battalion out of sand.”

You’d laughed, a rusty sound. It felt foreign in your throat.

But that laughter became a kind of resistance. So did your connection.

The Techno Union noticed.

They began separating your sessions. Isolating your minds. Severing the link.

The day they cut the neural tether entirely, Echo’s voice disappeared from your thoughts like a light going out. You screamed against the restraints, powerless.

He was gone.

Days Passed. Then Weeks.

You started talking to yourself. Pretending he could still hear. Whispering plans you’d never execute, memories you weren’t sure were yours anymore.

Your mind began to unravel.

Until one day, the alarm blared.

You jerked awake as the facility shook. Outside your pod, Skakoans ran like ants. The machinery sparked. Your interface glitched.

And in the flicker of emergency lights—

A face.

Metal and flesh. Scarred and beautiful.

“Echo?” Your voice broke.

His eyes widened. “You—”

And then the moment was gone. Soldiers stormed in behind him. A trooper in matte black and red—Clone Force 99, you recognized them in a flash—pulled him back.

“They have another one,” Echo shouted. “She’s hooked into the system—she’s part of it!”

The taller clone, Hunter, paused. “Where?”

“There!” Echo pointed. “Don’t leave her!”

You tried to scream, but the interface surged, flooding your mind with static. Your body spasmed. Everything went white.

⸻

You Woke Up in a Medical Bay.

For a terrifying second, you thought it was still the Techno Union—until you saw the blue stripes on the armor around you.

The 501st.

And standing beside your cot, his Scomp link resting awkwardly against his side, was Echo.

Alive.

Free.

He looked thinner than you remembered. Hollow-eyed. As if he still didn’t quite believe it was real.

Neither did you.

“Hey,” you whispered, tears stinging.

He swallowed. “Hey.”

He crossed to you, hands trembling slightly as he reached for yours.

“I told them not to leave you,” he said. “I—I made them go back.”

“I knew you would.”

He laughed—a shaky, broken sound—and sat beside you.

“I thought I lost you,” he admitted. “When they cut the tether, I thought—”

“I know,” you murmured. “I felt it too.”

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. There was no need. You’d already shared your minds. Now all that remained was your hearts.

But Freedom Wasn’t Simple.

You were debriefed for days. The Jedi Council wanted answers. The Republic wanted data. Rex and Anakin debriefed Echo constantly, praising his resilience while ignoring the toll.

The 501st welcomed you cautiously. You weren’t a clone, not a general, just… someone in between. A survivor like Echo. A curiosity. A symbol.

The worst part? The silence between you and Echo.

Not intentional. Not cruel.

Just… fragile.

He was different now. Wary. Reserved.

You tried to reach him. But he kept walls up.

He still spoke to Rex and Jesse and the occasional whisper to Fives’ ghost, but you could tell—something had changed. Like being out of the system had broken something inside him.

One night, after lights-out in the barracks, you found him alone in the hangar.

“I miss the link,” you said.

He turned, surprised. “What?”

“I miss knowing what you felt. What you were thinking. Now… I don’t know how to reach you.”

His face twisted—pain, guilt, grief.

“I don’t want you to see what I am now,” he said. “I’m not the man you met in there. I’m more machine than—”

“Don’t say that.”

He looked at you, exhausted. “You don’t understand.”

“I do,” you said, stepping closer. “I was there. They took everything from both of us. But that connection we had? That wasn’t because of wires or data streams. That was real. And it still is.”

He stared at you like a drowning man seeing shore.

And then—finally—he let you hold him.

He didn’t kiss you. Not yet. The pain was still too fresh.

But when you curled into him that night, metal against flesh, scars against scars, you both knew: the war wasn’t over.

But you weren’t alone anymore.

i made this instead of doing the things ive been "forgetting" to do

Hello! I gotta say I love how you write the banter between the clones and it honestly is so funny and cute. Could I get a Fox or Wolfe x reader where maybe he goes to wear something that he doesn’t know reveals a few marks from you the previous night and his brother notices and tease him? That’s the main request but I’d love if you’d add anything else plot wise to make it more full and complete Xx

“Battle Scars”

Wolffe x Reader

Wolffe didn’t go out often. Boost and Sinker practically had to drag him to 79’s that night, not because he hated it, but because he hated the noise, the chaos, the unwanted attention.

But mostly?

He just preferred being alone with you.

Unfortunately for him—and fortunately for everyone else—Sinker had shouted something about “you owe us after ditching two poker nights in a row,” and now he was stomping toward the bar in a casual black shirt (one you may or may not have helped him out of the night before), grumbling like a man headed to execution.

He hadn’t noticed that the neckline sat just a little wide across the collarbone. Or that a certain faint purple mark was blooming just below the edge of the collar on the left side. Or that there were more—not too obvious, but definitely visible if you were looking.

And Boost and Sinker? They were looking.

“Kriff, Wolffe,” Sinker said, the moment they’d taken a booth and ordered drinks. “You finally let off some steam, huh?”

Wolffe blinked, raising a brow. “What?”

Boost leaned in with a sh*t-eating grin. “Don’t act like you don’t know. I can see the bruise on your neck from here.”

Wolffe stiffened. “It’s not—”

“Don’t lie to me,” Sinker cut in. “That’s either a love bite or you got in a fight with a Nexu.”

Boost sipped his drink, eyes glinting. “And judging by the one just peeking above your collar? Our dear commander got wrecked.”

Wolffe growled, yanking his collar up slightly. “Shut it.”

“Who’s the lucky one?” Sinker asked, already leaning across the table like he was digging for state secrets.

“None of your damn business,” Wolffe muttered.

“That means it’s definitely someone we know,” Boost said with delight.

“Is it one of the medics?” Sinker mused.

“Maybe that intel officer with the legs?”

“I bet it’s—wait.” Boost froze, grinned wider. “It’s that civvie he always walks to the transport bay, isn’t it? The one with the nice voice—what was her name again?”

Wolffe looked like he was calculating murder odds.

“[Y/N]!” Sinker snapped his fingers. “She’s always smiling at you. Maker, I knew it.”

Wolffe stayed dead silent, drinking his beer with the expression of a man who would rather fight General Grievous shirtless than have this conversation.

“Wolffe,” Boost said slowly, “you sly di’kut. You’ve been holding out.”

“You’re smiling,” Sinker said, pointing. “Look at him, he’s smiling. That’s a post-blissful-night smile.”

“I am not smiling.”

“You are,” Boost confirmed, nodding sagely. “You look like a man who got thoroughly appreciated. Several times.”

“You know what,” Sinker said, raising his glass, “I’m just proud. Our boy’s finally unclenched.”

Wolffe muttered, “I will kill both of you.”

⸻

It was well past midnight when you heard a familiar knock—two short, one long—on your door.

You opened it to find Wolffe standing there, looking deliciously rumpled. His black shirt was half-untucked, collar slightly askew, his hair a little mussed, and that glare in his eye… the one that always meant either someone pissed him off, or he was thinking about you.

He stepped in without a word, the door hissing shut behind him. You crossed your arms, leaning back against the wall, hiding your grin.

“Well, hello to you too, Commander.”

Wolffe stopped in front of you, eyes narrowing.

“You,” he said lowly, voice rough with exhaustion and a hint of that familiar gravel. “Left marks.”

You blinked innocently. “Did I?”

He arched a brow. “Sinker counted three. Boost said one looked like it bit back.”

You tried—really tried—not to laugh. “I told you not to wear that shirt.”

“It was the only clean one,” he growled.

You shrugged with mock innocence. “Not my fault your brothers have eyes.”

Wolffe stepped in closer. His voice dropped, heated now. “They wouldn’t shut up.”

“Poor you,” you cooed, lifting your hand to his collar and gently tugging it further aside to admire your handiwork. “But if it’s any consolation…”

You leaned in, lips brushing just under his ear.

“I’d be very happy to leave more.”

Wolffe stilled for a moment. Then you felt the sharp exhale of his breath, the way his hands suddenly found your hips, firm and possessive.

“You’re going to be the death of me.”

You smirked. “Not tonight.”

His mouth was on yours before you could get another word out, rough and hungry and just the right kind of desperate. You didn’t mind. You’d apologize for the marks never.

And judging by the way he walked you backward toward the bedroom?

Neither would he.

Fives has an important message for you!

“You Talk Too Much (And I Like It)”

Tech x Reader

You always had a lot to say. About everything. Planets, food, stories from childhood, dreams you had the night before, conspiracy theories, music recommendations, the absolute travesty that was the vending machine on Cid’s ship. Most people tuned you out after five minutes. Echo smiled politely. Wrecker nodded along even if he didn’t follow. Hunter gave that big brother, I’m listening but please stop look. But Tech—

Well, Tech never said much at all.

You were sitting beside him in the Marauder, your legs crossed on the seat, recounting—quite animatedly—a story about the time you tried to fix a speeder bike and ended up launching it through your neighbor’s wall. Your hands flailed in the air like you were directing a play.

“And I swear, it wasn’t even my fault! The wiring was labeled wrong, and boom! Gone. Just through the wall. Like—whoosh!” You gestured dramatically. “And the guy didn’t even get mad! He just looked at me like, ‘Again?’ Like it was normal! I mean, do you know how often something has to happen for someone to say ‘again’ like that?”

You laughed at your own story, expecting the usual silence or maybe a smirk.

But Tech didn’t even glance away from his datapad. “Statistically, it would take three prior incidents to normalize an event to that degree of resignation.”

You blinked.

“What?”

“Assuming he’s of average emotional intelligence,” Tech continued, typing something, “and factoring in a baseline tolerance for property damage, he would need to experience approximately three similar accidents before responding without distress.”

You stared at him for a moment, a grin creeping onto your face. “That’s… actually really interesting.”

“I ran a simulation once on behavioral desensitization. It was… enlightening,” he added, finally sparing you a glance over his lenses.

“Tech,” you said, leaning in slightly, “do you actually listen when I ramble?”

He looked confused. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I dunno… I talk a lot. Like, a lot a lot. You’re always so quiet.”

“I am processing,” he replied. “You provide a considerable amount of verbal data, but I do not find it unappealing.”

“…That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about me talking too much.”

He tilted his head, brows slightly raised. “It is?”

You laughed, this time softer. “You’re kind of weird, Tech.”

“Correct.”

“But I like that.”

He hesitated for a beat, then reached into his tool belt and held out a tiny, modified comm unit. “I made this for you.”

You blinked. “What is it?”

“It’s a personal recorder. For your stories. In case I’m not around to listen… or if you wish to remember them later.”

Your heart stuttered.

“Tech… that’s the sweetest, nerdiest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

He adjusted his goggles. “You are enthusiastic and loud. But I find the consistency of your presence… statistically comforting.”

You bit your lip to keep from grinning too hard.

“Wanna hear another story?” you asked.

“I’ve already adjusted the comm’s storage capacity for it.”

You didn’t know how to describe the warmth blooming in your chest—but you didn’t need to.

Tech already had a formula for it.

⸻

It started with the recorder.

Then came the noise-canceling earpieces—not for him, but for you. “In case you ever want silence but don’t want to stop talking,” he’d explained, eyes glued to a schematic, oblivious to how much your heart melted.

He began cataloguing your favorite snacks and replicating them with a portable food synthesizer. “I’ve programmed your preferred balance of salt and sweetness,” he said one night, handing you a makeshift granola bar that tasted weirdly perfect.

The best part? He never made a big deal about it. Just slipped things into your life like you’d always been part of his code.

One evening, after a mission that left the team bruised but alive, you found yourselves alone in the cockpit of the Marauder. The others were sleeping, recovering. You weren’t tired. You rarely were when Tech was nearby.

You sat cross-legged in the copilot’s seat, chewing absently on a snack bar, eyeing him as he fiddled with his datapad.

“Tech,” you said, drawing his attention with a sing-song tone.

“Hm?”

“You always listen to me talk about my stuff. But you never tell me about yours.”

He didn’t look up. “That is because my interests are largely theoretical and statistically uninteresting to the average person.”

You snorted. “Okay, first, I’m not average. And second—says who?”

He paused. “I… suppose I assumed.”

“Well, you assumed wrong. Come on, tell me something. Anything. What do you like, Tech?”

He shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. “I like many things. Theoretical physics, starship schematics, linguistic anomalies…”

You leaned in. “No, not like a list. Talk to me. Like I talk to you.”

He looked at you. Really looked. You’d never seen him nervous before. But this? This was vulnerable. And Tech didn’t do vulnerable. Not in the usual sense.

Still, after a moment, he gave a small nod.

“I find… gravitational lensing phenomena quite fascinating,” he began, almost shyly. “When a massive object distorts space-time, it bends light around it. It allows us to see stars that would otherwise be hidden. It’s a rare glimpse into the unreachable, a way to observe what we otherwise could not.”

You blinked, taken aback by the sudden spark in his voice.

“And—when you combine that with redshift patterns and the curvature metrics of distant galaxies—”

He was off.

Tech’s eyes lit up behind his goggles. His hands moved as he talked, describing invisible models in the air. The way he spoke was fast, clumsy, full of jargon, and absolutely beautiful. He was so excited. The same way you were when you told your stories.

You didn’t interrupt. You didn’t tease. You just smiled and let him go.

Eventually, his words slowed, and he caught himself, clearing his throat.

“I… apologize. I may have over-answered your question.”

“No,” you said softly. “You were perfect.”

His eyes met yours.

You reached over and touched his hand. He froze, then slowly turned his palm to hold yours.

“Tech,” you murmured, “when you talk like that, it makes me want to kiss you.”

He blinked. “Statistically, that is a highly favorable reaction.”

You grinned. “Tech.”

“Yes?”

“I’m gonna kiss you now.”

He hesitated a beat. “Proceed”

And when your lips touched his, soft and warm and a little clumsy, he exhaled like it was the first time he’d let go of logic and just felt something.

Afterward, still holding your hand, he said, “You make even chaos… feel structured.”

And you decided right then that you were never going to stop talking. Because if you kept talking long enough, Tech would keep listening—and maybe, just maybe, he’d keep answering too.

“The Lesser of Two Wars” pt.8

Commander Fox x Reader x Commander Thorn

It was late.

The upper halls of the Senate were near silent, the buzz of daylong debates finally faded into stillness. The Senator walked the corridors alone, the soles of her boots echoing softly over polished floors. Fox had offered to escort her back to her office, but they’d both stayed behind—long after the others had gone—to “wrap up” some excuse neither of them really believed.

He was waiting near the entrance to her office, helmet under his arm, every inch of him wound tight.

“I should go,” he said, voice low.

“You should,” she agreed.

He didn’t move.

She stepped closer. “You’ve been watching me all night.”

“I’m supposed to.” His gaze flicked over her face. “You’re still under protection.”

“From what, Commander?” she asked, her voice dipped in something soft, sharp. “What exactly are you protecting me from right now?”

Fox swallowed. He didn’t answer.

She moved closer still, until the air between them felt thinner than breath. “You’ve been trying to outrun this since the moment I met you.”

He looked at her like she was dangerous. Like she was something he couldn’t survive.

And then he kissed her.

No hesitation this time. No orders to fall back. Just the hard grip of a calloused hand at her jaw, the pull of lips meeting hers like the break of a dam. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t pretty. But Maker, it was honest.

They parted just slightly—his breath hitched, her eyes half-lidded with disbelief.

But they weren’t alone anymore.

Thorn stood a few meters down the hall, fists clenched at his sides, fury carved into every line of his face. “Are you karking serious?”

Fox turned sharply. “Thorn—”

“You son of a bitch.” Thorn strode forward. “You pulled rank on me. You sent me back to barracks like I was some shinie with no impulse control—and here you are—”

“It’s not the same,” Fox snapped.

“Oh, it’s not? Enlighten me.”

“You were careless.”

“And you’re a hypocrite.”

The next second, fists were flying.

Thorn hit first, shoulder braced as he slammed Fox into the wall with enough force to rattle the durasteel. Fox didn’t hesitate, launching a hard right hook that cracked across Thorn’s cheek. The fight was a tangle of trained bodies, of grunts and snapped oaths, two elite commanders going feral in polished halls that had seen too much.

The Senator stepped back once—twice—then growled under her breath.

“Enough.” Her voice was thunderous. When they didn’t stop, she surged forward.

She grabbed Thorn’s collar and yanked him back hard enough to throw him off balance. He stumbled and fell. Before Fox could recover, she spun and caught him with a sharp heel to the back of the leg, sending him to the ground with a pained grunt.

They both stared up at her in stunned silence.

Hair tousled. Jaw tight. Fury simmering just beneath her skin.

“You two are commanders. Grown men. Soldiers. And you’re throwing punches like teenagers in a hangar bay.”

They didn’t respond.

She exhaled sharply, pacing between them. “You want to fight over me? You better ask yourselves why. Because I’m not a prize to be won. I’m a senator, a former commander, and the next one of you who uses your fists to make a point better be ready to go through me first.”

They were quiet for a long moment. Then Thorn muttered, “Yes, ma’am.”

Fox nodded, slower. “Understood.”

She gave them each a final, withering glare… then turned on her heel and walked away, leaving the silence of their bruises and bitter pride behind her.

⸻

The walk back to the barracks was silent.

Fox and Thorn, bruised and bloody in places they wouldn’t admit, barely glanced at one another. The silence between them crackled—too raw, too heavy to be ignored.

When they stepped inside the common area, the atmosphere shifted. Hound was the first to notice. He sat lounging on the couch, polishing his boots with Grizzer dozing at his feet. Stone and Thire flanked the table, eating ration bars and playing sabacc.

“Stars,” Stone muttered, eyes flicking up. “Did someone dropkick you both off a gunship?”

“Thorn looks like he kissed a shock baton,” Thire added.

Hound smirked, wiping his hands. “Please tell me you two didn’t fight each other.”

“It’s none of your business,” Fox snapped, pulling off his gloves and heading toward his bunk.

But Thorn, scowling and still charged with adrenaline, threw his helmet down with a loud clang.

“Oh, you want to act like it didn’t happen? Sure. Let’s lie to the rest of the battalion now, too.” He turned to the others. “Fox kissed the senator. After all that crap about professionalism. After he pulled rank on me.”

The room went quiet.

Stone raised his eyebrows. Thire gave a low whistle.

Hound blinked. “No kidding. Thought you two were going to chew each other’s armor off first.”

Fox spun around, jaw tight. “Drop it, Hound.”

But Hound smirked wider. “Guess it hits different when it’s you breaking your own rules, huh?”

The hit came fast.

Fox’s fist cracked across Hound’s jaw, sending him sprawling backward onto the floor. Grizzer was on his feet in an instant, growling deep, protective instincts firing off like alarms. The other clones leapt up, reaching for Hound, grabbing Fox’s arm—but the mastiff didn’t wait.

The beast lunged, barking furiously, teeth bared.

“Back!” Fox shouted, backing up, hand reaching instinctively for the stunner at his hip. “Control your animal, or I will.”

“You even threaten him again, I swear to—” Hound was up now, lip bloodied, rage simmering.

Stone and Thire jumped in to block both sides, but Thorn charged next, shoving Fox hard in the chest.

“You karking hypocrite!”

The barracks exploded into chaos.

It was fists and shouts and boots scraping over concrete. Grizzer was barking, circling, teeth snapping near anyone too close to Hound. Fox and Thorn were at each other’s throats again, Thire wrestling Thorn back while Stone tried to keep Fox from swinging again.

And then—

“Enough!”

Two voices barked like blaster fire.

Marshal Commanders Cody and Neyo stood in the threshold like twin storms.

Every clone froze. Even Grizzer stilled, tail twitching low, a warning growl still rolling in his chest.

Fox’s chest heaved, bruised knuckles clenched. Neyo stepped forward without hesitation, gripped Fox by the collar of his blacks, and dragged him toward the hallway.

“You’re coming with me,” Neyo snapped. “Now.”

Fox didn’t argue. He let himself be pulled from the room, the others watching in silence.

Cody stood a moment longer, arms folded, gaze sweeping the wrecked common space.

“You’re supposed to be leaders,” he said, voice cold. “Not a squad of kriffing cadets on their first week. You think command comes without control? That it gives you license to throw punches over who’s got feelings?”

They said nothing.

“You want to blow off steam, take it to the training floor. I don’t want to hear another word about brawls in the barracks. And if I do—I will sort it out next time. And none of you want that.”

“Yes, sir,” came the low, unified murmur.

Cody turned sharply and left.

Grizzer whined softly, pressing his head to Hound’s thigh.

Thire muttered under his breath. “They’re gonna kill each other before the war does.”

Stone leaned back against the wall, shaking his head. “Or fall in love with the same senator and burn down Coruscant trying.”

⸻

Fox didn’t say a word as Neyo gripped the front of his armor and dragged him down the corridor like a disgraced cadet. His boots scraped and slammed against the durasteel floor with every step. Fox could feel the eyes of the Guard on him as they passed—wide, silent, shocked.

The door to an empty training room hissed open.

Neyo shoved Fox inside so hard he stumbled.

The door slammed shut.

“You arrogant, undisciplined fool,” Neyo spat, voice venomous. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Fox stood tall, silent. His lip still bled from the earlier fight.

Neyo stalked in a tight circle around him like a predator, helmet tucked under his arm, jaw rigid with fury. “You are a Marshal Commander, Fox. You’re supposed to be an example. A standard. The Republic’s line of order.”

Fox’s fingers twitched.

“And yet I find you brawling like a gutter rat in your own barracks. Punching your own men. Threatening to put down a mastiff like you’ve lost every ounce of judgment and humanity you ever had.”

“I—”

“Shut your mouth.”

Neyo’s voice cracked like a whip. His gray eyes were ice, unrelenting.

“You are a disgrace,” he snapped. “You think Palpatine doesn’t have ears everywhere? You think your little war of hormones hasn’t been noticed?”

Fox clenched his jaw.

“This senator—whatever obsession you’ve developed—it’s compromised you. You’ve turned into the kind of unstable mess that gets people killed.”

Neyo stepped closer, his voice quieter but deadlier. “You’ve forgotten what we are. We serve. We protect. We don’t feel. We’re not allowed to want.”

“She’s different,” Fox muttered.

Neyo barked a cold laugh.

“Oh, she’s different, alright. She’s got you tearing your own command apart from the inside out. You’ve broken your discipline. You’ve broken rank. You’ve broken yourself.”

Fox’s nostrils flared. He didn’t speak.

Neyo’s tone dipped lower, cutting.

“You wanna throw it all away for a senator with a bloody past and a smile that melts steel? Fine. But you’ll do it without that title. Without that armor. Without the men who trusted you.”

That one hit.

Fox looked up sharply.

Neyo’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t want to be a commander anymore, Fox? Say the word. I’ll strip your code and you can go chase tail in the lower levels with every other brain-dead grunt who forgot what we were bred for.”

The room rang with silence.

Then—

“I haven’t forgotten,” Fox said quietly. “Not for a second.”

Neyo stared him down. And for the first time, Fox looked… tired.

“I’m trying to hold it together,” Fox said. “But it’s like she pulled a pin and now I can’t stuff everything back in.”

Neyo stared at him a moment longer, then turned his back.

“I don’t want excuses. I want a commander.”

He walked out without another word.

The door hissed shut behind him.

Fox stood alone in the dim quiet, shaking slightly, adrenaline bleeding off.

Then the door slid open again.

“Hell of a beating,” Cody said mildly, stepping in. “He always did know how to cut deep.”

Fox didn’t answer. He kept his eyes on the scuffed floor.

Cody walked over, calm as ever, arms crossed.

“You want to talk about it?”

“I kissed her,” Fox said finally.

Cody didn’t even blink.

Fox exhaled, shoulders heavy. “After I punished Thorn for the same thing.”

“Ah,” Cody said. “So this is a whole mess.”

“She does something to me, Cody. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve spent years keeping myself locked down. Keeping control. Then she walks in and it’s like… everything I’ve buried starts clawing its way back up.”

Cody was quiet.

Fox’s voice dropped lower. “She’s fire. Controlled chaos. And I’m supposed to be stone.”

“Even stone cracks under enough pressure,” Cody said. “You’re not a machine, vod. You never were. But what you are is a leader. And you’ve got to decide which version of you survives this. The soldier, or the man.”

Fox looked up at him.

Cody’s voice softened just a touch. “You can’t be both. Not forever.”

⸻

The barracks were quieter than usual when Fox walked in.

He didn’t storm through like a commander this time—didn’t bark orders, didn’t expect salutes. He walked with purpose, but not with authority. His helmet was under his arm, and something strange lingered in his expression… something like regret.

The lounge had the usual suspects: Hound nursing a bruised jaw, Thire reading reports, Stone half-dozing in the corner. Grizzer lay sprawled under the table, big head on his paws.

They all looked up when Fox stopped in the doorway.

He stood there a second, then took a breath.

“I was out of line.”

That alone was enough to make Hound blink.

“I let personal feelings cloud my judgment. I lost control. I disrespected my rank and you, my brothers.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry.”

He stepped forward. From behind his back, he pulled out a wrapped bundle.

“I figured if I owed anyone the biggest apology…” He crouched down, unwrapped it, and slid a hefty bone across the floor.

Grizzer’s ears perked. He sniffed it, then took it gently—almost respectfully—and lumbered off to gnaw in peace.

“Thanks,” Hound muttered, rubbing his jaw. “Still hurts like hell.”

Fox gave a wry smirk. “It should.”

Stone chuckled. “You gonna cry next or…?”

Fox just shook his head. “No. But I am going to make it right.”

He nodded once, turned, and left.

⸻

Thorn was on the upper level, seated on a bench outside the weapons maintenance bay, arms folded, helmet beside him.

Fox approached slowly.

“Thorn.”

No answer.

Fox took a breath, then sat beside him, not too close. Just close enough.

“I was wrong,” he said simply. “What I did… punishing you, calling you out… then doing the same thing myself. That’s not leadership. That’s hypocrisy.”

Thorn glanced over, eyes dark with residual anger. “No argument here.”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” Fox said. “But I didn’t want to pretend it didn’t happen.”

Thorn let out a breath, slow and heavy.

“You’re still in love with her?”

Fox didn’t answer for a long moment.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “Have been for a while. Doesn’t mean I have the right to be.”

Thorn leaned back, looking up at the overhead lights. “You ever think we’re not built for this kind of thing?”

“All the time.”

Another pause.

“I appreciate the apology,” Thorn said at last. “Doesn’t erase the bruise, but it helps.”

Fox gave a short nod.

They sat in silence a little longer—two soldiers, two men, caught between duty and desire.

Then Fox stood. “I’ll see you on rotation.”

Thorn nodded. “Yeah. See you then.”

As Fox walked away, Thorn called after him, voice neutral but edged in meaning.

“Don’t screw it up again.”

Fox didn’t look back. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

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Okay, where is the Mace Windu fandom? Because he’s my favorite Jedi, and I was telling that to some Star Wars fans ik and they looked at me like I was crazy. I need proof we exist.