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Thank you sooooo much. 🥹 I have so so so enjoyed your comments and reblogs along the way! I tend to re-read stuff that people are interacting with, and this was particularly warm and fuzzy. 🙈 I LOVE writing the family dynamic. Especially with Fives there too. 😭 glad this brought some enjoyment to your day! 💕

Chapter 35: Completion (THE END)

During the Clone Wars, the Bad Batch is tasked with a variety of missions across the galaxy. An unexpected addition to their team throws a wrench in the mix, particularly for Tech, who finds a particular connection with this disillusioned Padawan-turned-mechanic named Vel throughout the events in this action-adventure romance. COVER ART BY @zaana!!

Master List of Chapters

Author's Note: I JUST CAN'T STOP WITH THESE TWO! ;) But I feel content with where it has landed, and I suppose I could always add more down the road. But for now, we'll wrap it up with a sweet little bow and send you off feeling all warm and fuzzy. ;)

“Hi guys!” Wrecker yelled, stumbling as he kicked off his boots and barreled into the room. “Oooo, Vel, it smells delicious in here!”

Hunter soon followed, wearing one of the locals’ hats that made him look even more rugged along with the beard he now sported. “I wrapped some fresh steaks and put them in the chest freezer out back,” he announced, pulling the hat off of his tousled head of hair and hanging it in the entryway.

“I’m pretty sure he stole something out of it too,” came Echo’s surly voice, though his pale face was curved by a warm smile as he squeezed through the door.

“Well hello everybody,” Vel laughed, glancing at the wall chrono. “We just finished dinner; thought no one was coming!”

“We’re not here for dinner!” announced Fives, piling into the cottage behind Echo. The living room had been arranged to accommodate as many people as possible, and once Crosshair had sidled in and shut the door behind him, it felt absolutely full in the best way. Other clones had come to Bendego as well, but their visits were more occasional and always planned.

“Alrighty then!” she responded cheerfully, still immediately beginning to rummage in the kitchen for a large serving platter, where she began to assemble every acceptable snack and finger food they had in the house.

Wrecker clapped Tech across the back and pulled him into a giant hug, whispering none too quietly, “So, did you do it yet?”

“No, Wrecker, and do keep your voice down,” Tech answered, flustered. “I told you – you all have to do your part first.”

“Ohhhh, oh right,” Wrecker said, beaming ear to ear. “I’m just so proud of you.” He ruffled Tech’s hair with his knuckles, earning a squawk of protest as well as an under-the-breath chuckle from Crosshair, who had nestled himself in his favorite corner chair immediately.

Vel had been surprised by how much she enjoyed playing host. Perhaps as someone who had never felt welcomed or sufficient, it was a way for her to love and serve others generously, to ensure that they always had the impression that they were valued and a joy to have around. But whatever the cause, she always felt content with a full home. Granted, she was just as content to be cuddled up with Tech on the couch, watching the trees fade to black outside as evening gave way to night… They were both wonderful in their own way. So as she perched on the armrest next to Tech, gazing around at the faces of her beloved family, she couldn’t resist a misty-eyed smile as she considered how drastically different their lives all were now as compared to before.

“Psst – get up, di’kut,” Echo whispered, elbowing Fives in the side. The two of them were taking up the other seats on the plush sofa beside Tech, and apparently Fives had just been volunteered to give Vel a proper place to sit.

“You get up!” Fives laughed, jabbing his brother right back. “Alright! Alright…” he caved in the face of Echo’s scomp arm, which was cocked and ready to deliver a much sharper poke at any continued protest. Fives hauled himself to his feet, muttering a fond insult under his breath as Echo scooted over to take his place, beckoning Tech to follow so that Vel could sit beside him. A steady stream of muttered threats and insults about the nerve of these disabled war veterans and their sense of entitlement followed him all the way to his new seat – a wooden chair pulled up from the dining table.

“Aww, the battle-hardened ARC trooper’s backside is too delicate for the harshness of a wooden chair,” Crosshair needled, at which Echo laughed delightedly.

“Yeah, Fives – not such a hard-ass now, are you?” he joined in, watching Fives’ determined effort to hide his smirk behind a squinting look of disdain.

“Ahh, your mother’s a droid,” he said dismissively, making a hand gesture at Echo that effectively ended the conversation, as they were both snickering too hard to speak further.

“Alright…” Hunter spoke up, his sergeant voice making an appearance. “Everyone quiet down. You all ready?”

Vel’s eyes snapped quickly from Hunter to Tech, a quizzical expression on her face. Tech shifted uncomfortably, and as he moved his hand to rest on his knee, she could have sworn she saw his fingers tremble. There was a palpable tension in the room, some kind of tightly-strung sensation that she couldn’t ignore. She slipped a hand over his, trying to entice him to look at her or give any hint as to what was going on.

“Ready for what?” she asked aloud, unable to hold back her curiosity as she looked from face to face.

“You’ll see,” Crosshair said quietly, eyes flickering lazily to her before returning to Hunter, who cleared his throat, then rose to his feet and stood right in front of her and Tech. He held a small wooden box in his hands.

“I pledge my support and my protection, my encouragement and my help, however the two of you may find yourselves in future need. I wish upon you all the happiness in the world and the deepest fulfillment in every future endeavor,” Hunter said, clearly having rehearsed it a number of times judging by the theatrical voice in which he delivered it. He nodded curtly, then passed the wooden box to Crosshair and returned to his seat.

Vel looked around the room, thoroughly confused, but everyone else had a knowing grin on their faces that was starting to make her mad. She turned to Tech, nudging him in the side with her elbow, and he finally turned to face her. It was a shock to see the undeniable nervousness on his face, but before she could ask about it, he softened into an affectionate smile, reaching a hand up to touch her cheek and then pressing a finger to his own lips, tilting his head back to the center of the room, where Crosshair had assumed Hunter’s position.

“I too pledge my support and protection, encouragement and help… Depending on the–”

“Crosshair,” Hunter growled.

“However the two of you may find yourselves in future need,” Crosshair continued, casting Hunter a snarky glance before returning his gaze to Tech and Vel. His snide expression faded a little, a seriousness taking its place as he looked back and forth between the two of them. “And I wish upon you a peaceful life, enjoying each other and the land you now call home.” Before he sat, he handed the wooden box to Wrecker, where it virtually disappeared in a single hand of his as he leapt eagerly to his feet.

“And I pledge my support and protection and encouragement and help! Howsoever the two of you might need,” he said, booming voice shaking the delicate little plant pots scattered across shelves here and there. “And I wish that you both would have the most fun, er, I wish upon you the most fun, and lots of adventure, and all the nerdy stuff you both love… in huge amounts!” He beamed with pride at the two of them, as though he were somehow responsible for all that had transpired, and shoved the wooden box at Fives before lumbering back to his seat.

“What are you all…” Vel began slowly, their uncharacteristically meaningful words and serious expressions whirling in her mind.

“All will be clear in a moment, my love,” Tech murmured into her ear, lifting up an arm to wrap around her. She snuggled against his side, nervous and tingly, bewildered and intrigued, as Fives spoke in front of them now.

“I pledge to you my support and protection, my encouragement and help, and whatever else. And I wish upon you all the hot sex and–”

“Kriff, Fives,” Echo grumbled, palming his face with a hand, although Crosshair was thoroughly pleased.

“Hey! I mean it, you old prude!” Fives said indignantly, “Besides, I have the box. So shut it.”

Vel laughed, completely perplexed but thoroughly enjoying the show. Tech let out a deep sigh, shaking his head minutely as though he were disappointed.

“ANYWAY,” Fives continued, casting one last authoritative look at Echo, “All the hot sex AND deep friendship and the ability to laugh with each other even in the thick of it.” He nodded once, pleased with himself, then threw the box at Echo’s face, where he barely caught it before it smacked him in the cheek. Tech spluttered his disapproval at the act as Fives sat and Echo stood before them.

“Alright. I wish you both. No, wait. I KNOW, Fives! I pledge my support and my protection, my encouragement and my help, however the two of you may find yourselves in future need. I wish upon you shared adventures that bring you closer together, appreciation for the simple things in life, and a commitment to and appreciation for one another that never fades.”

Echo handed Tech the box amid a few playful “aww” sounds from the peanut gallery, then plopped back into his seat. Tech gazed down at the wooden box – a small rectangle with a smooth, unfinished surface – and took a long, deep breath. Vel looked at him intently, heart pounding in her chest. He moved deliberately, sitting up straight and turning his body toward her, fidgeting with the piece in his hands for a moment before becoming still. He opened the box, fishing out a delicate, dark-colored chain that led to an elegantly-carved wooden pendant. It was a light, creamy color that, upon closer inspection, had tiny specks of red and dark brown scattered throughout, and it had been whittled into graceful curves that wound around and through each other with impossible intricacy. Tech held it up between them, lifting his amber eyes to Vel’s as he spoke.

“May you please hold out your hand?”

She promptly complied.

“Vel, it is an established fact that I love you,” Tech began, cupping her hand in his and lowering the wooden pendant into it. She brushed a thumb across the cool, smooth surface before looking back to him as he continued, taking her other hand in his as well. “I had been wrestling with an unsettling inability to accurately express the depth of this sentiment, until a discussion in the village square introduced me to the Bendegoan bonding ceremony, which is a similar concept to what is practiced on many other planets, sometimes called marriage or lifelong commitment or irrevocable partnership. Regardless of the title, I was sufficiently pleased with the magnitude of such a ceremony, and desired to invite you – and our extended family – into it.”

Words were nowhere to be found as Vel swallowed hard, eyes glistening at all the implications of his words.

“The ceremony consists of declarations of support and well-wishes from your closest companions. It is then followed by the presentation of a handcrafted token of commitment and significance.” His eyes dropped to her hand, where the gorgeous piece of wood lay. “I carved this from the specific tree that so captured your attention on Kashyyyk. The red spots may be familiar to the eye. That was the moment you first began to let your guard down, and the curiosity and wonder I observed has captivated me ever since.”

Wrecker made a fake snoring sound that was promptly turned into a grunt at the whack of Hunter’s hand on his head. Tech rolled his eyes, shaking his head and looking at Vel with a small smirk.

“I suppose I can share more about the significance at a later time. At present, the only remaining component is your response to my proposition. In case my apparent long-windedness has caused you to forget,” he said, a sparkle in his eyes, “I am asking you to commit yourself to me, and I to you, as long as we both shall live, in a shared bond of love and affection.”

“I would love that,” Vel managed to choke out, her voice squeaky and eyes misty with the overwhelming joy of all that was playing out before her.

“I may be incorrect but I am under the impression that you need to say ‘yes’.”

“Oh come on, Tech!” It was Hunter now whose exasperated tone caused a wave of chuckles to echo throughout the group.

“It is apparent that my humor needs additional refinement,” Tech murmured to Vel, as she whispered “yes” and pulled him in for a hug, burying her face in his neck. A chorus of approval soon followed, and when they pulled apart, Tech carefully fastened the pendant’s chain behind the graceful column of her neck, brushing his fingers lightly across it where it lay beneath the divot of her collarbone.

“Now we party!!” Wrecker announced triumphantly, and cacophony ensued. Apparently there was an abundance of fancy treats they had gathered from the villages – all kinds of sweet specialties reserved for special occasions – and they bustled about to clear the table and fetch them from the outdoor freezer. After a passing wallop on the back and a thumbs-up from Fives, Tech looked back to Vel, caressing her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

“You’re really stuck with me now,” she said with a quiet laugh.

“That is precisely and indefinitely where I desire to be,” he answered, tipping her chin with a gentle hand and kissing her with his whole heart.

artwork by @vimse!

One last note -- the necklace was just something I found on Etsy; I didn't create it in any way. :)

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