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#freefall
electric-blue24 · 3 months
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wanted to do some quick sketch lighting practice and it turned out quite nice, featuring Freefall a sandsurge dragon that build their own wings
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m-eows · 6 months
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M-EOWS > LAYOUTS TOMORROW X TOGETHER • Credits: @gmfio-art, chimiyaa and lohyukave. Do not repost, copy or claim as yours. If you use please, like or reblog to help me. PSD: No Psd. You can inspire yourself on it, but give credits.
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tomorrowxtogether · 6 months
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Freefall makes me sad every time. I think that’s the point, honestly. 
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atinystraynstay · 4 months
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3:15AM - Choi Soobin
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Synopsis: "It's a quarter after three, saying everything that we mean." Going out is always fun, but coming home is always the best part.
Pairing: idol! Choi Soobin x fem reader Genre: Fluff! Established relationship, tiny bits of smut if you squint but it's more so mentioned
Word Count: 2.4k
My hand loosely held onto Soobin's as I led the way toward my apartment. The sound of my heels clicking against the floor and Soobin's footsteps behind me filled the hallway. Last call at the bar was at 2:30am, which sounded like a good time to head home. It was currently 3:00am.
Life lately has gotten in the way of the two of us getting to spend time together. With Soobin, his attention was required at the company. He was either at dance practice, recording vocals for a new song, or attending meetings to help make decisions that would be best for the group. With me, I've been working towards finishing my undergraduate degree which translated to long hours studying either at home or on campus, attending lecture after lecture, and working at my part-time campus job. It meant that time for just Soobin and I was nearly non-existent.
It was a miracle that this Friday night, neither of us were needed somewhere. Soobin wasn't the type of guy to go out, unlike Yeonjun or Taehyun. He much preferred nights in which we could cuddle up on the couch, watch a K-drama, and bake goodies that could be eaten throughout the weekend. While I normally never turned down such an opportunity to forget about the world and be with my boyfriend, I desperately needed to be around other people. I needed to socialize and rejoin society after being cooped up in the library working on a research paper. My best friend suggested that we get dressed up to feel our best and head out to the bars. Surprisingly, Soobin jumped on the opportunity to come out with the girls.
I never liked being the girl who had to have her boyfriend come out to the bars. If I was going to go out with my friends, I was going to go out with them. It was actually my friends that asked if I wanted to bring Soobin. I can still recall the texts in the group chat.
"We know how much you miss him, y/n. Bring him!" "Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to have a guy around if we decide to bar-hop." "Soobin center!"
"You know you can say no," I said to Soobin. I was getting ready in my bedroom, my back turned towards him as I faced my vanity. My dominant hand held my mascara wand, gently zig-zagging across my eyelashes to get the maximum volume.
"Babe, trust me. I would say no if I didn't want to go. I like your friends. And more importantly, I want to spend time with my girl." Soobin spoke as he slowly approached me. Soon, his arms wrapped loosely around my neck from behind with his chin resting on the top of my head. A gentle smile curled onto my lips as I looked at our reflection. He had just gotten his hair cut with the bangs now falling just short of his eyes. He wore a similar smile on his lips which caused me to feel warm in my stomach. His eyes looked into mine through the reflection.
I knew there was no fighting it. Soobin was coming out to girls' night.
"Aren't you glad I tagged along?" He asked, smirking slightly.
I nodded and giggled. "Yes, of course. I just thought you'd be bored." "Bored? Come on, you and your girls are the life of the party!" "We are really a fun group, huh?"
I could still remember how my friends dragged Soobin to the dance floor. He initially wanted to stand back and allow us to have the space to have fun. Soobin was the ideal guy tonight, not just as my partner, but as a gentleman to all my friends. He started the night by buying a round of shots for the group. He then would check on people to see if they needed water or offered to watch our stuff. Yet, when my best friend saw Soobin sitting in the booth, she decided that had to change. They all encouraged him to join them before pulling him up once he shook his head no. Let's just say, dancing on a packed dance floor is not his niche. There is a reason he preferred dancing on stage and sharing the space with only four other people.
Our footsteps stopped until I reached the door of my unit. The number 345 that were made up of gold-painted metal was nailed to the front door. I had a small brown welcome mat outside, so guests could wipe their feet before entering my apartment. Even though they would slip their shoes off anyways the moment they walked in.
"You know, as much as I loved spending time with you and your friends, there was one thing I kept thinking about," Soobin stated. I hummed lightly under my breath, indicating for him to continue. I had my body slightly turned away from him, fishing for my keys in my pursue. All I could think about was getting back into bed with my boyfriend, getting off my weary feet that ached from dancing. It probably didn't help I chose high heels to wear for tonight.
I was about to put my key in the door, when I felt Soobin's arms wrapped around me. I giggled softly, going to continue unlocking the door when Soobin pulled me in closer. I shivered when I felt his lips against the shell of my ear.
"All I could think about was getting to be home with you."
Without much delay, I managed to unlock the door despite my head spinning thanks to Soobin. His tone and words kept replaying in my head. My heart picked up a bit as I knew now I got to be with Soobin, uninterrupted. It's been tough the past couple of days where Soobin would get home and I was still asleep, or when I was getting up to start my day but he was still sleeping from the night before. That was when he stayed over. There were times when we sometimes would go days without talking to each other besides a simple "goodnight" or "good morning" text, ensuring that we were still thinking of the other person.
Soobin pushed open to my apartment, allowing me to walk in. Quickly, I slipped off my heels. The relief my feet were feeling thanked me for showing some mercy. Soobin chuckled, probably overhearing my sigh, before pressing a kiss to the side of my head. I glanced behind me to see the front door had already been locked. Good job, Soobin. I then turned my heads as I watched his figure move and he walked in the direction of my bedroom, probably where he had placed his belongings since he was staying the night.
I, on the other hand, went towards my bathroom to get rid of my makeup. I had a loose tee-shirt that was folded neatly on my countertop that I could get changed into while Soobin changed.
I opened the cabinet of my bathroom, got out the makeup wipe packet, and pulled one out. I took a few wipes to rid of the mascara, eyeliner, and concealer around my eyes. It felt so nice to get not just the makeup off, but also wipe off some of the sweat gathered from dancing and walking around the city late at night. I then took another wipe to wipe off the lipstick that coated my lips.
Once all the makeup was off of my face, I smiled at my bare face. Soobin always made it known how much he loves my bare face. He loved seeing the freckles that decorated the bridge of my nose and underneath my eyes. He loved connecting the moles that hugged my jawline and cheeks. But if you ask him, feeling my face was his favorite thing. He liked the feeling of being able to cup my cheeks without worrying about smearing makeup. He loved being able to plant kisses all over without restraint. Seeing that there was no makeup left, I tossed the used wipes in the trash.
I was about to unzip my dress but found that my arms weren't able to reach all the way across. Fuck. Good thing I have a partner who can help.
I opened the door to the bathroom, peaking my head out. The TV was off and no lights in the front of the apartment were on. My eyes then looked over toward my bedroom where not only I could hear the shuffling of footsteps but also see my bedroom light on. "Soobs?"
"Yes, my love?" He called out. He had stepped out of my bedroom, a gentle but sleepy smile tugged onto his lips. He was wearing a white tee shirt and black sweatpants, socks still on his feet. His body was relaxed, not standing in a complete posture like he had to when he was out in public or at the company. He took his role not just as an idol seriously but didn't eat to give anyone the wrong impress of him. He looked absolutely adorable.
"Can you please help unzip me?" "It would be a pleasure."
He shuffled his way over towards me. I turned slowly with my back towards him, moving my hair so it was over my shoulder and out of his way. I rocked gently back and forth on my heels in anticipation, waiting for him to come to free me so I could get changed and crawl into bed. His hand reached over to rest on my hip, getting me to calm my body. His other hand gently grasped onto the silver zipper on the back of my dress, pulling it down gently.
"You are the most gorgeous woman I've ever met. How did I get so lucky?" He whispered. As the dress loosened around my torso, I slipped the sleeves down. The exposed skin was greeted with lips pressing across the back of my neck and my shoulder blades. A warm blush covered my cheeks as I kept my head down. I held the dress up to keep my breasts concealed as I had gone braless for the evening.
Soobin and I have been intimate plenty of times, but tonight, there was no rush to get to bed. There was no rush to feel him that close, to see the stars with him. I craved the closeness of just knowing he was close by, to be safe and loved in his arms. I'm sure the morning might tell a different story as we've already been deprived of one another.
"Seriously, y/n, baby. Such a gentle heart and completely breathtaking." The dress was close to falling off my body when I felt Soobin remove his presence. "Don't keep me waiting much longer," he said teasingly before disappearing into my bedroom again.
I have never gotten changed so fast before in my life. I left the dress pooled on the floor of my bathroom. I grabbed the tee shirt that was on my counter. It was an old New York Jets tee shirt that was two sizes too big but I got for $2 at the thrift store. It was perfect for nights like this. I slipped the tee shirt on. The shirt was like its own mini dress, stopping short of my thighs. Just one last thing to do.
After turning the lights off in my bathroom, I walked in the direction of my bedroom. I walked to Soobin. I gently pushed the bedroom door open but then closed it behind me. The only light in my room now came from the moonlight shining in. All I could focus on was Soobin.
He was sitting up in my bed, top blanket covering his legs. He had my pink scrunchie hugged around his wrist. Soobin started the small gesture when I stayed over at the dorms but had no scrunchie to put my hair up. He was stuck running all over the dorm, asking all the guys if they had something to use. He then insisted that I should never settle for a regular ponytail again, that I should always have an emergency scrunch nearby. Hence, why he started putting a scrunch around his wrist so he no longer wasted time looking for one and could stay next to me.
He was scrolling through his phone, not noticing me in the bedroom quiet yet. He might have been texting the boys or posting messages for moas on Weverse. How did I get so lucky? Soon enough, as I walked further into the room, Soobin seemed to take notice. He smiled at me before quickly putting his phone on the charger by the nightstand. He turned towards me then. He pushed the comforter out so I could easily slip into the bed, knowing I like to be extra warm in bed especially now that it was getting close to winter. His arms stretched out wide and ready to greet me in his arm embrace.
"You're so silly," I giggled. Without hesitation, I found myself crawling into bed beside him. My arms snaked around his torso, curling into his side. He laughed as I had clung onto him like a koala. He wrapped his arm around me, tightening a bit to get me as close as possible. His other hand moved to make sure I was covered with the sheets as I got comfortable in bed. "But I hope you never change, baby."
"You have my word, angel. I don't intend on changing anytime soon. The only thing I plan on changing is maybe your last name," he whispered. His voice was a bit low and raspy, but it sent bells ringing in my ears. What?
I looked up at him, opening my mouth to question what he meant. He simply just winked and kissed the top of my head. "Nothing, sweetheart. We can talk about it more in the morning. But right now, it is 3:15am and we're both exhausted."
I would interrogate him in the morning. However, the mention of sleep sounds more appealing even though I was curious about my boyfriend's intentions with me. At least we seem to be on the same page.
"You're so lucky I'm-" I yawned mid-sentence. "Sleepy," I spoke softly, my head finding its spot between his neck and shoulder.
He squeezed my body once more as he slid down my bed. "Me too, angel. I want to enjoy being in bed with you for as long as possible." He kissed my forehead once more before my eyes claimed victory and began to close.
"Goodnight, baby. Dream of me as I dream of you."
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corvidsofthedeep · 8 months
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No Context Crow #311: Skydiving Crow(s)
If this image is yours and you would like it credited or removed, let me know!
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arteilia · 6 months
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⭒ ݁ . ♡⃝ ﹒ ₊⿴ ﹒ 🏍
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itofthames · 9 months
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Freefall Pt 6 (Jing Yuan x GN!Reader)
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Read here or on AO3
WC: 926
tags; choking, rough sex, jing yuan a bit ooc idk? n////s///////fw
kept it gender neutral, let me know if there's something i missed...
If you had had your way, you would have both had enough self-control to make it upstairs before you started fucking.
But, if you had that level of self-control, neither of you would be here.
"Yes," you whisper in-between kisses as your back hits the couch and he's lording over you as he does to everyone all the time, the giant, magnificent bastard.
Fuck, his cock is already rock hard between the both of you. You press your palm against the front of his pants. He moans into your mouth and roughly shoves you against the sofa, breaking the kiss. His glare is frightening until you give him a good, rough squeeze and those gorgeous golds roll back, his mouth parting in a silent, pleading moan.
"Yes," He breathes in a voice that is almost too soft and small to have come from him.
With speed you're only certain he uses in fights, he back off as if you've burned him. He stands there, breathing hard and unmoving.
You freeze on the couch, did you do something wrong or right? Jing Yuan gives you with a hungry, disarming look then practically peels out of his heavy top coat and tosses it aside. The metal shoulder pad clangs against the floor where it lands. You realize, very quickly, that virtually every time you've fucked before, its been rough and quick from behind or from the front, with him lording over you. It's the first time you're getting to see him shirtless and hard and ready—
"Bend over the couch arm," He orders. His hands are already working on his tented red pants.
"Oh, okay..."
You obey and his body on yours in an instant. He whispers, "Missed you, a lot." against your skin, his lips tickling your goosebumps to life.
He tears your sweatpants down to your knees and grips your hips. You feel something hot press against your innermost thigh and in an instant Jing Yuan sheathes himself inside to the hilt with his hips flush against yours. You almost shout, choking back the sound last minute, before gripping the couch arm. You'd forgotten how fucking thick his cock was.
He lets out a shuddering, deep breath. You get the feeling he forgot about you as well before he starts pounding into you hard enough that you can feel the entire couch inch forward. If he hadn't knocked the breath out of you with his first thrust, you'd scream loud enough that the neighbors could hear.
"I--thought--you were...with someone." He manages.
When you finally manage to breathe in between his brutal movements, you faintly register what he's saying, the most you can manage is, "Fu Xuan—"
"You t-think I care? I don't—I don't..." He exhales hard on your shoulder and it takes you a minute to register that he's laughing.
His hips bare down on you and he slams again and again into that one spot over and over again. You gasp, your stomach locking up. You can feel it like you have a million times before, but never like this, never this hard. You cum hard, clench down around him like he's the only thing keeping you tethered to the planet.
Your voice strains in a shout of his name, your insides squeezing down and trembling around him with each thrust as he pumps into you again and again and again...
"tiiight—tight-...fuuuck," he mumbles breathlessly into your back, breath searing your shoulder before his hips shift and he yanks you backward, arching your back and going from fucking into you to slamming straight down.
You reach back more on instinct than anything else and mindlessly claw red lines into the sides of his hips as another overwhelming feeling surges to life inside of you. You don't think there's any possible way he can send you any higher into bliss. Then, one of his hands snakes underneath the both of you and finds your throat. His grip is firm against the front of your neck and your vision blurs.
"Yuan--Yuan," You rasp, voice breaking as stars explode behind your vision. You bear down on his cock again, a trembling sob breaking free from your throat. His moans echo through your ears as he squeezes your throat, black spots littering your vision and the world tilting onto its side before it hits you.
"Mine, mine, miiine~," he practically sings, his cock hammering into you as you cum for the second time,
"F-filling you up, yeah?" He doesn't actually wait for an answer. He yanks you by your head back, straightening your body against his as he barrels into you. The new angle breaks you, you can't find the breath needed to speak anymore, Jing Yuan's voice echoes in your ears, "cumming—c-cumming, so-so good,"
With a broken shout, he begins to cum, pumping hard enough that your legs finally give out underneath you. Not that it matters with his strong body trapping you against the couch arm. You stay there, filled to the brim until the sweat begins to chill and the room feels cold.
As if knowing it's getting too cold, he wraps his arms around you, turns you around, and lies you both down, making it so you're lying against the inside with him on the outside, your face nestled against his chest. His heartbeat is steady, and strong against the side of your head. His thumb strokes your cheek. Sleep bites at the edges of your vision.
"Missed you," He says and puts a small kiss on the top of your head.
"Missed you too," you murmur. You wish you would manage more, but the last thing you see is his coy smile as your head lulls to the side and you're out like a light.
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artistatthedisco · 15 days
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(not my OC but my art) Freefall, for @parahumanzine ! :) Couldn't decide on which coloring style for the hair I should do, so here's both. They have antigravity powers! Character by recursivemontage!
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recursivemontage · 12 days
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FREEFALL is my contribution to the Worm OC Fanzine run by @parahumanzine with art by @artistatthedisco
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Make sure to check out the full size art, because it has *details* and I should be locked up for the crime of reducing it to a teeny tiny thing in the corner. Seriously, @artistatthedisco did a great job on very little notice.
Freefall has been knocking around in my head for a while now, and it was lovely to exorcise them onto paper. Antigravity is fun, and so is imagining deeply traumatised people who may or may not be doing their best!
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starluluh · 1 month
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txt 𐙚 bios
𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾𝖿𝖺𝗅𝗅 ⎯ 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀.
⊹ 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗄𝗂꯭𝗌𝗌 𝗆𝖾.
๑ 𝖿𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗄𝗒.
❀ 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝟢𝟤 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗂𝗍𝗅𝖾 - 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀.
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electric-blue24 · 3 months
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trying to figure out how this dragon jet robot thing will work so its time for some good ol' ballpoint pen sketch studies
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charliexhere · 5 months
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chasing that feeeeeeeeeling~ this one took a week out of my life but it was totally worth it I guess 😚
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tomorrowxtogether · 5 months
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acourtofsnakes · 11 days
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The Aftermath - Freefall, Chapter 6 || The Bad Batch x Jedi!Reader
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Summary: You thought things couldn't get worse after the Order, but as your friends slowly didappear one by one, you find yourself teaming up with a radical, until your boys find you. But are you safe at home?
Warnings: 18+, swearing, injuries, descriptions of violence, canon fighting, fear, loss, death, blood, canon violence and weapons, nicknamed reader (Ghost), Order 66
A/N: We are back guuuuuys!!! As usual, this section of the series is still 'in the past', following on directly from the previous chapter! We'll back to the present very soon, with all the storylines linking back up!
Series Masterlist | Series Playlist | AO3
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You wished you hadn’t come here. 
But you wouldn’t be anywhere else. 
Not when Padmé needed you, all of you. Yet perhaps the one she needed most was the only one to break her out of this sickness. 
But he would never be reached now, not after what happened. Not after Mustafar.
You couldn’t even key into the Force for answers, or peace, because all you could feel was death and destruction and chaos. 
It grated on your nerves, ran claws down your spine and hissed in your ears, making you hypersensitive to every single noise, every smell, every stitch of clothing touching your skin. 
The more you thought about it, the more aware you became, until your breathing became uneven and sharp and you couldn’t escape the awareness of it slipping into your consciousness. 
Oh, what you wouldn’t give for those long fuzzy creatures on Myrkr, the adorable unique tree-dwellers called Ysalimir. They were able to create a sort of bubble around them, in which the connection to the Force was cut off to the point not even a Jedi could access it. 
Sometimes it did feel like a limb being cut off when you couldn’t get to the Force, but in times like this, where everything was too close, too loud, too there… Maker, you’d dive headfirst into a group of them right now. 
A ragged breath escaped your lips and you resisted the urge to plunge one of your lightsabers through the head of the nurse who breathed just a little too loudly in your direction. Your hands curled into fists, nails biting sharply into your palms but even that didn’t stop the feeling of bugs crawling over your skin, bands wrapping around your chest - 
Warm, slightly calloused fingers gently wriggled their way into your hand, carefully pushing under your nails until they held onto your hand, slowly enough you could push them away if you didn’t want it. 
But you did. 
A little sob escaped your chest as you stayed watching Padmé through the glass, and you curled your fingers back tightly around Obi-Wan’s hand, clinging to him, an anchor. You felt a caress of the force, his own presence soothing all the rough edges of your own and helping you settle a little, even though his own signature was in complete and utter agony over what he’d had to do to his brother. 
So you gripped his hand tighter, pressing your arm into his, relaying that comfort even as tears ran down your cheeks, “She has to get better, Obi… She has to.” Yet even as you said it, you knew that even if she did, she would never recover from the pain of losing Anakin. She’d never stop hoping and looking for the good in him, and it would torture her until… Until the end.
You knew this with a startling clarity because you were exactly the same. If it were any of the boys, you would die before you gave up. Even now, you believed that there had to be some hope for Anakin, that he was still in there. 
Maybe if Padmé recovered, maye they would both survive…
“I know, I know…  But I fear that the medical droid was right. She’s simply given up. She…” Obi-Wan shuddered softly, guilt flaring high in his signature, stinging the air around you. “Perhaps if I had listened, if I hadn't acted as a member of the Council, as a master, but as a brother, none of this would be happening as it had.” Obi-Wan’s hair fell over his forehead, his entire posture slumping more and more with each word, his composure in as many tatters as the Force itself. “Such destruction and devastation.” He breathed those last words, bowing his head, as if he could retreat into himself - or as if he were waiting for the blow of retribution. 
Seeing his pain, feeling how broken he was made it hit home that all of this was real. That it wasn’t some terrible dream. 
With every minute that passed, you were losing more and more of your loved ones. 
You drew in a shuddering breath, turning away from the sight before you to instead look at Obi-Wan, “Enough.” You chided him gently, but firmly, “This is not your fault, Master Kenobi. None of this is. This… This destruction was at the hand of the Emperor, not you. Do not allow him to win further by shouldering guilt.” You squeezed his hand again, knowing the words wouldn't soothe him - they wouldn’t soothe yourself if the situation was reversed - but he needed to hear them. 
Obi-Wan sighed, lifting his head slowly, as if it carried the weight of the galaxy. His eyes, so flat and lost, tracked over your face, reading the same agony and guilt, the same desolate emptiness of knowing you two could very well be the last Jedi left in the galaxy, “I forget how young you are sometimes when you say such wise things like that.” The faintest of smiles touched his lips fleetingly, “You’ve always had a determination I admired, a stubbornness that could rival An - his.” His face twisted in pain momentarily, but he recovered himself a moment later, but you saw the momentous effort it took. 
“You never allowed what others thought to shape you… I know how hard it’s been to not let their words sink in, but you’ve always proved yourself to be even more than they thought, that you were your own person and not what they believed you to be.” He hummed faintly, thoughtfully, “Another balance between two sides.” 
Something tingled at the back of your mind, an awareness that Wrecker always said was your own version of ‘Hunter-senses’. Whatever it was that Obi-Wan was getting at… It meant something. 
You were certain you’d heard something like this, the talk of someone who was both light and dark and could bring balance, back when you were younger and were sneaking around the Temple rather than being told off for not being able to focus.
Before you could ask however, the monitors and holograms surrounded Padmé began to wail and beep frantically, flashing up with symbols you didn’t understand - but the sinking feeling in your belly did. 
Obi-Wan’s head snapped up and he stepped forward, “What’s happening?!” He made to move further, but you were all being ushered out by the medical droids, hastened from the room as voices clamoured over one another and the beeping became louder and more persistent. 
The door swiped shut behind you, Obi and Bail, the hallway jarring in its stillness compared to the frantic bustle behind it. 
And all you could do was wait. 
~~
You felt it, maybe hours or even just minutes later. 
Everything fell still, silent. Bail was called in, and then Obi-Wan, into the room that suddenly felt like a tomb, the spectre of Death hanging over the doorway.
It was clinging to you, dragging skeletal claws over your bones, the lingering touch of all those Clones, the aching spaces of all the lost Jedi, your best friend shrouded in darkness - and now Padmé. 
You barely registered the hallway floor beneath you, the walls blurring past, faceless people scolding you for running, a voice that could have been Obi-Wan or Bail calling for you - none of it mattered. 
You only stumbled to a stop inside an empty room when an echo of agony ripped through your chest, so raw and potent it felt like your own heart was being carved out. 
The Force was screaming in response, the Light in shreds already, but that thread of the Dark that always wound through your soul… That’s where you felt it strongest. 
Rage, guilt, loneliness, agony - He’d felt it too.
He knew she was gone. 
And there would be no chance of redemption for him now. The one thing that could have helped, the person that was almost guaranteed to get through to him somehow was gone. 
It was all gone. 
Your friends were most likely dead. 
Ahsoka… Had Rex and the 501st turned on her? Had she been forced to mow down the legion which was more family than mere soldier?
Your boys… Had they survived? 
You couldn’t bear the thought of what would happen if they hadn’t. 
So despite the crippling grief wracking your body, you knew you had to keep going. Keep doing… Something. Because if you didn’t… Well. 
It was likely you never would.
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“Hey, you got that crate of supplies for me?” A man who’s name you still hadn’t remembered motioned to the box in your arms, reaching out for it when you were close enough.
You nodded, letting him take it from you, “It’s one of the last ones, we’ll need to do another run soon, we’re low on med supplies and we still have a few children who are sick.” 
In all fairness, the kids would be fine. You’d been healing them with the Force when noone else was around and they were asleep, even if tapping into it did still hurt… And that voice whispered to you whenever you did. 
The man nodded, already crouched down to rifle through the contents, “Let Saw know, he was talking about organising another one soon.” 
That would be Saw Gerrera. 
Your current, if only temporary.. Partner? Company? Whatever it was. 
Since Padmé, and the Order, you’d drifted, unable to stay still for too long lest the thoughts and memories came crashing back down and reminding you of what you’d lost. 
You’d spent days in a stupor, travelling under darkness with the hood of your cloak pulled down low over your head, barely noting faces and places and you sought passage to whatever planet you could. 
The Empire was crawling around everywhere, but you donned the abilities of your nicknames, able to slink through shadows and slip past scrutinising eyes. 
You stayed low like Hunter had asked, feeling the weight of your silent comms grow heavier and heavier with each day that passed and it remained silent. 
Day by day, the loneliness and hopelessness slithering closer until you couldn’t stand it any longer and formulated a plan.
To help. 
Whatever, wherever, you were going to help people rebuild after what had happened and try and do something good. 
Something to keep the balance Obi-Wan had mentioned. 
Because with each of those silent days, the shadows slipping under your skin seemed to grow stronger, the dance of lightning shimmering across your knuckles in the dead of night when the nightmares both old and new found you. 
One foot on either side. A balance.
You might still have a foot in shadow and a foot in light, but it felt as though the galaxy had shifted on its axis and your weight had begun to lean to one side over the other. 
So when dreams of your boys being turned into mindless monsters, of Rex killing Ahsoka, punctuated by Anakn’s screams, chased you from sleep, you moved. 
Way back when the worst thing was the Separatists, you’d gone with Anakina and the others to Onderon, helping Saw Gerrera and his band of activist free the planet from the clutches of the Separatists. 
You knew he was still there, that instinct telling you that was the place you needed to be to help.
So you followed. 
And it was on the way here that your comm had beeped to life, pinging through an encoded message in the frequency and code worked out between yourself and the boys should you ever need to communicate privately.
“Ghost, we’re okay. Whatever happened, whatever that was, it didn’t affect us. We don’t know what it is but we’re safe. Are you? Tech registered a ship leaving the planet after that transmission but we didn’t know if you were on it. Let us know where you are and we’ll come for you.” 
The earth-shattering relief that they were okay had brought to your knees, the fact that something had stayed good, that you hadn’t lost everyone. They were okay. They were alive. And they weren’t slaves to whatever Sidious had done to them. 
They were alive and they wanted to come for you.
And yet… Something held you back from responding. 
Something… vicious. That growing voice.
You were a walking target, no longer a Jedi Commander, best friends to General’s Skywalker and Kenobi, to Commander Tano and Captain Rex. 
In this new, upside down world… You were the enemy. 
The chatter you had heard hid this ‘Order 66’, instead labelling the massacre as a Jedi rebellion, claiming the people sworn to be the peacekeepers of the galaxy had handed in their honour for cold-blooded murder and the clones had been forced to fight back and do their job of protecting the galaxy from threats. 
And that was that. 
Temples were torn down, burned, raided. Those that remained sealed themself up, turning into relics of the past when they should be beacons for the future. 
Jedi who had slipped through the cracks in the carnage lined wanted boards and lit up the pucks of bounty hunters, both old and young. 
Even the children, those who had just discovered the gift that should be a blessing, now had a noose around their neck and a target on their back. 
How could you bring the boys into that crossfire? 
If they weren’t murdered alongside you, they;d be tried and executed as traitors for helping you and working alongside you. 
As much as every cell in your body craved to be with them, to be back by their side, protecting them as fiercely as they would protect you.. You just couldn’t sentence them to death. 
Or bring about the realisation that they weren’t under the same control as their brothers. 
Not to mention the gradually reducing control you seemed to be experiencing over this ‘balance’. 
There was too much risk.  
So you ignored the transmission. 
And the next one. 
And the one after that. 
//”We haven’t heard from you yet, so we’re assuming it’s not safe for you to respond. That’s the only reason I’m believing. We’ll find you and we’ll get you safe.”//
//”Please, Ghost. Please just give us something. Anything. Just a sign to let us know you’re still out there.”//
//”Something is wrong here. The regs are even more off than usual, there’s been a shift-up in command and training has increased. Crosshair is even more on edge than usual, and we seem to have acquired a friend.; A young girl, Omega. You’d like her, she’s stubborn like you and keeps us on our toes.”//
//”We miss you, Ghost. We can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”//
//”Please.”//
Everyday had brought a new transmission, the latest being this morning. 
You sighed as you keyed it off, kicking a rock like it was the cause of all your problems and booting it across the dusty ground would ease the longing in your heart.
“You’re going to have to answer whatever you’re avoiding at some point, you know. You can’t run forever, trust me.” The husky voice of Saw Gerrera appeared from your left as you rounded a stack of crates, not really paying attention to where you were going. 
You shoved the comms back into your cloak pocket, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow and what you hoped was a neutral expression, “I’m well aware of that, Gerrera. I don’t need to be reminded.” The words came out with more bite than you’d originally intended but… Whatever  Better to be on the offensive lately. 
Saw’s eyebrows raised a little and he held his hands up in surrender, “Easy, I wasn’t starting a fight, just offering advice.” He cocked his head, observing you with a stare that was far too knowing and intense, making your skin prickle.
You scowled at him, resisting the urge to cross your arms, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” You were grateful that he was allowing you to stay here and help, but there was something about him that was too intense, too… extremist. His reasons were there but his actions… They rubbed you up the wrong way. 
But where else did you have to go?
He ran a thumb along his jaw, eyebrows lowered in thought, “I know what you’re doing. Why you’re acting like this.” He didn’t give you a chance to argue, merely continuing in a level, even voice, “But you can’t keep biting at people just to push them away. You need your friends, the ones loyal to you. Especially now. They can help you, Ghost. They can keep you safe. We’re thankful for you here, but -”
“In case you haven’t been around lately, all of my friends are dead.” You spat the words at him, defensive anger immediately crackling to life, tingling in your veins and you tried to will it back into slumber. 
Saw rolled his eyes, planting his hands on his hips, “Clearly not all of them, or are you receiving coded transmissions from beyond the Force now?” He didn’t even bother to keep his voice down, reckless fool. 
You growled, stepping closer and you pointed warningly at him, “You can’t be saying things like that, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Your cold gaze flicked between his own eyes, “Have you been spying on me, Gerrera?” Anyone who knew you would immediately recognise the danger in the softness of your voice, something you and Crosshair had both been famed for. 
The softer the voice, the faster you better turn tail and run. 
The man before you didn’t back down, merely straightened his posture, muscles coiling in case you finally decided to snap. “It’s my job to keep these people safe, Ghost. No matter who they are, or who they were.” Clearly referring to you being a Commander, “Like I said. We’re thankful for your help, but if these friends of yours are going to come looking for you, I can’t risk my people.” 
A scoff escaped your throat despite your emotion, “Hang on, a moment ago you were giving me a pep talk about being with people who’ll keep me safe, and now you’re worried I’m going to hurt your people? Which is it, Saw? You want me gone for my own good, or gone because you don’t trust me?” 
So much for controlling your anger. 
Saw huffed, his chest rising and falling with the movement, “Look, I don’t want a fight. I just need to know I’m not going to have any trouble here. We’ve built too much and we’ve prepared too much to risk losing it now. The fight is nowhere near over, it’s even more important than it was when we fought the Separatists. This galaxy deserves peace, don’t you think? Can’t you of all people see that?” He stepped closer, his voice softening to the tone you knew he used on people to coax them to his side, “Isn't that what you were trained for? To allow people to live in peace and safety?”
Too far. 
You squared up to him, head tilted back to stare him down, “Let’s get one thing straight. I may have helped you all those years ago, and I might be thankful to you for helping me in return now; But do not think that gives you any right to comment on my past. Or my future. Or anything about me, actually.” You didn’t even blink, didn’t even care that his people were looking over, some of them pushing the younger ones behind them, “And for that matter, stop trying to encourage me to join you. I appreciate what you’re doing, and I’ll help here in camp but I’m not joining you. I’m not joining anyone.”
Saw was about to open his mouth, but awareness danced down your spine, signalling someone’s approach. 
Seconds later, you heard footsteps. Six pairs of footsteps. One set unfamiliar, but the other five…
“Not even us?” 
~~
Hunter watched as your head snapped round to face him, fast enough he would have feared for your spine had he not known you. 
He watched the emotion play across your face, shock, guilt, surprise, adoration. Your eyes narrowed, tracking carefully over each of his and his brother’s faces, and he could tell from the slightly unfocused look that you had tuned into the Force… Perhaps to see if that Order had affected them too… But then, complete and utter relief. It was so potent on your face, he nearly ran to you right then, had he not suddenly had at least ten blasters trained on him. Which in itself was nothing, they’d faced far worse odds, but he wasn’t here for a fight. 
“Clones?” Saw spat the word, yanking his own blaster free and he levelled it square at your face, “Your friends are clones? The Empire?!” His face was one of defensive fury, before the mask slipped over and he was impassive and watchful. 
Hunter’s fingers twitched on instinct, but you merely rolled your eyes, lifting a hand and knocking his blaster from your face “They don’t work for the Empire, Gerrera. And neither do I, despite what your prejudices are telling you.” 
The man you’d passed the crate to before scoffed, moving closer to the Batch, safety clicking off, “So what are they doing here then? You told us you were untraceable.” He narrowed suspecting eyes at you before looking back at the boys, particularly Crosshair, as if recognising him as the most lethal.
And with that expression on his face, he certainly looked it. 
Tech pushed between Hunter and Wrecker, one finger nudging his glasses up, “Actually, Ghost was correct. She was virtually untraceable. However, that would be by anyone else’s skill set. I, on the other hand, have been genetically engineered to have skills far beyond that which the average person has therefore in this case, Ghost was -”
“Tech! I think they get it, brother.” Hunter raised a hand, patting Tech affectionately on the shoulder before looking at Saw, his eyes straying to you now and then, unable to stop looking, checking you were okay. 
You were alive. 
You were alive and whole before him… At least in the physical sense. He could tell with one look, and by the way you kept avoiding his direct gaze that the events that had happened over the last week or so had left a wicked bruise, one that would take a while to heal. 
“We aren’t here to cause any trouble, Gerrera. We… We were sent here, yes. But under false orders. What we were told and what we’ve seen… You’re not a threat. At least not the one the Empire made you out to be.” He looked across at the children hidden behind adults, “You’re not causing trouble, you’re just trying to live.” 
Like they were. 
Crosshair scoffed from behind him, his gun clicking as he reflexively loosened and tightened his grip on it. The distaste and displeasure was rolling off of him in waves, jaw set and honey eyes almost black in the low pitch of the camp. 
Hunter knew he was in for a sniping match later, especially after Crosshair’s insistence before coming down here. 
“Make the order, Hunter. I have a clear shot.” 
“Crosshair, there are children there. And they’re just… living.” 
“We have orders. We were told to eliminate them, and that is what we are here to do. Tell me to take the shot, now.” 
“Just wait, Crosshair.”
“Hunter.” 
That had been when the hair on Hunter’s neck stood up, his senses perking their head, as if sensing a storm… And then there you were. Helping Saw’s men, your armour hidden beneath that billowing cloak.
You were alive. 
Saw barely moved, his eyes tracking across everyone, noting the fact your hands were ont he hilts of your twin blades, even if your posture seemed relaxed, “Okay, okay. Here’s what’s going to happen.” He nodded slightly to his men, who lowered their blasters after a seconds hesitation, “You said you were sent here to stop us, but you changed your mind?”
Hunter nodded, brows still low and body still tense as he waited to see where this went, “Yes. Like I said, you’re just trying to live.” He didn’t remove his fingers from his own blade, not quite yet. 
Not whilst you were still staring down the muzzle of Saw’s blaster.
Saw nodded again, eyes flicking to you then back to Hunter and the other boys, “You seem smart, Sergeant. You know the corruption of the Empire, and the lies they tell you.” His tone shifted, blaster lowering and shoulders pushing back, “we could use a squad like yours in the fight ahead. The fight for what is right. For freedom.” He lifted his chin again and his men backed off, beginning to load up the last few supplies, “We’re heading out. Do whatever you feel is right, but I hope you make the correct decision for yourself and the future of the galaxy.” With those final words, he levelled a glance at you, making you bristle and your eyes harden but you just rolled your eyes and crossed your arms. 
No one said a word as Saw’s men began to move, but Crosshair stepped forward, his hold still tight on his rifle, “Are we just going to let them walk away? Hunter, you heard Tarkin. They’re insurgents. They’re a danger. They need to be eliminated.” His eyes were fixed on the retreating group, so focused that it had you stepping forward into his line of sight.
“Leave it, Cross. I agree that they’re.. Radical and I don’t agree with their methods but Hunter is right. They’re just trying to live and make their way in all this mess. The Empire has bigger problems, surely.” Your jaw tensed at that remark, the fact its well known that the Empire were hunting down any escaped Jedi or Jedi sympathisers. 
Crosshair’s eyes flashed when you moved in front of him, when you agreed with Hunter. Something predatory crossing his face, like he still hadn’t forgotten that argument outside 79’s before all this, “Well, if Hunter says so, it must be true.” He spat out his toothpick and began to stalk back to the ship, agitation rolling of him in waves so strong you didn’t even need the Force to feel it. 
You sighed as you watched him, unfolding your arms, “He’s really not happy with me, is he. Still.” 
Tech looked over at you, lifting his visor up to the top of his helmet, “Crosshair has always had a starker sense of right and wrong, he doesn’t see the in between. That part of our training always stuck with him the most, I believe.” 
Wrecker shrugged, cracking his neck, “He just needs to shoot something, that always cheers him up.” He laughed and then trailed after Crosshair, helmet perched on his head.
Tech shook his head at his brothers, looking over his shoulder again at you, something more tender touching his eyes, “It’s good to see you okay, Ghost. We’re glad to have you back.” His hand reached out to touch your shoulder for a second before he followed Wrecker.
A smile graced your lips as you watched him go, his words cementing the fact that you were back at home with your boys… 
But then it faded, that voice whispering that you were still a target. What if you brought the Empire down on the boys heads? 
They were heading right back to them after failing to complete a mission… That was already enough to put them in the crossfire surely. 
Hunter’s broad form filled your vision, his finger touching your chin to bring your gaze up to his own, “I know that look. And I know what you’re thinking.” He tilted his head slightly, eyes focused on yours, unrelenting, “I know you didn’t answer our comms because you were afraid you’d bring danger to us.”
You should have remembered that he’d always see straight through you, “I am going to bring danger to you, Hunter. I can’t linger at the sidelines waiting for you like I used to. They know me at Kamino. They know I was a Commander. If they even catch wind that you’re seen with someone who fits my description…” You dragged your eyes to the side, to a spot over his shoulder. 
It broke Hunter’s heart, seeing you so unsure, doubting yourself like you used to when the words fo the Council would dig their claws too deep in you. What you’d been through since the Order was called… It had shaken something loose in you. ���Ghost, you’re one of us. You will always be one of us. No matter whether you have a bounty on your head or not, you are part of this squad and we will all protect you.” He ducked his head to the side to catch your gaze again, “I will protect you.” 
He was right, of course. 
You always fit into the squad of ‘defective’ clones more than you had anyone at the Temple, save for Anakin and Ahsoka of course. There was a reason Rex always joked that you were the missing member of Clone Force 99. 
Despite the turmoil in your chest, you couldn’t stop the smile that lifted your lips as you looked between Hunter’s eyes, “i think you’ll recall it’s usually me protecting you, no?”
Hunter laughed softly, eyes crinkling at the edges and he shook his head, “Only because you love to come in with a blaze of glory that rivals Anakin’s.”
You couldn’t help the reflexive flinch at his name, the pain searing through you with an echo of that cry again, but you forced that smile to stay on your lips, still not wanting to face it, “You love my blazes of glory, don’t even try to deny it, Sergeant.” 
Hunter didn’t miss the agony in your expression, not for one second but he allowed you the grace of waiting until you were ready, instead touching a hand to his chest, “:I would never deny you, Commander.” He swept a hand toward the way the rest of the boys went, “After you, my most dramatic partner.” 
You rolled your eyes with a laugh, pushing his chest gently as you moved past him, “Come on, you big idiot.”
Yeah.. It was good to be back together. 
~~~~~
Everything felt wrong. 
His senses were on high alert, the way they were on a mission, when he was tracking an enemy through the sight of his rifle. 
Crosshair rolled his shoulders and his neck, trying to focus on the grassy terrain beneath his feet, but the words in his head pulsed with every beat of his heart, 
Complete the mission. Complete the mission. Complete the mission.
Laughter behind him had his hands twitching, a sound that once brought him a sense of freedom and lightness.. It felt all twisted now. Like black smoke filtering across a clear sky. 
That voice in his head hissed at the sound, the sweet cadence of it. 
His head flicked to the side, watching as you walked along with Hunter and Echo, joking about something or other. 
When he saw you standing there, with Saw, his head was a mess. 
An insatiable itch in his hands as he held his rifle, battling against relief that you were okay. 
And yet, the second you had agreed with Hunter, that battle tipped to one side. 
He couldn’t imagine what you had witnessed since they last saw you, but whatever it was left that shadowy beast sitting right behind your eyes. He could see it. Sense it, just like that night at 79’s. 
But, just like that night, you choked it down and looked to Hunter for appraisal. 
Complete the mission. 
Crosshairs eye twitched as you laughed again, bumping into Hunter’s side and he zeroed in on the way his arm settled around yout shoulders so casually. 
“We don’t know what else might be around here, or if Saw’s men intend on letting us leave. Don’t you think you should save the reunion party till we’re back on the ship?”
Your eyes flicked as you looked at him, the laughter dying on your face and it hit something deep in his chest, “You could pretend to be a little happier to see me, Crosshair.” Your words were light, but he could see the blade’s edge in the hardness of your eyes, the challenge levelled at him. 
He rolled his shoulders again, trying to ease off that tension, “Of course I am. I just don’t think now is the time to be drawing a bigger target on ourselves. We’re already going to be reprimanded for not completing the mission. Now we have another of the Empire’s targets to paint on our backs.” He lifted his hand to motion to you, even though these words.. They were coming out wrong. All wrong. This isn’t what he wanted to say. 
He wanted to tell you how relieved he was you were still alive, that the thought you could have been caught in the crossfire of the Order had nearly brought him to his knees… So why weren’t those words coming out?”
Complete the mission.
Echo frowned, looking at Crosshair sharply, “That’s enough, Crosshair. When do we ever complete a mission the way we’re asked to? This is nothing different to what we always do.” He looked back at you, then back to Crosshair as the Marauder came into view, “Ghost is not a target. What’s gotten into you?” 
Crosshair wanted to scream, because even he didn’t know. He winced as that sharp pain came back into his head, “Good soldiers follow orders. We shouldn’t be drawing attention to ourselves.” He huffed, turning away, rubbing a hand over his head like he could push the thoughts out, “We need to complete the mission.” He shook his head sharply, then hurried into the ship, long legs working to draw him farther away. 
Before he rounded the corner, he heard your voice again, “Maybe we should stop snapping at him and check he’s okay?” 
No. 
Something in him told him not to be in a room alone with you. 
Just… No. 
Complete the mission.
Good soldiers follow orders. 
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The Marauder was silent, save for the soft beeps and hums from the console, the proximity alarms on standby, and the soft breathing of your companions… and Wrecker’s snoring. 
But you were used to all of it, a white noise that you found you couldn’t sleep without. The Marauder was a safe home, a solid point in a constantly whirring galaxy that tried to spin everything out of control at any given moment. 
And given everything that had happened recently, you needed this stability more than anything.
You needed them more than anything.
As long as you had the Marauder and your family, you were okay. You were home. The rest of the galaxy might be in ruin, but this was your sanctuary. 
And maybe you’d only have days before Tarkin realised the boys hadn’t returned to Kamino, but you would deal with that after, and whatever was going on with Crosshair. 
You’d fix it. 
You could deal with all that when it happened. 
For now, you just wanted the peace and safety of the ship, and the boys. 
But tonight, the peaceful atmosphere was different. 
It was living. 
Breathing. 
It was alive, and it was prowling. Something was on the hunt. 
No, someone was on the hunt. 
Maybe that’s what turned your dreaming slumber, switching it from recent memories of all you had endured to awareness, even if your body was still at rest. 
Your connection to the force, those senses that rivalled Hunter’s, were whispering at you, hissing a warning even though the Force itself was hurting.
Danger. Danger. Danger. 
Your body remained still, breathing even, eyes closed but you didn’t need them open to see. 
Someone was here, standing in the rest area at the back of the Marauder. 
You could hear the breathing, the near silent inhale and exhale of a steady, solid rhythm. A hunter's rhythm. 
Three counts. That’s what you gave yourself, your hand stretching out beneath your pillow, ready to call your sabers to you, because you hadn’t slept with them under your pillow tonight- you didn’t need to, not here. 
One. 
Adrenaline seeped through your blood, cool like ice, sparkling like lightning. 
Two. 
The thing was, you knew who it was. 
You knew who was here, who had come to end your life. 
Who hadn’t escaped the Order you all thought you were free from.
Three. 
One more breath, then your eyes snapped open, sabers flying into your hands and igniting with that familiar hum. 
The stark white glow lit up his face, bouncing over the sharp angles of his face, highlighting the tattoo, his eyes. 
Those eyes were cold, detached, nothing recognisable of your friend in that gaze. 
The gaze that was levelled through the sight of his blaster, trained on your centre of your forehead. 
You sat up slowly, keeping your saber defensively between you, ready but unwilling to hurt him, because this wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. “Crosshair…”
His finger twitched, taking the safety off the weapon, determined. Cold.
Ready. 
“Good soldiers follow orders.”
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pangeen · 2 years
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Summer cloud chasing // Jonathan Bizilia
Music: AK - Wanderlust
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