So As For Thoughts On The Royal Family; Im Definitely Ready To Just Relive Some Of The Cutest Moments

All Grown Up | Hunter from The Bad Batch

Summary: Many years after Tantiss and after having settled down in Pabu, Hunter struggles to watch his eldest to go off and join the rebellion. He returns home to the comfort of family awaiting him.

Warning: SPOILERS FROM SEASON 3 FINALE BELOW THE CUT, Omega refers to the reader as her mum (though not biological), mentions of old age, other children are briefly mentioned, slightly suggestive, and just good old fashioned tears

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader

Type: Oneshot

Word Count: 1.8k

The gleam of the  silvery moon pierced through the dark blue skyline. The cool summer breeze swept through the entirety of the island, caressing wooden chimes hanging outside homes. The crickets were out singing songs to each other. The warm yellow light twinkled in the homes of many who where still awake during the late hours of the night.

With one last look of the island, Omega began making her way across the sandy beaches. She listened to the sound of the waves crashing gently against the shoreline; her shoes leaving prints behind in the sand. A few light breezes swept the loose strands of hair out of her face. She made her way into the lower caves of the island.

Coming up over the rocks, Omega's gaze landed on the spot in which her ship was docked. She neared one of the many generators in the cave, kneeling down and flicking the switch on. The warm light that radiated from the generator brightened her face and signaled the other generators to illuminate the rest of the cave.

A low bark sounded near one of the other generators. She lifted her head and smiled to herself, knowing that it was Batcher calling out to her. She briefly spotted another figure looming and sitting beside the old lurca hound, causing her heart to clench slightly in her chest.

Slowly, Omega made her way over to the both of them. The gangplank of her ship opened to reveal Gonky waiting for her. She rounded the side of the rocks, coming up behind the two.

"Thought you could just sneak off?" Hunter questioned as he stared off towards the entrance of the cave. The corners of his lips tugged into a gentle smile. "Time hasn't dulled all my senses," Hunter reminded her.

She lowered herself to sit down right beside him, watching him carefully with a hint of nervousness behind her eyes. She didn't say anything at first, but she had a feeling he was about to give her one of his famous talks. Sure enough, Omega was right about that.

"Your mother would have woken up worried sick about you, wondering where you’d gone off to this time," Hunter stated. His eyes focused on his hands that where clasped together.

"This shouldn't be a surprise. I talked with mum about this a lot," Omega defended herself.

Her words pained him slightly. In the more recent years, Omega had found herself seeking the advice of her mother more often than him. It had a lot to do with her age; having questions about womanhood that her mother was more than willing to explain. If Omega had gone to Hunter, the conversation would have just turned more awkward than anything. And sometimes, she was afraid to ask him in fear that he'd shoot her down pointblank.

It wasn't a surprise because he had heard some of their conversations late at night when the others had gone to bed. He recalled one conversation that happened just last week. She'd said something along the lines of: "Mum? What were the Clone Wars like?" Her mother proceeded to tell her what it was like to be a field medic during the height of the war. That, despite all the bad things, Y/n had found her purpose in life and wanted to help the war cause by tending to soldiers on the field.

Hunter just really wished she hadn't said that because they wouldn't be here now if she had.

"The Rebellion needs pilots now more than ever," Omega told him. She always had that drive to help others; she was so much like her mother in that way. "I made my choice, Hunter. I want to do more."

"And we want to keep you safe," Hunter countered. He finally turned to look at her. The worry was so evident behind those beaming eyes.

His strong sense of overprotectiveness was starting to show. It almost reminded her of what he used to be like when she was much younger: how he never wanted her to go on missions and how he'd force her to stay behind on the ship. She appreciated his concern, but it wasn't needed now.

"You have, but I'm not a kid anymore." Omega weakly smiled at him. She placed her hand on her chest. "You don't have to worry about me."

He wasn't satisfied with this, slowly turning away once again. He lowered his gaze to stare down at the ground. She continued to watch his movements carefully, wondering what he was thinking about in that moment.

"You're our kid, Omega. You always will be," Hunter said plainly. She smiled at this.

"You’ve got your own kids to worry about now," Omega chuckled slightly. She thought about her three siblings, figuring that they'd be fast sleep in their beds right about now and dreaming about things far beyond this galaxy.

"And you all make me feel like an old man," Hunter huffed with a playful smile.

"Well, you kinda are." Omega teased him by bumping into his shoulder.

When he turned his head towards the light, Omega was able to see just how much time had changed his appearance. His beard had grown out and his hair was sprinkled with grey. She saw the crows feet that bunched around his eyes when he smiled.

He was frail too. He wasn't able to play with his kids as much since last summer when he injured his back. He just moved a little slower now and wasn't able to do any heavy work around the house. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since they settled on Pabu all those years ago.

Pabu was home. Omega had grown up here. His other kids were born on the island. His family and his life was here. He wanted nothing more than to keep it that way. But Omega was moving onto newer things.

"Hunter," Omega sighed. She scooted a little closer to him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You've all fought enough. This...is my fight. I'm ready."

Slowly, Omega rose to stand to her feet. He watched her move away from him with so much worry and concern in his eyes. He now realized that she wasn't his little girl anymore. She was all grown up and ready to have adventures of her own.

"Yeah. I know you are," Hunter sighed to himself. His lips curved into a soft smile. He shook his head slightly. "But I'm not."

Now, Hunter stood to his feet in a slow manner. His strength wasn't like it used to be. She didn't hesitate to step forward and embrace him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin against her shoulder. When they pulled away, Omega placed her hands on his shoulders. She sent him a warm encouraging smile.

"Say goodbye to the others for me," Omega requested. She didn't need to give names because he knew she was talking about her brothers, her siblings, and her mother. He gave a single nod of the head before gesturing towards her ship.

"Off you go," Hunter had finally let her go.

By the time Hunter had gotten home, he was little surprised to see one of the lights on from his view on the street. He climbed the steps of the porch, opening the door as quietly as possible so he didn't wake the kids. His gaze landed on the familiar figure sitting in one of the living room chairs. He closed the door behind him.

"Hey," Hunter called out softly. He took a few strides towards her, kneeling down beside the armchair. He gently grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "How come you're still awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Y/n scolded him slightly. There was a twinge of annoyance in the tone of her voice. "I wake up to an empty bed and a daughter missing."

"Ah, yes. About that..." Hunter's voice trailed off. He quickly avoided her gaze and wondered how he was going to break the news to his wife. But his silence gave it away.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Y/n said rather sorrowfully.

He nodded silently in response. He fought against the tears that gathered in the corners of his eyes, but the light from the lamp illuminated them perfectly. She went to cup his cheek and sent him a weak smile.

"It was bound to happen some day," Y/n tried to reason with him. She shook her head at the notion. "She couldn't stay your little girl forever."

"No," Hunter agreed. "She couldn't. She's all grown up now."

Ever so slowly, Hunter rose to his feet alongside her. He took her spot in the chair before gently guiding her down to sit in his lap. He went to drape her legs over his lap and have them hang over the side of the chair. She wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned down to rest her head against his shoulder. He cradled her gently in his grasp.

The two parent's gazes fell on the wall where each of their children's height had been marked over the years to show their growth. There were countless tallies and dates, including both of his brothers' and the lurca hound's. They studied each mark as a reminder of how much each of their kids had grown over the years.

But Hunter's sights were stuck on a rather faded mark on the wall. He remembered the day like it was only yesterday. He loved seeing how excited Omega was to have her height marked on the wall; how Omega tried to stand as tall as she could while he used a pencil to mark it. Then, seeing over the years, her tallies had grown until she was basically his height.

"They're all growing up so fast," Y/n said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Maybe it's our sign to have another one," Hunter joked. She sent him a warning glare so he pressed a little further. "Come on. The littlest ones about five years old now. We're due for another."

"I told you I am done having babies. We've had three; that's a good number," Y/n swiftly shut down the idea of having another little one. She could think of a million reasons why that wouldn't pan out great. "We're getting too old for this. And with your bad back..."

"I know. I know. You don't have to remind me," Hunter chuckled softly, just loving how flustered she had gotten while talking about having a kid again. He pressed a gentle kiss to her check to calm her nerves.

The two of them swayed slightly in the rocking chair, basking in each other's presence. Their eyes set on the wall. The house's memories over the years came flooding back to them. The children's laughter was an ever present sound that brought the purest form of joy.

Their eldest daughter was all grown up now and out of the house. They remembered every single memory they made with her over the course of the past couple years. She had drastically changed their lives, but all for the better. And they wouldn't change a single thing.

LITERALLY AM OBSESSED WITH THAT FINAL SCENE OF OMEGA AND HUNTER. HAD TO WRITE MY OWN VERSION AND I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

Welp, just found the original transcripts for my first fan fiction ever. Do I dare publish it?

what i love about this scene is not only does it show how smart kaz brekker is, but i love that when ben barnes told freddy carter to act afraid, he’s was like, yeah, no kaz mother fucking brekker, who is the fucking scariest thing walking the streets of the barrel would not be afraid of some 300 year old powerful grisha. and i fucking love that for him.  

omg… i just learned that a group of crows is called a murder.

crows, as a species, are also known to have funerals😭

The Royal Family | Chapter Two

Summary: When two royal family’s decide to conjoin their countries, they arrange a marriage between their eldest children. Once the two royals meet, it takes a lot of convincing before they are ready to begin their reign together...

Warning: touchy subjects (marriage)

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Type: The Royal Family Series

MASTERLIST

The small pond was a bold jewel of living turquoise, flowing with the gentle and soft breeze in the night sky. The pond was the source of water to the growing weeds surrounding the edges of the pond. The surface of the small rippling waves were black in the late hours of the night. The reflection of the numerous white speckles of starlight were shimmering on the waves. The sky had vanished almost completely, leaving only a few fragments of white starling to remain. The air was rich and course. 

The fragrance of the leaves was streaming through the atmosphere. The time of rain had passed many days ago. However, the rich brown soil had remained wet and damp. The sweet fragrance of wet dirt was lingering around the edge of the pond. The sound of the soft rippling waves of the water in the pond were creating a relaxing hypnotic melody. 

The numerous toads and frogs were croaking in tune with the calming melody in the night. The little green crickets were hopping over the taller steam of grass in the field, singing their own little tune. The fireflies were creating brief little specks of yellow light, flying over the surface of the water in the pond. The entire forest was basking in the awkward silence of the night.

The young princess was currently standing in front of the full length mirror in her quarters. She had changed out of her clothes way too many times to count. She had pinched her cheeks so hard that she was finally able to see the natural red blush on her cheekbones. She did not seem to like the way her hair was falling over her shoulders. She just couldn’t make it look perfect.

Meanwhile, the six men had been standing and waiting in the entrance hall to the grand dining room. The two princes were discussing the likelihood of starting a card game (after dinner). The eldest prince had been talking to his personal assistant who was named Harrison. The two of them were carefully watching the grand staircase, waiting for the princess’s arrival. The two kings were currently standing on the sidelines.

“I deeply apologize for my dear daughter,” the King of the East said. He had just briefly looked down at the pocket watch in his hands. He pursed his lips together in thought. He could only wonder where she might be. “She is not usually this late,” the King of the East confessed.

“I take no offense,” King Dominic laughed. He was quick to wave his hand in dismissal. Though the King of the North did not have any daughters of his own, he did have a wife who would always take her dear sweet time getting ready for various occasions. He knew what it was like to have to wait.

“I am afraid that since there are princes in the palace, she will take her dear sweet time to get ready,” the King of the East replied. He was unaware of the fact that the eldest prince was listening to their conversation. He had turned his head to look towards the three princes, tipping his head to gesture towards them. He smiled at them.

In the background, the young prince had been lingering near the bottom of the staircase. He wasn’t able to look away from the grand staircase standing in front him. He was just waiting for the princess to grace him with her presence. He didn’t want to miss the moment where she came into view.

With some hesitation, Prince Thomas had turned his head to look at his personal assistant standing beside him. He had opened his mouth to ask him a question, but he couldn’t seem to find the right words to phrase it. He closed his mouth again to ponder his thoughts.

“What do you know about the princess?” Thomas wondered. He had forced himself to look back towards the grand staircase in hopes that he didn’t miss the princess walking down the stairs. But he still didn’t see her.

“Her father—the king—is the business man who has always dealt with government matters,” Harrison explained. He had been ordered to find background information on the other royal family. “He didn’t have time to deal with the public. So he appointed his daughter to be the public figure or the people person,” Harrison concluded.

“She meddles in those matters?” Thomas questioned. He was almost shocked and surprised that the princess would be interested in such an issue. He had never heard of a princess that bothered herself with politics.

“And she listens to them. She has been able to bring many of their problems to parliament so that changes can be made. There are some monarchs that care so little about their people,” Harrison confessed. “But she is different. She cares them. She is very well-loved by her people,” Harrison said with a small smile on his face.

“Has she had any suitors?” Thomas changed the subject. His voice was laced with the strong sense of curiosity. He had lifted his hand towards the side of his head, scratching his neck to hide his awkwardness. He was almost afraid of the answer.

“Plenty,” Harrison said with a firm nod of the head. He opened his mouth to breath out one long sigh. “It seems like every season her father is trying to marry her off to a prince from some far away land. He has been trying since she was fifteen,” Harrison added.

“Why doesn’t she have a suitor then? She could easily have any man in the world. She could steal their heart without a second to spare,” Thomas suggested. He was thinking long and hard about this, but it still didn’t make any sense to him. “Why hasn’t she taken a husband yet?” He pondered.

“Because she won't have any of them,” Harrison confessed.

Upon hearing those words, Prince Thomas could feel his heart dropping in the confines of his chest. He found himself wondering if he would suffer the same fate as the other princes. He was starting to doubt himself. He didn’t believe that he would ever be good enough for the princess. He almost felt hopeless.

The young prince could feel this strong sense of nervousness coursing through his entire body. He had quickly grown self-conscious of his evening attire. He could only wonder if he would make a fool of himself at the dinner table. He could feel a heavy lump lingering at the back of his throat. He was fiddling with his fingers in a nervous manner.

At the given moment, Princess Y/N had been walking through the long hallways of the palace. She had stopped to stand at the corner of the staircase. She poked her head around the corner, staring at the six men standing in the entrance hall. She pushed her back into the stone wall, running her fingers over the smooth material of her dress. She cleared her throat.

Very slowly, the young princess had pushed herself off the side of the wall. She had shifted to stand in the center of the staircase, stepping forward in her place to begin her descent. She had placed her hand on the smooth wooden railing so she could keep her balance. 

Meanwhile, Prince Thomas had turned his head and looked towards the top of the staircase. He could feel his breath hitching in the back of his throat upon seeing the sight in front of him. His eyes had mindlessly scanned over the light pink material of her dress, basking in her beautiful appearance. His heart was fluttering at the sight of her, beating at a rapid pace. He couldn’t seem to look away from her.

Now Princess Y/N had shifted to stand at the bottom of the staircase. She had turned her head to look towards each of the princes and kings in her presence. She was quick to curtsy to them out of mere respect. She smiled at them.

“You look...” Prince Thomas’ voice had trailed off. He shook his head at her. He just couldn’t find the right words to express himself. He had opened his mouth again, but he was quickly cut off by the king’s remark.

“Absolutely beautiful,” the King of the East replied. He had found himself striding across the small stretch of the room, standing in front of his only daughter. He was sure to keep her at arms distance so that he could admire her beauty. He leaned forward to press one kiss to her cheek. “As always,” the King of the East claimed.

“I am so sorry to have kept you waiting,” Princess Y/N groaned. She was starting to feel that overwhelming sensation of embarrassment taking over her features. She had lifted her hand towards the side of her face, tucking a single strand of hair behind her ears timidly. She was blushing to herself.

“Nonsense,” King Dominic exclaimed. He was quick to wave his hand in dismissal. He didn’t seem to see any harm in her late arrival. He was just pleased that she showed up at all.

“Shall we?” The King of the East suggested. He had motioned towards the grand doors of the entrance hall with his hand, gesturing for his guests to enter the room. He had laced his arms with his dear daughter’s, leading her through the grand doors.

There were large silver platters holding fleshy pink strips of trout that had been garnished with dashings of green and brown herbs. There were large porcelain bowls filled with little clumps of white cheeses. A few platters of fowl were resting on the end of the long wooden table, emitting a savory smell throughout the entire room. There were a number of cooked oceanic creatures that had been drizzled into tones of warm sauces and spicy seasoning. The large gold pitchers were overflowing with the richest dark red wine in the land. 

There were many large bowls containing the different types of creamy soups with a few green herbs floating on the top of the gooey substance. A large bowl of red pudding was resting in the center of the four wooden tables. There were a few bowls of peanuts, almonds, and walnuts on the side. And there were many bowls of fresh fruits, containing little leafs of mint on the top of the sweet or sour fruit. 

The servants (footmen) were currently standing in a strict line. They had bowed their heads out of respect. The footmen were quick to step forward in their place, shifting to pull out the wood chairs for the royal family. However, at the very last second, Prince Tom had taken the place of one of the servants. The servant had awkwardly stepped back into the line (because he really didn’t know what else to do).

“Allow me,” Prince Thomas said. He stood behind the princess’s chair. He had pulled the wood chair out from underneath the table. He was quite the gentleman.

“Thank you,” Princess Y/N said with a small nod of the head. She had shifted to stand in front of the chair. She gripped the heavy skirt of her dress, gathering the material in her hands so that it was out of the way. She lowered herself into the chair without hesitation. She could feel him pushing the chair behind her.

Slowly, the young prince had made his way back to his own chair on the other side of the dinner table. He had tried to ignore the ‘all knowing’ looks coming from his two brothers. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks in slight embarrassment.

During the dinner, the two kings were able to discuss the matters of the peace treaty. The princess was eagerly listening to their conversation, but she wouldn’t dare say anything on the matter. She didn’t really like the whole concept of the peace treaty. She would be signing away her rights, land, and power to the other kingdom. And it was all because she was unable to inherit those things. It made her very sad to think about. 

“I hear you like politics, princess,” Prince Thomas said. He had pulled her out of her thoughts. She had turned her head to look across the small stretch of the table, taken back by his choice of words. She nodded her head slowly.

“Yes. I do,” Princess Y/N confirmed. She had lifted her glass towards her soft pink lips, drinking the rich dark liquid in the glass. She was slow to lower her glass back down to the surface of the table. She cleared her throat awkwardly. “You must think me very undignified,” Princess Y/N said.

“On the contrary, I hold a higher respect for you now,” Prince Thomas claimed. He had lowered his gaze to stare down at the meat on his plate. He lifted the silver fork and knife to the tender meat, cutting through the meat with no effort. He sent a small smile towards her. 

“You don’t think me unladylike for meddling in those matters?” the princess wondered. She was really taken back by his remark. She did not expect that kind of response from him. It made her think differently. “That is what most princes says about me. They say that I have no business dealing with those things,” the princess remarked.

“I don’t believe that at all,” Princess Thomas confessed truthfully. He had shook his head at her statement. He had lifted his head to look across the table, locking his gaze with her’s. He sent her a playful wink and a smile. “And I am not like most princes,” Prince Thomas corrected.

“No,” Princess Y/N smiled. “I can see that you are not.”

It was the next day. The lake-side air was pungent with the fragrance of blooming flowers. It was no natural basin filled with meltwater, but the luxury addition to a formal garden by an earl with both copious leisure time and money. The garden was blossoming with flowers and trees. The gravel pathway stretched throughout the gardens, weaving its way underneath the canopy of trees. It was springtime. 

A small number of servants were ordered to maintain the garden nearly every other week. They picked out the various types of weeds, pruned the dead leaves from the trees, watered the growing flowers, and cleaned the pathway. In the end, the royal garden was flourishing with awestruck beauty. 

Every morning, the princess would walk through the gardens. She would admire the colorful flowers and growing trees and bushy shrubs. With a shawl wrapped around her shoulders, she would walk throughout the garden on its pathway. She liked to see every single little aspect of the gardens. She was able to name practically every plant. She often liked to pick a few pink or white roses, crafting them into a beautifully woven crown. This day was no different from the rest of them.

The princess was currently sitting on a nearby bench. She was overlooking the small lake in the distance. She dropped her gaze to stare down at her hands, bunching the small collection of white roses together to make a little bouquet for herself. She closed her eyes to breath in the fresh morning air.

Unbeknownst to her, the young prince found himself walking throughout the gardens. He had laced his arms behind his back, aimlessly and mindlessly wandering throughout the gardens. He turned his head to look towards the bright blue sky hanging about him. He continued walking on the gravel pathway, weaving his way between the tall trees. He did not hesitate to round the corner of a shrub, stopping in his tracks at the sight before him.

His soft brown eyes had seen the young princess sitting on the bench in the distance. He could clearly see that she was looking in the opposite direction, so she had not been informed of his presence. He looked down at his shiny shoes, shuffling on his feet. He cleared his throat awkwardly to grab her attention.

“I-I...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Prince Thomas said. He had almost struggled to find the right words for himself.

“It’s quite alright,” Princess Y/N claimed. She stood to her feet. She was still holding the small bouquet of wild daisies in her hands. The prince had politely dipped his head down in acknowledgment and the princess curtsied to him. When they had both straightened their backs in posture, they had only shared a small silent moment together.

"W-Would you like to walk with me?" Prince Thomas wondered. He had turned his head to gaze at her with a quizzical look on his face. He fiddled with his fingers behind his back. He could only hope that she would agree.

The princess was slightly taken back by the prince's questions. The corners of her lips lifted into a soft smile. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She quickly turned her head, hoping to hide the evident blush on her face. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts. 

"I would love nothing more," the princess said with a small smile on her face.

In response, Prince Thomas had found himself straightening his back in posture. His shifted his forearm out to his side, offering his forearm for her to take.  Hesitantly, Princess Y/N had decided to take one single step forward in her place. She laced her am with the prince's. The two of them had started walking down the pathway.

“Do you...like gardens?” Prince Thomas wondered. He had turned his head to look down at the princess walking beside him, waiting eagerly to hear her response. She nodded her head in confirmation.

“Yes,” the young princess replied. “My mother always loved to sit in the gardens. She would braid my hair and place wild roses into my hair, weaving it all together. It made me feel like a fair,” she confessed with a small blush on her face.

“What happened to her?” Prince Thomas questioned. There was a moment of silence. The young princess had just briefly halted in her steps for a second. She tried to collect her thoughts together.

"S-She passed away ten years ago," Princess Y/N said. "She died of a disease. There was no cure. My father was forced to sit back and watch the life drain out of her body. I was young at the time, but I can still remember the look on his face when the doctors told us that she had passed,” Princess Y/N admitted sadly.

"I-I'm sorry for your loss. I apologize for bringing that up. It was wrong of me. It was very impolite for me to do so. I am so very sorry," Prince Thomas apologized profusely.

"It is not your fault. That is just the way of life. But I still have my father," the princess replied. She was trying to remain positive. She had turned her head to look up at him through the corner of her eye. She just watched him nod his head in agreement.

The two royals were continuing their walk together in utter silence. It was almost like they were afraid to talk to each other. Eventually, Prince Thomas had turned his head and looked at the young princess beside him. He had decided to change the subject, hopefully to something less touchy. He opened his mouth to speak, finding himself lost for words. 

"I-I suppose...you...have heard...about...the...arrangement," Prince Thomas said. He was afraid to say it. His voice was laced with the strong sense of uneasiness. He tried to turn his head to look down at her. He hoped to see some kind of reaction from her.

"What arrangement?" Princess Y/N asked dumbly. She didn’t even know why she had asked him that question. She already knew the answer to it. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

Hesitantly, the prince nodded his head in confirmation. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stopped in his steps, turning his body to face the small princess. They faced each other and looked into each other's eyes. 

"I speak of the arrangement that will unite our two kingdoms with an arranged marriage. It will seal our future together,” Prince Thomas said. He had forced himself to swallow the heavy lump lingering at the back of his throat, clearing his throat awkwardly. He waited for her to speak.

"In that case...I was informed of our arrangement," the princess said. She dropped her gaze to stare down at her own feet, feeling the small sense of fearfulness in regards to the topic. "My father believes that this is the only option we have left. He hopes that we will become a couple that our subjects can’t help but admire and be proud of,” the princess claimed.

“I see,” Prince Thomas replied. He nodded his head understandingly.

"H-He thinks we would make a good pair," Princess Y/N piped up. She didn’t mean to stumble over her words. She might have just been trying to get a positive reaction out of him. She could clearly see the prince looking ahead of himself, humming softly in acknowledgment. "D-Do you....” the princess's voice trailed off. 

"Do I what?" Prince Thomas wondered. He had turned his head to look down at the princess in question. The princess chewed the inside of her cheek nervously, contemplating on her next words. She was quick to lift her gaze to him, staring at him with hopeful eyes. 

"D-Do you...do you agree? Do you agree to all of this? The arrangement? Our future together? Are you going to go sign the peace treaty?" the princess couldn’t seem to stop the questions from flying out of her mouth.

“Now, now,” the prince said, stopping in his steps.

He turned his body and faced the young woman standing in front him. His arms fell to his side once again. He could tell that she was nervous by the way she was fiddling with her fingers and chewing on her bottom lip. He knew that she was thinking too hard about this. 

"I don't want to rush anything between us. If our fathers decide that we are to be married in order to save our kingdoms, then...then I will have to ask you to become my wife," Prince Thomas confirmed.

The young princess dropped her gaze to stare down at her feet, nodding her head understandingly. He breathed a small sigh under his breath. He had shifted to take one single step forward in his place, practically towering over the princess's small frame. They could tell that their faces were mere inches away from one another's.

“I care about my future kingdom. I care about the people and I care about the land. I want to rule the land and govern the people. If marrying you means that my kingdom will flourish, then I will not hesitate to get down on one knee,” the prince replied.

The princess was slightly taken back by the prince's comment. She found herself gazing at the prince in utter shock and surprise. In a way, the two of them were very similar. He was just as invested in the politics as she was. He was caring and sweet. He was worried about his future kingdom. He would do anything for his people group. He was loving and caring. It was something to admire in a future king. 

"You’re just like...” she had laughed. Her face had dropped in a split second. Her words had faded into absolutely nothing. She could see the small smile growing on his face. Her voice was soft and gentle, coming out like a whisper. “...me.”

“I do not think we are so different after all,” Prince Thomas agreed with a short shake of the head. He could practically hear the wheels turning in her head, thinking about him different now. 

“You care about your people group to an effect that you would not hesitate to marry a stranger. You...you would do anything for them,” Princess Y/N claimed with a look of confusion on her face.

"Yes," Prince Thomas said, nodding his head in agreement. "I-I am not a selfish prince."

"Nor will you be a selfish king,” Princess Y/N added. The prince took a small step forward until their chests were pressed together. The princess breathed a small gasp, marveling over the little distance between the two of them. 

"This isn't about us anymore," the prince said, shaking his head. "This arrangement is about our land and people. It is about saving them from the raiders of the west. I would do anything for them. I would sacrifice anything to ensure their freedom." 

“Even your own?"

There was a brief moment of silence. The prince could see the evident look of sadness in the princess’s shining eyes. He almost couldn’t respond to that question. He would give away everything with his answer. He blinked once. 

"Yes. Even my own freedom," Prince Thomas breathed out, nodding his head in confirmation. He was able to maintain eye contact the whole time. His heart clenched at his own choice of words. "I would sacrifice my own freedom and happiness for them,” Prince Thomas confessed.

“I admire you,” Princess Y/N said with a small smile on her face. She had dropped her gaze to stare down at her feet. She found herself continuing to walk down the pathway leading in the garden. She could only wonder if the prince would follow behind her. “It’s a noble thing to do,” Princess Y/N added.

The prince had found himself turning his head to watch her retreating figure. He shifted his hands towards his frontside, fiddling with his fingers from his nerves. He was trying to find the right words to say to explain himself.

"I...I understand how you are feeling. I do truly,” Prince Thomas called to her. He could see her stop in her place. “I understand that you do not want to be forced into a marriage unwillingly. I understand that you do not want to be married to a stranger. I understand that you do not want any of this," Prince Thomas replied.

In response, Prince Thomas could clearly see the young princess dipping her head downwards to stare at the solid ground. He saw her shoulders shake slightly. He did not hesitate to walk towards her. He had stopped to stand beside her. When the prince had gotten closer, he could hear the small sobs coming out of her mouth. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth, hoping to contain her cries. She was embarrassed to be seen like this. 

Slowly, Prince Thomas had shifted his hands to the sides of her arms. He turned her smaller body to face him, taking hold of her hands in his own. He held her hands close to their chests. She shook her head slightly, feeling the hot tears streaming down her face effortlessly. She couldn’t help the tears from coming. He had raised his hand, tapping her chin softly to gain her attention.

“It’s okay,” Prince Thomas said with a small smile on his face. He lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks. He used his thumbs to wipe away the tears streaming down her face. She smiled softly at his actions. “You don’t have to love me back,” Prince Thomas claimed.

"No..." the princess said, shaking her head in denial. "T-T...Thomas...it's not that. I-I-I didn't mean it like that. Please...don't say those kinds of things," she pleaded.

The corners of the prince's lips tugged into a soft smile. He rubbed his thumbs against her smooth cheeks reassuringly, wiping away the last of her tears. He was quick to capture her gaze once last time.

"I understand you," he said slowly.

Hesitantly, Prince Thomas had lowered his hands back down to his sides. He smiled softly at her. He leaned down to her height. He turned his head so that his lips were hovering right beside her ear. He softly whispered into her ear.

"Until our next meeting, my love.” the prince whispered. His voice was soft and gentle. His hot breath had sent shivers down her spine. He turned his head and pressed his lips against her cheek, kissing her softly. When he pulled away, he tipped his head down politely and saluted her farewell. 

In that given moment, Prince Thomas had turned around and started walking away from his future spouse. The young princess could only watch his figure retreat back into the gardens. She was quick to turn on the heels of her feet. She started walking back towards the palace, thinking bout the words the prince said to her. She mentally cursed to herself for being so emotional in front of a stranger. Then again...he wasn't a stranger. He was going to be her future spouse, whether she liked it or not. 

The table tops were filled with layers of the most delicious food and drinks, garnered to make ones mouth water in hunger. There were pheasants and goose, a bowl of roasted root vegetables, creamy sauces with garden herbs and best of all there are fresh tomatoes. They had huge platters of fowl stuffed with savoury fruit and nuts. There was a countless amount of different types of cheeses stretched across the table. 

There were plates of deer with sprigs of rosemary threaded through its meat to give it more flavor. They had marinated chicken, grilled trout with lemon, smoked sausages and a pineapple glazed ham. There were mounds of fragrant wild rice, potatoes and diced pumpkin smeared with butter and spices baked on hot stones. There were baskets of cheese and crackers with bread rolls shaped like seashells on the side. There were all sorts of varieties of salads and side dishes.

The two royal families were gathered around the table. They were consuming the various courses brought out to them on beautiful china dishes. The finest wine was poured into the delicate wine glasses. The servants were dressed in their best attire for the glorious occasion.

“Ah,” Prince Thomas said. He leaned over slightly for the servant to reach behind him to pour more wine into his glass. The servant finished pouring the wine, quickly shifting to stand back in the line of servants. “Thank you,” Prince Thomas said with a nod of the head.

The royal families’ voices had faded into absolute nothingness in the princess’s mind. She did not seem to care about the conversation tonight. She was sorrowfully looking down at her plate full of food, shifting some of the vegetables around aimlessly with her utensils. 

The prince lifted his head and looked at the young princess sitting on the other side of the table. His lips formed a tight lined smile as he gazed at her helplessly. The twin brothers of the prince leaned towards each other, whispering to each other discreetly. 

"Do you see how he is looking at her?" Prince Harry asked with a hinted smirk on his face. They sent each other a teasing look, smiling evilly to themselves. 

"He can't seem to look away from her," Prince Sam claimed. He had to force himself to stifle a laugh. The young princes had placed their hands over their mouths, stopping themselves from laughing out loud.

“Still,” Prince Harry said. He had just tipped his head to gesture to the young princess sitting across the table from them. “Have you seen her? You can’t really blame him. She is absolutely beautiful,” Prince Harry confessed. 

"D-Do you think they'd make a good pair? Do you think they would be good for each other? Do you think they could find a way to...even love each other?" Prince Sam questioned. He turned his head and looked at his brother with a thoughtful expression on his face. 

“They are not as different as you might think. They probably share some similar interests, thoughts, and ideas." Prince Harry said. "I am sure that—in given time—they might find a way to love each other. I cannot know for sure. We can only hope," Prince Harry added. 

"Hmm," Prince Sam said, humming in agreement. The two princes both leaned back in their chairs again. The two of them had turned their heads and looked across the small stretch of the table, locking their eyes on their older brother. He couldn’t seem to stop looking at her, gazing at her magnificent beauty in the candlelight.

When the young princess looked up, their gazes met for a brief second. In response, Tom quickly turned his head and looked away from the young woman sitting across the table from him. He could feel the blush creeping onto his face, heating his ears until they turned beet red. She had just caught him staring at her. She couldn’t deny that she felt a small blush creep onto her own face as well.

The kings stood to their feet. They placed their napkins onto the top of the table. The two of them had turned to head towards the sitting room. The others would follow behind them, standing to their feet and shifting towards the grand doors.

The young prince had stayed back. He waited for the others to leave the room. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed onto the princess’s forearm, stopping her. She whipped her head around to look at the young prince in question.

“W-Would you care to accompany me?” Prince Thomas wondered. His voice was laced with the strong sense of uncertainty, fearing her reaction. 

“I-I’m not sure,” Princess Y/N confessed. The prince released his grip on her arm. He dropped his hand back down to his side. He nodded his head understandingly, shifting to take a single step backwards so he could give the princess her much-wanted space.

“We are not so different after all. We have a lot in common with each other,” Prince Thomas said. He was trying to reason with her and trying to get on her good side. He didn’t want her thinking badly of him.

“I am sure we do,” Princess Y/N agreed wholeheartedly. 

“I think...that if we spend more time together, we might see eye to eye with each other. We might be able to relate to each other in a way that is no so bad. In time...you may find a way not to despise me so much,” Prince Thomas said.

“I do not despise you. I never had,” the princess claimed. She shook her head in denial. “And I do not hate you either. I believe that you are a good man. I think your intentions are clear. You want what is best for your people. I understand that now. And I do agree with you. Maybe if we spend some time together, we may grow to like each other a little more. In the end, this whole marriage may not be such a bad thing,” she said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

“And maybe...in given time...you might be willing to learn lo...love me back,” Prince Thomas wondered. His dark brown eyes were sparkling with the strong sense of hopefulness. He could see the small smile growing at the corners of her lips. 

The princess would be willing to give this whole marriage a try. She was willing to try to work this out. She was willing to try and love her future spouse. She was willing to try and make their marriage work. She was willing to try altogether. And that would be enough for the young prince.

“I do really like you,” Prince Thomas confessed.

“You flatter me too much,” the princess said. She was fiddling with her fingers in a nervous manner. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. The corners of the prince’s lips tugged into a soft smile as he gazed down at her.

“I am certain that any man would be more than lucky to call you his wife. And I...I-I get to have that privilege. I get to have you all to myself. I get to call you my wife. I get to call you mine,” Prince Thomas said. His eyes were full of love and admiration.

They found themselves leaning closer and closer to each other until their faces were mere inches away from one another’s. The prince’s brown eyes had flickered between the princess’s shining eyes and pink lips. She swallowed the lump in her throat, gazing at the dashing man standing in front of her. Their noses gingerly brushed against one another’s. They breathed a small breath of air, preparing themselves for the next part. Until...

“Come on you two lovebirds. We are going to play cards together,” Prince Harry said. He had stepped into the middle of the hallway. The two royals were quick to pull away from each other. They could feel the heat rising to their cheeks as they turned away from one another. The other prince raised his eyebrows suspiciously. He glanced between the two of them. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No,” the princess blurted out. “No. You didn’t interrupt anything.”

“Alright. Should I deal you two in then,” Prince Harry wondered. He lifted his hand to show them a small stack of cards. The two of them had nodded their heads in response. The young prince had disappeared into the other room, dealing the cards between the separate guests.

The prince turned his head and looked down at the young princess standing at his side. She was quick to catch his line of sight, gazing into the prince’s dashing brown eyes. He lifted his forearm to her, offering it to her. She laced her arm with his. She smiled at him.

“Shall we?” Prince Thomas asked with a small smile on his face. He sent her a playful wink. She pushed her lips into her mouth, hiding the evident smile on her face. She nodded her head in agreement.

“We shall.”

･ﾟ:* blondedona’s eddie munson fic rec list! *:･ﾟ

❥ = fluff

♱ = smut / nsfw

♱ the dungeon master by @chaoticmunson

♱ eating out by @spicedchaiandromeda

♱ piercing by @blondedona (shameless self promo)

❥ tokyo machine by @munsonmunchies

♱ hood ornament by @billys-car

❥ is this safe by @celestialula

❥ patch me up by @gabbimunson

♱ shy by @luveline

❥ cassette kisses by @hellfirebee

❥ skywalker by @aliasimagines

❥ the shire is burning by @slutobrien

♱ knead you by @granills

❥ aftercare by @blondedona (shameless self promo)

♱ breeding kink by @prettyboyeddiemunson

♱ insecure by @sinnerlillith

❥ nighttime sets by @latelyanobsession

❥ the responsible one by @webslinger-holland

♱ 18 by @chaoticmunson

❥ kiss by @honeymunson

❥ if i were a worm by @honeymunson

❥ cat by @shyposttree

The Sergeant's Senator | Chapter 2

Summary: Upon arrival at Coruscant, the planet's senator gets to finally meet the infamous Clone Force 99 who are assigned to protect her.

Warning: threat to one's life, talks of assassination, beginning of anxiety attack, slight argument

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator

Type: Short Series

Word Count: 6.4k

Series Masterlist

The planet of Coruscant was one of the most active planets in the entire galaxy. The surface was riddled with various cities; skyscrapers that tried to reach the sky. The underground system, which often times wasn't the best location to be, was also incredibly active during all hours of the day. And in the skies, modes of transportation were always going from one place to another.

The Marauder entered the planet's atmosphere, having just come out of hyperspace. The descend took a little longer than usual given the air traffic. However, eventually, the Marauder was able to make its way to the capital city. They made sure to land on the correct landing platform.

As the ramp descended, the group of five climbed out of their ship. Not far away, Commander Cody stood at attention and was ready to greet the clone force upon arrival to Coruscant. He gave a single nod to them in acknowledgment.

"Commander," Hunter greeted.

"It's been a while, boys." Commander Cody commented. He looked at each of them carefully as if expecting to see some kind of change, but there really wasn't anything much different about their looks or behavior.

"Not long enough evidently," Crosshair grunted from the back of the group. He went to cross his arms over the stretch of his chest. He was most certainly the least happy one to be assigned this mission.

"You didn't give much details on the line," Hunter explained. "What are we working against here?"

Slowly, Commander Cody began to walk back towards the compound. The rest of them went to follow. Though Cody and Hunter were heading the group.

Now the commander made sure to survey his surroundings before bringing up the sensitive topic. "The senator has faced three assassination attempts within the last month alone. The last one claimed the lives of her guards," Cody told them.

"And that's where we come in?" Echo questioned.

"Our main priority is to keep the senator safe at all costs. Hopefully, if we play our cards right, we can catch whoever was sent by letting them come to us," Commander Cody expressed.

"So lay low, keep our eyes open, and protect the senator?" Hunter replied.

"At all costs," Cody added.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Wrecker said with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Don't be too sure," Cody warned. They approached the entrance of the building. The doors slid open for them to enter the lift.

The small group went to enter the lift, finding a spot before the doors closed in front of them. After clicking the button for their final destination, the lift began to move.

"The assailant...whoever it is...they are nothing like I've seen before. It's not like a bounty hunter; they're much too sloppy for a job like this. No...we are dealing with a professional here," Commander Cody almost sounded conflicted.

In the background, Hunter and Crosshair seemed to glance at each other through the corner of their eyes. They both knew the kinds of missions the commander had been on and the things he had seem. It didn't bring them much relief knowing that even the commander was worried about his mission.

The doors slowly opened to reveal a grand entry room. The marble flooring was shining against the soft glow of the golden lights. There were intricate golden patterns that looked like crown molding near the ceiling. And the handles on the door were made of pure gold.

"She should be just inside," Commander Cody insisted. He went to open the door doors, which allowed the rest of the group to enter the senator's office.

The most appealing part of the grand office was the massive window overlooking the busy city. There was plenty of comfortable seating, ranging from single seats to full couches. And a single desk was situated in the center of the room. Though the senator was nowhere to be found.

The Clone Force were a little cautious to step into such an impressive looking space. They felt a little out of place with their custom black plastoid armor and unique looking helmets. Not to mention the fact that they were all defective clones with varying appearances.

It could have just been the color of the lighting or the modern look of furniture in the room. However, everything looked so pristine and rather expensive. They honestly didn't think this office belonged to a senator, rather it belonged to a princess.

Each of them had gone their own ways throughout the room. While Tech instantly gravitated towards the small collection of books on a nearby shelf, Echo found himself standing in front of the window looking out at the city.

Without much thought, Wrecker went to touch a little glass figurine on the senator's desk. Though before his hand could make contact, Hunter's instincts kicked in and swatted his hand once as a warning.

"Don't touch anything," Hunter mumbled under his breath.

"I'm sure the senator is just running a little late from her last meeting," Commander Cody explained. "She shouldn't be too long."

Upon hearing this, Clone Force 99 made their way to stand in front of the desk. They wanted to make a good first impression on the senator whenever she arrived. As they waited, their eyes viewed the skyline in front of them.

All of the sudden, there was a slight shift in the atmosphere of the room. Naturally, as if it was a response, Hunter turned his head ever so slightly to his left. His ears perked up upon hearing an unfamiliar soft heartbeat coming from the room next door. He glanced at the door on his left through the corner of his eye.

As the heartbeat drew closer and louder, Hunter was able to make out the muffled conversation that followed from the other room. Despite the fact that Commander Cody was speaking with the rest of his brothers, Hunter seemed to ignore them and could only focus on the heartbeat. It was the softest thing he had ever heard.

"Do me a favor? Behave yourselves, boys." Commander Cody commanded them.

"No promises," Crosshair replied snakily.

Finally, Hunter went to turn his head to look directly at the door beside them. It was if he predicted the arrival because the doors began to open only a second later. The sound of the door opening caused the other members of the company to turn towards it.

The Senator of Coruscant came waltzing into the room with her assistant at her side. She wore this white flowy dress that cascaded over her feet and dragged on the floor behind her. The upper half of the dress was more sheer and showed the soft supple skin underneath it. Her hair was tidied back into a braid, which was heavily decorated in small white pearls.

For the first time ever, Hunter heard his own heart skip a beat upon laying eyes on her. His eyes trailed down the length of her form, taking it all in for his own pleasure. He was most certainly thankful to be wearing his helmet.

Though the senator didn't even acknowledge the clones upon her entrance, but this was probably because she was busy hearing what the rest of her schedule looked like for the day from her droid assistant. The clones seemed to watch her movements carefully as she circled around the room to the backside of her desk. Their eyes raked down her body shamelessly, losing themselves in thought for a brief second.

Just as she passed by them, a subtle hint of her scent had followed right behind her. Her scent naturally flowed through the filters of Hunter's helmet and invaded his senses. He closed his eyes to relish the scent of fresh lavender, which was not something you would expect from a senator who lived in a heavy populated city.

"Your final appointment is at three in the afternoon," the droid beeped. He held up the data pad for her, but she waved it off.

"That's fine," Senator Rayna agreed. She stood behind her desk and went to organize a few papers.

Upon hearing her voice, Hunter's ears perked up once more. He wasn't sure why he was so enamored with her. Whether is was the softness of her voice, her mesmerizing appearance, the intoxicating scent of her perfume, or the gentle heartbeat that followed her.

"Right," Senator Rayna sighed loudly. She placed the last stack of papers to the side before finally directing her attention to the clone force. "You must be my new escort," Senator Rayna figured.

"Senator," Commander Cody interjected from the sidelines. Her eyes scanned over each clone carefully. "I'd like to introduce you to the group of clones that's been assigned to you. This is Clone Force 99."

Each of the clones proceeded to remove their helmets. They stuffed their helmets into the underside of their arm. Now, the senator was able to get a good look at them. She realized how differently they looked from your regular ordinary clones. And she was intrigued by this.

"Well, you know who I am so there is no need for introductions there." The Senator rounded the side of her desk to stand in front of the clones. "State your name for me so I know what to call you," Senator Rayna ordered.

"Uh, my name?" Wrecker asked slowly, given that she was looking directly at him.

"You all have one, don't you? All clones are given numbers; although I gathered that most clones prefer to go by names. So what is yours?"

"I'm CT-9902. They call me Wrecker," the clone's deep voice boomed. He smirked down at her. She offered her hand for him to shake, which he did so very carefully because he was afraid to hurt her.

After this, the senator took a single step to the right. She was going to make her way down the line of clones. And she wanted to hear each of their names.

"My designated clone number is CT-9903," Tech replied as a matter-of-factly. He adjusted his glasses. "Otherwise, as known to my brothers, as Tech," he added at the end.

The Senator offered her hand to him as well, which meant he needed to move his data pad to the other hand in order to shake it. He gave her a single nod of approval before she moved down the line again.

The clone trooper didn't say anything. He maintained a defensive stance with his arms crossed across his chest. He also wore a nasty scowl on his face. He truly did not want to be there because he had no interest in politics.

"What is your name soldier?" She questioned him. She tried to figure out what was going behind those eyes if it was anger or distain.

Though Crosshair was far from intimidated by her antics. He felt a slight nudge in his side. He finally spoke. "CT-9904."

"And do you have a name?" She wondered.

"Crosshair," he said reluctantly.

Likewise, the senator chose to say nothing. She gave a single nod understandingly before extending her hand out to him. The only problem was that he didn't take it. So she awkwardly slipped her hand back down to her side and moved on.

"I am CT-1409. I'm Echo," he replied quickly.

"Oh," Senator Rayna perked up. "Not a 99, huh?"

"No ma'am," Echo responded.

"He was originally part of the 501st and served with them for many years. He's the newest addition to this squad," Commander Cody said from the sidelines.

"Pleasure to meet you," Senator Rayna smiled up at him.

The senator went to shake his hand, only to find a scomp link located where his right hand should have been. He had even raised his arm as if wanting to shake her hand as well; he was still getting used to not having a hand.

"Oh," Senator Rayna said defeated. She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She cringed at her own actions, wishing she had caught that before she made a fool of herself. "My deepest apologies," she went on.

"Not to worry," Echo reassured her. He saluted her instead with his scomp link.

Now, reaching the end of the lineup, the senator was standing face to face with the leader of the group. She looked up at him with curious eyes. But before he could introduce himself to her, she spoke up first.

"And you must be the sergeant," Senator Rayna concluded. She also took the time to study him carefully.

"CT-9901," Hunter's deep voice sounded from the back of his throat.

The senator raised her eyebrows at him as if mentally requesting for his given name. He realized that he should have also mentioned his name, but he honestly was still lost in his thoughts.

"Hunter," he corrected himself.

"Hunter," Senator Rayna repeated with a small smile on her lips. Her heart started beating just a little faster than normal, which did not go unnoticed. He quirked his eyebrow at her. "I've heard a lot about you."

Upon hearing this, Hunter felt his breath catch in the back of his throat which caused his chest to heave out a little. He straightened his back in posture. He could only wonder what kinds of things she knew about him and his squad.

"Uh senator," the droid spoke up. He glanced between the two of them, expecting them to turn to address him. But they kept their gazes on one another. "I hate to interrupt, but you're going to be late," the droid reminded her.

In response, the senator squeezed her eyes shut. She cursed under her breath. "Blast! How could I forget?"

Without hesitation, Senator Rayna went to collect the stack of papers on her desk. She quickly rifled through them to make sure none of them were missing. She proceeded to spin around on the heels of her feet, walking away from the clones to scurry around the room.

The clones didn't tear their eyes away from her retreating figure, subconsciously peering around one another to keep their gaze on her backside. The commander needed to clear his throat to gather their attention once more. They quickly redirected their focus in front of them.

The droid went to hand her a cloak to put on. She slipped it over her shoulders. She began tying it around her neck. "Where are you heading next, commander?"

"Kiros," Commander Cody stepped forward. "There are talks of surrender. We'll see how it goes. I won't bore you with the details."

"Perhaps we can discuss them at a later time," Senator Rayna agreed. "When I am not running late."

"Senator," Cody saluted her. He excused himself from her presence.

The senator grabbed the last of her things, hastily hanging the pile of papers to her droid. She took the data pad out of the droids hand to check her schedule. She was running very late. Nevertheless, the senator tossed the data pad over to Tech.

"Might be a good idea to make yourself a copy of my schedule to have on hand," Senator Rayna explained to him. He quickly typed in a code which would transfer the information to his own data pad.

"Already on it," Tech confirmed.

"Might I remind you that this is the fifth time you have been late to a meeting this month?" The droid interrupted once more. It slowly moved around the room given it's lack of flexibility.

"I have been a bit preoccupied with other things," the senator waved off. Finally, Senator Rayna stopped what she was doing to address the small squad of clones. "Now, about this meeting..." her voice trailed off.

For a brief second, the Senator of Coruscant wondered how she could explain what she does as a career or what they could expect from this type of job. She felt a wave of anxiety begin to wash over her, being rudely reminded of the threats she faced every day now.

At that moment, Hunter noticed a change in her demeanor. He could hear her heart beating faster and her breathing quickened in pace. She began finding with her fingers nervously to contain her nerves, which did not go unnoticed by the others.

"I am a member of the Loyalist Committee which is headed by The Sepreme Chancellor. The other members are senators or representatives like me. This is an informal meeting; it takes place just upstairs in one of the conference rooms," she informed them.

The senator was talking so rapidly that the others could barely keep up with her. It almost sounded and looked like she was on the verge of having an anxiety attack. And Hunter noticed this immediately.

"Senator," Hunter interjected. She kept talking though.

"In the past, I haven't needed my guards to be present in the room. Things have changed since then. Now...I would feel better -- safer, if at least two of you accompanied me in the meeting. Like I said, it's more of an info--," but she was stopped.

"Senator Rayna," Hunter spoke over her to stop her ranting. His voice wasn't loud, more firm than anything.

Slowly, Hunter took a single step forward to stand an arm's length away from her. He looked down at her with soft eyes, which she found oddly comforting. He heard her heartbeat going back to a normal pace. He sent her a small reassuring smile.

"We are going to protect you," Hunter told her. "Don't worry. You're in good hands."

The ride in the lift felt like it was lasting ages. There was a slight sense of tension in the air given that there were six people basically crammed into the space. In their defense, no lift ride is ever comfortable for an average person.

Facing the door, Senator Rayna stood in the middle with Hunter and Echo standing on either side of her. The other three clones were standing behind them with their backs nearly touching the wall of the lift. The illuminated number continued to change as the lift passed another floor, drawing closer to the final destination. Just a few floors left.

Initially, the senator kept her hands clasped together in front of herself. Her hands mindlessly fell apart, which resulted in her hands shifting back to the respective sides of her body. In the process of this happening, the senator's hand brushed against the back of the sergeant's gloved hand on accident.

Upon contact, the both of them retracted their hands in a slightly awkward fashion. The sergeant shifted on his feet slightly, taking a small step away and mumbling a soft "sorry" through his modulated helmet. Though it was hardly his fault.

In response, the senator sent him a warm smile before directing her line of attention back towards the closed door in front of her. Her hands moved back into the original position in front of herself. She could feel some heat rising to her cheeks, but she figured it would go unnoticed.

Behind them, Tech had watched this slightly awkward encounter with a cocked eyebrow. He was quick to nudge Wrecker who stood beside him.

"Huh?" Wrecker looked down at Tech.

Tech gestured to the sergeant and the senator was a subtle nod of the head in their general direction. So Wrecker took a second to analyze them with his eyes switching back and forth between the two bodies. He didn't catch their encounter so he was rather confused.

"What? What happened?" Wrecker whispered to his brother. Though it wasn't really a whisper, because everyone in the lift heard him.

"Nevermind," Tech sighed with a roll of his eyes.

Finally, the lift had come to stop on the designated floor. The two doors slid open to reveal a vast long corridor. A few people were walking through the corridor which consisted of other members of the senate or personal guards.

It didn't take long for Hunter to sense the uncertainty radiating from the senator standing beside him. He glanced down at her briefly to see the worried expression on her face. For a little encouragement, Hunter placed one hand on her lower back to urge her forward and his other hand gestured to the corridor before her. She gathered her courage with a deep breath, taking the necessary step forward.

Exiting the lift, Hunter and Echo walked on either side of Coruscant's Senator. Right behind them, Wrecker went to follow them but was abruptly stopped when Crosshair placed a single hand on his chest. The much larger clone nearly toppled over his own feet and looked towards his brother for some form of explanation.

"Wouldn't want to step on the senator's dress, would we, Wrecker?" Crosshair teased him. He gestured to the white train that flowed behind her dress and trailed along the floor.

"Oh right," Wrecker agreed while scatching the back of his neck.

The three clones waited until the others had properly exited the lift before finally following them through the corridor. They made sure to be two steps behind so they wouldn't step on the senator's dress.

And Wrecker was relieved that his brother saved him the embarrassment because he couldn't imagine the look on the senator's face if she ever found a large footprint on her white dress.

Walking through the corridor, the escort found themselves quickly becoming the center of attention. It seemed like they continued to receive stares from passing senators or workers from the capital. This was something they were commonly used to, especially back on Kamino. But for some reason, it felt different this time around.

"Sorry about the unwanted attention," Echo said from beside her.

"Hmm? I hadn't noticed," Senator Rayna replied with a small smile on her face. The clones were a little relieved to hear that the senator did not mind in the slightest.

In the short distance, a few clones were striding down the long length of the corridor with blasters in hand. The clone armor that they wore was adorned with red accents, hinting to the fact that they were members of the Coruscant Guard. They were elite clone shock troopers whose main purpose was to protect the Galactic Republic Capital. They were some of the best clones the Republic had to offer.

In passing, the Coruscant Guard took a second to stare at the passing members of Clone Force 99. They nudged each other and gestured to the group of defective clones. Their unnatural appearances always caused them to garner more attention than they would have liked.

"Hey," one of the guards called attention to his buddy standing beside him. He tipped his head to gesture to them. "Get a load of these guys."

"Those guys are clones?" Another clone remarked from the sidelines. "They sure don't look like clones."

Once the Coruscant Guard was out of their line of sight, Crosshair seemed to glance over his shoulder. He seemed to grumble something under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the batch of regs behind them.

"Remind me again why you weren't assigned members from the Coruscant Guard?" Crosshair questioned. It seemed like an obvious choice for an escort given that they were already stationed on Coruscant.

"Because my last guards were part of the Coruscant Guard," Senator Rayna replied flatly. "And they didn't do a great job."

"Fair enough," Crosshair accepted. He almost wanted to chuckle at this because he knew the guard was not nearly as skilled as everyone gave them credit for.

Upon rounding a corner, Senator Rayna halted in her tracks to stand in front of a closed door. The other members of her escort seemed to stop beside her, waiting for her next step. She activated the panel on the right side which opened the door for them. She quickly stepped inside with Hunter and Echo following behind her.

As the door closed, Wrecker and Tech went to stand on either side of the door for the extra added protection. And Crosshair began walking down to corridor to secure the perimeter. Back inside the room, Hunter and Echo took their stops by standing beside one another in the back of the room. Their eyes never leaving the senator's moving figure.

"My apologies for being late," Senator Rayna announced. She went to sit at the head of the table, finding a small stack of papers in her place meant for her. She quickly looked them over.

"No worries, my dear. I'm sure you have plenty of other things on your mind," an older voice spoke from the far side of the table. Raising her head, Senator Rayna's eyes landed on the familiar form of Chancellor Palpatine who was sitting at the head on the other side.

"Right. Now what have I missed?" Senator Rayna questioned. Her eyes shifted between the various senators within the committee, half expecting one of them to catch her up to date since she arrived so late.

On the right side of the table, Bail Organa of Alderaan and Padmé Amidala of Naboo were sitting beside one another. On the left side of the table, Mon Mothma of Chandrilla and Orn Free Taa of Ryloth had also been apart of this committee. The senators looked to each other in order to see who would speak first.

"We were just discussing the details surrounding the upcoming Gala," Senator Amidala explained.

The Senator of Coruscant proceeded to rifle through the stack of papers in front of her, attempting to find the list of things that still needed to be completed in preparation for the gala.

For a moment, Hunter's gaze seemed to drift towards the window in the large conference room. He studied the buildings across the way carefully, spotting a few unoccupied rooftops. It was the senator's voice which brought him out of his train of thoughts.

"How far out are we again?" Senator Rayna asked.

"Three months," Chancellor Palpatine said rather calmly.

"Are things going accordingly with the planning?" Senator Rayna wondered. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room, which caused the senator to look up at them with a confused expression. "What's going on? You've all been acting weird."

The other senators continued to remain silent. However, they looked at each other as if they were all thinking the same thing and were choosing to stay quiet about it. Finally, Bail Organa gathered the courage to speak for the rest of them. He spoke softly and calmly with hopes that it would help soften the blow he was about to deliver.

"We think you should take a hiatus," Bail Organa replied.

"A hiatus? From what?" Senator Rayna asked in utter confusion.

"From your job -- your position as senator of this planet," Chancellor Palpatine added. "Law low for a little bit until things die down."

"I don't need to law low. What I need to do is my job and taking a hiatus will not help me do that," Senator Rayna argued. She rose out of her seat in a furry.

"Y/n," Mon Mmtha interjected. She spoke with a calm voice. "We are worried about you and your wellbeing."

"I have a new escort. They will protect me," Rayna would not drop her argument.

"And the hiatus will only add to that protection," The Supreme Chancellor claimed. He was trying to sound optimistic about the proposition, which only seemed to anger the senator more.

"I have to present a treaty at the end of the quarter. And we vote a week later. I can't miss that," Senator Rayna tried to reason with them.

"It can be pushed back," Chancellor Palpatine suggested. He shrugged his shoulders at the notion, seemingly unfazed by the option of pushing back her speech.

"Til when?" Rayna inquired angrily.

"Indefinitely."

Upon hearing this, Senator Rayna leaned forward to press her hands against the table. She looked the chancellor dead in the eyes from across the room. She wore a stern look on her face.

"I have been working on this treaty for months, changing the littlest of details to make sure it is nothing short of perfect. I applied for the notion to be brought to the senate at the end of the quarter and it was accepted. I am going to present this," Senator Rayna said sternly.

Look back out the window, Hunter saw a small perch on one of the rooftops. He almost wondered if that was a sniper's nest; it would have been a prime location if it had been. With that in mind, Hunter's eyes trailed along the length of the sniper's path. His gaze settled on the wood table in the room. And his stomach dropped.

"E-Echo?" Hunter whispered to his comrade standing beside him.

"What?" Echo said in the quietest voice.

The sergeant was staring directly at what looked like a small nick in the middle of the wooden table. It couldn't have been more than an inch in diameter. There was a small dark circle around it. It had to have been from a blaster shot.

The senator's hands were on either side of said hole. He quickly came to realize that if the sniper had raised his weapon just a little higher, it would have gone right into the senator's head.

"I think this is where it happened," Hunter concluded. Whoever had taken the shot knew what they were doing. They fired a warning shot. At least, that seemed to be the case before they proceeded to take out the guards.

The sergeant's mind was occupied elsewhere. He hadn't been fully listening to the conversation up until now. He tuned his ears into what the chancellor had to say about this. And sure enough, Hunter's suspicious was right.

"Who says you will even be around to present your treaty?" Chancellor Palpatine wondered. "The last time you were in this room -- it did not end well. You could have been killed if your guards had not been there."

It suddenly made sense. The senator was feeling nervous about leaving her office to come here because of what happened the last time she was there. She was still feeling the affects of the incident. And whether she chose to deny it, it was affecting her mental health now.

"We cannot force you to take a hiatus, but we strongly advice it."

"Please Y/n," Senator Amidala said softly from the sidelines. "We don't want you to get hurt."

"I appreciate your concern -- truly I do," Senator Rayna began. She looked over the faces sitting around the table. "But I have to be there for my planet and for my people. You should all understand that."

"We do," Senator Organa nodded his head in agreement.

"Then let me do my job," Senator Rayna pleaded her case one final time. Her eyes shown with sympathy.

With great hesitation, the other senators looked towards one another in a form of silent communication. A few of them seemed to nod their heads gently as if to say they will allow the senator to operate as she always had been. Finally, The Supreme Chancellor reluctantly gave her his approval in the form of a short and curt nod of the head.

"Very well," Chancellor Palpatine agreed. He sent her a smile. "Continue as you were, senator."

By the end of the meeting, a majority of the members had gone their separate ways since their schedules differed. Now, it seemed like only Senator Organa, Senator Amidala, and Senator Rayna remained in the room. While the Senator of Alderaan went to speak with the newest escort, Senator Amidala went to stand beside her best friend and greeted her with a warm smile. The two young women began talking amongst themselves.

On the other side of the room, Senator Organa went to talk to Hunter and Echo. He took the time to shake both of their hands in greeting and introduced himself to them.

"You must be Clone Force 99," Bail Organa noted.

"We are two fifths of them," Echo claimed. "The others are right outside."

"I was the one to reach out to General Kenobi and Commander Cody about finding Senator Rayna a new escort. I've heard a lot of things about your squad," Senator Organa replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"All good things, I hope." Hunter wondered.

"You know your own reputation better than anyone. You tell me," Senator Organa stated. He quirked his eyebrow at the two clone troopers in front of him. They remained silent because he did bring up a good point.

Looking over his shoulder, Bail Organa looked towards the two senators talking to each other. His eyes softened upon seeing how the two of them interacted with each other. While they were best friends, he always thought they acted more like sisters (though they actually got along with each other). He felt a weak smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"She's a handful, that one. Once she sets her mind on something, she won't back down easily. One of the most stubborn people I know," Bail chuckled to himself.

Neither Hunter or Echo doubted that. They had just witnessed how stubborn she could be in their meeting and how she refused to take a hiatus despite the fact that her life was on the line. However, was it stubbornness or selflessness?

For a brief moment, Hunter found himself following his line of sight until it landed on the senator. She seemed so carefree; her face was radiating with beams of happiness. Her lips turned upwards into a smile and her laugh echoed over to them.

"I won't tell you how to do your job," Bail Organa returned to their conversation. He looked between the two clones. "But can I give you a piece of advice?"

"Of course, senator." Hunter nodded his head.

"Be mindful of her. She's gone through a lot recently and she's grown more sensitive to her surroundings. She doesn't sleep most nights in fear of what may happen when she closes her eyes," Senator Organa claimed.

Slowly, Hunter's eyes drifted back to the senator standing in front of him. He saw the gentlest and kindness in his eyes. He could tell by the tone of his voice that he cared deeply for his fellow senator. But then things turned more solemn.

"She's like the daughter I never had," Bail's voice was laced with a heavy sense of sadness. "If anything should happen to her--"

"We know, senator." Hunter interjected. He placed a hand on the senator's shoulder. "We'll try our hardest to take care of her for you."

"Thank you," Bail gave a nod of appreciation.

Across the length of the room, Senator Amidala and Senator Rayna caught up with each other. They had spent some time apart. While one was traveling the galaxy, the other was strictly confined to the planet for her safety. It truly felt like eternity since they had last seen one another.

"I heard Senator Organa reached out to General Kenobi for assistance," Senator Amidala began. "Did he travel alone or--"

"He was accompanied by Commander Cody," Senator Rayna explained. The corners of her lips tugged into a mischievous all-knowing smirk. "His Padawan was not with him if that's what you're wondering," Senator Rayna added.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Senator Amidala scoffed awkwardly. She shook her head at her friend's ridiculous comment.

"Oh please," Senator Rayna sighed. She rolled her eyes. "You think I don't notice how you are constantly asking about him and pining over him."

"I do not!" Padmé scolded her.

"You do know that it is forbidden for the jedi to form attachments," Senator Rayna tried to talk some reason into her friend. She knew that there was some unspoken thing going on between them, but she didn't know the details of it.

"Enough about me," Padmé quickly dismissed the conversation with a wave of her hand. "What about you?"

"Me? What about me?" Y/n scoffed slightly.

"Isn't there someone you are pining over yourself?" Senator Amidala wondered. She cocked an eyebrow at her in a suggestive manner.

"No, I am not pining over someone." Senator Rayna shook her head in denial. "I'm a little bit occupied with other matters at the moment."

From across the room, Hunter's highly sensitive ears had picked up their conversation unbeknownst to them. He turned his head ever so slightly to be more in tune. He felt his heart flutter once again in his chest.

Finally, Senator Amidala and Senator Rayna went to leave the room by walking beside one another. The others made sure to follow behind them. They entered into the corridor to be met by the rest of the squad.

"Perimeter is secure," Tech relayed to his sergeant. Hunter gave a curt nod of acceptance. "The shuttle is ready for departure whenever the senator sees fit."

Now Hunter and Echo had shifted to stand beside their brothers in the corridor. The senators had directed their line of attention to view the small squad of soldiers. They certainly did not look like your regular batch of clones. Their armor didn't even match the traditional white with hinted colored accents. It was more of a dark grey color and was accompanied with hinted red accents.

Not only did each of their helmets mismatch, but so did their physical appearance. The one near the back was a literally giant, two of the others were tall and lanky, the other one looked more like a droid, and the last one had broad shoulders and a strong built. Just by looking at them, one could tell that there was something off and that they were genetically enhanced.

"Ma'am," Hunter drew the senator's attention. "Whenever you are ready."

The Senator of Coruscant nodded her head understandingly. She quickly gave a brief farewell to her fellow senators. The clones saluted the other senators as a form of respect. The senator proceeded to walk back down the long length of the corridor with her new clone escort following right behind her.

Meanwhile, Senator Organa and Senator Amidala watched their retreating figures with keen eyes. They saw how their associate interacted with this new batch of rogue clones. She didn't seem to mind or question their abnormalities. At first, Senator Rayna had been hesitant to ask for help from the jedi and was uncertain about having a clone escort. But now, things seemed to have changed her mind. And the senators wanted to know why.

CHAPTER THREE HERE

Taglist:

@totally-not-your-babe @jedipoodoo @gyllord @roam-rs @totallyunidentified @redheadgirl @mrcaptainrex @whore-of-many-hot-men @graciexmarvel @qweenrogerina @arcsimper5 @queenofspades6 @cadihyo @jediknightjana

Het! I just finished your fic ‘play pretend’ and it was so cute!! Thank you I loved it!

No, thank you!!!

The Emperor of Magic | Part 4

Summary: The emperor manages to get inside one of the crow’s minds, but he isn't able to hold off against her for very long. It begins to compromise the rest of them.

Warning: +18 Warning, swearing, crows forced to succumb to past traumatic memories/nightmares, eyes of crows turning black as well as fingertips

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 2.3k (sorry it’s short)

Series Masterlist

Author’s Note: The reader’s dialogue is italicized because she actually doesn’t verbally speak to the crows, only through their thoughts. Also, past memories are written in italicized for better distinction between what is past and what is present.

Upon hearing that name, Kaz Brekker felt a familiar cord being struck in the deep and dark crevice of his heart. As that name was a painful reminder of who he once was and what he was forced to leave behind. He often reminds himself that that person is dead and he is all that remains. 

With his head hanging low, Kay’s gaze shifted upwards to glare at the prisoner with hooded eyes. His jaw was locked and his hands clenched together into tight fists at his sides. He was seething with anger.

“How...” Kaz stopped himself in order to regain his composure. “How do you know that name?”

He said this out loud, which only caused slight confusion amongst the crows. They didn’t seem to understand what he was asking, but they recognized that he was staring directly at the fugitive. They didn’t quite understand what was happening.

His question went completely unanswered. The emperor of magic simply stood there facing his general direction. He seemed to narrow his eyes at her, mentally wondering if there was a smirk plastered on her face underneath the bag over her head. He wouldn’t brush it off.

And so he repeated himself. “I said...how do you know that name?”

More silence.

Without thinking, Kaz went to grab the gun at his side. He raised it up and instantly fired a shot, which caused a short bout of mayhem between his crows at his recklessness. They called out his name in utter shock, having been taken away by his action. 

The gun did exactly what you’d expect a gun to do rightly; it fired a bullet that should have lodged itself between her eyes. However, the bullet stopped directly in front of her face and dropped to the ground. He carelessly threw the gun away.

“Fuck,” Kaz cursed under his breathe. He walked away momentarily as if trying to find a way to vent his anger.

“What the hell is happening?” Jesper demanded an explanation.

“She’s messing with my head,” Kaz said slowly. He tried to shake the feeling he felt of her looming presence, but she wouldn’t leave him alone. She had infiltrated his memories having just discovered his name. “I can feel it,” Kaz explained further.

“But how?” Inej questioned.

“I don't know!” Kaz almost lost his temper with how loud those words came out. “I don’t know how she got into my head, but she knows my name.”

All of the sudden, Kaz saw brief flashes of his memories from the past. He was hunched over his desk, looking over the plans nearly three years ago. He watched his former self take hold of the plans and crumple them up. He discarded them.

Out of instinct, Kaz squeezed his eyes shut tightly in hopes of blocking her out of his mind. He quickly shook the memory out of his line of vision. It didn’t take long for him to realize that she had been the one to activate that memory. 

He began pacing back and forth. He could feel the strong sense of fear taking over his demeanor, feeling at a total loss of control over his thoughts and memories. He was shown another memory of himself in his office. He heard the familiar voice of Jesper and Inej talking to him, but his former self didn’t look up.

Upon being shown that particular memory, Kaz was able to put the pieces together. When he turned his body to face the prisoner, he saw that she was no longer looking towards him, but rather, with her head slightly lowered. He narrowed his eyes at her odd demeanor.

“Boss,” Jesper watched Kaz carefully. “What you doing?”

“She’s looking for something,” Kaz spoke mostly to himself.

“What?” Wylan perked up. “I-In your head?”

“Yes,” Kaz nodded.

“How do you know for that she’s looking for something?” Nina added.

“Because she’s silent,” Kaz examined. He only knew this because he too also grew silent when he was thinking hard about something. “She’s focusing,” Kaz noted.

For a brief moment, Kaz wondered if it was a coincidence that he saw himself in her mannerism. He studied her carefully as if she was a newfound species he had just discovered. He wondered what she could possibly be after.

“What is she looking for?” Matthias asked him.

A beat of silence was all that followed. One particular memory came flooding back to Kaz’s mind; the one where he finally chose to present his grand scheme to the rest of the crows. In the memory, the voices of the crows were quick muffled as if they were struggling to become clear. His former self hadn’t looked up at them just yet as they filed into the room.

Finally, a wave of realization overcame his features. His shoulders dropped in defeat and his face went blank. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she tried to make out who belonged to those voices. Now Kaz realized what she was searching for.

“It’s you,” Kaz breathed in realization. “She’s looking for all of you in my memories.”

And that instantly became his biggest mistake. For this job, he recruited his most trusted companions; the ones he had worked with in the past and the ones he knew he could rely on to get any job done that was thrown their way. Now he had put them in harms way.

He tried so hard to block that memory out of his mind for the pure sake of his crew. It felt like he was pushing his shoulder against a solid door in attempts to keep an intruder out. He was using all his mental strength to keep her out, but it wasn't going to be enough. The door cracked open.

The blurry images of the memory came into his line of vision. He saw the heist’s plans laid out in front of him. Those distant voices that had once sounded rather foggy had now grown into something clearer. Much to his surprise, Kaz’s memory of himself was the first to speak in a normal voice that could be understood.

“The person we are breaking out of the court isn’t just an ordinary scientist this time,” Kaz’s former self placed his hands on the table to lean forward in his place. “They aren't Grisha, but they are more powerful than them.”

“More powerful than Grisha?” Wylan wondered out loud. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Is that even possible?” Wylan almost scoffed in the memory.

In that exact moment, Kaz was ripped out of that particular memory. His eyes snapped open. He quickly redirected his attention towards the youngest member of the crew who stood not too far away from. He was compromised at this point.

“Wylan Van Eck,” the emperor of magic’s demonic voice sounded. “The demolitions expert.”

Both Wylan and Kaz heard that demonic voice speaking in the back of their minds. And it frightened them both terribly.

“G-Guys,” Wylan stuttered. He had just glanced down at his hands to see that his fingertips had begun to grow black “W-What’s happening to me?” Wylan’s voice quivered in fear.

“Wylan,” Jesper called out desperately. 

But there wasn’t enough time to save him. His eyes were overcome with a wave of darkness that turned them pitch black. His body succumbed to the darkness taking over which resulted in him collapsing to the ground. His mind began to wander through the abyss of his worst nightmares. And there was no telling when he’d come out.

From there, it all came shattering down around them. It was a chain reaction. For the crows had grown to be somewhat like a spiderweb; each of them were connected to one another in some way or another. Returning to the memory only showed Wylan turning to face Jesper who stood directly beside him. 

“So remind me why we are breaking them out?” Jesper from the past asked almost sarcastically because it didn’t seem like a very appealing heist to him.

“Because she is worth nearly 100 million kruge,” Kaz shut him down in the memory.

By this point, Jesper had abandoned his post to hurry towards Wylan’s body. He dropped down to his knees, gathering the boy into his arms for comfort. He tried to wake him up by desperate tapping his cheek and calling out his name. But nothing changed.

“Wake up, please.” Jesper begged. He felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes. “Please Wylan. Wake up.”

“Jesper Fahey,” the demonic voice resounded once again. He perked up upon hearing his own name in the depths of his mind. He was slow to turn towards the prisoner. “The sharpshooter,” the voice added.

“What the hell do you want with us?!” Jesper was seething with anger. He quickly rose to his feet and proceeded to reach for the guns at his sides. He pointed one of his guns directly at her face. 

Though, in reality, Jesper knew that his precious guns would be no match against the emperor of magic. He had seen firsthand his boss fire a single round at her and she completely deflected it without flinching. So his eyes shifted towards the only person they all believed could take her down. 

Without much warning, Jesper’s eyes grew black just like Wylan’s had done not two minutes earlier. His mind became clouded with memories from his past. He flinched at the pain it brought him. His arm eventually fell at his side and his body dropped to the ground.

The familiar voices from the memory came flooding back into Kaz’s head. He had to watch Jesper turn his attention to Nina who stood beside him. She spoke up next.

“Where is she contained?” Nina asked, glancing back down at the map. 

In the background, Nina’s eyes had only widened in horror upon seeing two crows collapse to the ground. She raised her hands to stop whatever madness was ensuring since she was always reminded that she was the only one who might come close to stopping her. All she needed to do was stop her heart.

“Nina Zenik,” the deep voice spoke to her. Nina’s own heart dropped. “The heartrender.”

Out of instinct, Nina looked towards the one person who always kept her grounded. She knew what was going to happen next. She reached out for him only to see the tips of her fingers growing black in color. Her once beautiful green eyes changed to this pitch black shade of horror. 

The strong heartrender stumbled forward for she was unable to keep herself standing up anymore. Before Nina was able to fall to the ground, Matthias was able to catch her in his strong arms. He lowered her to the ground slowly just as she slipped past the darkness.

The memory returned once again. 

“She’d be kept here,” Matthias pointed to the center of the map where the White Island stood. “In the dungeons to be specific,” Matthias added.

In the memory, Nina’s former self had shifted her attention to the great fjerdan who stood beside her. He knew the court better than anyone in the room. The change shifted to compromise the next victim.

“Matthias Helvar,” the demon breathed. “The druskelle.”

Upon hearing his name, Matthias lifted his head to look directly at the emperor standing before him. He felt his own jaw lock into place. His blood began to boil in anger. His hands clenched into tight fists as he held the body of the woman he loved dearly.

“Demon,” Matthias hissed. “Go back to hell.”

Out of pure anger and resentment, Matthias stood to his feet with every intention of putting one final stop to the emperor. But he too fell under fatigue. He began to loose his footing, dropping one knee to the ground. He glanced towards one of the last two crows remaining. He tried to hold himself up and be strong for as long as possible. His eyes became black and his body tumbled to the ground.

In utter shock and horror, Kaz was forced to watch his four closest friends succumb to the darkness. He glanced at each of their unconscious bodies, feeling the panic and fear growing stronger with each passing second. He didn’t know what to do; he wasn’t in control anymore.

His heart stopped for a second as he heard a sweet familiar voice from that same memory resound in the back of his mind.

“But that means...” Inej’s voice trailed off in the memory. She was one of the few who knew exactly who he was talking about. “The Emperor is real?” Inej asked horrified. 

“Yes, Inej Ghafa.” She turned to face the voice who spoke to her in her mind. “I am very much real.”

Instinctively, Inej had to shifted her body to face towards Kaz. She held onto the last sliver of hope that he’d be able to save her and save them all. She had this panicked look on her face that he will never forget as he had never seen her look more terrified in her life. 

This was the final straw for him.

“Wait!” Kaz begged for the first time in his life.

Without hesitation, Kaz broke into a full run towards the emperor. He had every intention of putting a stop to her schemes because she had passed a line by messing with his crows. Unbeknownst to him, Inej had just fallen to the ground behind him. She slipped past the veil. He raised his cane above his head, fully intending to bash her head in.

But right as Kaz brought his cane towering down, his body fell through black clouds. The darkness had taken hold of his senses, which rendered his body completely useless in reality. When Kaz lifted his head to get a feel of his unknown surroundings, he was met with his worst nightmare staring directly at him.

OOOH!!!! Only one more chapter to go! What are everyone’s thoughts? What do you think is gonna happen in the last chapter???

TAGLIST:

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Crosshair: I want to hold General Skywalker’s hand.

Tech, not looking up from his datapad: Slut.