warnings:angst, cursing, mentions of battle, mentions of violence, references to gore, self-inflicted wound, lots of comfort, gentle kisses, two idiots very much in love
a/n:happy star wars day! here is a little piece i wrote in honor of may the fourth! i hope you all enjoy. i love these two a little too much, and it definitely shows. i apologize for the delay in posting my life has been ridiculously busy lately)
one by one.
crimson droplets fell, absorbing the dusty earth as they landed. vibrations sent tremors, the desperate pleas for relief merely drowning as more explosions rattled, the blasts enough to shake you to your very core.
shaking her head, she watched as more drops rained to the rusty surface. all around, everything was tinted a rosy hue.
gritting her teeth, she planted a foot down, propping herself up enough to stay on one knee. she could feel her saber still tucked to her belt, safely holstered. her blaster was gone, but she didn’t need it.
her saber would be enough. that, and the force.
those would have to be enough.
they would have to be.
coughing, the tang of blood laced her tongue she spit out, wiping along her forehead. hmm, no blood there.
so where was it coming from?
mustering up her strength, the zygerrian shakily rose to her feet, curses flowing from her mouth as she finally rose.
what a fucking day.
what. a. fucking. day. this. was.
a metallic scent wafted into her nostrils. ah, so there it was. just along the bridge of her nose was a deep cut, deep enough to need a few stitches.
as it always went, when there was a battle, she was bound to leave with another scar or two.
“general,” a voice shouted, breathy and hoarse, “general, you need to see this.”
“what is it? surely they’re surrendering.”
“no, august. it’s bull.”
“bull?”
“my love, wake up.”
another voice, brassy and oh so familiar, pulled her from the midst of battle, the world around her shifting. it was hazy for a moment, blurry as everything crumbled away, fading to darkness.
blinking, she stirred, eyes locking with hers.
warm, honey-hued eyes, glistening with an abundance of concern.
“m-maul?”
the zabrak nodded, placing a sweet, sleepy kiss on her temple, “you had another nightmare, love.”
pain seared along her forearm, the zygerrian’s breath catching in her throat as she noticed a sliver of blood lazily rolling down, staining the sheets.
“hey,” fingers grasped her chin, tilting her head towards him, “don’t fret. it’ll come out. i’m more concerned about you than a little blood on the sheets.”
“i-it was about that day again,” tears welled up, the words trembling with every inflection and note, “t-the day i failed. the day i became a f-failure.”
“oh my love,” carefully, the zabrak wrapped an arm around the zygerrian, encouraging to prop herself up, “let’s sit up, and i’ll get you cleaned up. all right?”
obeying, she wriggled, leaning against the headboard for support. the pad of his thumb wiped away a tear, the zabrak flashing her a reassuring grin.
gentle hands found her forearm, the proper medicine and wrapping already prepared, “i wanted to remind you that: you are august. you are my wife. you are a leader of the crimson dawn. you are a skilled duelist, an excellent strategist, as well as the strongest woman i have ever met. you are notafailure.”
squeezing her eyes shut, august winced as maul dressed the scratches, carefully glazing the bacta over the wounds, “i lost them, that day. how does one of the strongest jedi generals lose her entire battalion?”
the zabrak’s fingers were steady as he wrapped a dressing around her forearm, “my love, as much as i know you wish to seek out the answer to your inquiry, sometimes the universe is not always kind and gives us tragedies instead of victories. i know i was not there that day, but i can tell you one thing.”
“and what is that?” august’s heart fluttered as maul brought her forearm to his lips, pressing them along the length of the dressing.
“even with everything that you have been through: after losing me once, traveling across the stars and galaxy alone, witnessing friends and family perish, braving horrific injuries, and bracing the worst of storms, your heart is filled to the brim with loveandkindness. that is something to be cherished, my shining star. i couldn’t even fathom enduring what you have, and yet, you’re still here. and you’re the most loving individual. be proud of your boundless love.”
as the zabrak finished, he pulled the zygerrian against his chest, holding her tightly. one hand cupped her head, massaging the base of her neck while the other rested along her hip, tracing gentle circles.
nearly collapsing, august melted against him, “you really know how to make everything better.”
“all i want is for you is safety and security,” maul murmured, “safety in my arms, here and always. as for security, i want you to be aware of my love for you. a love so deep and intertwined, i can’t even come up with a quantitive amount.”
“that must be a lot,” a giggle bubbled up in august’s throat, earning a soft chuckle from her lover.
“i would do anything for you, shining star. and i don’t mind staying up and holding you until you fall asleep, as long as you’re peaceful and content. that’s all that matters to me right now.”
“thank you, for helping me get cleaned up,” waves of heat radiated from maul’s chest, the exhaustion settling in as she snuggled closer, “i love you, maul.”
“of course,” the corners of her mouth twitched into a peaceful smile as maul peppered her head, ears, and cheeks with kisses, “get some rest, love. we have lots to do tomorrow.”
“as long as you’re here beside me,” august whispered, feeling fingers lace together with hers, “are you going to protect me from my nightmares?”
“i’ll be right here beside for the rest of our days, and i will do everything in my power to help protect you.”
“promise?” sleep was taking ahold, the word a bit quiet as it came from her lips.
“i promise.” maul’s pinky linked with hers.
as her breathing slowed, the zabrak rested his head on top of hers, murmuring strands of a language he once thought was buried, almost completely forgotten from years of combat training and sith ideologies.
they were sweet nothings really, just reassurances and promises of endless love.
yet, he knew they meant everything to her.
and really, that’s all that mattered.
tonight, and every night to come.
for such a sour man, he was full of sweet nothings when it came to her.
Chapter Summary:The ARC and Commander Clones take measure of their Lieutenant-General
Notes : Hello, I am back. Sone of you may have noticed I had no comments here last week, that is because I have not been doing so well. I was in a very bad place and tbh I am not much better this week but I am still trying.
Anyway, I thought this was a very warm and heartfelt scene with the clones and of course… that bit at the end there. Who is visiting??
I am pretty frazzled still so I will sign off with my usual; please leave yout feedback in the comments, I seriously love it so much. It has really helped, especially on my rough days. With that, I will be back next week and we will have some fight scenes a-comin! I hope you are all well and safe! <3
Amends - Part 2
“So… where did the name Siren come from?” Jax asked, most of them were sitting around the bunks and she was on a chair, her legs folded beneath her, and Cody had been kind enough to hand her a cushion to sit on.
“Well… let’s see, in the simplest terms, I suppose, I sing,”
“Sing? That’s it?” Wolffe asked with a frown.
“In basic terms, more specifically I have a penchant for music, I can hear it everywhere, even all of you sound vastly different to me,” they didn’t seem to understand so she tried it another way. “You know the feelings different songs give you? How some are soft and sweet while others are intense and powerful?” Again they seemed vague. “Alright, well what songs do you sing? Marching songs or something?”
Chapter Summary: Zaiya encounters a ‘defective’ clone. Notes: at the end!
Radical - Part 1
It had been so quiet without the antics of Alpha Company to keep her entertained. It seemed after the successful defence of Kamino, the Jedi and Kaminoans wholly agreed to Zaiya’s programs and the Alpha clones being deployed as specialist units to lead other teams in the GAR.
Moreover, after her little chat with Rex and Cody, word had quickly spread that she was the big sister of the entire army. She was sure that was just an exaggeration on Jax’s part but she could not say she hated the name.
The aftermath of the battle had left Kamino scarred and scorched. Some of the damage was still being repaired. There had been a big debrief and she’d been reprimanded for killing the general, however it was a slap on the wrist considering the warning she’d given on the attack itself.
Contains/Warnings: Violence, implied violence and greivous injury. Chapter Summary: Maul encounters some issues with his business dealings.
Lord of Crime
The young man stood in the dim office, a figure of imposing nature, that was without the mention of the crimson skin swathed in angular black tattoos, and a crown of horns atop his head. His sharp yellow gaze looking out the tinted windows down to the nightclub below; it was silent at this time of day, the cleaning crews and day staff readying for opening that night. His broad shoulders blocked much of what light did come in through the glass, both hands in his pockets as his mind ticked over the mental list of things he had assigned himself that day. Golden eyes surveyed the progress, though in reality he paid little attention to the goings on below.
“I have the contract, Mr. Opress,” spoke a distinguished voice behind him. The man - or more accurately - zabrak turned slowly, he was not rushed by this intruder.
“Have all the changes been made, Almec?” he asked, his voice equally unhurried, enunciated and with a barest hint of sharp edges. He regarded the blond, bearded human with derision. The zabraki man had already been disappointed before, he hoped Almec had not done so again.
“Of course, sir,” Almec replied, if he was afraid he hid it well, “Signed, dated and ready for your signature.” Yellow eyes levelled a flat stare at the man as he took the small stack of papers he was offered and laid them on the desk.
Were he truthful, it was not in fact Almec who was the intruder, it was himself, having arrived for these papers and the final transfer of ownership. The zabrak took out a pen from within his suit jacket and after a quick read to the changes, signed his name on the last page in a quick sharp script;
Maul Opress
Maul straightened, and left the contract where it lay, it was now Almec’s task to take care of it.
“As previously stated, you will retain your position as manager and keep this place running smoothly. I assume you already have a plan for the staff you will keep on?” he didn’t really care but he wanted to see if Almec had taken initiative.
“Yes, of course, I was awaiting the contract finalisation,” the bearded man replied.
“Choose wisely,” Maul said in a mocking tone, “I will hold you personallyresponsible for any failures.” With that he left the office with a smooth gait, there were things to do and he had far more urg–
Bzzzzz Bzzzzz Bzzzzz
–his thoughts were interrupted by an incessant vibration in his jacket pocket. He reached in and brought out his phone, the screen lit up with the name of his brother; Savage.
“Yes?” was all Maul spoke in greeting, waiting impatiently for whatever was so damn important.
“We have a problem,” the deep baritone of his bigger but younger brother said, his tone set Maul on edge immediately, he sounded tense. Of coursethere was a problem. When did they not?
“Whatkindof problem?” Maul growled in response.
“Well… you’re gonna be pissed.”
══════════════════
Savage had not been exaggerating. Maul now stood at the entrance to one of the warehouses he and his… associates used for storing various goods they did not wish the authorities to notice.
Or they had.
Currently, he was staring into a building that was mostly empty, signs of a small fire had blackened the far wall, though it was out now and a significant number of his people were taking stock of what was left compared to what was taken.
As his brother had so eloquently put it… Maul was indeed pissed. His fists clenched at his sides and his face a vision of fury. His near-permanent scowl looked more dangerous than ever.
“Who,” he spat, “was in charge of security?” Heavy footfalls announced the arrival of Savage himself, a zabrak standing at nearly seven feet, yellow skin and similar black tattoos, and a crown of horns that stood tall on his head, one of them, the one that sat in the front left was broken however. He towered over Maul who stood at barely 6 feet.
“One of Vizsla’s boys,” Savage grumbled, “looks he was… distracted,” Maul’s eyes flicked up to his brother in questioning. “Uh… a girl,” he didn’t need to explain further. Maul’s tattooed lip curled in disgust at such neglect.
“What was lost?” he asked as the two brothers began to tour the ransacked warehouse. It was a mess, whoever the thieves were, they’d torn through the place.
“Three crates of weapons, and a few pallets of bike parts, that’d already been processed,” Savage replied.
He meant the VIN numbers and all traces where the parts had come from were removed for resale to the various mechanics in the city. It was potentially a million credits minimum lost in just a few hours. Maul’s brow twitched, it wasn’t even about the money, this would have damaging consequences for the reputation of not only himself but of the group that officially owned the warehouse.
“Send for Vizsla, seeing as this is a Mandalorian facility, and one of his people, he should be present for this,” Maul sneered.
TheMandalorians, known mostly as a motorcycle club, had their hand in multiple ventures. Though since Maul had stepped in to take over some years ago, they had expanded from simple petty crimes to something more profitable, and gave them more of a powerful foothold in the city. They were not the only criminal organisation he oversaw, but they were the most powerful.
For the last five or so years he’d clawed his way up from nothing. After his father had discarded him like he was worthless. He’d taken his own path, fought his own battles. He didn’t need the old man…
Now he had a small empire of his own and he would not allow it to fall. This situation had to be dealt with carefully, if word got out ahead of him, it would be seen as a weakness. No, he had to be clever.
He waited, one hand in his trouser pocket, the other shooting off a text message. He had a few enforcers, and he tasked them with finding who had hit the warehouse. Savage returned a few minutes later, behind him was a proud-looking blond man with piercing, arrogant blue eyes. He was clad in his leathers, a sneer barely concealed on his face. He had joined with Maul initially, but he was far from a loyal dog. Maul had been keeping his eye on Vizsla, waiting for him to make the first move.
Behind Savage and Vizsla was a younger man, dark hair and wide eyes, flanked by two burly Mandalorian enforcers, they ensured the kid was going nowhere.
“Who is he?” Maul asked quietly.
“Name’s Saren, Saren Vizsla, he’s a cousin of mine,” Pre Vizsla provided, Maul gave a hint of a nod before turning his attention to the boy.
“You were in charge of maintaining security at this temporary site, were you not?” Maul asked icily. He stared down his nose at Saren, who was now terrified.
As he should be.
“I- I swear it’s not what it looked like! I wasn’t trying– th-there was a girl… I was only gonna be a few minutes, she-she gave me something! I woke up later, bu-but I put out the fire at least!” he sputtered, as though it might save him. Even if the woman had been at fault, he should have known better.
Saren was barely a man… killing him seemed cruel. But if he did nothing, Maul might be accused of going soft. Something far too dangerous in his line of work. Maul’s gaze drifted to the table; the fool was still blubbering but he tuned it out. The golden eyes honed in on a knife laying on one of the tables that had not been overturned. Light scraping from the blade had the boy suddenly silent. The zabrak looked back to the younger man, held by the arms by his comrades, a dark stain on his jeans.
The kid had pissed himself.
“Ithink…” Maul began in a sinister tone, “yes… this will do.” He turned sharply and Saren visibly flinched. What a coward. If that had been Maul and his father– no, this was no time for memories. Maul tossed the blade to Vizsla who looked back at him in confusion. “Cut him,” Maul said simply.
“What?” Vizsla blurted in confusion. Maul refrained from rolling his eyes.
“If he is going to think with his appendages,” and Maul glanced downdeliberately at Saren, “at the detriment to the rest of us. Then he should lose it.” The rest of the men in the room visibly shifted uncomfortably.
“You want meto–”
“Unlessyouwould take the punishment in his stead?” Maul fixed Vizsla with a vicious glare and the man took a step back. “I thought not.” Maul sneered and waved a dismissive hand. Saren could only squeak and whimper as Maul strode past them, “be quick about it.”
The zabrak had no more time to waste on some incompetent idiot, the two brothers departed the warehouse.
Saren began to scream.
Notes: Hello there! Here it is! Part 2 of chapter 1, it is a little shorter but I am not being a stickler for the length this time. I am really loving this story and I am having fun with it, it’s dark and a little evil but I am enjoying it either way! I hope you are too! Let me know what you think, who took the shipment? How is Zaiya going to find him? As always I love comments and feedback so if you have any, please please please send me some, I love it, it gives me strength! I will see you next time, wherein Zaiya meets her new bestie!
