Crosshair for this amazing gal, @nahoney22 . đ
Thank you for all your great works and being an awesome friend! đ
a/n: if this has been done before, i had no intentions of using other ideas! i just think that there should be more fluffy thoughts about the bad batch (pics not mine)
crosshair: enemies to lovers!! this man is secretly a romantic at heart and you can't convince me otherwise đ definitely the type to hate you at first and slowly fall in love, but obviously doesn't want to admit to himself that he's in love.
tech: best friend/accidentally in love! tech has the vibes that you are both strictly best friends, where you help him and he helps you; but one day he just falls for you đ you have no idea what you did besides fix the ship's issue, but whatever it was, tech is for sure in love with you now
echo: meet cute!! our favorite arc trooper literally fell for you...he tripped on air. we love him tho! heâs such a sweetheart and a classic romantic. takes you on dinner dates and gives you flowers all the time
wrecker: mistaken identity! donât get me wrong tho, he doesnât realize youâre a good guy at firstâŠyou just looked scary and well, evil. he only realized he liked you when you blew up an empire frigate but heâs never mistaken you for anything; he practically knows you by your presence đ„č
hunter: hero! Mr. knight in shining armor saved you from literally falling to your death đ„° heâs the type to put his whole life on the line if it meant you would live! youâre his whole world fr
Fall is the most colorful season on them all đđđđđ
CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MASTER SOL SOFTENS WHEN HE TALKS TO OSHA! LITERAL SUNSHINE
OH MY GOSH
Hugging... (technically)
Holding hands... (technically)
Smiling at one another... (definitely)
Please let there be some definite"I'm so happy you're alive/i'm so sorry for leaving like i did" kisses in Season 3, I swttf. đ„ș
Someone's excited to see Tech
My Tech lives AU! This one is based on the idea that the Bad Batch just needs someone with a clear head to follow his trail and appreciate the man for what he is truly capable of! So far Iâve stuck to one-shots and imagines, but this one felt like it needed a little more. Iâm not a many-chapter-fic writer, but this one I felt like it could be divided into 3-4 solid chapters that focus on the beloved brainiac. Consider it a mini-series!Â
Chapter 1 - CluesÂ
Tech x FAB!reader (eventually) (just female pronouns; no use of y/n, itâs all in third person [she/her]; no physical description in this one)Â
Word Count: ~2.5K
Chapter Summary: Using only what the batch has at their disposal (a lot more than they realize, thank you Tech), a new friend manages to convince them that Tech survived and is in need of their help!
TW: mentions of Techâs demise (but he lives!); reader infodumping (self-indulgent, sorry! I really connected with Tech on this and this is how I'm coping with the writers' poor decisions at the end of s2); I am a scientist, so I wanted to bring my own experiences into this a bit, hopefully, I got all the details correct, I'm not a geneticist tho, nor a comp sci person, so please be nice if I messed up!
Author's Notes:
Somehow, this came out from Hunterâs pov. Wasnât exactly the way Iâd planned it, and this might change in the next chapter, but I needed a way to illustrate how Hunter was struggling with losing two brothers and his little girl (he's 100% a girl dad now, no going back).
Also, this is totally self-indulgent. I always write she/her/reader's pov like it's me because that's what I know how to do. If I can write from the heart it's more genuine. Hope you guys are okay with that!
I like to make references to other fandoms and stuff when I write, hope you guys donât mind that. Thereâs at least 1 blink-and-you-miss it Hamilton reference, among others⊠hehehe!
Side note, this was not beta'd. I tend to just crank stuff out because it's on my mind, and post it asap so I can get it off my chest. Please lemme know if there are typos and if you guys like it!
************************************************************************
She joins the team shortly after Tech and Omega are stolen from them.Â
When the bad situation they were in got even worse, they ran to Rex, in need of a calm, collected, commanding presence that wasnât in the grip of fresh losses to help them figure out what to do next. Rex brought them his best analyst, an old friend who quietly helped out in secret during the war, and now helped him rescue as many brothers as he could.Â
Echo knew her. They came up with a few battle strategies together when he was with the 501st. He trusted her with his life.Â
Hunter, who always held his trust in reserve to begin with, now trusted even less since Cid is the reason Omega is now in the clutches of the Empire. But Rex and Echo insisted, and he knew they were in dire straights and would not be able to rescue Crosshair and Omega (and Tech) on their own, especially not while their better judgment was clouded with so much pain.Â
At first, she just helps AZI patch them up and keep an eye on them as they heal. Slowly, they begin to trust her a little more. As she brings them water so they donât have to get up, and sits with and chats with Wrecker until he falls asleep, and helps Echo with his prostheses, and always makes a point to do everything quietly to go easy on Hunterâs senses. They appreciate how her effort says she cares.
Eventually they start letting her learn them a bit more. And they learn more about her. Sheâs an interesting mix. Sheâs somewhat neurodivergent like Tech - she can go on endless infodumps and loves to learn. But she also has moments where she exhibits what Tech once described to the as âneurotypical behaviorsâ. She jokes with the men and flirts with them when the time is right. She gets a lot of social cues, but she does miss a fair amount too. The boys learn why Tech describes his differences like a spectrum.Â
Eventually, Hunter and Echo come to the realization that she is going to need notes, detailed notes, if they are going to find their lost siblings. They have all tried giving her as many notes as they can remember, but in order to do enough research to find them, she would need to know more about Crosshair and Omega, and no one took notes on everyone quite like Tech did. They decided to give her access to Techâs notebook, if all 3 of them agree on it. So they confront Wrecker. Heâs all in. He trusts her, despite Cidâs betrayal, his determination to see the best in people has hardly wavered. Anything she needs to help them get their brotherâs back is fine with Wrecker. And he trusts that if both Hunter and Echo have come to the same conclusion, then itâs worth it.Â
For days she sat reading his copious notes, it kept her quiet and distant from them - Hunter was grateful for that, he needed time to adjust to her presence He wasnât used to being around a woman so often. She brought a different way of existing to the soldierâs lifestyle he was used to.Â
Her habits and mindset was somewhat new to him.Â
âIt may seem like an enigma now, but there are clues everywhere. You just need to know where to look and how to read themâ she had said when she began her quest to learn more about their fallen brother, lost brother, and stolen sister.Â
He was just grateful he, Wrecker, and Echo didnât have to re-live the pain watching that horrible moment all over again to try to get something out of it.Â
One day she begins to surface from his notes. Hunter braces, he had gotten used to her presence like that, and didnât think he was ready for the conversations about brotherâs end that were certainly coming.Â
âThis passage here, about Omega⊠it doesnât make sense, itâs not Techâs wordsâÂ
âWhat do you mean?â Hunter peers over her shoulder âthatâs him alright, watched him write that one myself shortly after we picked her up.âÂ
âOh, thatâs not what I meant, sorry⊠these words are phrased exactly the way he writes everything, his speech patterns, his grammatical ticks, he IS the one that physically wrote the words down, except one thing doesn't match his pattern: the scientific errors. The one thing he knew none of you could check.âÂ
âSo, youâre saying that Tech tricked us?â Hunterâs annoyance is apparent in his tone. His temper was on a short fuse these days, but she understood why.Â
âNo! Iâm saying heâs employing a handy psychology tactic here. Usually used only for one of two purposes: reassurance or manipulation, but itâs definitely the former.â You hold up a hand, knowing Hunter is read to interject and snatch Techâs datapad away from you for implying Tech would ever deceive his brotherâs and harm them. âI know, you watched him write it and he would clearly never hurt any of you intentionally. A later passage about his conversation with Omega about feelings clearly conveys that quite eloquently and explains how deeply he cares for each one of you, but I think he might be trying to protect you from the full truth here, at least until he knowns what it is. As Iâm sure you noticed, almost everything he writes has a double meaning, if not a triple meaning.âÂ
Hunterâs eyes remain narrowed, but heâs quiet, waiting for the whole story before he makes any decisions. He was protective of his little family before, and thatâs multiplied tenfold since Cidâs betrayal cost them so much.Â
âThis passage here uses the word âperfect copyâ to describe Omega, but thereâs a lot inherently incorrect about that from a scientific perspective, and Tech clearly knows that. Perfection is, technically speaking, unachievable. Thereâs always something that deviates from the original, just a little, especially when discussing the complexities of genetics. Iâm no geneticist, but his notes from when you first met Omega states that according to his scan (the results of which are included in the notes), she bears the female genetic marker - two X allosomes, and no Y - and has since she was created, which in and of itself means that she cannot be a perfect copy of Django who was male at birth, and bears the same male genetic markers that you lot do - an XY allosome pair. Which means, his statement here that she is a âperfect copyâ is incorrect and he clearly knows that⊠at one point he even goes on to describe how she displays more neurotypical traits like you boys, rather than his neurodivergent ones⊠(whispered) paternal traits indeed, youâre definitely a clone of Django, you shouldn't worry about that Tech... He could be referring to her as a âperfect childâ, however, again, perfection is inhuman and totally impossible when referring to something as complex as a sentient being, so thatâs also unlikely unfortunately, as sweet as it would be for him to describe her like that⊠Earlier he mentioned that Nala Se told Tarkin that there were 5 âgenetically deviant clonesâ and that that must include Omega because Echo is genetically a âRegââŠâÂ
She turns to face Hunter directly, âTech knew you were reading this over his shoulder and had access to it. Heâs doing his best to describe Omega in a way that will only fortify your protection of her, not because that would ever waver - he describes several times how your paternal instincts are very attached to her, and he is both certain and grateful that nothing could change that - but he does it because she is very important to something, some big secret thing the Kaminoans are doing, though I donât think he knows what exactlyâŠâ she trails off, searching through the datapad for more as she thinks.Â
Hunter is shocked, first by her analysis, second by how easily she read Tech, and third by the fact that he, Hunter, is starting to agree with her analysis. âBut if theyâre ânot his wordsâ as you said⊠then whose words are they?âÂ
Sheâs silent for a moment, as she considered this, still scrolling back through Techâs copious notes. Hunter is struck for a moment how Tech always seemed to write like he was running out of timeâŠÂ
âI think⊠I think, based on the way he explains how you lot describe Omega when sheâs asleep and your paternal instincts âtruly appearâ as he puts it, and,â she emerges from Techâs notes for a moment, and Hunter is struck by how sheâs just like Tech âand from my personal experience around you lot⊠I think heâs using your own words as a way to reassure you. Again, a handy psychology trick when used by a kind hand.â she nervously dives back into Techâs notes. Hunter notes how she seems to make an effort to not annoy him again.Â
She continues with her thought as her mind races on âall of the words he uses to describe Omega have positive connotations, thereâs no hidden negativity, which means his intentions are good and not manipulative.âÂ
She looks up, but doesnât totally dissociate from the datapad this time, her eyes still glossy wand swirling with thoughts. She opens her mouth like sheâs poised to say more, but worry crosses her features âIâm sorry, Iâm rambling again. Iâll stop. I do that a lot, I know.âÂ
She looks around concerned, by this point both Echo and Wrecker have joined the conversation, but none of them can look at her right now.Â
Hunter is the first to speak âdonât worry, weâre used to it, Tech does the same thing all the time⊠or⊠used to anyways.âÂ
She tenses a bit âunderstood, Iâm sorry for your loss, I still intend to help you as much as I can. Loss like that is cruel, letâs see if we can get him back, yeah?âÂ
âYeahâ Hunter relaxes a tiny bit, but feels the sadness of loss settling in. He doesnât believe Tech could have survived that fall.Â
She dives back into the notes. Thereâs a moment of silence. She continues to read quietly, giving the men a change to exchange quiet glances, feeling better now that they might have someone like Tech, something familiar, who can help them find their family. They find comfort in the quiet as she continues to ponder his scribblings with a knitted brow for a few moments.Â
Hunter breaks the silence. âI feel almost ashamed that none of us figured that out. Heâs our brother. I guess we didnât know him as well as we thought we did.âÂ
âItâs not your fault, Hunter. Same goes for you two,â she pats Echo and Wrecker. âPain of loss can be blinding. You do know him well, but your own emotions got in the way. It helps to have an outside voice to help you see through the haze of emotions. Nothing wrong with asking for help. Iâm here to help in any way that I can.âÂ
Her attention shifts again, and she emerges from the datapad completely this time. The hand that clutches it falls to her lap as her eyes find Hunterâs, and heâs not surprised to find a new thought sparkling in them.Â
âYou said Hemlock gave you back his goggles, did he not?âÂ
âYeahâ Hunterâs hesitancy returnedÂ
âDonât worry, I donât want to hurt any of you lot, either. I just need more information about the incident itselfâÂ
Hunter sighs.Â
âDid his goggles still have the recording device on them?â
âHow did you know about that? None of us told you about thatâÂ
âHe includes many screenshots and videos from them in his notesâÂ
âRight. SorryâÂ
âItâs okay. Hesitancy to trust is natural after being sold out like that, I understand. But please know that I just want to help you find your brothers and sister, they seem like good people, and this Tech fellow is clearly brilliant!âÂ
Hunter produces the goggles, recording device still attached.Â
Echo chimes in âI checked for a recording from it, but scans said thereâs nothing on itâÂ
âNo backups? Youâre telling me a man like Tech didnât have backups of everything in a secure format? Is this not his backup datapad full of his notes Iâm holding? Iâm guessing that somewhere on here is a backup copy he fashioned himself that the Empire wouldn't be able to tamper with, one with a hidden access port - something the Imperials wouldn't know to look for since to them devices like this are usually only remotely accessedâÂ
She gently detaches the recording device from the goggles and inspects it carefully. The men gather around her and watch her with baited breath. Clearly the Empire did not remove it from the goggles, as there is still a fair amount of dirt on the side that had been next to the band of the goggles. As she gently brushes the dirt off, her finger nail finds the edge of something. Tracing it out, she finds a rectangle in the rubbery casing around the recording device, and gently pops it open.Â
âBingoâ she whispers, as though a loud noise will shatter the moment.Â
âI think Iâm starting to agree with youâ Hunter whispers in her ear, quiet enough that only she can hear.Â
She inspects the port the silicone hatch revealed âI donât suppose any of you lot have seen a cable that might fit this lying around somewhere?âÂ
They sit quietly for a moment, well aware Tech left cables for all sorts of things scattered everywhere. Each contemplating the most likely spot for Tech to keep an important cable like this, before Echo pipes up âIâm betting heâd keep a spare in his spare kit!âÂ
Wrecker launches out of his makeshift seat to grab the kit, and hands it to Hunter. âYou better look for it, I donât think heâd like me rummaging through his stuff⊠might break somethingâŠâ he trails off, clearly sad.Â
She patâs the big guy on the arm and he sits back down, a little closer this time. Seeking her warmth for comfort.Â
âHe clearly loved and still loves you very much Wreck, even if he has his own way of showing itâÂ
Wrecker smiles, âthanks Y/NâÂ
Hunter produces several cords from Techâs pack and holds them out. âOne of these look like it might fit?âÂ
âYes!â
Echo reaches for the other end of the cable âwhat does the other end look like?â She letâs him inspect it while she attaches the one end to the recording device.Â
âThis one goes here,â he plugs it into the console they sit next to. âLetâs see what he got asâŠ. Letâs see what trail he left for usâÂ
As the recording comes up on the bigger screen, they all gasp. Most of the contents of the recording are going to be a difficult mess to untangle, but one thing is clear: Tech is very much ALIVE!!!
************************************************************************
reblogs welcomed! Please don't steal my work though! I pour my heart into these so if you like it please reblog to share instead of reposting it!
Apparently Miles is a JJK fan (in the comics)
If you put these two in a room together I think the result would be adorable đ„ș