During the Clone Wars, the Bad Batch is tasked with a variety of missions across the galaxy. An unexpected addition to their team throws a wrench in the mix, particularly for Tech, who finds a particular connection with the disillusioned Padawan-tur...
Time passed, and missions blended together. Vel settled into her new position, contributing her skills to keep the ship running smoothly. She kept to herself as much as possible at the beginning, but throughout a variety of experiences, found small connections with each member of the crew.
Wrecker was the one to teach her dejarik, with their hand-carved physical set, but Hunter was the one she couldn't beat. Crosshair refused to play, opting instead to make endless adjustments to his weapons kit from his seat in the corner, but still couldn't resist throwing out the occasional thought or strategy critique.
Her unease around Crosshair began to diminish as she stopped trying to earn his favor. As she contented herself with polite cohabitation instead of meaningful connection, she found him more peaceful to be around. His cynicism and scowly manner were simply his nature, as much as Wrecker's boisterous zest for life.
Her initial attempt with Hunter did not go well. They were scouting along a ridge, on a dusty and dismal planet, when he crouched to the ground, tracing his fingers across the sand, picking some up and letting it sift through his fingers as he inspected it closely.
"What is that?" she asked suddenly.
"A mix of decomposed granite and sandstone," Hunter replied.
"No, what is that thing you do, grabbing dirt and feeling it? What are you getting from that?" Vel continued. Behind her, Wrecker caught Crosshair's attention, throwing a toothy grin his way and jabbing his thumb toward Vel.
Hunter stared at her for a moment, visibly affronted. Every fiber of his being emanated an indignant air of how dare you. Even Tech looked up from his datapad with a bemused smirk.
That was where the conversation ended. Later, over another futile game of dejarik, Vel found herself thoroughly enthralled with Hunter's account of a mission on Hoth. She had never heard of the icy planet, and his description of the tauntauns was borderline unbelievable.
It was Tech that she found herself most at ease around. His curiosity was infectious, and the satisfaction he found from both learning and teaching was impossible to hide. She felt old parts of herself stirring, parts that had been dormant for years, as she would find herself three volumes deep in the astrological lore of some random system, read aloud by Tech as she sat across from him.
"Man. All we had on Corellia was the Eye of the Pirate," Vel said, as he took a break between chapters. "A big red star that was impossible to miss. I made up some other constellations on my own, but there was nothing like this," she said, referring to the heroic mythological tales of the Yvara that he had been reading.
"The Horns of Waryl are quite fascinating," Tech agreed, pointing to an illustration of the three stars forming an inverted pyramid, "But on Corellia you also had the Ronto and Drall's Hat."
"Seriously?" Vel asked, inwardly groaning that he knew more than she did about the planet she had spent her later childhood and young adult years on.
"Yes! I shall show you, if our adventures ever take us there, or if you ever have any wish to visit," he volunteered. "But for now, I can show you the only constellation available to us at this location. If you will follow me?"
She rose from her seat, following him off the ship. It was parked on a platform atop a tower on Coruscant, and endless lines of traffic bustled in every direction. A steady hum of speeders and ships reverberated from the depths of the planet to the edge of its atmosphere, and the horizon was filled as far as the eye could see with twinkling lights, flashing billboards, and row after row of towering buildings.
He walked to the edge of the platform, off to the side near the front of the ship, and tilted his head up at the sky, examining the stars scattered across the sky. "There," he said, pointing above, "Follow the edge of that green antenna upward until you see a tight cluster of three stars together."
Vel stood next to him, cocking her head in a similar manner and squinting to follow his direction. She wrinkled her nose, seeing the green antenna but following it upward, again and again, unable to find anything resembling a star cluster.
"Look," Tech said, getting close behind her and putting his head right next to hers, over her shoulder. He reached an arm up again, next to her face, and pointed at the tower before drawing a line upward once again.
But Vel was no longer focused on the stars, instead wildly preoccupied with his sudden closeness. She swallowed, forcing herself to keep her eyes toward the sky, but felt an odd squirming sensation in her stomach.
"I see it... I think..." she said, positively lying through her teeth but not wanting to appear completely blind.
"Excellent!" Tech exclaimed, oblivious to her internal turmoil. "That cluster makes the eye of a constellation known as Eryon, or the Burning Snake. If you trace the shape of an S, going to the right from the eye, you will see the rest of the snake." He moved his hand again, drawing the letter in the sky, tilting his face closer to hers so there was a hair's breadth between their cheeks.
She caught a whiff of something, a mix of things that took her a moment to sort out. Burnt metal, fresh soap, and a clean, almost woodsy scent that suddenly catapulted her back to the delight and wonder she felt on Kashyyyk.
She felt a heat rising into her cheeks, and, almost irresistibly, leaned toward him a tiny bit to rest her cheek against his. Under the premise of stargazing, of course: "I see it," she said, truthfully this time, "All the way down to the tail there?" She hoped to draw his attention away from the touch, but it was a futile attempt.
"Oh, excuse me," he said, pulling away suddenly. "I apologize, I was unaware of my proximity."
"It's okay," she said softly, shuffling her feet. "I didn't mind."
"Anyway, there it is," Tech said, gesturing one last time toward Eryon.
They stood for a moment silently, so much unspoken, and regarded the stars.
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AHHHHH we've been BLESSED with the sweetest fanart of this scene from @amorfista on Tumblr!
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I can't get over how much emotion she created on their faces. Even just in the eyes. His total immersion in the stars and his story, her lack of confidence in herself, wrestling with feelings, totally distracted by his closeness.... AUGH. Her little arm across her stomach. THE BODY LANGUAGE IS IMMACULATE! I can never express how meaningful fanart is. I just can't. <3
