The Bad Batch: Tech and Vel

14. Incitation

Days faded into weeks and weeks faded into months as Vel grew increasingly fonder of the Marauder crew. The next mission ended up being one of those "adaptation situations" that Hunter seemed to use as a rather all-encompassing phrase, and she found herself sprinting along the edge of a cliff behind Tech. He was simultaneously running and sending coordinates to the rest of the team, who had been split up and tasked with retrieving the ship for a quick pickup. 

They heard branches cracking behind them; they were still being pursued. Vel glanced over her shoulder, missing the fact that Tech had skidded to a halt in front of her, and she ran straight into him. They both tumbled to the ground, his datapad flying off the cliff into the water below. He scrabbled to grab hold of something as he continued to slip downward.

Vel, who had landed on her backside, felt time grind to a halt as he disappeared over the edge of the cliff. "Tech!" she screamed, scrambling to her hands and knees and crawling to where the ground gave way to nothing. She peered down, letting out an audible "Oh!" of relief as she saw him clinging to a thick tree root for dear life. She looked around frantically, searching for a vine or branch or anything she could throw to him.

"It's too slippery!" Tech yelled, fighting to regain his grip, and Vel felt her panic build to a crescendo, then pause. She had an idea. She returned to the edge, forcing herself to focus, fighting with all her might to center herself on the Force within. 

She could feel her heart beating, feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She stretched a hand toward him, willing with all her might that she might connect. She gasped as she felt an awareness of him and focused on pulling it upward with every fiber of her being. He suddenly found it easier to grasp the root, nearly getting an elbow over the top, and then...

He fell.

A long way down. And he landed with a loud splash into the water below. 

"No!" Vel shrieked, and without thinking, jumped off the precipice after him. 

They resurfaced after what felt like an eternity, coughing and spluttering in a sparkling pool below. The entire cliffside, now rising high into the air above them, was made up of a roaring waterfall that created shimmering rainbows of mist that disappeared as quickly as they appeared. They made the relatively short swim to shore, dragging themselves up onto the sand and coughing explosively.

Tech flung his helmet off next to him and tilted his goggles up at the bottom to let some water out before collapsing onto his stomach, chest heaving. Vel was experiencing a similar recovery nearby, although once she had regained her breath, it was gone again as she let out a frustrated yell from the core of her being. She punched the sand, angrily flipping her sopping wet hair out of her face and curling onto her side, dissolving into hefty sobs. 

Taking a moment to assess the situation, Tech pushed himself up to his hands and knees, crawling to her side and sitting on the sand. He was unsure of how to best approach this, not having a positive reason for her current emotional state. He reached out a tentative hand, touching her shoulder gently, bracing himself for an angry outburst or indignant rejection. 

But Vel rolled over, sitting up suddenly and melting into his chest. Tech lifted a leg to brace himself, putting an arm around her shoulders to hold her steady, and simply waited as she cried, considering possible responses. There weren't any opportunities to test them out, however, as Vel launched into mourning. She confessed a lifelong sense of failure, of unworthiness, of never being enough to be worth keeping around. She lamented her lack of specialness, her constant shortcoming, her futile pursuit of purpose, and Tech listened to it all, formulating counterpoints but reserving them for a better time.