A/N: Hey everyone! I know it's been a few months. I have, like, five projects going on right now and I'm trash at setting aside proper time for them, so sorry about that. I kind of hyper fixate on one or two things at a time and Elden Ring owned my soul for a while.

I haven't lost interest in this though. I definitely plan to keep uploading for a while. No warnings for this one. As always, I hope you guys enjoy. :)

You waited in the hangar of the Jedi Temple, leaned against the back wall with your hands buried in your pockets. Your eyes drifted over the city lights of Coruscant. Their glare blotted out the stars, which was a shame, but their neon glow held beauty as well. Getting lost in the array of lights helped stave your worry as you waited for the Marauder to return. It wasn't unheard of for them to be somewhat late. You knew first hand that things rarely went smoothly on their missions. Still, you couldn't help but consider the worst-case scenario. Perhaps it came with your job, always being ready for whatever could happen. But in that case, you had some control of a given situation. Now, it was different.

Due to your run in with that lizard and the strange poison it had injected into you, you were currently on recovery leave. You had also been admitted to the hospital in the Jedi temple due to the unique force-involved nature of the venom. Yet all of this couldn't compare to the strain of worry you felt as Clone Force 99 was deployed for an assignment.

"Are you sure you guys are going to be alright?"  You'd asked Hunter as he sat by your bedside. He offered you a soft smile.

"Aren't we always?" Said the Sergeant. You had raised an eyebrow at him playfully.

"Only because I'm there to patch you up." You'd replied and he let out a quiet laugh.

"We'll be careful out there, Doc. You don't have to worry about us." Despite his assurance, your smile melted away as your gaze fell.

"What's wrong?" Hunter had said, laying a hand on your shoulder. You had shaken your head.

"I know that it isn't very realistic but... I wish this mission could wait a few days."  Your explanation had made him hum in acknowledgment.

"I understand, Doc. Sometimes I wish this war would just pause for a moment. Let us all breathe, mourn, think. But war never stops for what matters most."

The sound of the intercom going off drew you out of your memories.

"Incoming vessel in Landing Bay Seven." The speaker announced. You perked up at this as the engine of an approaching ship reached your ears. Soon, a very familiar shuttle pulled in, its wings retracting as it landed softly on the platform. You smiled as you pushed yourself off of the wall and walked toward the Marauder. The ramp extended and Wrecker was the first to step off, laughing as he engaged in conversation with Hunter. When his gaze settled on you, you offered a wave.

"Hey, look who's here!" He boomed as he approached you and, removing his helmet and pulling you into a firm hug. "We all missed ya while we were out."

"Speak for yourself." Crosshair added as he walked by. Wrecker folded his arms, his head tilting at his brother.

"I dunno, Crosshair. You seemed grumpier than usual this time around." Said Wrecker. Crosshair waved a hand over his shoulder, prompting a grunt from Wrecker.

"Don't listen to 'im. He's not as subtle as he thinks." He said and you smiled. Before you could respond, Hunter approached you, pulling off his helmet and holding it against his hip.

"Crosshair just needs a bite to eat and some shut-eye. We all do." He said, his warm gaze landing on you. "Speaking of rest, aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?"

"I talked to the doctor. He said I'm strong enough to move around and such, so long as I don't push myself." You answered. "So I figured I'd come out to welcome you guys back."

"If you're up to it, you should come to the mess with us. Heard they've got porg shanks tonight!" Wrecker exclaimed.

"Sure." You agreed with a smile. "Sounds fun." Wrecker clapped you lightly on the shoulder.

"See ya there, Doc. C'mon, Sarge, let's get some grub." The hulking man said as he made his way out of the hangar. You were about to follow when you noticed that there was still one member unaccounted for. You scanned the hangar.

"Where's Tech?" You asked. Hunter jerked his head in the direction of the Marauder.

"The ship's navi-computer is still having some issues. He's been trying to work the bugs out." He replied. You pressed your lips into a line.

"He should really rest." You sighed. Hunter shrugged.

"You know Tech. I'm sure he'll be along." He said. You hummed.

"Let me see if I can tear him away from his work." You told the sergeant. "I'll catch up with you."

"Good luck, doc." He snickered before leaving the hangar. You set your eyes on the Marauder and started toward it. You had only been away for a few days, but it was nice to hear the familiar clunk of your shoes on the metal stairs. Sure enough, the faint creak of bolts and zaps of electricity drifted from the cockpit when you boarded.

"Tech?" You called as you entered the space, making sure not to surprise him.

"Doctor?" He replied from where he lay beneath the display. He slid out from beneath it and straightened up, adjusting his glasses. "It is surprising to see you out of the medical wing."

"I'm making a pretty quick recovery, thanks to Obi-Wan." You said as you walked up to him. "So I figured I'd stop by and say hello."

"Well, I'm glad to see that you are healing well. You certainly look better than before." He paused, his eyes widening slightly and cheeks growing pink. "Not to imply you don't look good normally. I-In a civil way, I mean." You smiled at him.

"I get what you're saying." You assured him. He cleared his throat with a nod before returning his gaze to you.

"In other matters, how are you feeling? Have you regained your appetite?" He asked. You nodded.

"Yeah, and I feel less weak. I still get the dizzy spells though." You informed him. Concern glinted in his caramel-brown eyes.

"I see. Usually such things manifest as early signs of strain. Perhaps you should rest. I can bring you something to eat, if you'd like." He offered. You chuckled.

"Funny, I was about to ask you if you wanted to come eat with us." You said.

"Gladly. Just as soon as I've tidied up the navi-computer." Said Tech as he leaned back down. You raised an eyebrow as you drew closer.

"Hunter mentioned that it was still having problems." You began. "Those smugglers must've done a number on it."

The clone grunted at this.

"That is putting it lightly. I had hoped that a system restart and recalibration would be enough but..." He stopped to sigh as he reached for one of the many tools on a cloth beside him and you gave him a sympathetic look.

"Maybe I can lend a hand." You offered before shrugging. "I'm no mechanic, but I'd like to help things along."

"Help is more than welcome." He said from beneath the console.

You knelt by him as he worked, passing him tools on occasion or helping keep the array of bolts and parts in order as he removed them.

"What was the mission this time around?" You asked as you passed him a wrench.

"Standard back-up mission for the 212th. Delivery of supplies and gathering intel behind enemy lines. You didn't miss much." He responded between the creaks of him cranking the wrench. He passed a panel to you, which you stored with the other parts.

"Seems everything went smoothly."

"It did, for us, anyway. The 212th division was meeting heavy resistance on the front."

You frowned with a hum. You couldn't help but worry about those men.

"Ah, found it." Tech's voice made you look up.

"Found what?"

"The Internal Axis Monitor. It's misaligned, which makes our location inaccurate on our scanner. Once I restart it and manually input our coordinates, that should be one less issue with the navi-computer." He explained. For a while, he seemed to work on disconnecting it, knitting his brow with a frown.

"Everything alright?" You asked. He tilted his head, the fixed light on the rim of his glasses aimed straight up.

"Some loose wires are in the way." He said. "If you wouldn't mind, I could use a hand with them."

You gave him a nod before carefully shifting over the tools and sliding under the panel. Your features warmed at how close you two were, your shoulders brushing lightly as you settled beside him and peered into the computer. Your eyes widened at the sheer amount of wires, lights, and parts. He pointed at a cluster of wires above him.

"Just hold those out of the way while I remove the mechanism. It should only take a second." He instructed. You leaned a bit closer and slowly reached up and pulled them aside, careful not to cut yourself on the sharp edges and fans within the computer. He quickly got to work. You watched as, with practiced accuracy, he undid the clasps around it, twisted a few bolts free, and maneuvered it from the machine.

You lowered your arm for a minute as he turned it over and opened a panel on the back of it. There were keys to input coordinates, not unlike how one would operate an alarm clock, if the clock had about fifty extra buttons. He held one of them at the top to restart it before, without so much as needing to check, he quickly entered in an array of numbers. It was mesmerizing in a way, to see him in his element.

"This isn't the first time you've had to do this, I'm guessing?" You joked, earning a light snicker from him. You drew the wires out of the way once again as he reached up to set the mechanism back in place.

Piece by piece, he began to put the console back together. You took notice of the focused look in his eyes as they shifted swiftly from place to place, as all the parts and pieces were carefully and quickly returned to their precise location.

"You make it look so easy." You said as he turned a bolt.

"It is a simple enough task, once you understand it." He replied and you elbowed him playfully.

"Give yourself some credit, Tech. You're amazing at this." You responded.

"Well, I never denied that." He said and you rolled your eyes with a scoff, the corner of his lips turning into a light smile as he set the panel back in place and got to work fixing the last of the bolts.

"But, it is simple logic when you boil it down. All a machine is..." He paused as his gaze fell on you. Until that moment, he hadn't acknowledged how close you two were. For a fleeting moment, the focused look in his gaze faltered as his warm brown gaze drifted to your lips before returning to your eyes. You raised a brow.

"Are you alright, Tech?" You asked and he seemed to snap out of it. He cleared his throat and brought his focus to the task at hand.

"Ah, yes, I just... lost my train of thought for a moment." He said as he finished fastening the panel. He shifted out from under the console, you doing the same as he began to put his tools away.

"I'm grateful for your help." He said and you smiled warmly.

"Don't worry about it." You replied as you handed him a tool. "So, what were you saying earlier?"

"Hm?" He began as he reached for the wrench, his fingers softly brushing yours. "What was it?"

"All a machine is...?" You repeated and his eyes flashed with recollection.

"Ah, yes." He said as he placed the wrench away, his fingers burning where they had met your hand. "All a machine is..."

He closed the toolbox with a sharp 'click.'

"Is a bunch of moving pieces."