Marvel x Star Wars: Avengers in the Clone Wars

Scott Lang, Rex, and Anakin Skywalker had endured the longest, most harrowing night of their lives on this alien world.

Since killing the first predator that had attacked their camp, the trio had been forced to defend themselves against an entire pack of these bird-beaked creatures throughout the endless dark hours. Rex maintained a defensive position in front of Scott, who supported the injured Anakin with his uninjured arm while the Jedi Knight held his lightsaber with trembling hands, the blue blade wavering but still deadly. The veteran clone captain now faced off against the final two beasts, which circled menacingly about ten meters away from their makeshift defensive position.

Suddenly, both bird-beaked predators began scraping the ground aggressively with their razor-sharp claws, emitting low, threatening growls that echoed across the prairie.

"They're preparing to attack," Anakin warned, his Force-enhanced senses picking up the creatures' hostile intentions despite his weakened state.

"Did we seriously crash-land right in the middle of their hunting territory?" Scott asked with exhausted frustration. "I mean, is there literally nothing else for them to eat on this entire planet besides us?"

"Here they come!" Rex shouted, raising his DC-15 blaster rifle and taking aim at the charging beasts. Unfortunately, both creatures launched their assault simultaneously, making it impossible for him to eliminate both threats before they reached their position.

To everyone's surprise and relief, a familiar vibranium shield came spinning through the air, striking the neck of the lead beast with devastating force and sending it crashing to the ground. Almost simultaneously, precise blaster fire from Domino Squad eliminated the second predator before it could reach its intended targets.

"Steve!" Scott called out happily, relief flooding his voice as he saw his team leader approaching with the clone troopers.

"Yeah, we ran into some complications with Separatist battle droids," Fives explained as the squad moved toward the survivors. "We tracked their patrol back to a major base facility stationed on this planet. Took us longer than expected to gather intelligence and make it back here safely."

Steve quickly assessed the situation around their makeshift camp, noting the signs of prolonged combat and the exhaustion written across his teammates' faces. "Are the others back yet? Scott, what exactly happened here? How many attacks did you face?"

"Those bird-beaked nightmares kept coming at us in waves," Scott replied gratefully, still catching his breath from the adrenaline. "If you'd arrived even thirty minutes later, I honestly don't know if you would have found us alive."

Fives stepped forward to provide additional context: "We located a full droid patrol and managed to track them back to what appears to be a significant Separatist military installation on this planet. The reconnaissance took considerably longer than we anticipated, but we gathered valuable intelligence about their defensive positions and troop strength."

"Master! Rex! Steve!"

Everyone turned at the sound of Ahsoka's excited voice to see her approaching with Bly, Flash, Cameron, and Lucky. They were accompanied by an unusual alien creature that had been traveling in a tightly curled ball like a hedgehog, rolling rapidly across the terrain. Only when it reached the vicinity of their camp did the creature unfurl and stand upright, revealing itself to be a lemur-like being with intelligent eyes and practical clothing.

However, the native guide wasn't what immediately captured Scott's and Steve's attention.

Their eyes focused entirely on the woman walking beside Ahsoka, who had also noticed them and was approaching slowly, her expression a mixture of disbelief, hope, and overwhelming emotion.

Anakin, feeling Scott's desperate desire to reach the woman, wisely shifted his weight so that Rex could take over supporting him, freeing his friend to do what he needed to do.

Scott immediately ran toward her, his voice breaking with emotion as he shouted, "Hope!"

Hope van Dyne also broke into a run, throwing herself into Scott's arms and embracing him with desperate intensity. She kissed him passionately, tears streaming down her face as months of separation, fear, and uncertainty finally gave way to overwhelming relief and joy.

Scott smiled through his own tears, holding Hope as tightly as he could manage with his injured arm, silently vowing never to let her go again. After everything they'd been through—he wasn't going to risk losing her again.

Hope finally looked up from their embrace and saw Steve watching them with a warm smile. Feeling slightly self-conscious about their public display of affection but still reluctant to leave Scott's arms, she gently extracted herself and called out with genuine happiness, "Steve!"

Steve was genuinely pleased to see another member of his extended team safe and sound, responding with characteristic good humor: "It's really good to see you again, Hope. Though I have to say, you certainly know how to pick remote vacation spots."

Meanwhile, Ahsoka had made her way over to where Rex was supporting Anakin. Despite her Master's obviously poor physical condition, he managed to smile easily and tease, "You've been keeping yourself busy, Snips."

"I thought you were pretty busy yourself, Master," Ahsoka replied with fond sarcasm, relief evident in her voice now that she could see he was conscious and alert.

Anakin laughed heartily, knowing full well how worried his Padawan had been about him during his unconscious state. However, his slightly too-enthusiastic laughter immediately aggravated his internal injuries, causing him to groan in pain and grab his side.

Ahsoka suddenly remembered the primary reason they had ventured out to find the native population and quickly turned to gesture toward the Lurmen healer who had accompanied them.

"Master, this is Wag Too," she said, introducing the alien medical practitioner to Anakin. "He's the village healer and he's going to treat your injuries properly."

Wag Too approached with the quiet confidence of someone who had treated countless injuries over the years, speaking with sincere assurance: "You will make a complete recovery very soon, young Jedi. Your wounds are serious but not beyond our abilities to heal."

He then addressed Ahsoka with practical instructions: "We need to prepare a proper stretcher for transport and carry him back to our village immediately. All of my herbs and medical supplies are there, along with the proper facilities for treatment. I will also need to treat your two friends who were bitten on the arms by the beasts."

The group quickly gathered all the essential supplies they could carry and constructed a simple but effective stretcher for Anakin. The journey back to the Lurmen village was swift, with everyone eager to reach proper medical facilities and reunite with Aayla, who had been anxiously waiting for their return.

Upon reaching the village, Anakin was immediately taken to Wag Too's medical facility, where the skilled Lurmen healers performed the necessary procedures to stabilize his injuries and begin the healing process. The combination of their natural remedies and advanced medical knowledge promised a swift recovery.

Meanwhile, the clone troopers made themselves useful by assisting the Lurmen villagers with various daily tasks, while the grateful villagers provided everyone with their first proper meal in days—a welcome relief after their ordeal in the wilderness.

Scott and Hope had become practically inseparable since their reunion, with Hope carefully cleaning and re-bandaging Scott's injured arm while they quietly caught up on everything that had happened during their separation. The relief of being together again was evident in every gesture and shared glance.

As the day wound down, Ahsoka and Aayla found themselves sitting together on a small hill overlooking the peaceful village, watching the daily life of the Lurmen community continue around them.

Ahsoka broke the comfortable silence, her voice thoughtful and reflective: "You were right, Master Secura."

Aayla didn't immediately understand what her young companion was referring to and asked with gentle curiosity, "About what specifically?"

Ahsoka picked up a small stone and turned it over in her hands as she spoke: "If I had stubbornly insisted on staying with Master Anakin, I never would have found this place with you, and I might not have been able to help him when he truly needed it. Sometimes helping someone means leaving them temporarily to find what they need."

"You also helped us find a lost member of our team," came a voice from behind them.

Both Jedi turned to see Steve approaching, settling himself on the grass beside Aayla with the easy familiarity of shared hardships and mutual respect.

Steve's expression was serious but warm as he continued: "I owe both of you more than I can express. Thank you for finding Hope and bringing her back safely. Every member of our team is important, but the personal connections... those matter just as much as the mission."

Aayla responded with characteristic kindness and wisdom: "Steve, please don't forget that it was you, Ahsoka, and Anakin who came to rescue me and my entire legion when we called for help. We all look out for each other—that's what makes us stronger than the sum of our parts."

Ahsoka suddenly interjected with youthful exasperation: "Could we please stop with all the mutual gratitude? We're friends, aren't we? Friends help each other without keeping score."

All three of them laughed simultaneously, the tension of recent events finally beginning to ease in the peaceful setting.

However, Aayla's expression grew more serious as practical concerns reasserted themselves: "We still need to find a way to get everyone off this planet safely."

Steve nodded grimly, adding his own concerns: "And there's the matter of that Separatist base that Domino Squad and I discovered. We can't just leave it operational—it's a threat to these people and potentially to Republic shipping lanes."

Ahsoka's voice carried a note of vindication as she said: "So Chief Wag Too wasn't exaggerating when he told us about the Separatist presence. They really are harassing the village and threatening these peaceful people."

Aayla glanced at the obviously exhausted young Padawan and spoke with gentle authority: "We'll deal with all of these challenges when the time comes, Ahsoka. Right now, you need to rest properly. Your Master is going to need you at full strength for what's ahead, and all of us depend on you being sharp and ready. You can't help anyone if you're running on empty."

"Aayla's absolutely right, Ahsoka," Steve agreed supportively. "Go get some real sleep. Check on Anakin, then rest. Tomorrow we'll start planning our next moves."

Ahsoka didn't argue with their advice, recognizing the wisdom in their words and feeling a wave of exhaustion washing over her now that the immediate crisis had passed.

After Ahsoka departed for the village, Aayla and Steve remained sitting on the hillside, watching the twin suns set in the distance over the peaceful Lurmen community. The atmosphere between them was comfortable but tinged with an awareness of shared experiences and mutual respect that had deepened through their trials.

Aayla shook her head slightly and spoke with gentle insight: "Steve, from the first moment I met you, I could sense that you were carrying enormous tension and stress. I think it comes from being thrust into a completely unfamiliar environment, far from everything you've ever known. But today, you saved the lives of countless people and were reunited with someone important to you. Please allow yourself to experience this moment of peace and let some of that burden go."

Under normal circumstances, Steve would never accept such advice. He was always the one telling others they needed rest while he remained vigilant and ready. But here, in this strange galaxy, with Aayla Secura—a warrior as principled and disciplined as himself—telling him he needed to take care of himself, something shifted.

"Thank you, Aayla," he said simply, using her first name with quiet intimacy.

"You too, Steve," Aayla replied, watching the distant sunset paint the sky in brilliant colors, a genuine smile gracing her features as she allowed herself this rare moment of tranquility.

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