Howzer stole our hearts when he appeared in TBB S1 E12, and I wanted to write a bit of a backstory for him. It begins with his newbie days during The Clone Wars and stretches to where we last see him in The Bad Batch. Enjoy his character arc and som...
The next few days floated by as if in a dream, with Aurelia finding herself replaying that sunset evening over and over in her mind. She could still feel his lips on hers, and she tried as hard as she could to imprint it in her memory forever, knowing that the sensation would soon fade. As fate would have it, Howzer was dispatched to the far side of the planet, accompanying Cham on some business with an unruly bunch of locals who were trying to take matters into their own hands more often and more obnoxiously. His absence was exacerbated by the fact that she had virtually nothing to do to occupy her time.
Somehow, she hadn't even been found desirable enough for the dishwashing job at the local restaurant, which was a blow to her confidence that would have been more impactful if she hadn't been carried by the delight of her time with Howzer. She continued to peruse the job listings, searching for anything that wasn't Imperial that would allow her to stay on Ryloth. Time was ticking, however, and she felt the urgency rising.
A sudden knock at the door startled her, and she nearly dropped her datapad. Casting a quick glance at the chrono, which informed her it was a bit past time for lunch, she peeked through the hole in the door, heart thrilling when she recognized the teal green accents on clone armor. She punched the keypad as quickly as she could, smiling broadly as the door whooshed open and Howzer stepped in. She could barely wait to throw her arms around him, but something about his demeanor gave her pause, and she watched closely as he slowly pulled off his helmet.
"What's wrong?" she asked upon seeing his face, downcast and heavy. This was not the reunion she had expected, and she found her mind racing with a million panicked thoughts of ways things could had gone wrong between them somehow.
"The Empire. The locals. All of it," Howzer said quietly, still not meeting her eyes. She beckoned toward the couch, following him toward it and sitting opposite him with trepidation, waiting for more. Finally, he spoke, "They executed an entire group of Twi'leks."
"I'm so sorry," Aurelia breathed, reaching a hand forward to place on his knee.
"They weren't even adults," he continued. "Some were, but it was mostly a bunch of unruly adolescents who thought they were doing the right thing. The Imperials labeled them as traitors and terrorists. Then shot them in cold blood. No trial, nothing. Just dead." His voice was thick, and she could see a glossy sheen over his eyes. There were no words that would suffice. She got up, moving to the floor next to him, taking his hand in hers and leaning her head gently on his arm. His fingers entwined with her own, holding them tightly.
"Sprint gave his life for one little Twi'lek boy. He died protecting him. One child," Howzer reminisced, voice cracking in the middle. "And the Empire murdered an entire group of them for suspected insurgency." The final two words were spat with such vehemence that Aurelia looked up to his face in surprise. His eyes brimmed with tears, and he turned away.
Picture this precious, sweet, heartbreaking face, only Howzer. :( <3
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Aurelia couldn't fathom the things he'd seen, the things he'd been through. She yearned to comfort him, but serious words had never been her strong suit. She rose to her feet, turning to gently sit on his lap, hoping it would be well-received. Still staring off into the kitchen, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning into her chest to rest his head on her collarbone. She cradled his head in her arms, pulling him close, feeling her heartbeat quicken despite the solemnity of the moment, and gently stroked the side of his cheek with a thumb. He let out a deep sigh, grounding himself in the rhythm of the thumping of her chest and the subtly floral scent of her soap.
They said nothing for a moment, holding each other in grief and solidarity, before he spoke, pulling his head back to look at her, "It's just hard when you've been made for only one purpose, supposedly, and that purpose starts shifting under your feet."
"Perhaps there was a singular intent in your creation, but I don't believe for a minute that you have only one purpose," she replied, touching his face with one last tender caress before dropping her hands to her lap.
"Mmm," he rumbled, looking down and shaking his head as though he could brush off the weight of the world. "Anyway... That's actually not why I came by today."
"Oh?"
"I've got some news for you, if you'd like to join me on a little walk."
"It doesn't have anything to do with you being restationed, does it?" she asked, unable to hold in her concern.
"No," he smiled, encouraged by her plain affection for him, "It has to do with keeping you around."
* * *
"An infirmary?" Aurelia asked, as they entered the front door of the care unit of Lessu. "Are you having me reconditioned?" A smile and an elbow to the chest plate brought a little smirk to Howzer's face.
"Not yet, but I'll keep that in mind for down the road," he returned playfully. "Actually... I talked to Cham while we were gone, and it turns out they could use some help here."
"Here?" she asked, processing his words slowly, "But I have no medical knowledge! I'm a bartender... an assistant... I'm useless in this vicinity." She felt the insecurity and insufficiency rising so strongly that the gratitude for his actions hadn't even settled in yet.
"You're able to stay calm under pressure, and you aren't sickened by the less-attractive side of bodily functions," Howzer pointed out, "Or should I puke on your shoes again?"
"That's unnecessary!" Aurelia laughed, "But I don't--"
"The position comes with a wealth of training and support," he interrupted. "They need all the help they can get with the increase of... conflicts..." The last word was breathed with a sad sigh. "You will get experience treating both humans and Twi'leks, as well as any other species that finds itself here. It pays well, includes a housing stipend, and... it will keep you around. If you're willing, that is."
The realization dawned more fully on her, and she paused, turning to face him with a sudden sense of overwhelm, "You did all this for me...?" She was used to getting by on the feeling of being tolerated, not pursued. Her family had made her feel acceptable at best, a disappointment at worst... This was a new sensation, and the fact that it was coming from this beautiful man was almost too much to register.
Howzer shifted from one foot to the other with a trace of sheepishness, "Well... They need the help... and..." He lifted his head, looking at her with sudden confidence, "And I like having you around. I would like you to be in my life as long as possible, Reli." His straightforward assertion and the use of her nickname carried more weight than she had anticipated, and she was somehow feeling flattered, embarrassed, enamored, and giddy all at the same time.
Aurelia threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him as tightly as she could until his armor dug into her. Recovering from her quick movement, he gently brought his hands to her back, feeling his own heart swell within his chest. Giving an apologetic look to the Twi'lek growing impatient at the front desk, he leaned his head against Aurelia's for a moment before releasing her.
"Let's get you settled in," he said, smiling as she beamed up at him.
