A Passion for Wonder (A Star Wars: The Bad Batch fanfiction)

Chapter 1: The Cup of Beginning

There are those who lay eyes on each other and immediately fall in love, enraptured in each other's very existence.

This was not so for Tech, when he first laid eyes on Phee Genoa. Like the rest of his brothers, he had distrusting eyes on her when she first appeared in Cid's office looking everyone up and down and, finally, gazing on Tech.

"Got a name, Brown Eyes?"

The distrust didn't stick between the Batch and the Liberator of Ancient Wonders, with the clones and Phee even working on missions together.

The nickname stuck though.

The Marauder was flying back to Ord Mantell after an artifact heist that Phee had enlisted the clones' help for. Inside, Wrecker dozed in a chair, Omega asleep on his lap, while Echo lay in his bunk on his datapad. Hunter was flying the ship, and behind him, Tech was studying the photographs of the artifact, a golden chalice with swirls and markings lifted, like the underside of a sheet of braille letters.

"Hello, Brown Eyes."

Tech glanced at Phee settling into the chair across from him. He nodded in greeting, then returned to his datapad, his fingers lightly drumming on his armor-covered knee.

Phee cleared her throat and Tech hastily looked up again. He was slightly peeved at being unable to continue his study of the photographs, but any request for solitude died in his throat as he saw the chalice itself in Phee's outstretched hand.

"Thank you," he said gently, if a bit awkwardly, and he carefully took it from her hand into both of his. It was still warm where she had held it. He began to examine the goblet, highly aware of her eyes on him. A bit discomforting, yes, but his intrigue in the artifact was greater.

Minutes passed.

"It's fascinating, isn't it?" Phee curled her lips in a wry smile, her head tilted, and eyes slightly glazed. She turned towards Tech, whose eyebrow was raised. "That chalice is the Cup of Beginning, from the ancient Kultu civilization. It is a remnant of their mythology, which states that the myth of their beginning was written on it."

Tech tilted it towards the light and ran his fingers over the markings. He mused silently as Phee continued, "I haven't been able to interpret what's been written on the side. Kultu letters I'd be able to parse out, but those look like no letters I've ever seen."

Tech broke his silence. "Perhaps the myth is just a myth, and the markings are merely for aesthetic purposes-"

He faltered and began to run his thumb over the markings. Phee lifted herself to her feet and walked to his side. Tech's face twitched towards her. She waved her fingers and smirked (or was it more smile than smirk, this time? Tech didn't know). "Find something out, Brown Eyes?"

He suddenly felt the need to clear his throat. "Look," he said, holding out the chalice towards her. "These markings aren't words, they're images! Some of the markings are shallower than others."

Phee took the goblet back, her fingertips grazing Tech's gloves. For an ever so short second, Tech froze, and he didn't know why.

Phee laughed in disbelief. "There's images layered on top of images! I can't believe I didn't see that." She winked at Tech. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," responded Tech.

eHe felt strangely despondent, but didn't dwell on it, chalking it up to the usual disappointment he felt when people left him once he'd told them what they needed to know. Other than his brothers (and sometimes not even then, though he knew it was not their fault), no one really cared to hear him rant, and he fully expected Phee to now walk away like everyone else.

He furrowed his eyebrows when Phee handed the goblet back to him and made her way back to her chair.

"What?" she said, crossing her legs underneath her. "Don't like my company?"

Tech cleared his throat. "I do not mind your...company."

She grinned. "Are you at all familiar with Kultu history and mythology?"

"Briefly, I have been reading about it." Tech held up his datapad. "This goblet is likely two millennia old; the Kultu were centuries gone when the High Republic existed. It's fascinating."

"What do you know about their creation myth?"

"I have not studied their myths in any detail."

Phee leaned forward. "May I show you, Brown Eyes?" Tech blinked at her owlishly (was his brain short-circuiting? He was usually quicker than this). "On the goblet. It is a enchanting legend-"

"Yes," Tech said quickly. "Yes, I would be interested in what these symbols stand for." Phee smiled and reached for the chalice. He held it out to her, and she left it in his hand, letting one side face the light.

Tracing the markings, she showed Tech the drawings, the meanings, and Tech hung on, enveloping himself in the knowledge he sought and Phee's excitement in sharing it, the way she fully listened to his questions and answered them in detail.

In his defense, most people found his questions boring. Phee didn't.

"Fascinating," he whispered.

BONUS SCENE:

"Do you remember when I asked for your help in interpreting the markings on the Kultu Cup of Beginning?"

"Yes."

"I'll be honest, Brown Eyes, I didn't try that hard to figure it out before I went to you for help. I just wanted to talk to you."

*vague slight sputtering noises*

BONUS SCENE #2:

not pictured:
Hunter hearing all of this is just sitting at the cockpit rethinking his entire life and silently fangirling because Tech deserves everything.