#Cadet Batch fanfic

[archivewriter1ont]

Echo and the Cadet Batch Chapter Eight: Reunion is Posted!

fantastic art by @littletroggo (let me know what your repost/credit/etc policy is I couldn't find it on your blog)

Merry Christmas all! My posting schedule will be a little different over the holidays but Cadet Batch should still be on track.

Summary of Chapter Eight:

The Bad Batch has an unexpected but much-needed and fluffy reunion with their lost brother Ninety-Nine while they try to figure out what to do next.

Some additional notes for this chapter:

1. The pacing with this feels very different from the kiddos chapters, but I've resigned myself to it being that way since these ARE the adults and the other chapters are literally chaos.

2. This is the chapter that started it all! So yes, I created this entire weird plotline to get to this part.

3. Hunter gets emotionally hammered in this chapter but I've always loved the idea that he stresses himself out so badly, trying to be the best older brother for his siblings, because he doesn't have one anymore. Ninety-Nine would have taken such good care of his baby brothers and losing him would have left such a void for the little cadet who was already struggling to be good enough.

4. Also, spoiler alert: Hunter will end up crying in a later chapter. He's just too in his head at the moment.

5. And due to the complexities of space physics (hereafter known as sphysics) the time on Kamino is proceeding at a different speed than time in the present where Echo is with the cadets. Don't ask me why...I'm not a sphysicist. 😁

I have some time off work for the holidays so I *might* slip in an extra chapter here and there. With that said, Meeting the Vode Part Three (the last part) will hopefully be posted this Friday as a belated Christmas present. Stay tuned!

[vivaislenska]

A ‘teenage’ Crosshair too!

[phantom-of-the-keurig]

THIS IS NOT A DRILL, EVERYONE WATCH THIS CLIP THEY BROUGHT THE BABY CLONES BACK 😭

[leapingbadger]

Cadets

So, this started as part of the WIP tag game and took on a life of its own and veered in a totally different direction. I had a fun time trying to write the Batch as cadets though. Hope you enjoy it.

Summary: Young Hunter struggles with his enhancements during an off-world war game, the results of which could have a scary outcome.

Read on AO3

They had been on the jungle moon for two rotations now and there was no sign of when the test would end. Their surely instructor had dropped them off in a LAAT with Hunter, Crosshair and Tech hanging to the sides of the door opening, Wrecker being the only one tall enough to reach the handles above their heads.

The packs were heavy on their backs as they traipsed through the jungle, Hunter in front, quickly followed by Tech, Crosshair and Wrecker bringing up the rear.

Hunter lifted his right fist as he paused, crouching, his palm digging into the dirt in front of him. “I think we’re getting close,” he said, turning the dirt over in his palm before bringing it to his nose.

“I still do not understand what the smell of dirt could possibly tell you about our position.” Tech said, holding his datapad above his head for a better signal.

“I don’t know how to explain it. They passed through her about thirty minutes ago. If we keep going on this trajectory, we should be able to reach them before dark,” Hunter responded.

He didn’t blame his brothers for their confusion, he still wasn’t sure how his enhancements worked or how they were supposed to be helpful when they were eventually cleared for duty. It was clear that Crosshair’s marksmanship would make him a dangerous foe to the separatists, same with Wrecker and his brute strength and demo skills. Tech could figure out any problem in a split second, work on mechanics and knew everything there was to know about science.

When compared to his brothers, Hunter felt silly. He could sniff dirt and track animals, which didn’t seem like a very helpful skill when he was supposed to grow up to fight droids.

“Let’s get a move on then,” Crosshair said grumpily. His curly white hair had exploded in the humidity, sticking out at odd angles and making him look like he had a halo above his head. Hunter had offered him one of his bandanas but had been rudely rebuffed. But that was nothing new when it came to Crosshair.

They continued on, pausing occasionally for a rustle in the trees above or a strange smell that crossed their path. For every time they stopped, Hunter could feel his brothers getting more exasperated.

Hunter pulled his training blaster from its holster, “I think they’re up ahead,” he said, hedging his bets just in case he was wrong and at risk of gaining the ire of his brothers.

“Let me look,” Crosshair snapped, climbing a low branch of a tree above and peering narrow eyes into the clearing. “They’re there alright.”

Crosshair jumped down, a triumphant look on his face. He lowered his voice, “We need to spread out and rush in. Hunter and I will take the front, Wrecker and Tech the back.”

“I feel the need to point out that this is not your mission, Crosshair. Hunter has been given the commanding role for this exercise.” Tech said, pushing his goggles up his nose and turning to his oldest brother.

Hunter felt all eyes on him and fought the urge to turn away.

“Hunter doesn’t have a plan, do you?” Crosshair quipped.

Hunter turned to look through the clearing. He could definitely smell the other team of cadets; the adrenalin was practically choking him. Their heartbeats hammered in their chests as well as they waited for the squad to spring the trap. But there was something else, something on the edge of his senses that he couldn’t quite make sense of yet. But it felt like a warning.

“I uh… I don’t think rushing in is the best idea, Cross.” He said at last, trying to avoid his brother’s steely gaze.

“Why not?” Crosshair responded.

“There’s something else there, other than the cadets… I just can’t…”

“Oh, here we go…some kind magic sixth sense that you’ve discovered?” Crosshair quipped with an eyeroll.

Hunter scowled. He knew crosshair was tired and cranky but was getting sick of his attitude. He wasn’t the only one who was hot and hungry.

“Hey, be nice,” Wrecker barked, punching Crosshair lightly on the shoulder. Hunter smiled at Wrecker, the bruiser winked back.

“There’s something else going on here.” Hunter said, more confidently. Boyed by Wrecker standing up for him. “There’s a faint hum that I can’t place, and I feel…tingly…it feels like all my nerves are on fire and I’m getting weird twitches…”

“What do you think it means?” Tech asked, concerned, “It is possible you have contracted some kind of aliment from the vegetation on this moon. Perhaps we should surrender and get you analyzed by the medical staff.”

Hunter shook his head as Crosshair spoke, “We’re not surrendering when we’re this close to completing the mission. If Hunter is sick, I’ll take command. Hunter, stay here, the rest of us will rush the group.”

“Crosshair I…”

“Perhaps he’s right.” Wrecker said quietly. “We don’t want you getting hurt if you really are sick.”

Hunter hung his head and turned to Tech for support. “What do you think?” he asked.

To his disappointment, Tech avoided his gaze as he looked back through the clearing. “Perhaps, in this instance, we should be cautious.”

Hunter nodded his understanding and stepped back from his brothers. He watched from a distance as they disappeared into the woods, tracking their increased heartrates as they made their way in a circle around the other cadet’s base.

Hunter chanced getting closer to the tree line. He may not be able to participate in the end of the mission, but he could at least watch his squad in action. The hum seemed to get louder the closer he got to the edge of the clearing. The hairs on his arms stood on end and every muscle in his body twitched uncomfortably and uncontrollably.

Something wasn’t right. He was sensing something new. Taking out his binoculars he scanned the camp again, his eyes flicking quickly over the squad of six cadets, laughing around a heat lamp.

His eyes finally found the source. He scrambled to his feet and ran back into the dense forest until he was far enough to speak on the comm.

“Crosshair, come in. They have a shield generator. You won’t be able to get through. Crosshair?”

There was no answer.

“Wrecker? Tech? Do you copy?”

Still no response.

Hunter rushed to the edge of the trees again but didn’t see any sign of his brothers. Taking a deep breath, he dashed back into the woods, following the scent of his brothers in the hopes he would come upon one of them before it was too late.

The scents diverged with Tech seemingly going further into the thicket of trees. He followed the scent, quickly picking up his boot prints in the wet mud underfoot.

 “Tech?” Hunter called.

“Hunter?” a voice came from in front of him. Tech’s goggles glinted in the dappled light through the trees.

“Why didn’t you answer your comm?” Hunter asked

“Crosshair wanted radio silence,” Tech said with an eyeroll.

Hunter sighed and pinched his nose. His brother always loved the idea of radio silence, even when it made no sense to the mission.

“They have a shield generator. You won’t be able to get through. Can you hack it? Disable it?” Hunter asked, pulling out his binoculars again to see if his other brothers had made any movement.

“Of course,” Tech said, tapping a few buttons on his datapad. “We need to warn the others though, or they could be injured. How did you discover this information?”

“I looked,” Hunter said, simply. But Tech didn’t seem satisfied.

“The feeling you had. Do you think you were sensing the generator?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Can we talk about this later? “You find Wrecker, I’ll find Cross.” Hunter said, not waiting for an answer before heading deeper into the forest in search of his youngest brother.

Again, he picked up the scent easily and this time looked up when the scent went cold. Crosshair always loved to perch on high during missions.

“Cross? They have a shield generator. Tech’s trying to disable it but…”

“Hunter? What are you doing? You’re going to give away our position.” The sniper spat as he rested on a high branch.

“You won’t be able to get through. They have a shield…”

“You’re no longer in command, Hunter. The others agreed with me.”

“Cross, you’re not listening. They have a shield generator. Your shots won’t get through.”

Hunter watched as Crosshair’s eyes flicked down, a signal he was thinking something through. He turned away from his brother, raised his training rifle and fired a shot.

Hunter watched in disbelief as the blaster bolt hit the shield with a hiss and got caught, briefly illuminating the arching web of protection over the camp and those residing inside it. The heartrates of the cadets pounded in Hunter’s ears as they whooped and gathered their things.

“They’re coming,” Hunter whispered.

Hunter hid in the thick brush as the cracking of twigs and crunching on feet on the ground grew louder.

“I’ll get the flag, you distract them.” Crosshair hissed, sliding down the tree with little effort and darting for the clearing.

“The shield is still up,” Hunter called after his brother, but it was no use.

Hunter did his best to quell his anger. He would have to deal with Cross later. As the footsteps drew near, he crouched into place, not entirely sure how he would distract them other than tackling them one at a time.

Hunter was lucky that the environment of this moon played into his skill set. The dense forest meant sound was insulated to the earth, making his already exceptional hearing all the more concentrated.

He heard the low murmuring of a couple of cadets. Hunter sunk lower into the mud, completely obscured by the foliage on the ground. His training blaster rang out before they even knew he was there.

“Where did that come from?” the taller of the two asked, his eyes scanning the underbrush. The second, smaller cadet raised his blaster, carefully circling the bush Hunter was hiding in. Hunter let out a low growl.

“Get away, what if it’s one of those creatures we found earlier?” the first cadet said, fear evident in his voice.

“Nah, it’s got to be one of the defectives.” The second cadet said.

Hunter closed his eyes, listening intently to the sound of the cadet’s heart beating against his cheat, the breath making his nostrils flare as he tried to control his breathing. He didn’t need his eyes to know he was standing directly in front of Hunter’s hiding spot.

A crack of wood in the distance made the cadets spin around and Hunter took his chance. His arms sprang out of the bush just enough to wrap around the older cadet’s waist and drag him backwards. The training blaster was directly up against the scoring plate when he pulled the trigger.

He pushed his way out of the brush and the stricken cadet unfolded himself from the tangle of branches and leaves.

“What are you playing at, defect?” The cadet spat, his cheeks pink with embarrassment as he brushed himself off.

“You’re out,” Hunter said triumphantly.

“Well, you haven’t won yet.” The cadet said with a scowl.

“We’ll see,” Hunter said before setting off to find his brothers.

He was able to circle back to Tech without coming across any of the other cadets. He bent over panting as he almost collided with his brother whose nose was buried in his datapad, fingers flying at exceptional speed.

“how’s it going?” Hunter asked, breathlessly.

“I have almost got it. We did have a slight distraction in the form of a couple of cadets.” Tech said with a scowl to his left.

Hunter had been so focused on his brothers he didn’t notice the three older cadets milling around, glaring at him.

“So that means there’s only one left. Have you seen Cross?” Hunter asked, grabbing his binoculars from his pack and searching the tree. “He said he was going to get the flag.”

“Negative, although we have been preoccupied. Wrecker?”

“Not me. Haven’t been able to hail him on the comm either.”

“Well, he did request radio silence, Wrecker.” Tech said in an exasperated voice.

Wrecker shrugged, unpeturbed.

Hunter looked over Tech’s shoulder as he continued to prod buttons.

“Maybe I should go look for him,” he said, starting towards the tree line.

“Perhaps we all should. I have one more firewall and…” Tech paused, his eyes narrowing on the screen. “The shield it down.”

The three squad members charged for the clearing. Hunter heard Crosshair’s heavy boot falls as he ran to the flag in the center of the camp. As he broke through the brush first, Hunter saw the flag, proudly displayed on a pole. No match for Crosshair who spent most of his training exercises climbing up high for a better site line.

Crosshair sprinted into the open, his shot at the final cadet narrowly missed as the older clone rolled to the ground. Crosshair continued shooting aimlessly while sprinting.

Hunter, Tech and Wrecker were close on his heels, Wrecker shooting the final cadet, so he was out of the game. He gave a defeated sigh and went to join his brothers on the outskirts of the clearing. They glared at Clone Force 99 as they watched Crosshair scale the pole to retrieve their final prize.

As Crosshair’s hand closed around the flag and he started to ease his way down, Hunter’s senses exploded.

His head snapped sideways to look at the shield generator. It had started to spark and vibrate.

“Tech? what’s happening?” he shouted as a piercing electrical wail echoed in his head.

Hunter dropped to his knees, arms clasped around ears and the sound threatened to cleave his head in two. He looked around, no one else seemed to be affected. He struggled to his feet, trying to push the pain away.

Tech’s fingers flew over his datapad, “I…I am not sure…It appears there is a failsafe.”

“Go. Now,” Hunter said, shoving his brothers and pointing to the cadets at the far tree line. “I’ll get Cross.”

Tech went to protest but Hunter gave him a stern look he knew not to rebuke. Crosshair was oblivious to the drama below and he slid happily onto the grass. He grinned as he waved the flag in Hutner’s face before his smile faltered.

“We’ve got to go, now.”

“Why?” Crosshair asked, oblivious to the intense sensation spread from his ears to the rest of his body. He felt his nerve endings quiver and tingle, all at once. Every piece of his body was on fire as the generator started to self-combust.

“Go,” Hunter shouted again but Crosshair didn’t seem remotely concerned. Only when the generator started to physically shake, spitting out electric blue tendrils in the air did his eyes widen.

“Cross, we have to go, now!” The words were barely out of his mouth before he realized it was too late. Hunter knocked his brother off his feet, throwing his smaller frame on top of him as the shield generator disintegrated, spewing an electromagnetic wave throughout the forest with such force the trees were pushed sideways, some cracking under the pressure of the pulse.

Hunter’s entire body twitched and flailed excruciatingly as the electromagnetic waves poured over him. Crosshair pushed himself out from underneath his brother, turning him over.

“Hunter?” he shouted, his mouth moving but Hunter was unable to hear. He saw Crosshair’s angular face, twisted with concern, hover over his vision before the blackness took him.

***

“I believe he is waking up,” Tech’s clipped voice said.

“You said that thirty minutes ago,” Crosshair murmured.

“Well, without a med scanner it is not exactly a precise science.” Tech responded grumpily.

“Shh, they’ll find us if you don’t keep quiet.” Wrecker whispered with an unusually cautious tone.

“Don’t be such a baby,” Crosshair sneered.

“Don’t call him a baby, Cross.” Hunger rasped.

His three brothers head’s whipped around as he spoke. Hunter tried to open his eyes, but the glaring white light of the room forced him to close them again. Even so, in a short time he could tell he was in the med bay. He noticed the lights dim behind his eyelids and tentatively opened them again.

Wrecker was over by the controls and nodded, seemingly satisfied that it had done the job.

“How long have I been out?” Hunter asked, sitting up and brushing his long hair off of his face.

“Approximately seventeen hours. When they were unable to raise you after the training exercise, we were all medevacked home.”

“Was anyone else hurt?” he asked, casting his eyes around the empty med bay.

His brothers shuffled their feet. “Not really, Crosshair received a few minor scratches from shrapnel, but you bore the brunt due to…um…”

“Being an idiot,” Crosshair said, his eyes flashing.

Hunter’s eyes narrowed, “You’re welcome, Cross” he said sarcastically.

“Hey, I didn’t ask for your help,” his brother said, rounding on him as Wrecker and Tech exchanged a look.

“Well maybe if you’d listened to me the first time, we would both have been clear before…whatever happened, happened.” Hunter finished lamely, realizing he had no memory of what had transpired once the machine had started to malfunction, and he had jumped on top of his brother.

“You have no recollection of the incident?” Tech asked, casting worried eyes at the other brothers.

“No. Just, you know, diving on top of Cross. Why?”

The three boys were silent. Hunter sat up and asked the question again, “Tech, why?”

“You. Um… you looked...”

“…like you were dying,” Wrecker finished, his large brown eyes sad and watery.

“What?” Hunter asked. He looked down at himself. Aside from a few cuts and scrapes he felt fine.

“Your body was twitching all over and you were screaming. You covered your ears before the explosion. I believe you were reacting to the electromagnetic field.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound like something that will help during combat. That sounds like a problem that will get me decommissioned.” Hunter said, desperately trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

Again, the brothers were silently shifting their feet and avoiding eye contact.

“We won’t let them take you.” Crosshair said in a strained voice.

Hunter felt his eyes grow wide. His brothers were rarely this serious, they must genuinely consider him being decommissioned a possibility.

“I do believe it would be advantageous for us to test the hypothesis…”

“Shhh,” Hunter whispered as he started to pick up the faint sound of Kaminoan feet in the hallway. “Someone’s coming. Hide.”

The brothers scattered, Wrecker rolling under one of the beds, Tech squeezing behind a medical cart in the far corner and crosshair cramming himself between the wall and the headboard of Hunter’s bed.

The door opened with a whoosh and Nala Se slowly slunk into the room. Unusually she was alone. She was often accompanied by a series of droids and medical staff, their absence made Hunter’s heart pound in his chest. As the panic took hold a machine to his left started beeping incessantly. He cringed at the noise and the Kaminoan crossed to his bedside.

“Do not fret CT-9901, there will be no testing today. I am simply checking on your recovery.”

The beeping of the machine slowed down in response and Hunter nodded his understanding. She ran a medical scanner over him methodically. He froze as the blue light traced over him, remembering the arching blue electricity that emanated from the shield.

Nala Se took note, restarting the device once it shut off and running it over him again.

“You seem fearful of the device. Does this cause you discomfort?”

“No,” Hunter said honestly but wincing as she brought it closer to his face.

Nala Se’s large black eyes narrowed as she cast her eyes around the room. She stepped over to the cart in the corner, removing a strange device Hunter had never seen before.

“What about now?” she asked, switching on the long, thin wand and holding it under his chin.

Hunter shrank away as the hum of the device seemed to vibrate in his ears. The nerve endings in his cheeks and chin started to tingle and he could feel his teeth as though they were slowly being tugged out of his mouth.

She held the device there longer than was necessary, not just testing his aversion to it but his stamina as well.

“Stop,” a voice called from the corner, “It is hurting him,” Tech said bravely.

Nala Se didn’t stop or turn around, all her attention focused on the scared cadet in front of her.

“Do you feel discomfort now?” she asked calmly.

Hunter swallowed, his throat tight, “yes,” he said.

Nala Se slowly lowered the device but didn’t turn it off, instead setting it at the end of the bed.

“And now?”

Hunter looked from the device to the Kaminoan, “I…um…I still feel it, but it doesn’t hurt.”

Nala Se took hold of the device again and moved it back to the cart, ignoring Tech who was still standing behind it. “And now?” she asked again slowly.

“I can still feel it,” Hunter said, trepidatiously.

“But no pain?”

Hunter shook his head, his eyes quickly darting to Tech for reassurance.

“Very Well. CT-9902, CT-9903 and CT-9904, you will return to your barracks. CT-9901 you will remain in the med bay under observation. We will continue with your testing tomorrow.”

Hunter heard furniture scrape against the floor as his brothers came out of their hiding places. Nala Se waited at the door, presumably to make sure they left. His brothers all gave him a nod, maybe for courage or support. It didn’t really matter, as they filed out Nala Se turned off the light and the room was cast into darkness.

Hunter laid down and pulled the covers up to his chin. The faint whirring of the device still emanating from the corner of the room.

***

“Again” an echoing voice sounded over the central comm in the training room.

Hunter wiped sweat from his forehead as he moved back to first position by the entrance. He watched the Kaminoans in the control room pressing buttons, causing the room to rearrange itself. Walls sank into the floor only for new ones to be raised, creating a personalized labyrinth, just for him.

Hunter chanced a glance up to his left. He knew his brothers would be in The Hole, a storage closet with a perfect view of the training room below. Tech had long ago hacked the lock so they could use it whenever they needed. He couldn’t see them through the tinted glass but knew all three of his brothers were there.  

An unpleasantly shrill chime sounded to indicate the start of the next test. Hunter yawned behind his hand.

“Are we boring you, CT-9901?” a cool voice rang out over the comm?

“No, Sir.” Hunter responded automatically. He hadn’t been sleeping well in the med bay. The isolation from his brother and change in routine made him feel uncomfortable and untethered.

The signal sounded for the second time and now he needed to move. The tests in the training room varied from everything from tracking practice, target practice, war games with other cadets and specialized training for the 99s. His last few days in the room had been the latter.

Nala Se had grown very interested in his reactions to electromagnetic fields. His first fully conscious day in the med bay was spent having various devices waved in front of him to see his reaction. A band strapped to his head measured brain waves and something else he wasn’t sure of.

He must have passed that test because the next day there was a new one. With every test he passed more medical staff entered the room, poking him, staring at him, and talking about him as though he were an object rather than a person.

Today was his third, and hopefully, final day in the training room. The tests had been getting more and more intense, this final one involving counter fire, the canons, and the need for him to find the offending device before the timer ran out.

The test may have only just started but Hunter already knew where the machine was, it was just a question of getting to it. He darted out, shooting out one of the canons on the left and settling behind a low wall.  From this vantage point he couldn’t reach the other canon so needed to get closer.

He sprinted back the other way, blue energy bolts flying over his head. Skidding behind another low wall he sent a bolt at the second canon. It deactivated with a whirr. Hunter could still sense the device, as he had moved the intense tingling on his skin had faded. He stepped into the entrance of the maze of tall walls, taking out training droids easily as he rounded the corners. He could hear the chrono ticking in the background. He closed his eyes to zero in on the device. It was still there but it would take too long to get around all the walls to it.

He looked up at the wall in front of him. The face of it wasn’t completely sheer, there were tiny diverts every few feet. He could climb that, he thought, as he attached his blaster to his back. He gave a quick look to the window of the Hold for reassurance and started to climb.

He reached the top of the first wall quickly, dropping to one knee he took out the remaining doids from above. There were only three other walls in the way. He jumped from one to another before finally sliding down the final wall in front of the device.

Hunter had expected the test to end but the chrono was still running. He looked around, confused and hoping for additional directions but none came. He took the blaster off his back and held it ready, anticipating some kind of attack. The device was almost fully enclosed in a compartment within the maze. He turned to leave and work his way back through the maze when a wall sprang up in front of him, trapping him with the device.

Hunter banged his fist on the wall as he heard the threatening whir of the machine turning on. He searched the room for an escape, hoping to climb out but realizing these walls were sheer and lacking in the handholds necessary.

Hunter again looked up to his brothers as the machine in front of his started to vibrate, blue tendrils curling out in every direction.

Panic had started to grip the young cadet as he traced his hands around the room, desperate for a way to claw his way out. Finally, realizing he was stuck, he looked to the Kaminoan’s in the command booth. He pulled his shoulders back resolutely, closed his eyes and waited for the electromagnetic pulse to engulf him.

He bit his lip as he felt the fire in his nerves. He would not scream this time; he would not give them the satisfaction. As the wave erupted around him, the pain seemed to dissipate. It wasn’t as intense as it had been on the jungle moon. He still felt it, and it didn’t feel pleasant, but it wasn’t painful and was no different from the barrage of tests the Kaminoan’s put him and his brothers through on a weekly basis. The lights of the training room flickered and blinked out before returning with an overwhelming brightness. Hunter tensed as he cautiously opened his eyes. He looked down in surprise, patting his chest and arms as though checking he was still in one piece.

The walls of the maze collapsed into the floor of the training room as quickly as they had risen.

“CT-9901. You are excused. You may return to your barracks.” Nala Se’s sing song voice sounded over the comm.

Hunter didn’t need telling twice. He dropped the blaster and ran to the far entrance. As the door slid open, he almost collided with Wrecker who pulled him into a tight hug, Hunter’s feet dangling off the ground.

“Nice to see you too, Wreck,” he said with a grin, his voice muffled against his brother’s chest.

The squad spent the rest of the day in their barracks. Hunter curled up in his familiar bunk, snuggled with Wrecker’s tooka doll for comfort. He heard his brother’s low murmured conversation as he drifted in and out of sleep.

“Do you think he’s safe now?” Wrecker asked in a hushed voice.

“Shh,” Crosshair hissed.

“Well, is he?” Wrecker continued, worry in his voice.

Hunter heard Tech furiously tapping on his datapad, “The results of the testing are sealed but are marked with an E, representing ‘Exemplary conduct’. I believe he is safe, Wrecker.”

Hunter listened as the group let out a collective sigh and smiled into his pillow. After days of anxiety and stress, he finally felt his heartbeat return to normal. He was safe, they were all safe. For now.

[neyswxrld]

of little brothers and their fights

The Cadet Batch, POV Wrecker

summary: Hunter and Crosshair have a heavy fight. Wrecker tries to interfere.

warnings: pulling on hair, biting, crying, fighting

words: ~960

a/n: hello everyone! this might have a little of an abrupt ending and i decided to leave the story somewhat open. even though the two of them fight, it's a story of mine so ofc they're having a "happy ending", no worries i got u people. this is another fic for @summer-of-bad-batch, with the prompt "stop touching me!" - "i'm not touching you!" (also, did i watch that scene from lilo and stitch for like 30 times just because it's so funny? yes i did.) i hope you enjoy!

MASTERLIST

SUMMER OF BAD BATCH MASTERLIST

Wrecker loves his brothers.

They are funny and kind. They share their things with him, no matter how small they were.

When he needs someone, they are there for him. They talk to him, cuddle with him, endure his hugs and he knows he can always count on them.

And of course they can count on him, too!

When Hunter complains about his smell, he tries to clean up his bunk and himself, of course.

When Crosshair is at his grumpiest, he knows that some good old Lula-slaps will knock him out of it.

When Tech has to rant about something, and needs someone to listen to him, Wrecker will try to do just that as best as he can.

At the same time, he knows they absolutely would do the same for him.

Like he said, he really loves them.

Except for when they are fighting.

It isn't uncommon for them to pick on each other, or to bicker around. Kark, sometimes he even just picks a fight with Crosshair out of boredom.

But sometimes, when Hunter didn't sleep well, or Crosshair is already irritated, small arguments can turn into a whole war.

Just like now.

Wrecker isn't even sure why his oldest and youngest brother are at it again, but he feels like they will get very physical, very soon.

Hunter and Crosshair are often up each other's throats. They are screaming, yelling, sometimes even shoving each other around, but this time it is just a little more intense.

Tech is sitting next to him. He has his fingers in is ears, overwhelmed by the loud noises, and is curled into Wrecker, trying to shield himself from whatever is going on between the other two.

All he can do is sigh and shake his head at their brothers antics.

He doesn't know if it is expected of him to step in, as the strongest of the team, or if it is even his right to do so, but when the moment arrives, he knows it.

As soon as Crosshair puts Hunter in a headlock, pulling his hair, and Hunter digs his teeth into Crosshair's tight, he knows that he can't keep them going like this.

"Hey!" he calls out, standing up, careful to not push Tech around too much. "Stop it! What the hell are you even fighting about?"

He stomps over to his tangled brothers and pulls them out of each other's arms, separating them.

"Stop touching me!" Crosshair calls out, shoving at Wrecker, actually trying to kick his shins.

"Hey!" Wrecker calls out, while Hunter yells back: "I'm not touching you!"

"Calm down!" Wrecker yells and places Hunter in his bunk, throwing him a glance that says "don't you dare moving away".

Then he grabs Crosshair in a different angle, laying his arms around him, so he isn't really able to move his own anymore, and putting him in a so called "Wrecker-Cage".

"Leave me alone! Stop touching me!" Crosshair calls again, struggling in Wreckers arms, but the latter one doesn't really budge at first. He's definitely stronger than his gray haired brother, but he isn't sure if he really should let him go now, still so full of rage.

"Let me go!" he growls and keeps wiggling himself out of his arms.

Only when Hunter croaks out a quiet "Let him down, Wrecker," the giant gently lowers his smaller brother.

Crosshair huffs, looks at Wrecker like he wants to kill him, before growling out an "I don't need your help!" and storming off into their fresher.

Wrecker is sure that if he could slam the doors, their sound would still echo in their ears several hours later.

When he turns around, Tech carefully looks around, pinning his eyes on Hunter.

Hunter himself is curled up on his bed and with the way his breathing sounds way too controlled for the fight that just happened and the way his shoulders are tensed, he knows that Hunter must be at the verge of tears.

Slowly, carefully, he makes his way over to Hunter.

"Hey, you're okay?" Wrecker asks, even though he sees that this clearly isn't the case.

"Fine," Hunter murmurs and pulls the blanket further up.

"You don't exactly look like it, if I'm honest. What was this about?" the bigger clone asks and sits down next to Hunter, refraining from touching him.

"It was nothing," Hunter almost whimpers, covers his face with said blanket and as if that isn't enough he starts to sniffle quietly.

Wrecker is at a loss for words.

Tech crying? Well, yes, he's seen that before.

Crosshair crying? Yeah, that's more likely than anyone would expect. He might be doing just that now, hidden behind the fresher door.

Himself crying? Hell yeah! He's an emotional wreck, sometimes he wonders if this is the reason why they gave him his name.

But Hunter crying? No. He's never seen that before. Not once in his whole eight years of life.

"But... But you're... It can't be nothing if you're feeling like that," Wrecker mumbles and decides to put his hand on Hunter's side, hesitantly.

"It's okay, Wrecker. Can we just leave it? I don't want to talk about it," Hunter sniffles, his voice rough and thick at the same time.

Wrecker moves his hand a little up and down on Hunter's back, sighing.

"It's going to be okay," he tries to assure him, but Hunter just shrugs: "I don't know..."

It takes the two squabblers over a day and a fight with a few regs to talk to each other again.

To all their surprise, it's Crosshair who makes the first step when they're in med bay and get patched up, and apologizes to Hunter.

Hunter, just sighs, nods and accepts the apology.

Tech and Wrecker never really find out what this fight exactly was about.

TAGLIST

@isthereanechoinhere96 @trixie2023 @freesia-writes

[samcurrentlywriting]

Outside our comfort zone

Summary: The Bad Batch are still cadets, and need to prove themselves worthy of the money and efforts the Kaminoans spend for them. So, one day, Tech decides to modify the parameters for the battle simulation.

Word count: 1610

Prompts: "Injured" (main prompt) & "Comfort zone" (alt prompt)

Notes: This is a very quick soft cadet au story that kind of fits both prompts! I hope you enjoy!! (Banners & dividers by @summer-of-bad-batch)

Crosshair is crawling like a snake in the ventilation shaft, an activity he has found himself doing more and more often. He is silent and agile, and likes to watch people when they can’t see him. Usually, he just tries to spy on regs that were mean to his brothers, and then spills all their secrets. But that day, he sees Nala Se, the chief Kaminoan scientist, and Lama Su, the prime minister, walking together to her office, and the young clone cannot stop himself from following them. 

By the time he reaches the best position to eavesdrop, they have already begun talking. 

“Clone Force 99 is too costly, and not efficient enough to be worth the effort.”

“They will improve, but they need training. The work we have done on their enhanced abilities is of utmost importance. We need to test its limits.”

Crosshair swallows. He’s glad he followed his instincts. They’re talking about his squad. And not positively. The clone cadet sighs. They have been trying their best. But between the constant bullying from the regs and the countless medical tests they are always doing, they barely have any time to practice their combat techniques. 

“Their efficiency is too limited. They’re unpredictable, and therefore dangerous, we don’t know how much their mutations have impacted their programming.”

Nala Se tries to say something, but Lama Su cuts her short:

“Unless you can get them to expand their comfort zone, I’m afraid we will have to cease this experiment and terminate all the specimens.”

Crosshair’s heart skips a beat, and he doesn’t wait to hear if Nala Se defends them. He needs to go back to their quarters. 

When he opens the door, he is relieved to see his brothers doing ok. Wrecker is working on disarming some smoke bombs Tech made for him. Tech is lying in his bed, eyes riveted to his datapad. Hunter is playing with his knife in the center of the room, looking in the void. As soon as Crosshair enters, Hunter stands up to greet him, and frowns when he notices how disturbed his youngest brother looks. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I overheard the prime minister talking to Nala Se. He said that we’re not good enough to continue the experience. That we stay in our comfort zone during training, and that it’s too narrow, and that we’re unpredictable. If we don’t get better, they’re going to kill us!”

“They can’t do this! We’re already so much better than the regs!” Wrecker shouts, flexing his muscles. 

Hunter doesn’t say anything, but he holds Crosshair in his arms. The youngest clone is already taller than him, but he knows sometimes all Crosshair needs is reassurance, and feeling protected. 

“What do you suggest, Tech?” He asks once he’s let go of Crosshair.

The second-born readjusts his goggles. 

“We have another training session tomorrow morning. Nala Se always sets up the parameters so that they are quite easy. I suppose she is worried about damaging us, since she spent so much time researching us. However, I could hack into the system and change the parameters, making the simulation harder. If we pass, we will have proven that we can, in fact, go beyond our comfort zone, as he put it.”

The four brothers look at each other, a silent agreement forming between them. 

“Do it, Tech.”

“Don’t kill us either.” Crosshair grunts, suddenly feeling sick. 

What if Lama Su is right? What if they aren’t good enough? 

“There’s nothin’ in this facility that can kill us, ah!” Wrecker replies, before going back to his smoke bomb. 

“We need to plan strategies.” Hunter dictates. 

They spend most of the night preparing different plans depending on the situation. When they go to sleep, they’re all so tired they fall asleep immediately. 

The next morning, they all wake up a bit giddy, worried that this is their last chance to prove their worth. Tech works on his datapad for a little while, before confirming that the parameters of their simulation have been successfully changed. Hunter gives them a little pep talk before they go for breakfast in the mess hall. Luckily, this is one of the few mornings where the regs have better things to do than to bully them. They go back to their quarters to gear up, and walk to the simulation room. They step onto the elevating platform, and wait for their turn. They can hear blaster sounds and shouts from the group before them. 

Hunter frowns. They’re the only ones this age going for the simulation room. They are better than the regs. But he assumes the constant medical testing and the general process of making them were expensive. Being better than the regs isn’t enough for them. They need to be profitable. 

A green light flashes above their heads, and they brace themselves for the short way up. The platform shakes and begins its ascension. They enter the large simulation room, and catch a glimpse of the very much adult clones leaving the place. The members of Clone Force 99 look barely older than twelve. Hunter breathes in deeply, then nodds to all his brothers. They can do this. In front of them, a red light turns on, and then a blue one. They spring into action. 

Two seconds into the simulation, and they realize how different it already is. There are way more droids than usual, and they fire a lot. Hunter breathes in once more. When he’s calm and collected, he shouts:

“Plan forty-three!”

The four of them spring in action. Last night wasn’t the first time they devised plans. They heard a sergeant talk about a plan alpha once, and Tech thought it was a great idea to catalog all their strategies. Wrecker had the hardest time remembering the numbers, but he could guess which plan it was as soon as he saw how his brothers moved. 

Crosshair climbs quickly on a nearby tower, avoiding the blasts from the droids below him. Hunter attacks the droids from the left, Tech from the right, and Wrecker runs through them in the center. They move to the second half of the room within minutes. 

There is a tower they need to conquer. Hunter can feel there is an electromagnetic field protecting it, though he can’t see it. He signs at Crosshair, still on the tower:

There is a magnetic field, find the lever and deactivate it.

Copy that, the youngest clone signs back. 

More droids advance to their position, and they need to move if they don’t want to be caught. They hear Crosshair shooting behind them, and Hunter feels the magnetic field disappearing. 

“Forward!” He yells. 

They attack the droids standing in their way. Crosshair tries to take down as many as he can from where he is, but quickly realizes that he and his brothers are overwhelmed. Tech set the parameters too high. They aren’t good enough. 

As if he has heard him, Tech turns to Crosshair and shows the tower canons with his hands. Crosshair nods and shoots these down one by one. 

Down on the battlefield, Wrecker suddenly comes up with an idea. 

“Tech, I’m gonna throw you towards the tower, and you can climb the rest.”

“This is too dangerous, you will not be able to defend yourself during this time, and risk getting shot.” Tech retorts. 

“I got Crosshair and Hunter to protect me. We don’t have time to argue!” He adds when Tech raises his index and opens his mouth. 

Hunter, who hears them despite the racket, places his back to Wrecker, both his training guns pointed to the droids. 

Wrecker drops his gun, seizes Tech under the armpits and throws him with all his might to the tower, making him arrive about two thirds of its height. But as he hurls his brother, he feels a sudden pain in his back. He grunts, reaches for his gun and starts aggressively shooting all the droids around him. He knows this is a training, but the pain is very much real, and it burns him. Suddenly, all the droids stop moving, and he sees Tech waving from the top of the tower.

“Yeah Tech!”

He high-fives Hunter, who’s bearing a beaming smile. Immediately, he feels the pain in his back and falls to his knees. Crosshair and Tech run to him. 

“You are injured. I told you that would happen.” Tech teased.

“You need a medic.” Crosshair whispers, frowning. 

A kaminoan droid guides them outside the room, to the medical bay. There, another droid applies cold gel in the burnt area on Wrecker’s back. 

“Wounds like these are not supposed to occur during your training sessions. It appears the strength parameters were tampered with. Do you want me to file a report?”

The four brothers glance at each other before shouting at the same time:

“No, no need!”

The droid leaves them alone in the room. They’re soaked in sweat, bruised, but happy. They made it! They didn’t even know they had it in them. 

There is a knock on the door. They straighten. Lama Su and Nala Se enter the room, in that slow kaminoan fashion. 

“That was an impressive display.” The prime minister says. 

Nala Se stares at Tech, but her face is hard to read. Even Hunter cannot tell whether she is angry, or pleased, or simply doesn’t care. 

“Once CT-9903 recovers from his light injury, you will begin the second phase of your training.” The chief scientist added, before leaving them alone once more. 

They all smile and squirm with excitement. They can’t wait to go to a real battlefield, and fight off some real droids.

[kybercrystals94]

The Defender | Chapter Master Post

(Also my Febuwhump 2025 Master Post...because I decided to attempt a 28 chapter Bad Batch fic this year to fill 28 prompts!)

**Find on Ao3 here**

Rated: Gen ~ Teen

Words: TBD

Summary:

Nala Se has always said that Omega is clever and resourceful. So it is no surprise when the girl finds a way to keep track of her little brothers. She watches them train and grow, and, eventually, helps them from a distance. But the boys are curious about their mysterious defender, and - like their sister - they are clever and resourceful. It is only a matter of time before they discover the truth - changing the course of their lives forever. -A Cadet Bach AU-

Chapters:

(NOTE: Tumblr links will be added as chapters are posted / chapter ratings may change)

Vocal Cords (Rated: G | Words: 479)

Holding Back Tears (Rated: G | Words: 228)

Pinned Down (Rated: G | Words: 1128)

In Another Life (Rated: G | Words: 2253)

Not Trusting Reality (Rated: G | Words: 2265)

Forced to Stay Awake (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Alternate Timeline Self (Rated: T | Words: TBD)

Blowtorch (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Die a Hero (Rated: T | Words: TBD)

Emergency Surgery (Rated: T | Words: TBD)

Body Swap (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Used As Practice (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

"I don't trust anyone else." (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Becoming the Monster (Rated: T | Words: TBD)

Icarus (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Eaten Alive (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Power Instability (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Living Weapon (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Death Wish (Rated: T | Words: TBD)

"I did good right?" (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Put on Display (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

"Grab the little one." (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Gunshot Wound (Rated: T | Words: TBD)

Forced to Beg (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

On the Run (Rated: T | Words: TBD)

Concealing an Injury (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Post-Victory Collapse (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

Recovery (Rated: G | Words: TBD)

A/N: Every prompt challenge I do, I tell myself I will fill out the Master List/Post as I go...and every prompt challenge I do...I don't do that. And I regret it every...single...time.

So, here it is, my Master Post, ready to have links added to it as I muddle through Febuwhump 2025.

I am so excited for this AU, and have already made summaries for each chapter, which is more plotting prep than I've ever done for a challenge! I hope you'll follow along this month 🖤 As always, thank you for being a wonderful fandom community - you all are the best!

[tink1221]

Hello my friends, so I am in need of your help again. I was reading a fic that I believe I found here. It was about Crosshair as a cadet and how he was with other cadets enhanced like him, but they slowly dwindled down and he was added to the rest of the batch. He struggled with being the eldest and the leader. I cannot recall the name. Does anyone recognize it?

[gun-roswell]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Cartoon), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch & CC-2224 | Cody Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-9904 | Crosshair, CT-9901 | Hunter, CT-9902 | Tech, CT-9903 | Wrecker Additional Tags: Inspired by Fanart, Cloned Cadets, Humour, Double Entendres, Cody meets the Bad Batch, Crosshair is at a special age, Ficlet Series: Part 69 of Bad Batch One Shots, Part 16 of Clone Cadet Series Summary: Crosshair is at that, um, very special and rather delicate age in his development.

Horrid humour and double entendres of plenty.

Inspired by fan art of @stars-n-spice​ - thanks for the inspiration!!!

Part of The Bad Batch One Shots / Clone Cadet series

[eclec-tech]

Neurodivergent Tech Week 2024 prompt: cadets wc: 1,569

I've swamped myself, so this is a reblog. But if it shows even one new set of eyes this week how much I love the idea of Tech's brothers supporting him and his fixations, I'll be a happy camper.

Tech’s forehead remained glued to the window as he spoke. “That aiwha calf! It was not there yesterday. The alpha cow in the pod has finally had her baby! I wish I had seen it happen. They give birth right over the surface of the water, then the entire pod calls out to the calf to encourage it to leave the water and fly!” “That’s great, Tech.” Hunter sent a small smirk to his other two brothers. For months they had listened to their inquisitive brother regurgitate every piece of information ever discovered about Kamino’s native cetaceans, nearly becoming experts themselves in the process. Crosshair and Wrecker grinned back. This was not the first time Tech had become fixated on a subject and unleashed his exuberance upon them. However, this was the first time one of his interests was something found on their own planet. It had given his brothers an idea.

@neurodivergent-tech-week

[drcyrusbortel]

The Assistant

It's not an interrogation. They just want to properly debrief you.

That was what Rex had said, and Hunter had nodded along. And Omega trusted both with her life.

Unfortunately, it seemed that nobody had told the intelligence officer in the nondescript - Alderaanian? - uniform, or the designers of the dimly lit durasteel cubicle that he had chosen as a venue for his... debriefing.

The spook fired up his holorecorder and set it on the table, bathing them in an eerie blue glow.

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we? What's the first thing you remember?"

=/=

…a beige-and-red helmet filling her mind with ideas and attitudes, facts and figures, instincts and reflexes, pouring composite memories and unlived experience and rote understanding into a meticulously engineered personality imprint stamped upon optimized wetware… 

The words came to her, unbidden, as she looked around the flash-training center. Walls of pure white adorned with a magnificent ultraviolet mosaic of Academian Vor Nui’s Great Lecture, as vivid as day in her mind’s eye, stared back at her. The other rigs were empty, odd considering the high facility overhead…

The door dilated, and a pair of tall, slender Kaminoans - adorned with the insignia of very senior scientific officers - glided into the room.  

She snapped to attention, rattled off her serial number, and reported herself fit for service to the scientists towering over her.

The younger Kaminoan was first to speak. 

“I am Doctor Nala Se. This is Chief Scientist Ko Sai. We are part of the senior scientific staff providing support to Kaminoan Industries’ flagship Republic Military Project. Can you describe your training?”

She blinked. Medicine. Genetics. Bioengineering. 

And much, much, more. 

A vague disquiet stirred in her chest, as she looked down at herself. Biologically five standard. Small batch production. Nonstandard flash training. Modified mass production clone, alternative template, or composite?

“Modified mass production product.” Nala Se noted. “Please proceed.”  

She almost felt dizzy, but complied with the directive, describing her scientific background even as a small part of her seemed to yearn for service of the Galactic Republic, its Constitution, and its elected officials. 

Ko Sai smiled as she completed her report. “Excellent. You will be a most useful addition to Nala Se and her team.”

“Indeed.” Nala Se said. “As you know, Kaminoan Industries, in concert with the Government of Kamino, has embarked on the greatest industrial undertaking in Kaminoan history - the creation of a military force for the Galactic Republic.”

Ko Sai continued. “In essence, we have been tasked with converting a considerable infusion of financial capital into material capital, and in particular, human capital.”

“The economy of Kamino is to be totally remade in service of this goal. Extremely large investments into plant, machinery, and associated support and defense infrastructure are ongoing across Kamino and Her Colonies.” Nala Se bent down, bringing herself eye to eye with the human. “Commensurate investments are being made into new creche production - Kaminoan and human - to provide the necessary labor. You, and others like you, are part of this human capital accumulation.”

She nodded, understanding. 

“You will be working under Nala Se in support of our contracts for Clone Army research, development, production, and sustainment. You answer to her, and ultimately to me. You are property of Kaminoan Industries.” Ko Sai looked thoughtful. “You are not property of the Galactic Republic.”

Nala Se gestured to the door. “Please follow me. We must vacate the room for the next cohort. You are the last one.”

She obeyed, and followed Nala Se out the room. 

=/=

[archivewriter1ont]

🪧Sneak Peek at Cadet Batch Chapter Seven: Meeting the Vode (Part Two)🪧

Rex, Echo, Jesse, and Kix are entering the barracks to reunite with the cadets, hoping to keep them hidden for the time being. but someone else is already there....

All four cadets were happily sitting on the ground not five feet in front of the slack-jawed Hardcase. Wrecker lay on his belly, eyeing the older clone quietly but curiously, while Tech used him for a pillow, still glued to the datapad. Hunter was sitting cross-legged on the ground while Crosshair attempted to retie the bandana that was wound around his head. The sniper cadet was scowling in concentration, but Hunter’s eyes flicked over to the newcomers as soon as they stepped inside the room, though he was careful not to move his head.

“Hi,” he said amiably. 

“Finally.” Wrecker dropped his head to his folded arms and gave Echo a hint of a frown. “We’re bored.”

As if the kids’ greetings had been the only thing to alert him to the presence of the others, Hardcase finally looked away from the cadets and spun around toward them. The way his eyes locked desperately onto them was comical at the very least and Rex tried very hard not to laugh.

“They just came from the vents!” Hardcase gasped out. “I was just sitting here – cleaning my blaster – and – and then the panel opened and they just –” He waved his hand toward the cadets as if that somehow finished his sentence.

“We closed it,” Tech volunteered, unflustered. “You are safe now.”

The trooper looked pleadingly at Rex, obviously hoping the captain had some kind of explanation. “Why are there littles in here?” 

“Rex said we could come,” Wrecker answered, kicking his feet lightly. “He didn’t want us in the lab anymore.”

Rex was about to answer when he realized that Echo was trembling a little at his side. When he glanced over at him, it was quite clear that the ARC was trying desperately to hold in his laughter. Whatever gloominess that had assailed him in the halls was gone now, and while it might be temporary Rex was still relieved.

“You were supposed to wait for the signal,” the cyborg managed to say without his voice cracking.

Crosshair finished tying off Hunter’s bandana and shrugged as his brothers scooted over to sit between him and Wrecker. “You were taking too long.”

“Which means we won,” Tech added. His head popped up from Wrecker’s back and he grinned at Kix, bright brown eyes shining behind his goggles.

The medic smiled back. “So you did.”

___________________________________________________

Reminder that Chapter Seven: Meeting the Vode (Part Two) is out on Wednesday the 18th! If you want to read the six posted chapters, you can find them here at my Ao3. ⬇️

[tsukarysgrimoire]

A summer of vacation, chapter 3

I'm very late, I know, that chapter took me forever to figure out, and then tried to fight me at every turns, but I finally won the war. XD

WEEK 4 : "You really think you're going without me? Not going to happen." With a little bit of "Cadets" if you squint. XD

Something is wrong, Omega knew it. She needs to find what is going on, what her brothers are trying to hide from her.

Enjoy. ^^

[lothcat-lothcat-lothwolf-run]

I try to write fluff or even just some funny dialogue and it comes out as angst and graphic descriptions of murder

for example:

“But what about a Rancor? Could that kill a Gundark?”

“It was never about what could beat a Gundark, it was about who!”

“Doesn’t matter who beats it, all I’m saying is that it would kill you first.”

Dispatch swore he could hear Gibbs roll his eyes. 

“And who’s to say it wouldn’t maim you next?”

“Me? Nah. I’d run away fast enough so that it couldn’t catch me. But it might go for handsome over there,” Sixer joked, pointing towards Knockout.

“You wish. I heard it eats the ugly ones first.” Knockout retorted.

“We all have the same kriffing face, you idiot!”

“Then how-” A hush fell over the group. 

Behind the bend they had been walking towards was a massacre. The ground stained orange and brown, a scent of rust filled the air. The fires were still aflame, turning the sand into glass into shards of a battle that once raged in the same spot they stood now. 

You could tell what was burning from the color of the smoke. It was one of the first survival lessons he learned. A light gray for wood and cloth, a deep brown for a place of residence about to collapse. White meant the start of a fire, and black…

It’s not that plastoid wasn’t flammable, it was just not often a sight many saw. When ships crashed, exploring the wreckage wasn’t the protocol. And separatist forces didn’t often rely on flamethrowers or other incendiary weapons. This was a planned attack, one by an outside force who, most likely, didn’t appear to appreciate the full scale invasion that either side launched. 

It wasn’t rare for the residents of whatever planet the GAR decided was important to rebel in one way or another. But it wasn’t expected here. Lato 2 was made up of a very desolate and yet twisting landscape, which made it the ideal place for a large separatist mining operation. The residents of Lato 3 were mostly traders; there was a big shipping port there. But they had agreed to take no part in the war, declaring themselves a neutral system. 

Dispatch coughed, being the first one to technically break the silence. As he turned to Gibbs for further instructions, he noticed that the commander had taken his helmet off. His face was frozen in a state of disbelief and horror, as if he had never seen such a thing before. It could’ve been fear, sure, but anger seemed better fitting. 

[alligatorpie1945]

Remember when I asked for people to send me short fanfics! Well I was working on a couple, but then the finale happened and basically side tracked everything I was working on. I hopefully will get back to finishing them one day. But until then, I just wanted to shout out @eriexplosion's story!

No joke, this one is a real heartbreaker, but its just so well done. I feel like more people need to appreciate it!

[morphofan]

The Bully of Kamino

Originally posted on Ao3.

Summary:

Cadet Force 99 must deal with an abusive bully, in the form of their instructor, Corporal Samson. Commander Cody puts a swift end to it, and in doing so, has a lasting effect on the squad, especially on Tech. This explains why Tech becomes a motor mouth, later, and why The Batch trusts and respects Cody so much. Inspired by Shyranno's "Downtime" comics featuring the Cadet Bad Batch. Very short, may be added to in the future.

Notes:

For @shyranno

The Cadets of Clone Force 99 were in class, and Corporal Samson’s lesson on Republic ships and their history went well, until….

“Excuse me, Sir,” said Tech, timidly, “but I believe you are incorrect. The Eta 2 predates the—”

“Don’t contradict your superior,” said the tall man sharply, cutting off the cadet in mid-sentence. “Have you no respect for me at all?”

The undersized, bespectacled clone fell silent, and quickly turned his eyes downward at the floor.

“Stand up,” Samson ordered, “and apologize to me.”

The clone rose and stood at attention beside his desk. The rest of his squad watched everything in shocked silence, wanting to jump to their brother’s defense, but hesitant to stand up to the angry instructor.

“S-sorry,” Tech stammered, his hands shaking as he continued to study the immaculate classroom floor.

“Sorry, WHAT?” Samson barked, stalking toward his student.

Tech jumped, startled, and began to tremble. “S-s-sorry Sir,” he corrected.

Hunter could hear the onset of tears in Tech’s voice, and despite his respect for Samson, he began to resent the abuse being inflicted upon his baby brother. But he was a good solider, and he held his tongue.

"Look at me when I am speaking to you, boy!" Samson snarled, violently grabbing Tech by the arm and giving him a rough shake, ignoring the cadet’s frightened yelp.

Hunter pressed his hands to his desktop in preparation of rising to his feet. He glared angrily as Samson continued to grip Tech's arm.

"I’ll not tolerate disrespect," the instructor spat, "you insubordinate little—"

"Take your hands off him."

The new voice surprised both Samson and the cadets, and they all looked up to find Marshal Commander Cody of the 212th standing there, with fire in his eyes. The commander had seemingly materialized out of nowhere.

"I said," he repeated slowly, moving threateningly close to Samson, "take... your hands... OFF him."

After a beat, the flustered instructor released Tech, and the diminutive cadet backed away, holding his arm. His squad mates promptly swarmed him, Hunter and Crosshair gently examining his arm, while Wrecker stood protectively between them and Samson, balling his fists on his hips and glowering up at the instructor.

Tech pushed his goggles up onto his forehead and screwed his fists into his leaking eyes, his breath hitching. Crosshair wrapped an arm around him, sneering venomously at Samson, while Hunter spoke quietly and comfortingly, brushing the tears from Tech’s face.

Cody’s voice was low and dangerous as he addressed Samson.

"Now listen very carefully,” he growled. “I don't care how many troopers you’ve successfully sent up the ranks. If I EVER hear of you putting your hands on a cadet, again…. I’ll have you demoted so far down the chain of command, that you’ll be taking orders from them.”

He pointed at the squad, all of them now wide-eyed and staring up at him.

“You don’t have the authority to—” Samson began, sputtering in indignation.

“I do, and I will see to it, personally." The commander’s tone left no room for debate. “Try me.” He folded his arms.

There was silence, aside from Tech’s sniffling, for a good solid minute.

Red in the face, Samson looked like he was about to say something, but when Cody glared at him, he wisely closed his mouth. With a huff, the instructor turned and stormed out of the classroom, and Tech peeked out from behind Wrecker to watch him go.

"What a hothead," Crosshair muttered, disdainfully. He looked up as Cody turned to them.

The anger in the commander’s eyes had been replaced by softness and brotherly concern. He gently nudged Wrecker aside before addressing Tech.

"You all right, vod’ika?" the tall man asked warmly. He dropped down on one knee so he could look the little cadet in the eye.

“Y-y-yes sir.”

The dark-haired man smiled, and reached for Tech’s arm. “May I?”

Tech nodded, trembling and silent as the commander took hold of his arm and carefully examined it.

“Any pain?” Cody asked, working Tech’s elbow, then rotating the limb at the shoulder.

Tech shook his head, and settled his goggles back in place over his eyes as the kindly commander released his arm.

“What’s your name, soldier?” Cody asked, smiling again.

“Uhh,” Tech stammered, “I-I-I am CT nine nine zero—”

“No, no,” Cody said, chuckling and shaking his head. “Your name. What do your brothers call you?”

Gaping like a landed burra fish, the bespectacled clone went wide-eyed and mute, and then promptly found his boots fascinating.

“We call him ‘Tech,’ sir,” Hunter supplied helpfully, once the silence had become awkward.

“Hello there, ’Tech,’” the commander said kindly, reaching out and tousling the clone’s sandy-brown hair. “Am I correct to guess you’re the quiet one of the squad?”

“Hardly,” Crosshair muttered with a snort and a lopsided smile as he produced a half-eaten red sucker from his shirt pocket. He jammed it between his lips, tucking the stick tightly into the corner of his small mouth.

“Tech just gets nervous talking to anyone, besides us,” Wrecker chimed in. “Sir!” he added quickly, when Hunter elbowed him in the ribs.

“I understand,” said Cody, with a wink. “I was the same, when I was your age.”

Tech hesitantly lifted his face to the commander.

“Sometimes it’s a bit scary to speak up, especially to someone bigger or older than you, isn’t it?” Cody smiled warmly.

The little clone’s eyes widened even further, and he nodded, the beginnings of a smile tugging at his damp, reddened cheeks. “Y-yes, Sir.”

“And not everyone will take it well, especially if it turns out that they are wrong, and you are right,” said Cody. “But I believe that one should never be afraid to share their knowledge.”

CC-2224, please report to the training facility at once. The emotionless voice droned from the overhead speaker system.

Cody gave a shrug and a sigh as he rose to his feet. “Duty calls, gentlemen.” As he was turning to leave, he paused, and reached down one more time to gently chuck Tech’s chin.

“Remember what I said, Little Tech,” he said softly, with a wink. “And if you have any more trouble with Samson—or anyone else for that matter—don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Hunter said, with a crisp salute.

Giving a final wave, Cody strode briskly out the door and down the corridor, in the direction of the training facility.

“I like him,” Wrecker announced.

“He’s not so bad,” added Crosshair, “for a Reg.”

“I hope we’ll get to work with Commander Cody, one day, when we’re grown,” said Hunter, reaching to drape his arm around Tech’s bony shoulders.

“Me too,” agreed the smaller clone, straightening his goggles. “And for the record… Corporal Samson WAS wrong. The earliest design of the Eta 2 Jedi Starfighter was—”

Tech chattered on and on as Clone Force 99 headed back to their barracks. If he noticed the loving, knowing smiles his brothers exchanged during his flood of information, he did not acknowledge it.

Hunter knew that the next time Tech was required to speak up, he’d have the courage and confidence to do so, without fear. Commander Cody had indelibly changed their lives with that one, brief interaction.

Hunter didn’t know if his squad would ever cross paths with CC-2224 again, but if they did, he knew that his team would respect and trust the kindly Commander.

Even though he was a Reg….

THE END