Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The training shots echoed loudly across the large training area. He could hear his own heartbeat racing, and adrenaline pumped through his veins. He whistled, gestured, and held up three fingers. His brothers knew immediately what to do. Crosshair adjusted his position slightly on the tower, kept firing, and drew the attention of the training droids. Tech ran to the right flank and deployed a smoke bomb, while Wrecker and he sprinted to the left. They snuck around the droids through the smoke and eventually attacked them from their unprotected rear. Wrecker quickly dealt with them with his hands, and Hunter had refined his knife skills to the point that he could precisely hit their sensitive circuits. Within a minute, the training simulation was over, and a loud signal sounded. The lights came on, and the four brothers stood in the center of the area, waiting for feedback from their trainers, who had observed everything from an elevated platform.

Hunter knew they weren’t satisfied. He wasn’t either. They had lost too much time at the beginning because he hadn’t given clear instructions, forcing his brothers to improvise. Hunter adopted a neutral expression, straightened his shoulders, and tucked his helmet under his right arm. As expected, the bounty hunter angrily approached them.

“I’ve never seen you perform so poorly! What’s wrong with you? If you keep this up, I’ll personally make sure you get decommissioned to maintenance clones!” He spat at them as he stormed towards them.

Hunter could feel Wrecker’s shoulders slump, Tech shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, and Crosshair lowering his gaze.

“Yes, sir,” Hunter replied. “I know I should have acted sooner. I wanted to give my team some freedom to try new things. It’s my fault, sir.”

Their trainer looked as if he was about to explode with rage.

“Freedom? Trying new things? Who do you think you are? Just because you have enhancements, do you think you're some kind of clone Jedi?” he yelled at Hunter. “Get out of my sight; I don’t want to see you scum anymore!”

He stormed off, leaving the four boys standing there. Hunter didn’t know how to cheer up his brothers after hearing those words. He knew that Jedi General Shaak-Ti and Nala Se were present for most of their tests, which frustrated him even more.

“Let’s go,” he murmured to his brothers, pulling his helmet back on and marching off. Without a word, his brothers followed him, and they returned to their barracks. It was already late in the afternoon, and fortunately, they had no further tasks for the day. Hunter opened the automatic door and stepped in. He was furious—at himself and at their trainer. He ripped off his gloves and threw them across the room towards his bunk with a loud “Kriff!” He used to have better control over his emotions, but something had changed over the past six months. Tech kept talking about hormones, especially testosterone, but Hunter didn’t really understand what he meant. It didn’t matter. He was responsible for his squad’s success, and today, he had failed.

He sat down on his bunk, took off his helmet, and tossed it onto the mattress beside him. Tired, he rubbed his face and tried to calm down. He heard his brothers also silently finding their bunks and taking off their armor. They were still dressed in that ugly white armor, and he hated it. They weren’t allowed to paint their armor until they were officially recognized as a squad and sent on their first real mission. All these rules were driving him crazy.

“Could’ve been worse, right?”

Hunter glanced at Crosshair and felt a surge of anger. He couldn’t stand it when Crosshair made stupid comments after a bad training performance. Tech and Wrecker knew better and kept their mouths shut. Wrecker absentmindedly played with Lula, and Tech had retreated to his bunk with his datapad.

“Just drop it,” Hunter said quietly, trying to keep it together.

Arguing with Crosshair wouldn’t get him anywhere.

“Didn’t you think so?” Crosshair continued to provoke.

But arguing with Crosshair felt so good.

“You know exactly how bad we were. So cut the crap!”

Hunter stood up and walked towards Crosshair’s bunk. He knew exactly what was coming. Crosshair stood up grinning—they knew each other too well.

“I thought we were pretty good. Almost as good as those tubies they picked up yesterday.”

And getting physical with Crosshair felt even better.

*

Hunter overcame the last few meters, grabbed his brother by the collar, and attempted to shove him backward without mercy. Crosshair had seen it coming. Grinning, he ducked under his brother and tackled his torso hard. Hunter lost his balance and fell backward to the ground, pulling Crosshair down with him. They landed in a tangle of fists, elbows, and knees, both fighting for dominance. Hunter struck Crosshair in the cheekbone with his fist while getting hit hard in the ribs by a sharp elbow, groaning in pain. Crosshair didn’t know that Hunter had bruised that very rib yesterday during training with the command group.

Surprised, Crosshair paused and looked down. His older brother never vocalized pain. They were still half entangled—Crosshair’s left knee under Hunter’s knee, his right leg over Hunter’s thigh. Slowly, Crosshair sat up, bringing his fingers to the hem of Hunter’s blacks, lifting his shirt. Hunter didn’t move, but his eyes followed him warily. Crosshair exhaled sharply when he saw the large dark bruise extending from his brother’s right side to his sternum.

"Who?" Crosshair asked quietly, tracing the injury with his fingertips, inspecting it closely. When he received no answer, he lifted his gaze and found Hunter staring at him. He couldn’t quite read the expression, but he definitely knew what was happening below. It wasn’t the first time one of them had gotten an erection during their scuffles or hand-to-hand combats, as Tech called them. Their skintight blacks didn’t hide much either.

But they never talked about it. Never. They had silently agreed to stop, ignore it, and deal with it alone, at night, in private. Tech had given them a scientific lecture on how their bodies were changing, how sex theoretically worked, and why regular release was good for them. Ugh. Crosshair still cringed at having been in the room back then. Of course, Tech had even pulled up some illegal reference material from the Holonet, and they’d watched things for several agonizing minutes that none of them would ever be able to unsee. Crosshair was still convinced that Wrecker had covered his eyes the whole time. In all the videos Crosshair had secretly found since then, the people were never alone. So why did he have to be?

*

He loved and hated Crosshair’s provocations. Initiating physical fights no longer bothered him. The anger he constantly felt these days could be released that way. Although he would never hit with full force, they both knew these fights weren’t about hurting each other but about dominance, silencing the other. By any means necessary.

He already felt himself hardening during the brief fight. Rubbing against his brother's body was like an addiction. He couldn’t stop. It was heaven and hell at the same time. Relief and frustration. Pleasure and pain. He wanted both. He wanted it all. Everything. But he didn’t even know what that meant. He didn’t know how to get more. "I don’t know anything," he thought angrily.

Crosshair’s gentle fingers brushing over his chest, paired with the intense gaze on his body, were the final straw. Heat surged through Hunter, and he knew he had to get out of there immediately to avoid becoming a laughingstock for his brother. Who comes in their pants without even being touched? Not him, at least. So, he roughly shoved Crosshair off, pulled his blacks back down, clumsily stood up, grabbed his shower things, and left the room as quickly as possible. Maker help the reg that crossed his path on the way.

*

"Was that really necessary?" Tech asked, annoyed. "You can clearly see how he reacts to your provocations. I’ve told you more than once that your hormones are to blame and that you two should stay away from each other until your testosterone levels normalize. If you need to let off steam, fight with Wrecker."

"Hell, yeah! I’m ready!" The big guy shouted enthusiastically.

But Crosshair just waved him off and sat down on his bunk. If only he knew what Hunter was thinking. He felt like he’d lost him somewhere along the way over the past six months. Hunter had changed. Tech called it puberty, whatever that meant.

Crosshair only knew that he missed his old Hunter. As a child, he had been so kind, gentle, and affectionate.

The new Hunter was rough, serious, and distant.

Would he stay this way forever? And why was it only Hunter who had changed? Tech, Wrecker, and he had all physically developed, but their personalities remained the same. Wrecker was still a lovable, albeit large, kid. Tech was still the tech-savvy genius. And him? He was still provocative but would do anything for his three brothers. Whether it meant taking a punch meant for Tech or tripping up a reg who was being mean to Wrecker.

He should talk to his older brother. He knew, of course, that the biggest pressure was on Hunter. Leading this chaotic squad was challenge enough, but dealing with the officers' constant evaluations, surviving Nala Se’s lab tests, and enduring the insults and intentional hits from the regs in his command group was obviously taking more of a toll on Hunter than he let on. Just recently, Crosshair had overheard two older regs talking about some substance that apparently made things more bearable. He just needed to get his hands on it.

*

"Where the hell are we going, Cross?" Hunter asked, visibly annoyed. He had a written exam on assault strategies tomorrow and wanted to go to bed early. "I don’t have time for this!"

Crosshair didn’t even turn to face him. "You already know it all by heart. You’ll thank me for this. Promise."

Together, they snuck through the halls of Tipoca City. At this hour, they were supposed to be back in their quarters, but Crosshair was determined to show him something. At night. In the rain. A brilliant idea, Hunter thought sarcastically. He didn’t bother hiding his annoyance from Crosshair. Just as he decided to turn back, his brother opened a door to their right that led outside. Hunter welcomed the fresh air and stepped through. They were on one of the upper balconies, all of which were protected from the rain by the large dome. From up here, they had a great view of the ocean. Crosshair slid down against the wall and nodded for Hunter to join him, which he did, albeit with an eye roll.

"So, what’s so great out here?" Hunter asked.

Crosshair grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small bottle of blue liquid. Hunter gave him a questioning look. Crosshair’s grin widened as he slowly opened the bottle. Hunter sniffed the blue substance.

"Is that Spotchka?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yep."

"Where’d you get it?"

"I have my sources."

"You mean you stole it." Hunter teased.

"Yep."

Hunter laughed. That guy was impossible! He remembered Tech’s lecture about dangerous substances, with alcohol clearly being one of them. He glanced at Crosshair. And now?

"Scared? Should I try it alone?" his younger brother taunted.

"No way would I leave my baby brother to drink alone," Hunter said playfully. He knew Crosshair hated when he called him that.

But for a moment, Crosshair’s eyes widened before he pulled a face and stared at the bottle. What was that? He hadn’t even complained about the nickname. Hunter paused, trying to read his brother's face, but Crosshair had immediately locked the emotion away again under his usual indifferent expression.

"So? Do you dare?"

"Hand it over! I'm the older one, I go first." Hunter said, sounding bolder than he felt. But what could possibly happen from just a little sip?

He took the bottle from Crosshair's waiting hand and slowly brought it to his lips. The sharp smell of alcohol already made his eyes water, but he ignored it and took a large gulp of the blue liquid. At first, it tasted sweet, but as he swallowed, he felt as if his throat was burning from the inside. The hot liquid slid down his esophagus, warming him from within.

He could feel Crosshair's curious gaze on him and immediately took another small sip. Even the second time, the burning didn’t ease, and he instinctively grimaced. His brother laughed, took the bottle from his hand, and took a big gulp. To Hunter’s amusement, Crosshair coughed and grimaced in disgust as well.

"Why the hell do all the regs drink this crap? It tastes like Bantha piss! Why did I even bother stealing it?"

"Maybe we have to wait for the effects? Remember when we watched the 501st reg party? Everyone was drinking, and they only started doing funny things after some time. Even Captain Rex drank it!"

His brother just nodded. Silently, they finished the small bottle, with each of them taking three more small sips. Hunter enjoyed the warmth spreading inside him, but his senses alerted him to issues with his balance, and he felt dizzy. He leaned a little more heavily against his brother’s shoulder and closed his eyes. The rain pattered against the dome, creating a pleasant background noise. The fresh wind whipped around Hunter's ears, and he took a deep breath in and out.

"You good, Hunt?"

"Mhm. A little dizzy, but it feels good. Warming. Relaxing."

Crosshair laughed. " Sometimes you just have to give things time to get good, huh?"

Hunter opened his eyes, leaned his head back slightly, and looked at his brother. In the darkness, Crosshair's silver hair stood out even more than usual. A genuine smile played on his lips, one that even reached his brown eyes. Hunter couldn't look away. He so rarely saw such a real smile. Instinctively, he placed a hand on Crosshair's cheek and smiled back happily.

"I love your real smile," he quietly admitted to his brother. "You show it to me way too rarely."

Crosshair blushed. "Well... I, um... You really need to cut your hair again; it's way too long!" he said, letting one of Hunter's strands slip through his fingers.

Hunter snorted and removed his hand from Crosshair's cheek. Whenever things got emotional, Crosshair practically fled and tried to change the subject.

"Let's head back."

Hunter straightened up but immediately had to steady himself against the wall. He was incredibly dizzy, and for a moment, he didn’t know which way was up or down. His senses weren't working as usual, and he feared he might not be able to stay on his feet. But then he felt his brother's arms at his hips, gently but firmly pulling him close.

"Oops. Maybe that was a bit too much Spotchka for your small body?" Crosshair teased.

"Shut up," said Hunter, but he smiled. He enjoyed the warmth of the other body against his and rested his head on Crosshair's chest. "Give me two minutes."

"As long as you need."

Two minutes turned into ten, until Hunter finally felt capable of standing on his own. His senses were still clouded, but he trusted his brother to lead the way back.

*

He hadn't expected the alcohol to knock his brother out so much. Normally, it was Hunter who led the way in the darkness of Tipoca City. But Hunter struggled to keep up with him. When Crosshair stopped abruptly at a suspicious movement in the corridor ahead, Hunter walked straight into him and whimpered softly against his back.

"Shhh!"

"'m sorry. Wt's wrong?"

"Reg patrols. We wait until they’re gone."

"Mhm."

He felt Hunter lean heavily against him and silently hoped they would make it back without getting caught. And without him having to carry Hunter. He grinned. His brother would definitely make him pay for this in the morning when his head was clear again.

They waited a few more minutes until the coast was clear, then slowly sneaked back to the barracks. When the door opened at the press of a button, Crosshair sighed in relief. Tech and Wrecker were audibly sleeping in their bunks, blissfully unaware of their little adventure. He helped his brother to his bed, took off his boots, and made sure Hunter lay properly on his pillow. He brought him a painkiller and a glass of water, but it was already too late. Hunter was fast asleep.

Crosshair lovingly brushed a strand of hair from his brother's face and tucked him in.

Yep, his brother would kill him tomorrow.

Crosshair watched his older brother for a moment as he slept quietly and deeply. The lines of tension that Hunter had worn so often lately were gone. It reminded Crosshair of the days when they were younger—when Hunter had been gentle and relaxed, before the weight of command and responsibility had become too heavy for him. He saw in him again the boy he had missed so much.

"I wish you'd sleep this peacefully more often," Crosshair whispered softly, even though he knew Hunter couldn't hear him. A gentle smile appeared on his lips, and he couldn’t resist brushing another strand of hair from his brother's face before finally retreating to his own bunk.

Tomorrow will be a challenge. Hunter would either have forgotten everything or give him hell—probably the latter. Crosshair was already bracing himself for his brother's irritated reaction once the headaches and nausea from the Spotchka kicked in. But it had been worth it. For at least one night, they had experienced something like normalcy and lightness, far from the constant expectations and tensions that usually surrounded them.

He lay down on his bunk, crossed his arms behind his head, and stared up at the dark ceiling. The warmth from the Spotchka still spread through his body, and although he knew it would probably mean headaches and fatigue the next day, he couldn’t help but smile in contentment.

Tomorrow was a new day, but at least today he had been able to give Hunter a small piece of freedom.

Chapter Text

He woke up the next morning to the sound of the alarm siren, feeling as though a bantha had trampled over him. His head throbbed so much that he couldn’t open his eyes immediately, and his stomach felt like it had been in freefall all night. He breathed steadily against the pain in his head and slowly forced his eyes open. The scene in front of him was familiar: Wrecker, still wrapped in his blanket, clutching Lula in his arms. Tech was adjusting his glasses and already reaching for his datapad. Crosshair had rolled over again, needing at least two more wake-up attempts to drag himself out of bed.
Hunter tried to sit up, but his stomach didn’t appreciate the idea and rebelled. He groaned. Breathing calmly against the nausea and pounding in his head, he noticed the painkiller and glass of water beside him. Slowly, he took both and leaned his head back against the wall. What had happened last night? He vaguely remembered a late-night balcony outing with his brother… A blue bottle had been involved… Spotchka?! Just thinking about the alcoholic beverage made him queasy again, but he fought the nausea.
“Hunter, are you all right?”
“Yeah, Tech, 'm fine. Just a bit of a headache,” Hunter whispered.
“Another bad migraine coming on? Should I get you some painkillers?”
“No, no… I’m fine.”
“As you wish.” Tech kept tapping on his datapad but cast a few concerned glances at him.
Hunter slowly got up, walked over to his youngest brother’s bunk, and sat on the edge.

“Hey, Cross. You awake?” he asked softly.

The only response was a pitiful whimper. Hunter chuckled quietly, though it sent another jolt of pain through his head, and placed a hand on Crosshair’s shoulder.

“How are you feeling, Hunt?”

“Like a bantha ran me over, to be honest. What about you?”

“Same. Probably not my brightest idea with the Spotchka. Are you… uh… mad at me?”

“Why would I be?”

“Well… because… I’m the one who brought the stuff.”

“And I’m the one who decided to drink it. At least our first time together.”

Crosshair turned to Hunter, wide-eyed.

“Uh, I mean… our first drink together,” Hunter quickly clarified, scratching his head awkwardly and blushed.
Before Crosshair could respond, Tech chimed in.

“I don’t know what the two of you got up to last night, but the Holonet suggests a hearty breakfast, plenty of fluids, and a short walk in the fresh air before Hunter’s exam.”

Hunter groaned. He had completely forgotten about the exam! If he failed, he’d have to retake the entire module. He had already let his brothers down during yesterday’s training; he couldn’t let that happen again today.
“All right, Tech. Let’s go!”
Determined, he stood up, ignoring the pounding pain in his temples, and got ready for breakfast. Crosshair followed suit in silence while Tech tended to Wrecker. Together, the four brothers headed to the mess hall. Hunter prayed they wouldn’t run into any regs today. He wasn’t sure he’d survive a fight over breakfast.

*

Breakfast passed relatively peacefully. Whether that had to do with the fact that neither he nor Crosshair could lift their heads from their plates without groaning from headaches, he couldn’t say. Wrecker had been busy with his usual mountain of eggs, and Tech had gone over the exam material with Hunter on his datapad.
Now, he was sitting in the command group exam on attack strategies, reviewing his answers one last time. He knew them all; he had internalized everything over the past few days. His entire energy had been channeled into training recently, but in that moment, he remembered Cody’s words in the Trotone Forest a year and a half ago:
“Your brothers will be the real support in your life, and you will have to trust them with your life on the battlefield more than once.”
He sighed. He needed to spend more time with them. But how could he balance training and quality time with his brothers? At least the headache and nausea had subsided thanks to the painkillers and breakfast.
Satisfied, he handed in his exam sheet and waited quietly until everyone was finished. Afterwards, they headed to the training hall for hand-to-hand combat until lunchtime.
Because he was a year and a half younger, he was still significantly smaller and slimmer than the regs, who were nearing their final exams in six months. Hunter was expected to take his exam and hopefully deploy with his squad in about a year—if the Kaminoans and General Shaak Ti permitted it.
A fist came flying from his right, and he barely managed to duck in time.

“I should probably focus on training,” he thought grimly. His opponent showed no mercy today, attacking like a madman. Luckily, Hunter was small and agile. He knew the regs hated it when he constantly slipped away. He grinned and dodged another sweep kick.
Suddenly, he was grabbed roughly by the collar from behind.

“Fight properly like a real soldier and stop running away like a tubie!” his trainer snarled loudly into his ear.

He flinched. His trainer didn’t need to yell, but Hunter couldn’t shake the feeling that some of the bounty hunter trainers enjoyed humiliating and tormenting him. He was shoved roughly back into the ring, barely avoiding a forward fall.
However, he hadn’t anticipated his reg opponent seizing the opportunity and couldn’t defend against the hip throw. The reg grabbed him and swung him powerfully over his right hip. Because the regs were taller, the fall was from a greater height, and Hunter slammed onto his back so hard it knocked the air out of him.
He only heard the filthy laughter of those watching before his opponent threw his full weight onto him. He knew he had no chance of escaping the pin, no matter how much he struggled. His smaller body simply couldn’t compete with the almost fully-grown regs.
Knowing his trainer wouldn’t immediately stop the fight, likely savoring his predicament, Hunter angrily tapped out three times. Before releasing him, his opponent smirked and taunted, “You little bastard don’t stand a chance against us. Maybe it’s time you left the group for good. Want us to help?” To emphasize his words, he drove his knee into Hunter’s stomach.
The reg then stood up and high-fived his group, who cheered him on. Hunter wanted nothing more than to curl up in pain, but he knew that would only fuel the regs further. Slowly, he got up and glared at his trainer, who—as usual—ignored the incident and chatted with another trainer.
He was furious. He wanted to yell at his trainer for letting this happen after he had tapped out. His trainer had even set him up for this situation in the first place. It was so unfair!
He sat down, hunched over, on the other side of the ring. It seemed like it was going to be a really crappy day.

*

The recoil of his rifle felt as good as ever, especially when the tenth shot landed perfectly in the center of the target. He lowered his rifle and took a deep breath.
“Good series. Moving targets next. Get ready,” his trainer’s raspy voice came through his helmet comm.
Hunter steadied his rifle again, held his breath, and pulled the trigger.
For about six months now, he’d been shooting with his helmet on. At first, it had been a disaster. It had taken him a long time to adjust to the restricted field of vision, keeping his eye farther from the scope, and the constant pressure of the heavy helmet on his head. But now, he was a pro.
He grinned, though no one could see it. General Shaak Ti and Nala Se were observing his training today, and he had to deliver. Which, of course, he did. What a good morning! He grinned again.
After ten successful series, he entered the mess hall and spotted his three brothers already at a table. He grabbed his lunch — space nuggets today! — and couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Wrecker’s plate. He took some nuggets and joined his brothers at the table.

“Cross! There are space nuggets!!” Wrecker exclaimed so enthusiastically that some regs at a nearby table turned to stare.

Crosshair grinned. “Yeah, Wreck, I know!” he said, popping one of the nuggets into his mouth.
Looking at Hunter, he froze mid-chew.
Even though his brother had his head lowered, the bruises around his eye were unmistakable. Crosshair reached out and gently lifted Hunter’s chin. The area around his left eye was swollen and turning red and blue. Quickly, Crosshair swallowed his nugget.

“What happened?” he asked, shocked.
“Just hand-to-hand combat,” Hunter muttered, avoiding his gaze.
“Practically speaking, one could call it hand-to-hand combat if you’re fighting your trainer. Technically, I’d strongly advise against repeating it, as you’d lose on both fronts: physically, as seen, and emotionally, if they decommission you,” Tech said quietly.
Crosshair stared first at Tech, then at Hunter.

“You have beaten your trainer?!”

Hunter pulled his head lower between his shoulders as he maltreated his nuggets with his fork without actually eating. Crosshair leaned back, crossed his arms and fixed his older brother with a sharp look.
“Hunter, what were you thinking? You know what the trainers here are like! They're just looking for a reason to take you down.”
“I... I just lost my temper, okay?” mumbled Hunter. “He humiliated me, pushed me around, and then... then he laughed at me when I was down. I just couldn't take it anymore.”
Crosshair snorted, but something like understanding flickered in his eyes. Tech put his datapad aside and looked at Hunter sternly.
“That was unwise, Hunter. But perhaps you can still turn the situation to your advantage.”
“How?” Hunter asked bitterly.
“By proving that you are not only an excellent strategist, but that you also have unshakeable resilience. These people don't respect emotions, but they do respect results. Fight smart, not impulsively.” Hunter nodded slowly, but the weight of the words weighed heavily on him. He knew Tech was right, but the fatigue and constant humiliation were sapping his strength. Wrecker, who had been eating in silence, suddenly placed a large hand on Hunter's shoulder.
“We've got your back, Hunt. If they tackle you again, I'll come in there and clear the whole place up!”
Hunter couldn't help but grin. Wrecker had always managed to make him laugh, no matter how difficult the situation was.
Tech cleared his throat and changed the subject: “I've discovered some interesting patterns in the reg training data. We could use it to anticipate their moves and counter strategically. I'll show you later, Hunter.”
Crosshair grinned wryly. “Or we could just shoot them all down. I'm still better than any of them.”
“Cross, I don't think that's the kind of strategy General Shaak Ti would support,” Tech replied dryly.
“Maybe not, but it would be damn effective.”

*

After lunch, it was off to the training hall for the four brothers. This time it was a course designed to test speed, precision and teamwork. Hunter stood with his brothers in front of the starting point, his heart pounding in his chest. The regs from the other group against them gave them mocking looks, one of them making a snide gesture in Hunter's direction.
“Take it easy,” Crosshair muttered when he noticed.
“I am calm,” Hunter replied, even though his jaw was tense.

The siren blared and the training began.
Hunter leapt into motion, ducked under a barrier and shot a marker with perfect timing. Wrecker swept through the obstacles like a bulldozer while Tech analyzed the best route and shouted instructions. Crosshair, always precise, hit every shot before the Regs could even raise their weapons.
Together they worked their way through the course, and although Hunter felt the exhaustion with every step, he gritted his teeth. He couldn't afford to lag behind his brothers.

“Three more targets and we'll be the first to reach the door!” Tech shouted as they neared the end. Hunter set off at a sprint, but suddenly he heard a sharp hiss. A Reg from the other group had deliberately fired his blaster charge in Hunter's direction, even though shooting at the other group was of course forbidden.
Hunter narrowly dodged, but lost his balance and landed hard on the ground. His head rumbled and he blurred to see the Regs laughing. But before they could enjoy themselves any more, the initiator was hit by a well-aimed shot to the chest - from Crosshair.

“Oops,” Crosshair said dryly, without making a face, and helped Hunter to his feet.
“Thanks,” Hunter muttered, trying to suppress the anger in his chest.
“Don't give them a reason to laugh,” Crosshair replied curtly.
Thanks to their skill and good teamwork, they managed to win this round of training. Crosshair mumbled something about “That was obvious”, while the regs of the same age crept past them with their heads bowed.

*

That evening, after training, the brothers sat exhausted in their bunk. Hunter leaned against the wall while Tech worked on his datapad and Wrecker played with Lula. Crosshair was quietly cleaning his rifle.
Hunter felt his eyes drift shut when Crosshair suddenly asked, “What do you want to do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“The regs, the trainers, all this crap. Do you always just want to fight back or do you want to better than them?”
Hunter lifted his head and looked Crosshair in the eye.
“I want to prove I've got what it takes.”
“Then get started. Tomorrow. Show them they can't break you.”
Hunter nodded slowly. “Tomorrow.”

He knew it wouldn't be easy, but with his brothers by his side, he felt ready. Tomorrow he would fight-for himself, for his brothers, and for what they believed in.
He shifted his position, laid his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. Everything hurt. Every muscle in his body ached, but the support of his brothers warmed his insides. He could still hear someone saying his name, but his body was already so heavy and he couldn't manage to open his eyes again. After all, tomorrow was another day. The last thing he felt was someone covering him and gently stroking his head.

Chapter Text

He was sitting on a cushion on the floor. His eyes closed; his legs crossed. His arms hung relaxed at his sides; his hands rested on his knees. Surprisingly, he didn't hate it. The silence in the room slowed his thoughts down a little. Only his own and the other breaths were audible to him.
"I sense great chaos in you, cadet. Your thoughts are racing, your mind is out of balance."
No shit. He knew that himself. He didn't need to be a Jedi for that, like his counterpart.
"I remember carrying you a lot when you were a tubie, Hunter."
Perplexed, he opened his eyes. Excuse me?
When General Shaak-Ti saw the look on his face, she smiled indulgently.
"I'm sure you don't remember, but you cried and screamed so much in your first year. Now we know that everything was probably too loud, too bright, just too much for you. As a tubie, you still perceive your environment very differently. I carried you in my arms for hours and spoke to you quietly until you finally fell asleep. I could feel the same chaos in you then as I can now. Would you like to tell me what's bothering you?"
Hunter's cheeks turned slightly red. He was carried in the arms of a Jedi a few years ago?
"I... I don't know exactly what's wrong with me. I often feel so angry when I'm treated unfairly," Hunter said truthfully. Lying to a Jedi was never a good idea. "Which, unfortunately, happens quite often." he added quietly.
Shaak-Ti nodded. "I understand. Do you sometimes get that angry with your brothers?"
"Never! Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. They are the most important part of my life!"
Shaak-Ti nodded again. "Tell me about your training. Your teammates in the commando group and your trainers."
Ugh. Hunter didn't know where to start.

*

He'd been gone for three hours now. Crosshair grumbled in annoyance. He sat on his bunk and cleaned his rifle. For the third time. He wanted to give his fingers something to do. The general had picked Hunter up after dinner. Of course, Crosshair was grateful that Shaak-Ti had taken care of Hunter and was thus able to prevail over Nala Se, who would certainly have preferred to put Hunter directly on the examination table and pick his brain. A few sessions with a Jedi as punishment for messing with his trainer sounded more pleasant. Or not?
Secretly, however, he and Wrecker had congratulated Hunter on having finally punched the bastard in the face. Hunter had told them exactly what had happened in training yesterday and that he simply couldn't take it any more after the second unfair action by a reg against him. Hunter had complained loudly to his coach about how he could continue to take a beating after the fight was over. His trainer had just looked at him disapprovingly and said that droids wouldn't just stop fighting on the battlefield either. And that he should stop whining like a tubie.
When his opponent started laughing gleefully, Hunter started kicking his shin so hard that the reg howled and tried to push Hunter away. Hunter continued fighting until two strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders from behind. But in his rage, he had lashed out with his elbows, breaking the nose of one of his trainers and bruising the ribs of the other. A well-aimed punch from the third trainer on his cheekbone and the subsequent headlock ended his outburst of rage.
Crosshair had to grin. He would have loved to have been there and thrown himself into the fray with him. Why did this always happen without him? Deep in thought, he now realized that Wrecker was standing in front of him. He looked up and saw the big man nervously stepping from one foot to the other.
"What's the matter, Wreck?"
"Can we talk for a minute?"
Crosshair nodded in surprise and slid to the side. If Wrecker was asking like that, then something was bothering him. He leaned his rifle against the wall and looked questioningly at his brother, who sat down next to him.
"Well, so... do you think the long necks... you know... are punishing Hunter for what he did?" Wrecker asked quietly.
"No, I don't think so. He is having his sessions with the Jedi, that should be enough. Why ask?"
"Don't you think they'll...you know...decommission Hunter and then we'll get someone new?"
Crosshair looked at him with wide eyes. "Where did you come up with such nonsense? Hunter's not getting decommissioned!"
Wrecker wrung his hands nervously. He whispered barely audibly, "What if they split us up? Put each of us in a different division? Tech had mentioned something like that once..."
Crosshair couldn't believe his ears. "Tech!" He barked so loudly that Tech flinched in his bunk. "Where did you get the kriffing idea to tell Wrecker that we might be split up?"
Tech rose, walked slowly to Crosshair's bunk, and sat on the floor in front. "It wasn't my own idea, Crosshair. The Kaminoans have gone down this path mentally, as I recently read in one of their secret files about us. According to this, there are scenarios that say that the effectiveness of our enhancements would be higher if they were split between four different battalions. We wouldn't be our own squad, but members of four special troops. So, Wrecker's fears should be taken seriously."
Crosshair went cold. He couldn't possibly be serious! "Does Hunter know about this?"
"Of course he does. He was the first one I told. You can imagine how angry he was. Still, there's nothing we can do about these mind games at the moment."
Wrecker whimpered softly and leaned on Crosshair's shoulder. He stroked his back reassuringly. "Don't worry, Wrecker, it won't happen! Hunter will never let that happen!"
Tech and he exchanged a look. Both kept it to themselves that Hunter probably wouldn't have any influence on this.

*

It was already bedtime when Shaak-Ti dropped him off in front of his barracks and said goodbye. His head was surprisingly empty and there was no sign of anger anywhere. The hour of meditation at the end of their session had probably done something after all. He entered quietly and found his brothers already asleep. He checked that Tech wasn't lying on any of his wires, that Lula hadn't fallen out of Wrecker's bed and that Crosshair was properly tucked in. Of course he wasn't. Hunter sighed and carefully pulled the blanket over his brother's shoulders.
The next few days flew by. If Hunter had hoped to be transferred to another training group, he was mistaken. He asked Shaak-Ti in one of the sessions whether that would be possible, but she only told him in her typical Jedi riddle language that he had to accept the unpleasant things in his life too and get on with it.
If he had been tolerated by some regs before, he was now down with everyone. His coaches either stared at him angrily or ignored him completely. He sometimes sat on the sidelines for entire training sessions because he was simply ignored. Nobody wanted to fight with him, nobody wanted to train with him, nobody wanted to talk to him. The training days with the commando group were pure horror. Hunter was even more pleased to finally be able to train with his brothers again this afternoon. This time, an ambush was to be practiced. The aim was to get to the hill without being discovered by the droids. When Hunter read the briefing, he laughed out loud. When he showed it to Tech and Crosshair, they laughed out loud too. Wrecker looked at the three of them in confusion. Hunter handed Wrecker the datapad. When he was finished, he exclaimed loudly, "Aww man, not again!" He hated covert missions. So much.
"How the hell is Wrecker supposed to climb up a hill without being seen?" asked Crosshair. Wrecker shrugged discouragedly. Tech also looked questioningly at Hunter.
"Don't worry, Wrecker! We'll find a way, I promise!" Hunter cheered him up, patting him gently on the back. Although he didn't know what their trainers had in mind either. He was just glad that their group was being trained by two older clones and not the bounty hunters. Though he realized that probably all Tipoca City knew about his attack on the trainers.
As they entered the training area, Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. They had raised the privacy blocks so that Wrecker could fit behind them without being seen immediately. The high ground was on the opposite side. He saw artificial climbing vines on both sides. So they actually had to climb. The training droids were already scattered everywhere between them and their destination, but still offline. The clock above showed a countdown of two minutes until the start. Hunter turned to his brothers, and they formed a circle.
"New plan: 19. Here's what we're going to do..."
He liked plan 19, a lot. Using his datapad and a hijacked droid, Tech was able to access the circuits of all the droids and changed their programming so that they reacted to loud noises and automatically turned in their direction. After that it was a piece of cake. From a safe distance, Wrecker kept throwing pieces of the disassembled droid to the right side of the training area. While all the droids turned in that direction, the four teenagers were able to sneak past on the other side. At the end it was a close call again when Wrecker bravely climbed up the artificial vine and snapped one of them. He fell the four meters he had already climbed back to the ground and Hunter pushed him and himself against the wall to avoid being seen. Wordlessly, he encouraged him to try again, and with Tech and Crosshair's help from above, he made it. Hunter was the last to formally jump up the vine, which earned him an appreciative look from his brothers and especially Crosshair. At least that's what he thought, and he smiled under his helmet as he pressed the buzzer and the training was over.
The boys took off their helmets and Hunter looked up. In addition to their two trainers, Nala Se, General Shaak-Ti and, to Hunter's surprise, ARC Commander Colt could also be seen on the spectator level today. The latter came down together with their trainers. They saluted properly with their helmets under their arms.
"You've grown up! I still remember the little boy who wanted to keep the nexu so badly." he greeted Hunter with a smile.
Hunter smiled back. He also remembered his first off-world mission well and fondly.
"I heard from the general," he nodded to Shaak-Ti beside him, "that you're not having an easy time right now. Not that you ever had one in the commando group, heh? But your performance just now was very impressive! Making the droids work to your advantage was brilliant!" Colt said, looking appreciatively at Tech.
Hunter just nodded. Finally, some positive feedback for his guys.
General Shaak-Ti also spoke up. "I can only agree with the Commander. The development of your team is very satisfactory."
"I don't think further measures are necessary, do you, General?" Colt asked Shaak-Ti.
Further measures? Hunter raised his head questioningly.
"No, Commander. I think Hunter will learn his lesson in the sessions with me."
So that's where the wind is blowing from. Colt wanted to make sure he didn't freak out again. He spoke up, even though he wasn't asked.
"Sir, I...I am working much better with my brothers than I do with the other clones."
"Yes, Hunter, I can see that. But you will still have to work with other squads and battalions in the future. And if we can't be sure that you can subordinate yourself and follow orders from other clones, then we may not be able to take the risk of giving you free rein with your squad." Colt replied seriously. "We'll see how that develops over the next few months. It was good to see you again."
With that, he turned and left the training area. And Hunter had the feeling that they still had a long way to go.

*

"Don't hang your head like that. We did very well today, and Colt knows that too," Crosshair tried to cheer his brother up. Colt's words had given the successful afternoon a bitter aftertaste. Why was he judging them anyway? He didn't even know them. He scooted a little closer to his brother, who was sitting next to him on his bunk, playing with one of his countless knives, lost in thought. Their shoulders and thighs were now lightly touching, giving him a warm feeling in his stomach. Wrecker had already gone to bed and was slumbering quietly.
"Of course, Commander Colt knows that we work very well as a team. That's why he didn't criticize the team itself, but Hunter's leadership qualities." Tech said without looking up from his datapad. Hunter's shoulders slumped even lower. "Well done, Tech!" thought Crosshair angrily.
But Tech did not stop. "I've already explained to you that there will be consequences for your actions with your trainer. We can only hope that General Shaak-Ti puts in a good word for you, otherwise they might well separate our squad now. Before we've ever been on the battlefield."
"That's enough, Tech." Crosshair growled dangerously.
Tech lifted his eyes from his datapad in surprise. "That was an observation, Crosshair, not a judgment."
"Whatever, Tech. We should get some sleep." Hunter muttered.
Tech nodded, lay down on his bunk and turned out the light with his datapad.
Crosshair sat motionless, ready to cheer their brother up. He sensed that Tech's words hurt him deeply, but he was determined to help. He knew his intelligent brother never did it on purpose, because Tech, like here, didn't even know what damage his words could do. He tried praise first. "I thought you did really well today. The plan was smart, we got Wrecker through safely and accomplished our goal. Colt praised you, and that's all that matters." Hunter nodded, but kept his eyes on the twirling knife in his hands, thinking hard. Good, so he had to come up with something more to boost his spirits. "I'm serious! We can't let the regs drag us down and make us look bad. They all know how good we are already. We're the best squad the GAR will ever produce!"
The knife stopped spinning and Hunter turned his upper body towards it. "You don't get it, do you?" Hunter asked, his voice a soft growl. "If we keep going like this, there will be no 'we', Crosshair! We'll never become a real squad and go to war if they don't trust us!" He glared angrily at his brother to back up his words. Crosshair backed away a little, hurt. How could he say something like that?
"Hey, sorry about getting so upset. I didn't mean to go after you like that. I'm just so angry right now. I don't even know how to deal with it. I'm starting to think the General's meditations aren't as helpful as they were before..."Hunter slumped back against the wall, feeling a bit down.
"I promise we'll get through this. We'll get a squad and every battalion will hear about us! I'll always be by your side and support you." Crosshair didn't know why, but he wanted to back up his promise and show Hunter that he meant it. He leaned in, took Hunter's face in both hands, and kissed him. A kiss would confirm the promise. He placed his lips lightly on Hunter's, closed his eyes automatically and waited with a pounding heart to see what was about to happen.

Chapter Text

Hunter felt like time stood still when Crosshair's lips touched his and his fingers gently gripped his jaw. His brother's lips felt surprisingly warm and soft, and he wasn't sure if it was his own heartbeat or his brother's that was racing like this.After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again, which he hadn't even realized he had closed automatically. They slowly separated and stared at each other, neither brother moving for fear of ruining this intimate moment.
After a bit, Crosshair's lips curved into a small smile — a real smile, not forced or anything. His eyes sparkled in the dim light.

Stars, he was so gorgeous.

Hunter was at a loss for words. He wanted to say something clever or funny, but he didn't know what.Words weren't his strong skill; he preferred to let his actions speak for themselves.He lifted his right hand and placed it carefully on Crosshair's cheek.Crosshair nuzzled into the hand.

"We'll stay together forever, right?"
Crosshair nodded.
"Promise?"
"I promise, Hunt."

That night, they slept together in the same bed for what felt like years. They were both crammed into each other, but they didn't care. Hunter had his head on Crosshair's chest, their legs were all tangled up, and Crosshair's arms were wrapped around Hunter. They were both sleeping so soundly in each other's warmth that Kamino's wake-up siren rudely jolted them awake. Hunter didn't want to get up. He would give anything to stay in his comfy, warm position, wrapped up in Crosshair's unique scent.But he hadn't counted on his brother.Wrecker looked into Crosshair's bunk and let out a frustrated sound.

"Awww man, you made a cuddle pile without me? Well, watch out!"
Hunter turned his head to answer Wrecker, but the last thing he saw was the light of Kamino dimming and a large figure throwing itself at Crosshair and him.

*

The next few days were surprisingly uneventful. There was little provocation from the regs, his individual training went just fine, and they had a good time together as brothers morning and night. Hunter still had to attend his meditation session with the general every evening, so he only returned late at night. He hadn't had a chance to talk to his brother about their first kiss yet, but he knew they weren't big talkers. He'd rather show than tell, and he'd done some research on how to kiss properly, using your tongue and all that. It always looked so easy in the holovids, but he got nervous every time he thought about shoving his tongue into Hunter's mouth. Did it just happen? Or did you need a certain technique? He had no idea, and he just hoped there'd be a chance to try it out with Hunter alone. But he didn't want to rule out Wrecker and Tech either. He forced himself to wait patiently.

But as days went by, he got more and more disappointed. He had the feeling that Hunter was withdrawing more and more. Every time he came back, he went straight to his own bed without checking on him again. In the mess hall, Hunter just poked at his food listlessly and didn't really participate in Tech and Wrecker's conversations, which were mostly about trivial stuff. In the evenings, he'd usually sit with Tech at the table in their barracks and stare off into the distance, lost in thought, at Kamino's dark ocean looming behind the glass.
Crosshair figured something was up with him. Today he'd talk to him about it when he got back from General Shaak-Ti's session.

"Why are you sitting on Hunter's bunk?" Wrecker asked.
Kriff. What was he supposed to say? He had to come up with an excuse. "It's more comfortable."
"Really? Did he get a softer mattress?" Without waiting for an answer, Wrecker threw himself onto the empty seat next to his brother and wiggled his backside to try it out. "Feels just as hard as mine!"
"You don't say, Wreck!" Crosshair laughed. "I'm waiting here for Hunter."
"Why?"
What was he supposed to say to that? That he would like to kiss him again? He grinned.
"You know, Wreck," he began, "Hunter and I...have a secret."
Wrecker's eyes grew wide. "What secret?"
Crosshair winked. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore."
"Oh, come on! I won't tell anyone either!"
Tech snorted amusedly from his place at the table, where he was once again tinkering with some invention.
Crosshair laughed softly. "Okay, then. You know...Hunter and I..." He paused, looking at Wrecker seriously.
"We secretly play a game of sabacc at night without you!"
"What, really? How can you do this to me?" Wrecker said, sounding shocked.
Crosshair grinned again .He knew it was a good idea not to tell the truth—not yet, at least. Until he was sure how his brothers would react, he thought it best not to tell them about his feelings for Hunter or the kiss.
"We'll wake you up next time, I promise!" he said, stroking Wrecker's broad back affectionately.

They chatted for a while longer when the automatic door opened quietly and Hunter entered. Crosshair could tell something was really bothering him just by looking at Hunter's face.
"You're back, Hunter!" Wrecker shouted enthusiastically and stood up. "How was the Jedi meditation?"
"Good." Hunter mumbled absently and sat down at the table next to Tech.
The genius looked up from his mess of wires, cables, and datapads. "You look worried. Did you get a negative review from the general?"
Hunter shook his head and nibbled on the ration bar they'd snuck out of the mess hall for him.
"Did something else happen?" Wrecker asked cautiously.
The answer was another shake of the head.

Crosshair didn't like that at all. His brother could be stubborn sometimes. It'd be difficult to get anything out of him today. He had to use another approach he was very familiar with, even if he was inwardly resisting it: provocation.

"You sure everything's okay? Can you use the Force yet? Make things fly?" he asked, amused.
He got a sharp look from his brother in response, but hey, at least that was a reaction.
So let's just move on.
"Or are you secretly hiding your lightsaber from us?"
"Stop that crap, Crosshair!" Hunter said angrily.

Tech and Wrecker didn't say anything, which was typical for when the two of them were arguing. Neither of them wanted to get caught in the middle.

"Oh, come on. Shaak-Ti has surely shown you some of her mind tricks! What am I thinking at this moment?"

He sensed Hunter's anger and braced himself for the inevitable brawl. But that was good. Hunter could let out some pent-up energy, and he'd surely be calmer and ready to talk afterwards.
“Or do something else with his mouth…” Crosshair thought with a grin.

As his brother stood up, he tensed his body for the impact.

But to his horror, Hunter ran towards the door without turning around again and was through it faster than he could react.

Kriff.

*

The rain was still falling on the dome, and somehow it made him feel more relaxed.
"At least one thing hasn't changed," he thought bitterly.
He was sitting on one of Tipoca City's high balconies, looking at the small device in his hand. He hadn't planned on using it, but he felt really torn up right now. Everyone expected so much of him, and he wasn't sure if he could meet those expectations.

There was Tech. He had criticized Hunter’s behavior a few days earlier, and it was weighing on him. He wanted to do everything right, but Tech was right. He had to be a role model and slip-ups like hitting his trainer weren't allowed.

Then there was Wrecker. Crosshair had filled him in on their conversation, and Hunter was pretty worried about Wrecker. He didn't want the big guy to be scared. Hunter had to get himself together and show Wrecker that everything was going to be okay.

And then there was Crosshair. Hunter let out a sigh. He was unsure how that kriffing kiss changed their relationship. Were they…together? A... couple? When you kissed, it meant something, didn't it? It had been perfect, but he also knew there was so much more he wanted to try with Crosshair. But does his brother even want to?

Then there was General Shaak-Ti. He'd spent eight of his ten evening sessions with her and learned a lot. He wasn't sure exactly how meditating with the Force worked, but the hour of absolute silence did him good. He was able to sort out his thoughts and had a clearer head afterwards. However, the general had made it clear that he would have to continue meditating in the future if he wanted to get his feelings and thoughts under control. But when would he find time for that?

He still had to figure out his trainer situation. Hunter knew he needed to have a talk to clear things up if he wanted to finish his training. They were still giving him the silent treatment, and it was getting to him.

Colt's words also made his heart heavy. If the ARC Commander doubted that Hunter would make a good leader for his squad, then they wouldn't be allowed to ship out in a year, but he really wanted to! He hadn't spent the last five years of his life training so hard for this to fail just before the finish line.

Determined, he grabbed the small device and dialed the memorized com frequency.

*

He rubbed his face tiredly. Cody didn't know exactly when he had last slept deeply. He kept himself afloat with short naps here and there, but he knew it was getting tight. He yawned heartily and looked at the datapad in front of him again. Rex had sent him his suggested offensive strategy and tomorrow they would discuss with their Jedi Generals the best way to attack the Separatist nest. By then, he had to have worked through Rex's proposal as well as come up with his own ideas. He was reading into the first phase when his com beeped. His eyes wandered to the small device on his forearm and he frowned. An unfamiliar frequency. Not in the mood for unnecessary banter from some of his brothers, he ignored it and turned back to the datapad.

"Where was I? ... Ah yes right, phase one."

He was reading a sentence when his com beeped again, this time announcing an incoming message. He sighed in annoyance and opened the message on the same frequency as before. As he scanned the message, his eyes widened and he smiled. He really hadn't expected Hunter and had forgotten all about the gift of com. He pressed the callback button and waited.

*

Cody would surely read his message in a quiet minute and perhaps have a tip for him. If he remembered him at all. Hunter turned back to the wide expanse of Kamino's ocean and tried to get his heartbeat under control. Startled, he flinched when his comm rang, indicating an incoming call from Cody's frequency. With trembling fingers, he answered the call.

"He...hello?"
"Hunter? Hey, it's Cody. You were trying to contact me?"
"Yes, uhm, hello, sir." Hunter's mouth suddenly felt so dry. What had he been thinking, calling Cody?
Sometimes he really was an idiot.
"What can I do for you, cadet?"
"Well, uhm...I wanted to ask you for advice, like you promised me back then."
"Of course. What's it about?"

And then Hunter told him. About everything. Well, almost everything. He preferred to keep the Crosshair thing to himself. Who knows if Cody would tolerate it. Maybe he would report it directly to someone. When he finished, he waited. But there was silence on the other end. "Are you still there?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes, I am." Silence again for a few moments. Long moments. Hunter's heart sank into his stomach.

Had he made a mistake?

"You hit your trainer?"
"It was an accident! I meant to hit the reg..."
"That doesn't make it any better, Hunter." He heard Cody sigh deeply. "Can I be honest?"
Hunter nodded until he remembered that Cody couldn't see him. "Yes, sir."
"Your situation is worrying, to be honest. I had hoped you would have taken my advice and gotten along better with other cadets by now, but it seems things have gotten worse. That's not nice, but it's not surprising either. However, allowing yourself to be provoked to the point of attacking your trainers, intentionally or not, is not acceptable."

As Hunter murmured a few words of agreement, Cody continued. "I have to agree with Colt. If you can't follow orders and can't submit to authority, then you've got a real problem, Hunter. The Kaminoans might declare you unfit for duty, no matter how good you are."

Hunter remained silent. He didn't know what he had hoped for. A marshal commander would hardly tell him that he was doing everything right. Of course, he agreed with Colt. It didn't matter if he had gotten along well with Cody so far. He was still a commander officer.

"What should I do now?" Hunter asked meekly.

Cody was silent again for what felt like an eternity. When Hunter thought he wasn't going to get an answer, Cody replied.

His voice sounded serious, and his words were harsh.

Hunter's eyes grew wide. He had to pull himself together to keep from sobbing quietly.

"Did you understand that?"

"…yes, sir."

Chapter Text

"What do you mean?! This is the worst thing that can happen to us!"
"Calm down, Crosshair. The commander is right. We have to prove that we can also work under regs."
"How is Cody supposed to know what's good for us? He hasn't seen you for ages and he doesn't even know us!" Crosshair's voice almost broke. He was rarely this emotional, but he simply couldn't believe what Hunter was saying. And how his brother could remain so calm. "How are you going to explain this to Tech and Wrecker, eh?"
"They'll understand if we explain it. We have to stay calm and show that we can do it."
Crosshair snorted at these words. Sure, he thought sarcastically. Wrecker would certainly not understand it any more than he did.
"What is this actually about? Are you trying to impress Cody or what?" He felt a stab of jealousy in his chest. He knew Hunter had a crush on Cody, if only a little. At least, that's how it had been when Cody had taken him on that stupid off-world mission a year and a half ago.

"It's not about Cody!" Hunter's voice had gotten louder, too. So loud that in the gym, where they were sitting on mats, some distant regs who were doing strength training on the machines turned around and stared at them both. The tips of Hunter's ears turned slightly red. "I don't care about Cody right now." he continued more quietly. "But what he told me is true. I'll never get along well with my command group and I certainly won't follow orders from those idiots because they're no better and have as little experience as I do. But I would follow orders from experienced leaders who fight in war every day. Any of us would, because we can respect them. Because they've already done something important." When Crosshair didn't answer, Hunter continued. "Please, Cross. I think this can be a very good opportunity for us to show how good we are. And that we can follow orders from regs we respect."
"What if the longnecks judge this little experiment to be 'too good'?"
"I'll talk to the general about it. She'll stand up for us, I'm sure of it."
"Mhm. If you say so..."
"Cross?" Only when Crosshair looked up at him did he continue. "I can only do this if I know you're at my back. And believe that this will work." Hunter put on his best puppy eyes. "Please!"
How the hell was he supposed to say no? He had always trusted his brother, no matter what it was about.
"All right."
"Thank you! You're the best!" Hunter grinned with relief and gently squeezed Crosshair's shoulder.

*

After their free time in the gym, both boys had to go to their individual training in the afternoon. Crosshair's schedule today included shooting in dark environments, while Hunter went through special emergency operations with the commando group. Wrecker got to play in the bomb lab all day, building various new bomb kits, while Tech's lessons included hacking security doors. The four brothers would meet again for dinner.

"If only it were already time..." Hunter thought. This was the fourth time they had gone through the emergency procedure when a Venator Class Jedi Cruiser was attacked. Since they wanted it to be as realistic as possible, the program also simulated the red emergency flashing lights and the corresponding siren. The resulting stimuli were too much for Hunter's enhanced senses and gave him a severe headache.

"In the event of a red warning light, the control of the Venator Class is automatically transferred to the autopilot system. To execute manual maneuvering, the first helmsman is required to input a specific key combination. The commander's responsibility is to verify the transition from autopilot to manual control by entering their unique code..."
Hunter listened to the bounty hunter only half-heartedly. He would probably only take the seargent exam and therefore not have a commander's role. Hell, he probably wouldn't even get an individual verification code.

"In the event that the cruiser has already been infiltrated, the commander bears the responsibility of apprehending and halting the intruders in the absence of the general. This obligation must be fulfilled by employing all available means. A Jedi Cruiser is not to be abandoned under any circumstances. In the face of such an attack, it is imperative to fight to the last, even if it results in your own death. Dying while defending one's cruiser is not only a mark of honor, but also a duty in such circumstances..."

His mind wandered to Cody's words from last night. At first, he hadn't been able to believe what Cody had suggested. But the longer the night went on and the more he had thought about it, the more coherent the idea had seemed to him. The fact that he hadn't slept for a second was now becoming apparent. He disguised a hearty yawn as a cough and tried to refocus on the here and now.

"Enough theory. We'll now move on to the practical part. Some of you will be the crew of the cruiser, others the intruders. Off to the training ship!"

Hunter stood up and trotted after the regs. He didn't have to guess who he was portraying. They arrived at their destination: the command center. The Kaminoans had actually managed to recreate a small section of a Jedi Cruiser in one of Tipoca City's halls. The command center and bridge had been recreated exactly. From there, a branching network of corridors had been constructed, each in a hangar, the engine room and various storage rooms. However, the replica had no ceilings, so that the trainers could see everything that was going on from a high gallery.

"CC-8900, you start as commander. CC-7129, first helmsman. CC-6709, CC-7801, CC-7345 and CC-7111, you are the rest of the bridge crew. CC-8234 and CT-9901, you are the intruders with a separate task. The aim is to stabilize the cruiser after the attack and to confront the intruders in t-10 minutes. Blasters on stun. Questions?"

General shaking of heads signaled that all tasks were understood. The regs took their places in the command center while Hunter and the other reg, Lux, were led away. He, too, had fallen out of favor by performing worse than his reg brothers.

"CC-8234, you are starting in one of the storage rooms. CT-9901, you are starting in the hangar. As soon as the attack siren goes off, you may move freely. Your goal is to reach the engine room and disable the engine by shutting down the system. If one of you succeeds, which I highly doubt," a disapproving look for both of you, "then a reward awaits you. You have two minutes to agree on a course of action."
Hunter would like to roll his eyes. Discuss a course of action?! Lux was not directly in the group of arrogant regs, but he was still one of them, and would sacrifice Hunter, like everyone else, as cannon fodder to increase his prestige in front of the trainers.
And he began. "You're smaller and faster, so we should try to use you as a distraction. You can give them the slip while I make my way to the engine room."
Hunter briefly thought about telling the reg that he could take his distraction elsewhere but changed his mind. So he just nodded.
"Good, then take the path towards the bridge and lure them into the other part of the ship so that I have a clear path."
Hunter nodded again.
"Not so talkative today, are you? Not only defective but also dumb?" he continued to provoke.
Hunter breathed calmly as he felt the familiar anger rising inside him. He couldn't make any mistakes now.
"Shut up and prepare yourself," he said curtly with a nod in the direction of the two trainers who were approaching them both. The reg wanted to say something back, but one of the trainers cut him off.
"Shut up and get to your starting position!"

Hunter was led into the hangar by one of them and got ready. He would stick to their "agreement", even if he would like to do otherwise. He thought wistfully of his brothers. How he would love to go on this almost hopeless mission with them instead of the stupid reg. Tech would barricade himself in one of the storage rooms and from there open and close the security doors as they needed. Wrecker would build a bomb and detonate it remotely so the regs would think they were in that part of the ship. Crosshair would be able to see around corners with one of his mirrors and guide Hunter. Together they would make it, he was so sure of it. He sighed. He didn't have much more time to think when he saw the red light flicker and heard the shrill siren signaling the start of the exercise.

*

"Wrecker, I didn't say you were eating too much! I just pointed out that, according to the measurements, you're not having a growth spurt at the moment and therefore need to watch what you eat..."
Crosshair laughed softly, which earned him a hard peck from his brother. "Stop laughing, Crosshair! Tell Tech he's wrong!"
"Technically, there's a 4.8% chance I'm wrong. Even Crosshair's opinion has no influence on that, Wrecker!"
"But I'm hungry!" howled Wrecker.
Their bickering continued. Crosshair's gaze kept wandering to the front door. Hunter had not yet returned from his training. However, he didn't see the rest of the commando group right away, which reassured him a little.
"Crosshair, is everything okay?" asked Wrecker.
"Yeah, yeah...I'm just wondering where Hunter has been for so long. Tech, could you hack into his training log?"
Tech gave him a disapproving look. "Of course I could."
Crosshair rolled his eyes. "Would you please do it now?"
"Of course. Just a moment." Tech's fingers flew over his datapad so fast that Crosshair was getting a little dizzy. His brother really was a nerd.
"It seems Hunter's training group simulated an...um...emergency in a Jedi Cruiser today. Hunter's role was...wait...along with another reg, the role of the intruder. It seems he was successful. It was noted here, and I quote: 'CT-9901, in the role of intruder, was able to successfully sabotage the engine room and shut down the Venator's systems.’ The other regs thus failed to bring the situation under control."
"Hell, yeah!" Wrecker exclaimed happily and banged the table so hard that one of the cups fell over. "Hunter is simply the best!" Some of the regs sitting at the next table gave them a dirty look.
Crosshair smiled. He could picture exactly how Hunter had quietly crept through the corridors and lured the regs onto false trails. He could be sneaky as hell.
Tech read on. "Apparently there was a second round after that...Hunter was again in the role of the intruder, but this time alone. He didn't...manage to reach the engine room again and was caught by the regs." Tech grimaced. "He then had to be taken to the medbay."

"What?? Does it say why?" Wrecker looked up, startled.
"I assume the regs stopped him by stun bolts. You know how sensitive Hunter is to them."
Crosshair swallowed. Anger and apprehension welled up in him. "Come on, we have to get to him!"

They left the mess hall together and were just turning left towards the medbay when they heard laughter from the other side.

"Yes, that's the right direction you're going in!
"You'd better hurry if you want to see your bastard brother alive!"
"The sneaky rat deserves nothing less!"
"And you'll soon be in for it too!"

Just as Crosshair and Wrecker were about to turn and charge towards the regs, they heard a loud "HEEEEEEEEY!!!" from the hallway. Two fully grown ARC troopers stepped up to the regs and loudly told them off about why they were yelling in the hallway and insulting their brothers. The ARCs wore the typical blue of the 501st. One had the imprint of a blue hand on his chest plate, the other had a 5 tattooed on his temple.

Tech waved his datapad around. "Let's go. Crosshair! Wrecker!"

He would have liked to continue watching the regs being reprimanded, but the thought of their words sent shivers down his spine.
'Get to see him alive?'
Things weren't really that bad for him, were they? The longnecks would have informed them if something life-threatening had happened, wouldn't they?

They would, right?

RIGHT??

The three boys ran along the corridors until they reached the large door with the red cross. They stopped abruptly in front of it. None of them had ever gone to the medbay voluntarily. The memories of the examinations they had had to endure there were too fresh. But today they had no other choice. Tech went ahead and spoke to the droid standing at the entrance. After a brief exchange of words, they were let in. It smelled of disinfectant and the bright light stung Crosshair's eyes, making him squint. Some distance away, machines beeped and medics hurried through the rooms.

He hated it.

One of the medics came up to them. "What are you doing here? Are any of you injured?" He was a medical cadet, so still in training.
"We want to see our brother, CT-9901, he was injured in training." Tech's voice was surprisingly calm. Crosshair knew that his brothers were no different from him. They were almost dying of worry.
The cadet tapped around on his datapad until he apparently found what he was looking for.
"Okay, follow me."

For a reg, he was surprisingly neutral and friendly. They walked a few meters until they came to an examination room intended for acute accidents. There were several beds occupied by unconscious regs.

Hunter was lying on a bed in the back of the room.

He was having a discussion with an adult medic. Crosshair breathed a sigh of relief. He was at least well enough to discuss things. As they stepped closer, Hunter caught sight of them and his gray-brown eyes lit up.

"There are my brothers! They can take me with them and look after me!"
"I'll tell you again, cadet, I'm not going to dismiss you just like that! And if you keep arguing, you'll stay another day! I'm going to check your blood results now. Don't move from this spot!"
Crosshair grinned. Hunter was a real stubborn idiot sometimes. When the medic turned, nodded to them and left, they approached the bed.

"Hey, how are you feeling? What happened?" Tech asked, pulling out his own homemade medic scanner. He held the small device over Hunter and read the results.
"I'm fine. A few stun bolts knocked me out and I've been unconscious for hours. You know...how I react to them. And I'm sure some of the regs have kicked me then..."
"That would definitely explain the blunt injuries on your left leg...Are you in pain?"
Hunter shook his head and looked at his leg. The medics had removed his lower blacks and disinfected the partially burst bruises on his upper and lower leg but had not yet bandaged them with bacta. "I've already had two pain killers."
Tech nodded and typed something on his datapad. Crosshair sat down carefully on the edge of the cot while Wrecker leaned against the lower part of it. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. No need to worry." He glanced apologetically at Wrecker. "I tried to contact you earlier, but they wouldn't let me leave."
"It's okay, not your fault." grumbled Wrecker. "But the regs in your group said some bad things..."
Hunter rubbed his face tiredly. "Yeah, I can imagine. Such idiots. They couldn't lived with me showing them up today," he said with a laugh. Then Hunter talked about his mission and how he had tricked the regs. Although he had tried to help his comrade-in-arms out of a tight spot, he was too late for that. He also told them how his trainers had looked in disbelief and told them about the angry looks on the regs' faces. And of his reward - a second round in which he was on his own.
"Great reward." Crosshair said quietly, rolling his eyes.

He was happy that Hunter was doing well under the circumstances. Crosshair's hand naturally found its way to Hunter's healthy leg during the story and rested on his knee. He just had to touch him to make sure he was there. Halfway healthy and in a good mood.

A wave of affection swept over him.

He wanted to take him home right now, put him in his bunk and wrap his arms around him so tightly that no one could ever hurt him again.

Kriff, he was really lost.

They talked about their experiences for a while. Wrecker talked enthusiastically about his day in the bomb lab and what new discoveries he had made. Tech reported that he had learned nothing new but had at least had time for new programming. And Crosshair informed his brothers that he had been able to land almost all the night shots on target. Apart from Hunter's injury, it was a successful day for their squad.

*

A few hours later, Hunter was allowed to leave. He was ordered out of action for the next day to recover from his injuries. With the help of his brothers, he hobbled to their barracks and carefully settled down on his bunk. Despite the events of the day, he still had a bomb to drop.

"Hey guys. I have something else to tell you..."

Tech and Wrecker looked at him.

"Um, well...I was talking to Commander Cody and we were thinking about how we can show the longnecks and General Shaak-Ti that we can be subordinate to the right people. I'm sure you remember what Commander Colt said?"
Both nodded gloomily. Hunter didn't dare look in Crosshair's direction for fear of seeing rejection.
"Cody made the suggestion that we join...well...selected battalions for a period of time to prove ourselves."
"That sounds like a reasonable idea," said Tech. "Depending on the function of the battalion, one of us could certainly use our enhancements to help. That way we could show together that we can act as a squad within a group of regs."
Crosshair snorted. Tech looked at him in astonishment. "Do you disagree, Crosshair?"
"I think you've misunderstood something, Tech. We're not all being reassigned to a commander together, but individually. We’ll...be split up."
"No way!!!" Wrecker exclaimed in horror and looked questioningly at Hunter. Tech's surprised look was also directed at him.
Hunter took a deep breath. "Crosshair is right. We can show that each one of us is capable of following orders and being a good soldier. And then we'll be respected as a squad and will certainly be allowed to disembark soon."
"But...how am I supposed to...well...manage on my own without you?" Wrecker was on the verge of tears.
Hunter got up with difficulty and limped to Wrecker's bunk. "Don't worry, Wreck. You're the strongest of us all! We can always talk and it's only for a short time!" He sat down next to the big man and stroked his back lovingly. "You want to ship out soon, don't you?"
"Sure..."
"There you go." He beckoned Tech and Crosshair over as well. "Now we have to pull ourselves together and overcome this last hurdle. And after that, everything will be easier, I promise you!"
Tech and Wrecker murmured in agreement. Hunter finally looked up bravely at Crosshair. He looked at him with a mixture of admiration and rolling eyes. "Right, Crosshair?"
"Yeah..."

That night, all four boys slept in a cuddle pile on the floor. Wrecker had lifted two mattresses from the bunks onto the floor and covered them with their pillows and blankets. Hunter lay on the far right side so that he could rest his injured left leg. Crosshair lay next to him, Tech between his little brother and Wrecker. Crosshair had turned onto his side and was looking at Hunter. "I hope you're right," he whispered so as not to wake Tech and Wrecker.
"I hope so too..."
"It'll be all right..." muttered Crosshair in a raspy voice. "I was kriffing worried about you today, Hunt. The regs said you got a life-threatening injury."
To emphasize the seriousness of his words, he pulled Hunter closer to him and put his hand to his face.
Hunter smiled. "You know those idiots. They'll do anything to hurt us." After a short pause, he nuzzled his hand a little more. "But we can't be kept down."
"And you really tricked them?"
Hunter nodded slightly in his hand and moved a little closer to Crosshair so that their bodies touched. "I wish you'd been there. All three of you. Together we would have destroyed them." His eyes glowed with pride in the dark. "They wouldn't have stood a chance."
Crosshair grinned. "Nobody stands a chance against us!" He became serious again, tightening his grip on Hunter's cheek. Before they really parted, he would have to try something. "Hunt...can I...try something?"

Hunter looked at him with wide eyes. Did he know what was coming? They were so close that they could feel their breath on each other's faces.

"Y...Yes." As if in confirmation, Hunter crossed the distance between them and placed his lips on his brother's. Crosshair automatically closed his eyes and savored the feeling of the warm, soft lips on his. But this time it wasn't enough. He grabbed all his courage, opened his mouth slightly and probed carefully with his tongue. Hunter let out an astonished sound and opened his lips slightly too. Crosshair took the opportunity and tentatively stuck his tongue forward until it met Hunter's. A wave of arousal caught him off guard and rolled into his abdomen as Hunter became bolder as well, his tongue coyly lapping at his own.
His cock twitched. Heat built up in his lower belly.
Stars, that was so good!
They made out until they had to separate to greedily inhale oxygen. They smiled shyly at each other. Hunter's longer hair fell down his forehead. His lips were slightly swollen. His eyes shone in the darkness; his pupils dilated. His unique scent enveloped Crosshair. He would never forget his taste again.

Kriff, how could he ever survive a single day without him?

Chapter Text

The large hangar was a buzz of activity. There were clones busily wandering around with a datapad in their hands, inspecting broken ships. Clones carrying spare parts back and forth in large crates. Clone groups with young cadets who were probably inspecting the individual shuttles before they were allowed to take their first flying lessons. Soldiers who had just returned from a mission were laughing and looking forward to their home on Kamino. Soldiers who would soon be setting off on a new mission.

The four brothers were among them today. They stood nervously next to the entrance to the hangar and waited for their commanders. Three days ago, they had discussed everything with Cody, Colt, General Shaak-Ti and Nala Se. Hunter had secretly wondered why the Kaminoans had sent them along so easily. Normally, she fought off anything that put the four of them in danger, for fear that something would happen to their little experiments. But he didn't care about that now. He hoped that his plan would work. That his brothers would have no problems with the commanders. That they would stick to everything they had discussed over the last few days. That they had to trust their commanding officers. Although they still didn't know who was sent to which battalion. Cody, Colt and the Jedi had discussed this when the four brothers had already left.

He nervously adjusted his chest armor once again. It was still a little too big for him and he hated the white colour. All four of them would stand out like shinies in the individual battalions, which they were. Hopefully they would at least be treated like real soldiers. And not like kids.

A light elbow bump from Tech made him look up.

Commander Cody was approaching them from one of the larger ships. Instinctively, all four brothers stood at attention, their helmets clamped between their bodies and left arms, looking straight ahead. Hunter felt the adrenaline pumping through his body. Now it was getting serious.

‘At ease, boys. I can tell you're nervous enough as it is.’ He smiled. The four boys settled into a more comfortable position. Hunter looked at Cody expectantly. ‘You will be taken to your Venator Cruisers in small shuttles. Once there, you will first report to your staff sergeant in charge, who will then take you to your quarters and then to your commander.’ He paused briefly to let what he had said sink in. ‘I've spoken to my three brothers. So they know what it's all about and will involve you in the best possible way. I doubt you'll get into a real fight, though.’ Cody smiled apologetically. ‘You're still cadets, after all, and no one wants to put you in unnecessary danger.’
Crosshair snorted. Cody looked at him questioningly. ‘Do you have a problem with that, cadet?’
‘We're not kids anymore. Sir. We can fight and -’
‘Cross.’ A hissed word and a warning look from Hunter were enough to silence Crosshair. Inwardly, Hunter slapped his hands in front of his face. This was already off to a good start.
Cody smiled indulgently, though. ‘I know you're eager to put your skills to the test. And, Crosshair, I didn't say you wouldn't fight at all. Still, I expect you to understand that we won't recklessly put you in any danger. Understood?’ He looked intently at each of them until they all gave an understanding ‘Yes, sir.’

‘Good, let's get started. Wrecker.’

The man in question raised his eyes in shock. He probably hadn't expected to be addressed first.

‘You are assigned to the 327th Star Corps under Jedi General Aayla Secura and my brother, Commander Bly. It is a typical infantry unit that is mainly deployed on the outer rim of the galaxy. They could really use a bomb expert like you, Wrecker, as they are a multi-purpose unit that can be deployed in almost any territory.’

Hunter didn't know this unit, but if Cody had chosen it, he had to trust him that Wrecker would be in good hands. He leant forwards slightly and smiled encouragingly at Wrecker. He returned his smile tentatively.

‘Tech. We'll send you to Coruscant.’ All four brothers looked up at Cody questioningly. ‘But...this isn't theoretically a battalion, rather-’
‘Yes, I know, but the Coruscant Guard, under the leadership of my brother Commander Fox, will greatly appreciate your work. They especially need help with the technical evaluation and analysis of surveillance droids, and your enhancements and quick thinking are perfect for that.’

‘Very well.‘ Tech replied neutrally.

What exactly was going on in his brother's mind at that moment, Hunter could not say for sure. Even here on Kamino, people were hearing things from Coruscant. Both positive and negative. But clearly more negative. So he asked cautiously. ‘There are rumours from Coruscant, sir. My brother will be... safe, won't he?’
‘Of course, Hunter. Tech won't be patrolling the streets, if that's what you mean.’
Hunter nodded with relief.

‘Crosshair.’ He winced a little at the harsh mention of his name. ‘You will be assigned to the 212th Attack Battalion under the leadership of Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ Cody smiled amusedly. ‘And you'd better get in good with your commander.’
‘Happy me.’ muttered Crosshair so quietly that only Hunter could hear him. Hunter laughed and gave him a pat on the back. He could indeed count himself lucky. Hunter had secretly hoped that Cody would take him himself, but he knew that this would not have the desired effect. He knew that he would submit to Cody without argument. It was all about interacting with unknown regs.

’What was that?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Crosshair said louder this time, in his best soldier's manner. Cody nodded with satisfaction, although he must have heard Crosshair's slightly sarcastic undertone.

‘And lastly: Hunter.’ His gaze focussed on Cody. His heartbeat quickened. ‘You will be assigned to the 104th Battalion under the leadership of Jedi General Plo Koon and my brother, Commander Wolffe.’ Hunter's eyes widened. Tech had helped him learn the most important milestones of the clone wars some time ago. Among them had been the destruction of the entire fleet by the Malevolence, and Hunter remembered that only a few clones of that unit had survived with their Jedi. Wolffe was one of them.

‘Wolffe can be a little... unapproachable at times, but I'm sure you'll get along fine.’ Cody looked at him with a mixture of pity and encouragement. More quietly, he said, ‘Don't ever talk to him about his eye, he hates that.’
Hunter swallowed and nodded.

‘Cadets, do you have any questions?’

The four boys shook their heads.

‘Remember what we talked about. You will be with your assigned squads for twelve rotations. You will be assigned to different duties and you will be expected to fulfil your assigned duties as soldiers, even though they may be things you are not familiar with. On a Jedi Cruiser - or the ‘Corries’ as we call them - things work differently than you know them from Kamino. Follow the instructions of your commanding officers, stick to the rules and try to fit in with the team. I will regularly remind my brothers of updates. However, we have decided together that you will have no contact with each other.’

‘What, but...why?’ Hunter knew that Wrecker in particular would find it difficult to get through so many rotations without his brothers. But it was also affecting him right now. How was he supposed to know that his brothers were okay? That nothing had happened to them? That Wrecker was getting enough to eat? That Tech was getting enough sleep and had put his datapad away? That Crosshair wasn't picking unnecessary fights with the regs?

‘Sir, you said that -’

‘We expect you to be fully focussed on your tasks. Should anything unexpected happen, you would be informed immediately.’ Cody's harsh tone signalled that he would allow no further discussion.

But he also saw how shaken the four of them were and continued more softly: ‘Wrecker, Tech, Hunter. Make your way to shuttle numbers 10, 11 and 12. I wish you good luck! Now say goodbye. You have t-two minutes. Crosshair, I'll be waiting for you in shuttle number 13.’ With that, he walked off in the direction of the shuttle in question.

Hunter turned to his brothers and they formed a shoulder circle. ‘Okay, boys, here we go. Remember what we talked about and what Cody just said. Each of us is the best at what we do,’ a small grin from him, ’but the regs want to see that we're good at other things too!’

‘Hell, yeah! We're the best!’ exclaimed Wrecker.

‘I'll do my best,’ said Tech convincingly.

Crosshair nodded with a grin. ‘We'll show the regs what we've got!’

‘And when we see each other here again soon, we'll be a real squad! With our own name and colours and ready to ship out!’ Hunter added encouragingly.

They all hugged each other, Hunter holding Crosshair in his arms for a few seconds longer. He savoured his warmth and his scent, storing them up for the cold nights ahead.

‘Don't do anything stupid and take care of yourself, baby brother!’ he teased affectionately as he let go of him, laughing when Crosshair gave him a mock scowl.

He would love to kiss him goodbye, but of course that wasn't possible here in the hangar.

He added more quietly. ‘I'll miss you.’

Crosshair's eyes widened for a moment before he hummed in agreement. ‘I'll miss you too.’

Chapter Text

If he was asked how he would describe his situation, the word ‘good’ was probably quite appropriate. After the first day had been pure horror, Wrecker had now settled in quite well. The beds in the makeshift camp were even more uncomfortable and smaller than those on Kamino, but there was fresh fruit for breakfast and always enough meat in the evening. The cooking clone had explained to him that it varied greatly depending on what the planet had to offer. And that he was probably lucky to be on such a rich planet now.

After landing four days ago, Wrecker didn't know what to do with himself at first. He hadn't recognized the staff sergeant or the commander straight away, so he just asked for directions to the mess hall. He hadn't met anyone there because of the early hour, but the cook had already been busy preparing the food. Wrecker had spontaneously helped him and talked his grief off his chest. And ate at the same time. The commander had probably been looking for him for hours and had sent out a search party until the cook clone had finally answered his comm and given a report.
Wrecker was then finally brought to a slightly desperate Bly. He had been afraid of getting into big trouble, but the commander had just been glad that Wrecker hadn't gone missing and that he didn't have to confess to Cody that the big boy had disappeared. He was then shown the entire camp and introduced to some important officers whose names and positions he had already forgotten. Apart from the commander, only the general, Aayla Secura, remained in his mind. A beautiful Twi'lek woman with a lightsaber and a great sense of humor. At first Wrecker had been super nervous, but the Jedi had been very nice and understanding of his situation and had promised to take him on the next attack mission.

Since then, his day had followed a pleasant routine: get up, have breakfast and then go on a scouting mission in the nearby area with the ‘bomb boys’, as he called the four regs who specialized in blowing up obstacles such as rocks, to give the infantry a safe route into enemy territory. The attack on the droid storage site was planned for three days from now, so Wrecker was already looking forward to finally being able to detonate the prepared explosives. In the evening, he could fill his stomach and fall contentedly into bed. Of course, he hadn't slept particularly well the first few nights without his brothers and had woken up constantly, but he was getting a little better now.

Nevertheless, he missed them enormously.

He was just thinking about how Tech was doing on Courscant. Had he already been to the legendary 79s, that bar for clones? He thought of Crosshair and his cheeky mouth, which he hoped Cody would keep in check. But the way he had experienced Commander Cody; he certainly wouldn't let Crosshair get away with much. And he thought of Hunter and the so-called Wolfpack, with whom he was probably currently hunting through the woods. At least that was how he imagined the Wolfpack. A couple of crazy clones with a wolf-like leader who howled at the moon at night. And Hunter in the middle of it all. He started laughing out loud at the thought.
‘Hey Wrecker, what's so funny?’ Sargeant Lurch, one of the ‘bomb boys’, waved his fork in front of his face.
‘I was just thinking about my brothers. You know, the ones in other units.’ Wrecker's expression changed abruptly to concern. ‘What if something's happened to them?’
‘Ah yeah. Well, they'll be fine, eh? Otherwise, the commander would have let you know.’
The other regs nodded in agreement. One even cupped Wrecker's broad back.
These guys were pretty cool.
‘Shall I tell you a secret, big boy? I'll let you light something tonight.’
That instantly lightened Wrecker's mood. ‘Really?!’
‘Of course! There's no such thing on Kamino, I promise you!’
The bomb boys kept the fact that he would only be allowed to light a campfire that evening to themselves.

**

The small room was stuffy, there was barely enough room to turn around on a chair without disturbing your neighbor or stretching your legs. It smelled of caf and computers running at full speed.

Tech loved it.

He'd been sitting in front of the big screens for several hours, two extra datapads in front of him and a half-full cup of Caf at his desk, which had been decorated with the words ‘We love you, Commander’. Obviously, Commander Fox didn't love his donors as much as they loved him. The mug stood on the shelf with many other mugs and Tech had quickly realized that he had to care for himself. He did not need to ask somebody to get caf, he just went to the desk and grabbed the mug. It was perfect.
Besides the caf, his conclusion after four days was mixed. Coruscant was a city full of chaos, crime and politics. Depending on which district you were in at the time, one aspect predominated. After his arrival, a sergeant showed him his quarters, which he had to share with other Shinies, but he is only seeing them late at night. As a Shiny, you were probably on duty around the clock on Coruscant. He was then shown to his workplace, where he had been working from dawn to dusk ever since. He had met Commander Fox and Commander Thire briefly, but the two regs hadn't really paid any attention to him. It seemed as if they didn't really care whether he was here or not. But Tech didn't mind. It was only logical that the leaders of the Corries had more important things on their minds than a cadet in training.

He was currently checking the incoming camera images from the security droid at the Senate building. There was a senate meeting today and numerous members were coming and going. His job was to check the images for inconsistencies and report them to his commanding officer if necessary. But Tech had already hacked into the security system on the second day and was able to control all the droids manually. This gave him significantly more angles of vision to recognize dangers in good time and inform the clone troopers on site. He was just about to check the next image when he spotted a dark shadow in the side street of the building. He zoomed in closer and could see a life form shrouded in a long cloak, skulking around with a blaster in its hand. That sort of thing was forbidden near the Senate! He picked up his comm and automatically dialed the frequency of the closest clone troopers and told them of his discovery in no uncertain terms. The soldiers immediately began to move, and Tech was able to watch on the screens as the potential assassin was caught and arrested. Another success!
‘CT-9902, move in!’
Tech looked up in surprise to see Captain Mount beckoning him over. He stood up slowly, picked up his datapad and covered the short distance.
‘Yes, sir?’
‘What the hell do you think you're doing here?’ the captain spat at him. ‘Your job is to inform me of any anomalies and not to inform the troops yourself!’
‘I understand your concerns, Captain. If everyone here acted like that, we'd have absolute chaos. But I'm 100% sure and have checked from three different angles to see if it could be a potential assassin.’
The captain sighed. ‘Tech... look at the screen here.’
Tech took a step closer to the officer's screen and saw that underneath the assassin's long robe a child appeared, playing with a toy blaster. The child's mother was gesticulating wildly in the direction of the clone troopers. Tech was glad to have no sound to go with the picture. He could imagine the woman's loud complaining well enough as it was.
‘Oh. Well. I guess I was wrong for once.’
The captain rubbed his face tiredly. ‘That's why you're not authorized, Shiny!’ When Tech started to argue, the captain just waved him off. ‘Don't even try it. Enough office for you today! After the lunch break, you'll be going round the Senate with Sergeant Hound. Don't forget your helmet and blaster!’
With that, he was dismissed and made his way to the mess hall to prepare for his first field mission. That would certainly be exciting too.

Chapter Text

The shuttle jolted and rumbled dully as it left hyperspace. The black of space seemed to swallow their little ship. In the distance, the countless stars that made up the system glowed. The large Venator Class starship slowly came into view. Hunter sat in the seat diagonally behind the co-pilot and had a good view forwards. But that didn't interest him. Just like a year and a half ago, he was struggling with dizziness, nausea and the threat of losing consciousness. The route through hyperspace had been short, but he hadn't been able to switch off his enhanced senses enough to get through without feeling any discomfort. He felt overstimulated to the max and hoped to reach the Jedi Cruiser without making a fool of himself in front of the two pilots. He tried to distract himself with thoughts of his brothers. It had been damn hard watching them get into different shuttles. Never had all four of them been separated from each other. Occasionally one of them had been away for a night for medical examinations, but the other three had been together.
Now they were all on their own.
Hunter knew his brothers would be fine. Wrecker had been sent to a unit where he would feel comfortable. He would be allowed to experiment with explosives and bombs, and that always made him happy. Tech would do well on Coruscant and would certainly appreciate the technical facilities. Crosshair was actually the one he was most worried about. His loose mouth would certainly get him into one or two hairy situations. He just hoped that Cody exuded enough authority to put his little brother in his place so as not to start any fights with the regs. Would Crosshair sit alone at the meal? Or would he find someone he got on with? Would he sleep alone or in the barracks with the regs? He would probably have to wait the agreed twelve rotations to get an answer to his questions. His train of thought was interrupted by a transmission from the Jedi Cruiser requesting the shuttle's identification.

The pilot transmitted his clearance codes and a short time later they were allowed to land. The shuttle flew through the blue-glowing energy shield and Hunter felt a jolt of electricity go through his whole body. He let out a startled groan. The co-pilot turned to him questioningly.

"What's the matter, kid?" He heard over the helmet's comm.

Hunter mumbled a pressed "I'm fine" and breathed in and out deeply. He had no idea that his senses were so sensitive to electromagnetically active energy fields.
Kriff.

The shuttle landed softly in the assigned landing bay and the co-pilot stood up.

"Come on, let's go."

He went ahead without waiting for Hunter, who stood up on wobbly legs and had to hold on to the seat's headrest for a moment to keep from toppling over from the dizziness that gripped him. He counted slowly to three, then concentrated on his steps and left the cockpit. The shuttle's exit ramp had already been lowered, and Hunter could hear the co-pilot talking to the three soldiers waiting for them over the roar of the ship. He walked down the ramp step by step but couldn't raise his eyes and focused solely on fighting down the nausea that was building up. Once at the foot of the ramp, he had to hold on to the iron support. The urgent need to get some fresh air overwhelmed him. He tore the helmet off his head and took a few frantic breaths before realizing that the stale air, which had only been recycled for weeks, was even worse without the helmet.

All four regs turned towards him.

The co-pilot grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey, Shiny, what are you thinking? Put your helmet back on immediately and stand at attention for your commander!"

Hunter wanted to respond, but his body cramped, and he threw up.

Straight in front of his new commander.

**

His quarters were so small that there was only room for two bunks on top of each other and a small table. Nevertheless, Hunter enjoyed having a small room to himself. He still didn't know why he hadn't been sent to the team in the large barracks. But he was glad he didn't have to share the camp with twenty or more men. He certainly wouldn't be able to sleep with all the noises in there.

Right now he was sitting on his bunk and massaging his temples. His headache had been his constant companion ever since he had switched to the Jedi Cruiser. Hot shame flashed through him as he thought of the moment. Throwing up at Commander Wolffe's feet was really not his way of greeting his commanding officer. Wolffe had just looked at him contemptuously and sent him and one of his men to the med bay for a check-up, but of course they hadn't found anything. Hunter had only muttered about his sensitive senses and was then taken to his quarters to rest. Now he was sitting here, not knowing what to do with himself. Was he about to be picked up again or should he really try to get some sleep? Due to his nervousness, he hadn't slept very much last night, although he had lain snuggled up close to Crosshair and enjoyed his warmth. He decided to get some rest and took off his upper armor. Sluggishly, he lay down on the lower bunk and tried to get some sleep over the hum of the ship.

He actually slept for a few hours before he was woken up and picked up by a reg. He felt much better than when he arrived and hoped that his body and senses had quickly adapted to the changed environment. The dizziness was gone and his headache was now just a dull throbbing in the back of his head. The reg led Hunter through the corridors of the Jedi Cruiser.

"Feeling better, Cadet?" he asked as they stood in the elevator.

"Yes, thank you." Hunter replied, mumbling.

"Good to hear. I'm Comet, by the way. Welcome aboard! Commander Wolffe has already informed us about you - I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do!"

"Em... thanks. But Commander Cody said that we probably won't be allowed to take part in real missions. Too much danger and all that."
Hunter rolled his eyes playfully.

Comet laughed. "Oh, I think Wolffe will let you have a bit of fun too!"

Hunter couldn't believe his ears. Was he really going to see a real battlefield? That would be fantastic! And he would have a lot to tell his brothers.

They stepped out of the elevator together and found themselves directly on the bridge of the starship. At the very front, Hunter saw the clones in charge of the ship, sitting at the computers and control consoles on various levels. There were beeps and flashes everywhere and snatches of conversation about the state of the ship reached his sensitive ears here and there. He tried to block out these stimuli and focused on his immediate surroundings.

Closer to him was a large, round holofield that was used for communication. The projection of a small, green figure shone on top of it, a walking stick in his hand. Tech would surely know what important person this was, but Hunter had no idea. The projection was talking to two people standing at the edge of the holofield. One of them was Commander Wolffe. He held his helmet in his left hand, back straight, chest and shoulders raised. His appearance radiated pure authority and Hunter tried not to be intimidated.
After all, it wasn't his fault that he had been so sick.

The other man was definitely a Jedi, from the way his lightsaber dangled from his belt. Jedi Master Plo Koon! Hunter hadn't expected to see the leader of this battalion so soon. He straightened his shoulders a little more so as not to look quite so small next to the full-grown regs. He had planned so much for this adventure! He couldn't fail now!

"Wait here." Comet instructed him before he went to the front of the bridge and sat down at a side console. The conversation went on for a few minutes and Hunter tried not to eavesdrop, but he was too curious. It was about the 104th's mission on a moon of Seidur, a planet in the Mid Rim.

"A new soldier you have. Welcome him you should." The green contemporary suddenly spoke.

General Koons and Commander Wolffe's eyes shot to him. While the Jedi scrutinized him curiously, Wolffe's gaze darkened. Hunter had the feeling that his artificial eye was fixing on him and wouldn't let him out of his sight.

"Yes, Master Yoda. We will discuss our next steps and inform the council immediately. May the Force be with you."

The green man nodded again and the holo disappeared.

"Come closer, soldier." General Koon said kindly.

Hunter had to force himself to get his feet moving. Hunter was not used to being at the center of an unknown Jedi and his commander like this.

"He's not a soldier yet. He's a kid."
Wolffe hissed to his Jedi so loudly that he probably wanted to make sure Hunter heard.

Ouch.

"Oh, Commander Wolffe - it's not age or size that matters, you know that. What do I always say?"

The Jedi didn't take his eyes off Hunter for a second.

Wolffe rolled his eyes and remained silent. It was only when the general looked at him and raised an eyebrow that he replied with a huff:
"It all depends on the purity of your heart."

Plo Koon smiled. "Right! And I sense a lot of purity in this cadet before us. Welcome, Hunter!"

"Tha - thank you, sir. Um…General? Master Jedi?" Hunter didn't know what he was stammering to himself. He didn't know himself like that.

Wolffe laughed quietly.

"General is quite sufficient." The Jedi replied softly.
Adressing Wolffe, he continued.
"I have some things to meditate on. I'll be back in a few hours and decide how to proceed. A stealth mission is truly not in the nature of the 104th, but we must act."

Wolffe nodded. "We'll do whatever it takes to stop the Separatists, sir."

"We'll see."
The Jedi looked thoughtfully at Hunter once more, then, robes fluttering, he disappeared in the direction of the elevator.

And left Hunter unprotected. At least that's how it felt when Wolffe's intense gaze was now fully focused on him.

"Now about you, kid. I'm not sure what the point of this is, but I'm doing Cody a favor by taking you in. I don't have time to babysit you, though."

"I don't need that either. Sir."
Hunter replied a little more defiantly than he intended. He was so tired of everyone seeing him as a child. He could and wanted to fight, damn it!

Wolffe didn't seem to believe his words.
"We'll see about that. You will now familiarize yourself with the ship. I want you to find the mess hall, the firing and training range, hangar numbers 8,27 and 42 and the shinies' common room. Then you report to Sargeant Lock on level 4 and ask for tasks to be completed. Understood, cadet?"

"Yes, sir!!!" Hunter shouted enthusiastically, as he finally had a job to do.

"Good, then get out of here!"

"...yes, sir..." Hunter muttered contritely. He didn't deserve to be treated so patronizingly, did he?

After a while, Hunter had completed the assigned tasks. He was able to get an overview of the ship and slowly get used to the constant tugging on his nerves. He had encountered many regs along the way, but none had given him a glance. His shiny white armor made him stand out too clearly as a Shiny and he hated it. He had also been ordered to clean rifles by Sargeant Lock. Hunter remembered Cody's final words, that they would be given tasks that would test their patience and obedience. So he pulled himself together and cleaned about 100 guns. And then another 100. And after dinner there would be another 100 until his shift was over at 2100. Of course, he sat alone at dinner in the mess hall. Apart from Comet and the Commander, he didn't really know anyone. Comet was nowhere to be seen and he would never sit with Commander Wolffe in his life. But this way he was sitting on a platter. Shiny armor, slightly different facial features and an unusual haircut naturally earned him suspicious looks. He missed having his brothers by his side. He felt much safer with them. But unlike on Kamino, the regs said nothing to him.

He hurried with his meal and then cleaned his rifles until his fingers were oily and aching. But he wasn't going to complain or stop. He didn't want to make it that easy for Commander Wolffe to get rid of him. And he knew that his brothers would also have a hard time. He missed them so much! But he had to be strong now and carry on.

**

Wolffe sat at his desk and looked at the battle plans that the Jedi Order had drawn up. There was something about it that bothered him. Although he usually never had any doubts about the Jedi, this time he didn't feel comfortable. Was it because it was a stealth mission? Usually his unit was more likely to be found in the front line of battle. Almost eye to eye with the enemy. But now they were to steal the prototype of a new generation of commando droids and check it for weak points. He had to put together a good team to be successful. There couldn't be too many of them, nor could they be too loud. Nevertheless, they had to be able to defend themselves if they were discovered.

Tired, he rubbed his temples as an incoming call made his comm beep. He looked up.

"Hey, Cody."

"Hey, Wolffe. I know you're busy. I can hear that." Cody said with a laugh. "I just wanted to check in and see how Hunter was doing."

"Ehm...who?"

Cody cleared his throat. "Wolffe, I'm serious! How's he doing?"

"Oh, you mean the cadet?" Wolffe asked, playing clueless.

"Wolffe!!!"

"Cods, he's fine. He's been given some tasks and is fulfilling them satisfactorily. But honestly, I still don't understand why this is so important to you. He's just one cadet among so many! And," Wolffe paused meaningfully, "he almost vomited on my shoes when he got off the shuttle!"

Cody laughed quietly. "I told you about his sensitive senses!"

"Yeah yeah...Still, I don't think he'll learn very much here."

"I'm sure he'll learn a lot if you let him."

Wolffe sighed. "Cody, I told you I don't have time to take care of him all the time!"

"You're not supposed to take care of him, you're just supposed to let him be around you. He's very eager to study and will learn a lot about life and the structures in the GAR just by watching!"

"Yeah okay. I'll try."

"Thank you. And...Wolffe?"

"Yes?"

"You're taking care of him, right?"

"Sure."

"You know how the cadets are. They always want action. And these guys are even worse than we were back then. Don't let him put himself in danger."

Wolffe sighed again. "Sure, Cods."

**

The next two days were uneventful until the third day, when the soldiers suddenly began to move. Everyone in the corridors, in the mess hall or in the armory was much more tense and focused, Hunter noticed immediately. He could only speculate as to why. But he needed certainty.

"Hey, Kit." The soldier addressed raised his eyes. "Anything new?"

Kit lowered the rifle he was assembling. "You don't know yet?"

Hunter shook his head.

"We've received orders from Coruscant to attack the moon of Seidur. The goal is to destroy the Separatist nest that's building up there, I believe."

Hunter listened up.

Finally some action!

He just had to convince Wolffe to let him come along.

"How long will it take us to get there?"

"We'll be there tomorrow, I guess."

"And what tasks have you been given?"

"Me? Oh, come on. I'm going to stay here on the ship and keep working. I'm not even part of the reserve reserve team yet."

Kit's mouth twisted in displeasure. He was two years older than Hunter and had only joined the 104th three months ago, but he hadn't experienced anything worth mentioning except this dull ship life day in, day out. He had done badly in the exams on Kamino and would never be promoted higher, he thought. Hunter felt sorry for him somehow. He had no chance in life at glory, honor, and fighting side by side with his brothers.

"Do you know where I can find Wolffe?"

"Still Commander Wolffe for you, you womb rat!" laughed Kit. "Most likely he's on the bridge, in the mess hall, on the training grounds or in his quarters."

"Do you think I can leave you here alone for a few minutes? I have something urgent to discuss with him!"

Kit nodded amusedly and wished him good luck. But Hunter was no longer listening to him.

He jumped up and ran off in the direction of the mess hall.

He found the commander in the training area. He and another reg had taken off their upper armor and were having a wrestling match on the training mats. They were circling each other, waiting for their one chance that would probably lead them to victory.

Hunter stayed in the background and watched enthralled. He had immediately seen two mistakes in the reg's position and wondered why Wolffe didn't take advantage of them.

A commander of his ability should be able to recognize something like that.

After about half a minute, Wolffe actually attacked the weak point in the reg's leg position and sent him to the mat with a powerful shove. The surrounding regs applauded.
However, when Wolffe barked at them "Don't you have anything better to do?", the group quickly dispersed in all directions.

Well, at least he wasn't just so harsh to Hunter.

He helped his opponent up and explained the mistake he had made. Meanwhile, Hunter slowly approached. On the way, he had thought of a strategy to convince Wolffe to take him into battle.

As the two regs were about to put their armor back on, Hunter stepped into their field of vision.

"Commander? Sir, may I have a word with you?"

Wolffe's annoyed gaze settled on Hunter. He sighed theatrically and mumbled something about "babysitting" to his brother, who then laughed out loud.

What was that about? Hunter had done his duties in an exemplary manner since arriving here and had addressed the Commander as respectfully as he should have. Why couldn't these stupid regs return the favor even once?

"What do you want, kid?"

"I want to go with you. To the moon. Wipe out the separatist nest."

Wolffe looked at him with a look of disbelief. "Where did you get this information?"

"I picked it up."

"Well, Kid, I'm afraid it's wrong. We're not going to 'wipe out' any Separatists, as you put it."

"But there is a mission? On the moon of Seidur?"

Wolffe rolled his eyes. "Yes, there is, but you'd be the last person I'd take with me."

Hunter stared at him angrily. "Why?" Just as the other reg was about to reprimand him for his lack of speech, he spat another "Sir" after him.

Wolffe took a step towards him and came dangerously close. So close that Hunter could smell his aftershave, but also his fresh sweat. If it wasn't such a dicey situation, he might have to ask himself why the commander smelled so good.

Damn good, in fact.

Suddendly, he grabbed Hunter by the breastplate and held him tight. His intense gaze bore into Hunter.

"Listen kid, I don't have the time or inclination to deal with you. And I'm certainly not going to explain to Cody why you got yourself killed on a mission you weren't even meant to be on. I don't care what he sees in you or how much he likes you - I don't see anything in you and I'm not interested!"

Hunter growled angrily and didn't move back an inch.

"How can you allow yourself to judge me when you have no idea what I'm capable of?"

In the corner of his eye, he saw the other reg raise his fist, but Wolffe waved it away.

The bastard was still grinning too.

"All right, kid." He said, amused. "Then show me what you can do!"
He let go and pushed Hunter back a little.

And Hunter thought Crosshair was the one who got himself into trouble. But there was no turning back now.

"If you manage to hit me in the face, I'll take you with me!"

'If that isn't a promise!" Hunter thought grimly, getting into his typical starting stance. He had fought with his brothers so many times. He knew what he could do. He knew he was one of the best and could even take down Wrecker with a little skill and luck. Now it counted!
Hunter concentrated and let his instincts take over. He focused only on his opponent and blocked out everything else. Wolffe's heartbeat was surprisingly calm and steady. He wasn't excited, which meant he was very sure of himself.

Typical arrogant regs.

Hunter knew them all too well from his commando group. But Wolffe, of course, was a completely different story. He would wipe that smug grin off his face! He slacked his attack stance a little to be more light-footed and shifted his weight alternately to his left and right leg. He didn't know whether Wolffe would really attack him or just wait and react to his actions. But he was about to find out. He leapt forward and let his fist fly towards Wolffe's face.
But the commander reacted with lightning speed and easily blocked the attack. Hunter then unleashed a series of fist and kick attacks, but the reg was able to parry everything.

"Is that all you've got, kid?" he asked dismissively.

If Wolffe had hoped to throw Hunter off balance, he could wait a long time. Such remarks were the order of the day in the commando group. So Hunter had to come up with something unusual. But he already had an idea. He had to get Wolffe to attack him and abandon his defensive position.

"Is that all YOU have, sir, to stand around and block attacks? Don't you dare hit a cadet?"

Wolffe growled angrily.

Bingo.

But Hunter hadn't expected him to attack so quickly. He just managed to raise his hands to block the first attacks, but a kick to his thigh and a fist to his jaw hit him hard.
Ouch!
Those were definitely going to be bruises. Hunter took half a step back. He had to keep a cool head now to continue with his strategy.

"I would have thought a commander would hit harder!" Hunter continued to provoke.

Wolffe smiled, however. "Stop provoking me, or you'll explain to Cody where all your bruises come from!"

Hunter smiled as well. "He knows me well enough."

Taking advantage of the brief distraction, he jumped forward with a great leap and pretended to pounce on the reg. Only at the last moment did he roll to his left to get behind the commander. The reg turned around quickly, but saw Hunter's foot sweep too late and lost his balance. Hunter took advantage of this brief weakness, pulled his leg away completely and managed to bring the opponent down. He followed up immediately and literally jumped on top of Wolffe, causing him to sit on his chest with his legs apart. He let his hands fly towards Wolffe's face, but the commander caught both arms and held them firmly in front of his head.

Kriff.

How was he supposed to hit him in the face now?

He tried to break free, but Wolffe didn't loosen his grip on his wrists for a second. He had the upper hand because he was on top, but how was he supposed to get his arms free?

A stand-off.

Just as Hunter was about to change his position and launch a new attack, he noticed.

Wolffe had not specified which part of his body he had to hit him in the face with. As his arms and legs were not free, he only had one option.

He jerked his arms out to the side. Wolffe had to follow his arm movements if he didn't want to let go, inadvertently clearing a path towards his head. Hunter leaned forward with his own upper body in a flash. A sharp pain shot through his shoulders from the sudden hyperextension, but he didn't care at that moment.

He stopped inches from Wolffe's face.

And gave the commander a gentle keldable kiss with his forehead. After all, he didn't want to hurt him.

"Winner."

**

Wolffe stared at him in disbelief. What had just happened here? Had the cadet really outsmarted him, the commander, the leader of the Wolfpack? How had he done that? And why was his face still only inches away from his own?

And why the hell did he have such incredibly beautiful eyes?

Hunter slowly straightened up again. Wolffe didn't even notice that he was still sitting on his upper body with his legs apart. Nor did he notice that he was still holding Hunter's wrists tightly.
Hunter stared back. A few seconds passed before Hunter slowly moved.

"Uhm... Commander? You can let go of me now."

Only now did Wolffe wake up from his daze and let go of him.

Sinker, with whom he had been training earlier and who had probably been watching the fight, grabbed the cadet by his collar from behind and pulled him roughly off Wolffe.

"Get off him now! What are you thinking?" he snapped at Hunter as he stood bent over him.

But Hunter didn't seem to notice Sinker at all. He continued to stare at the commander. The Commander slowly stood up, turned around and reached for his armor to collect himself. He put everything on with practiced fingers and thought intensively. The cadet was right. He hadn't explicitly mentioned that he had to hit him with his fist. He had never thought that the little boy would fight with such means.

Wolffe couldn't remember the last time he had been so physically close to someone that they had been forehead to forehead.

"Commander? Take him to the brig?"

He heard Hunter give a startled gasp. "Why? I won fair and square!"

"Yeah, you won a night in the cell for your outrageous behavior!"

"Give it a rest, Sinker." Wolffe said calmly. "The cadet is right. He's won and he's coming with us."

How he was supposed to explain this to Cody, however, was a mystery to him.

*******

The city was lame.

His direct superior, Waxxer, was lame.

This whole unit was lame!

They'd been hanging around the planet for days and he hadn't seen anything except this city. Just because the Jedi of the 212th, Obi-wan Kenobi, had to have some kind of conversation with the senator, Crosshair was allowed to spend hours here cleaning rifles or standing on the observation tower watching people through his scope who might turn out to be assassins. No way! No one here looked particularly suspicious. Everyone was going about their business in the bustling market.

Admittedly, he had found it very exciting at first. He only knew the principle of a large market from holos and when Waxxer had taken him on patrol, he hadn't known where to look first. There was an area where many colorful civic clothes were offered. There was an area full of food and drink that made his mouth water. It was a good thing Wrecker wasn't here, otherwise he would surely have stopped at every stall. There were various stalls with all sorts of technical stuff that would probably have made Tech's eyes bulge. There were fortune tellers who pretended to know his future. Pah! No way. He didn't need anyone to tell him his future. It was clear that he would have adventures with his brothers!

There was a large market hall that offered spices from all the planets in a variety of bright colors. Hunter would certainly have difficulty keeping a clear head here with so many impressions and smells.

But as new and exciting as it all was, he quickly realized that it all cost credits.

Credits that he didn't have a single one of.

He had seen a few credits from one or two people in the unit in the evening, but he didn't want to steal them. He had made a solemn promise to Hunter on their last evening together not to do anything stupid, not to get himself into trouble and to obey orders. That probably included not stealing from reg. So he put up with not being able to buy anything at the market and quickly lost interest.

Over the next few days, he was given the task of keeping an eye on the market with his sniper rifle and reporting anything suspicious. Of course, he was not allowed to shoot under any circumstances. He spent hours on the observation platform watching all kinds of life forms. He saw people laughing, crying, happy, drunk, flirting and even kissing. None of them were aware that they were being watched, and at first Crosshair thought it was hilarious. Now, however, it bored him to death.

In the evenings, when the market was closed, he had to clean guns. Cody looked after him from time to time, otherwise he was often alone on the observation tower. Waxxer said that was the fate of a sniper. He had to cope alone for hours on end.
When Crosshair had asked him how he knew that if he wasn't one himself, he had only received a "Don't be so cheeky" and a headlock.

How he hated it!

Being the youngest in his squad was sometimes annoying, but here everyone treated him like a newly slipped tubie.

Everyone was kind to him.

They cared about him.

Took him to the mess hall and included him in every conversation.

And tonight they even took him to a bar.

They were off duty, of course, and Waxxer and Boil had unceremoniously dragged him along to a bar that was rapidly filling up with life forms of all races. Twi'leks, humans, Togrutas, Pantorans, Rodians, Biths, Mirialans...Crosshair had even spotted a couple whose race he'd never seen before and who communicated in a really weird vocal language.

"Hey, Shiny, is this your first time in a bar?" asked one of the guys diagonally across from him, already visibly drunk. Crosshair had already forgotten his name.

Waxxer answered in his place. "Of course it is, you idiot! He's a cadet! Where would he go to a bar? On Kamino?!"

The other regs laughed. Crosshair felt anger rising in him.

"I've already drunk alcohol, if that's what you mean!" he hissed.

"Oh yeah, and kissed a girl too?" The drunk waggled his eyebrows, pursed his lips and formed a kissing mouth.

And promptly received a blow to the back of the head from Boil. "You're so stupid! He's a cadet! Where would he have met a girl?!"

Crosshair grinned inwardly. He didn't need or want a girl. He had Hunter. He was a thousand times better than any girl here. But he was sure it would be wiser not to say that out loud in front of the regs. He had no idea how interactions between two clones were viewed.

"Yeah yeah, all right. Hey, Shiny! Shall we go find a girl for you together?"

Uh oh. Crosshair glared at him. What was he supposed to say to that!

"What are you so into? Probably Twi'lek, right? They're really good for a first time..."
The regs laughed again, Waxxer and Boil grinned too. Was that some kind of inside joke? Or were they making fun of his awkwardness?

The drunk stood up. "Come on, kid, we'll find you something!"

Crosshair didn't want to, but he didn't want to be embarrassed to say no in front of the other boys either. It was better to go with the flow for a bit and then secretly make his way back. So he stood up to a small cheer from the other boys.

"You don't have to do this," Waxxer hissed at him, but he ignored him and walked towards the bar, following the drunken reg.

He ordered two beers for them both and leaned against the counter. "So, which one do you like? I'll make them clear for you, hehe."

Crosshair took a big gulp of the beer and immediately regretted it. It tasted damn bitter. He kept a neutral expression on his face so as not to offend the reg and pretended to look around. He could feel Waxxer's watchful gaze on him. It would not be easy to slip away from him. Crosshair was fully aware that Cody had his fingers in the game, and had trained Waxxer to take care of him.

Ugh. He didn't need a watchdog!

"So? Or would you prefer a Togruta? Or a human girl? They're not as flexible as Twi'leks, but that's fine..."

Crosshair saw a group of young Twi'leks sitting at one of the tables. They would have to fight their way through the whole bar to get to them. Plenty of time and distance to escape Waxxer. So he nodded to the far table. "That one."

"Ehh, good taste." He drained his beer. "Follow me and just let me do the work."

So together they made their way across the dance floor to the table where the four girls were sitting. Crosshair had to admit that they were pretty. And damn young. He stopped a few steps in front of the table and watched as the reg strode confidently to the table.

He had a really bad feeling.

He couldn't hear what the reg was saying over the loud noise of the bar. The expressions on the Twi'leks' faces, however, told him that it had been a wise decision to stand further away. They looked angry. Crosshair took another step back and hid behind a pillar. Just in time, because four glasses of beer were thrown at the reg at the same time. Although he managed to duck, the man still got a good wave of alcohol right in his face. Not to mention the Twi'leks' tirade of insults.

Crosshair grinned. That served him right! He would have liked to know what words the reg had said, but he didn't have that much time to ask. He ducked sideways, deliberately making himself shorter than he was, and headed for the side exit he had previously chosen as his personal escape route.

The cool night air greeted him and he took a few deep breaths. It had been damn stuffy in the bar and he was glad to have finally escaped. In the holos that Wrecker always watched, people met in a bar, had a lot of fun, drank alcohol, danced and fell in love. But he hadn't seen any of that here. Sure, there had been a lot of people there, the alcohol had been flowing and the dance floor had been full. But he didn't want to be without Hunter, Tech and Wrecker. He felt lonely and alone.

He missed them so much that it almost hurt.

He didn't want to experience first times without his three brothers.

He took another deep breath, then got his bearings. The barracks where they were housed faced east. He started walking and had to pass a few more bars. So apparently this was the nightlife district. He ignored the loud music, the laughter and the fact that someone approached him here and there.

"Hey, do you want to buy death sticks?"
Crosshair ignored him. What the hell were death sticks?

"Hey sweetie, still looking for a quick number?"
Again, he walked past rapidly. What number was she talking about?

"Hey kid, are you lost? Want me to take you to bed?" The guy grabbed him by the wrist. It was a fucking Devaronian!

Kriff!

He tried to pull away, but the guy was predictably stronger and laughing dirty.

He bared his ugly teeth. "Come on, I promise it won't hurt that much either! I'll be very careful with your pretty ass!"

Panic rose in Crosshair. Bloody hell, what was he supposed to do? He had no weapon with him and no one was taking any notice of him. The Devaronian pulled him towards a dark alley and his heart stopped beating for a moment. If the guy managed to drag him into it, he was doomed!

He tried again to break free, but to no avail. He briefly considered biting the guy's hand, but his gloves looked too thick to really hurt him.

Inch by inch he was pulled into the alley.

Kriff kriff kriff what was he going to do?!

He looked back and prayed that someone would recognize his situation.

But no one seemed to notice him.

Suddenly he heard a dark rumble from the horned one and turned around.

Waxxer was standing behind him with a knife at his neck.

"Let him go or I'll slit your throat."

The guy growled menacingly, but Waxxer held his knife in an iron grip and let it cut an inch deeper into the skin.

"I m serious."

The guy let go of him, turned backwards and disappeared, cursing. "You'll be sorry, you dirty clone!"

"Yeah, sure! Hey Crosshair, you okay?"

Crosshair had never been so happy to see a reg.

He took a deep breath.

"Yes. Thank you."

"No problem. Let's get out of here."

Silently, they made their way to the barracks. When they arrived in their shared quarters, Crosshair looked down at the floor.

"Hey, Waxxer?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks again. I...um...was a little careless."

The reg laughed in disbelief. "I guess you could say that. Why did you just run off anyway?"

"I didn't feel like it anymore!" he said defensively.

"I see. Because Crane didn't manage to get you a Twi'lek?"

"What? No! I...um...I didn't want a Twi'lek." he said quietly.

"I see. You could have just said that, you know?"

Crosshair remained silent. What could he say to that?

But something else was still nagging at him.

"Can the incident...stay between us? Without the commander finding out about it?"

Waxxer laughed. "Of course! Do you think I'm keen on getting a reprimand from Cody for taking a cadet to a bar and allowing him to drink? He'd freak." He winked and made his way towards his bed.

Crosshair breathed a sigh of relief.

So there were friendly regs after all.

Just not on Kamino.

Chapter Text

The moon of Seidur was unlike anything Hunter had ever seen before. Which, admittedly, wasn't very much. Except for their home planet of Kamino and the forest planet Hunter had encountered on his solo mission a year and a half ago, he hadn't been anywhere else either. During his night's rest, he had used the time to do some research on Seidur and its moon. The planet itself was probably a human-friendly world, consisting of many swamps and oceans, but also a large land area where a mix of races and life forms from all over the galaxy lived together peacefully. According to the holonet, they were an independent world without republican or separatist influences. However, unlike its planet, the moon was uninhabited, which was probably due to the icy temperature of -15 degrees on average. And there was snow. Snow! Tech had once told them that water looked different when it was frozen. But Hunter had never thought he would see this phenomenon so soon. Unfortunately, he hadn't expected the accompanying cold.

No wonder that no one would want to live there voluntarily.

And that was precisely why it was an ideal place for the Separatists to develop a top-secret prototype of a tactical droid. At least that much Wolffe had revealed to him through clenched teeth last night. The commander seemed anything but happy that Hunter was now coming along. But he had honestly beaten him and was now really looking forward to finally seeing some action. Would his brothers be on the battlefield too? He could well imagine that with Wrecker, even if he was worried about him. Would Commander Bly or someone else take good care of him? He hoped he wasn't completely alone. He knew how much Wrecker hated being alone. He was a herd animal and on Kamino he was always close to one of them.

With Tech, on the other hand, he was less worried. Coruscant was a tough place, but Tech was probably parked behind screens and therefore safe. He was probably terrorizing his superior captain or commander with all kinds of technical nonsense that he could finally get rid of. Unfortunately, Wrecker, Crosshair and he were less interested in the technical implementation of battle plans. Hunter knew that as a leader he should of course have a certain amount of technical know-how, but he always relied on tech. And why not? They would stay together forever anyway.

He sighed as he thought of Crosshair. Stars, he missed his youngest brother. His scowl, which often softened when he thought no one was watching. His snappish manner, which he always displayed and often drove Regs mad, but Hunter adored. His unwavering loyalty to his brothers, no matter what happened. His hands and long fingers as they trailed over Hunter's body, often resting on his hips as they kissed. And his mouth, which triggered so many forbidden feelings in Hunter. They hadn't gotten any further than making out and a little touching before they left, but Hunter wanted more. So much more. He wanted to rub his body against Crosshair's, get rid of his clothes and -

A knock on his door had finally snapped him out of his forbidden thoughts. He had to adjust his codpiece, which had become tight due to his explicit thoughts, and had finally opened it. Comet had been standing in front of it and had picked him up for the final briefing. On the way there, they both chatted and joked casually. At least he had been pleased that Hunter had come along and had given him an encouraging pat on the back. No one had smiled or joked at the briefing. Everyone had been highly concentrated and had listened to the Jedi and Commander, who had given the last important instructions. Hunter had stayed quietly in the background but had of course listened attentively. It had been clear to him that he would not play an active role in the planned attack maneuver. But at least he was allowed to be at the front command center and follow everything, which he counted as a small success. Wolffe could have left him with the reserve team on the shuttle.

He was now at this improvised command station. They had put up a small white tent that wouldn't give them away in the snow and quickly set up a few consoles and computers. Unfortunately, the tent didn't stop the icy wind from trying to burrow into every little chink of Hunter's armor. He knew from Tech that their armor was designed to repel heat and cold to a certain degree, but he had clearly underestimated the cold here. He had to keep moving to counteract the feeling of freezing. Was his slightly increased core body temperature responsible for the fact that he was freezing? He had thought he had no major problems with extreme heat or cold, but he was now learning the hard way that reality was different.

As he shook himself for the third time to move at least a little, Sinker poked him rudely in the ribs and hissed, "Stop it, Shiny! If you can't take it, run back to the shuttle. Nobody here has time to be your babysitter and warm you like a tubie."

Hunter tried to swallow his rising anger and ignore Sinker's comment. It was damn hard not to growl or snarl back at him, but he couldn't be a negative presence on the front line. The commander had taken him with him, and he couldn't gamble away the trust he had been given, even if it wasn't entirely voluntary. So, he nodded stiffly and didn't move at all for the next hour. Just when he thought he couldn't stand it any longer, he heard his name.

"Hunter? Come here and look at this." said General Jedi Plo Koon in his typical distorted voice.

The Jedi still knew his name?!

And he wanted him to look at something.

Hunter swallowed.

He felt his heartbeat quicken and slowly began to move. His stiff limbs and cold muscles ached at first, but with each step, life and warmth returned to him. He crossed the entire tent, as he had been standing in the far corner, and felt the astonished looks of Sinker and the other regs on him. A small wave of satisfaction ran through him, and he had to grin under his helmet. Stupid regs! On the way to the screens, however, he took off his helmet and tucked it under his left arm. Like a good soldier had learned to do. The cold wind whistled around his ears, and he shivered slightly.

When he arrived at the screens in question, he looked into the eyes of Wolffe, who had had had his helmet under his arm since their arrival. As always, his gaze showed no sign of emotion, and he stared down at him fixedly. But Hunter had the feeling that since their little sparring match, he had earned at least a few percentage points of respect from the Commander. Wolffe's cybernatic eye had fascinated Hunter since their first encounter. The contrast between the brown color typical of clones and the bright, artificial eye somehow magically attracted Hunter. He could stare into those serious eyes for hours and would love to trace the prominent scar with his fingers. It was only when he heard a soft clearing of the throat behind him that he reluctantly tore his gaze away and directed it at the Jedi.

The general smiled at him knowingly.

Kriff, could a Jedi read minds?

"Cadet, although there are many interesting things here, now turn your focus completely on the screens and tell me what you see."

Hunter blushed. Just what he needed to make himself the laughingstock of the entire battalion by admiring their commander. He really needed to get a grip on his hormones!

Determined, he fixed his gaze on the main screen. It was, it seemed, a live broadcast of a building. Snow was already piling up on the roof and on the side walls. In front of the large gate, which was permanently cleared of snow by two vehicles, a platoon of B1 droids patrolled at regular intervals. The side views could be seen on the other screens. As the building was built into a rock at the back, there was probably no rear entrance.

"It might be difficult to get in through the main gate. The droids here at the front are easy to take out, but we don't know what's waiting inside. Since the back faces the rock, there will be no other entrance. However, we could try to gain access via the roof by utilizing the two exhaust vents." Hunter pointed to two places on the main screen where the snow was clearly dark in color. "A team could get onto the roof unnoticed and clear an access point. Due to the constant snowfall from above, their sensors are probably already jammed. Or deactivated, as they are probably not expecting an attack. Then we could look around inside, take out the droids and give the away team access via the main gate. That way we wouldn't risk a nasty surprise or an ambush."

He looked questioningly at Plo Koon, who rewarded him with a smile. "That sounds like a well-planned strategy, doesn't it, Commander?"

Wolffe rolled his eyes. "Certainly, General. What the kid must have forgotten, though: If we get into the exhaust shaft alive without getting roasted in the process, not a single one of us will fit through."

Hunter thought for a moment. He really had no idea how big these shafts were. "The shafts on Kamino are big enough to easily crawl around in!" he defended himself.

"I see... and you know that exactly how?" asked the Commander with a raised eyebrow.

Hunter blushed again. "Uhm...Well, I used to be in one and I had to...uh...fix something."

The Commander looked at him mockingly. "Sure."

The Jedi joined in their little conversation. "Cadet, I like your approach. Whenever you have the chance to avoid an unknown and dangerous situation, you should take it." He nodded at Hunter. "The commander is right, though. We don't know how hot and large these exhaust vents are, so the risk is too high." He stared at the screen for a few seconds before turning to the Commander. "I see no other option than a frontal assault on the main gate. Wolffe, mobilize your troops and begin the operation when you're ready. I will try to get to the other side through one of the caves. The Force is clearly showing me that there are dark activities inside the cave that I must stop. May the Force be with you." He nodded to both clones with his last words, then disappeared out with his robes fluttering.

Did that mean he was allowed to go?

He looked questioningly at Wolffe and made his best puppy eyes face.

"Does that mean I can- "

"Forget it."

"But I- "

"No."

"But the general- "

"I said no. That's not up for discussion. You will return to the shuttle immediately and await further instructions."

As Hunter was about to protest again, Wolffe grabbed him by the top of his breastplate and pulled him dangerously close.

"I. SAID. NO. DISCUSSION!" He emphasized each word razor-sharp and looked Hunter hard in the eye. Quietly, he added, "I allowed you to be here in the first place. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger."

Hunter fell silent. Never had a reg cared whether he was all right. Whether he was in danger or not. Every reg in his command group wouldn't even beat an eyelid when it came to putting him in harm's way. They wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice him first.

But Wolffe was different.

Was he?

Did he care about him? Or did he just not want to justify himself to the Jedi if something happened to him?

"...okay."

The commander let go of him and made a small head movement in the direction of the shuttle. "Go on."

"...okay."

"What was that?"

"Yes, sir." he mumbled devotedly.

Wolffe barked the order to the rest of the team to move out and all the clones immediately started to move. No one took any more notice of Hunter, who trotted out of the tent with his head hanging down. Fortunately, it was only a ten-minute walk to the shuttle, so he arrived there without further incident. The fact that it was much warmer inside the shuttle was a small consolation for him.

Comet welcomed him. "Hey, come on in. You can see what's happening here on the holo. Some of the guys have built-in cameras in their helmets, so we can practically see when they need backup before they know it themselves." He grinned at Hunter.

"Aren't you worried about your brothers?"

Comet's smile faded. "Yes, of course I am. But I can't remember exactly how many missions we've been on. At some point you stop counting and trust that everything will go well. The commander is already looking after everyone. And the general always knows when it's the right time to show up."

"Really? How does he know that?"

Comet just shrugged his shoulders. "It's a Jedi thing, I guess."

Hunter watched the holo fascinated. The team had just arrived at a bend before they would launch their attack. He saw Wolffe make a few hand motions not unlike his own, and the team swarmed into their assigned positions.

"Comet?" When the man addressed turned his gaze to Hunter, he kept talking. "Why aren't you down there?"

Comet waggled his eyebrows. "Someone has to lead the reserve team, right?" Grinning, he added: "And explain to shinies like you how this works."

Hunter grinned. Yes, he had a point.

The other regs on the team laughed in amusement. "That's right, one Shiny explaining to another even smaller Shiny how it works!"

"Heyy!" Comet grabbed the reg and playfully put him in a headlock. Okay, maybe he and his brothers were more like the regs than he wanted to admit. The two regs were still wrestling a little when suddenly the holo started beeping.

Everyone turned their attention to it.

The team had taken out the droids posted outside and had already stepped through the gate, but then several platoons of battle droids came into the holo's field of vision. Kriff! Battle Droids were not to be trifled with, Hunter already knew that. B1 droids? No problem! But the much bulkier, more heavily armored battle droids ranked right behind the even more unpleasant droidekas on the list. Since the holo also transmitted sound, Hunter heard the typical noises of the D17 blasters, but unfortunately also the screams of the clones that had been hit. Wolffe shouted commands over the din, but not all of them managed to seek cover. Some clones who had reacted too late were already lying motionless on the ground. Dead. Hunter swallowed. It was one thing that he and his brothers didn't get on well with regs and often had fights. It was another thing to see them lying dead on the ground.

"Boys, get ready to move out!" shouted Comet energetically and all the other clones obeyed immediately, putting on their helmets and getting ready to go. When Hunter also put on his helmet, he said: "Not you. Get into the other shuttle and wait there for further orders. And don't you dare argue with me! Direct orders from the commander."

Hunter shut his mouth again. It was clear that he wasn't allowed to be actively involved here either. So, he just nodded.

As ordered, he got out and the shuttle took off directly and flew to the deployment area. That way they could send reinforcements more quickly and get their brothers out of there. Hunter stepped into the other, open shuttle and stood at the holo. As no one here knew him personally, no one spoke to him. He merely nodded to the captain, who nodded back curtly.

Then Hunter had to watch as the reinforcements around Comet came under merciless fire. The Battle Droids had formed a line of four in front of the inner gate that led into the building and were gaining ground inch by inch. Someone had to attack them from their unprotected side, the inside of the building, or none of the clones would come out alive, but none of the fighting clones made it to the unprotected side! Hunter looked around furtively. No one took any notice of him, so he didn't hesitate for long. He grabbed a grenade belt and ran out into the cold snowy landscape.

He had always been a good runner, which is why he arrived at his destination quickly. However, he did not run towards the main gate, of course, but crept through the snow flurries to the side wall of the building. His gleaming white armor provided perfect camouflage in the snow, and he climbed up effortlessly with the help of the rope he had shot to the top of the wall. Once at the top, he sank deep into the snow. Crap. He looked around and after a few moments saw the smoke that marked the exhaust pipe. He cursed as he struggled through the deep snow, sinking in again and again and having to push himself up with all his might. But of course, that was no problem for him. Wrecker would have had a much harder time due to his greater weight. Once he reached the edge of the shaft, he sealed his helmet to avoid smoke inhalation and peered into the shaft. His HUD showed a temperature of just under 40 degrees. Nothing his armor couldn't handle. But Wolffe was right. The shaft looked damned narrow. He thought for a moment before deciding to leave his upper body armor behind. That way he could save inches and should be able to fit through the gap. He checked once more that he had his D17 and grenades with him, then jumped.

**

Wolffe cursed inwardly. Bloody hell! This really wasn't how he had imagined this mission. He avoided looking at his fallen brothers. He would have to take care of that when the situation allowed. But there was more than he could cope with. In fact, he couldn't cope with just one dead clone. He felt that stabbing pain and tightness in his chest whenever he lost a soldier under his command. The Malevolance incident some time ago, when he had lost almost his entire battalion, had broken him inside. But giving up was never an option.

"Pull yourself together," he silently admonished himself.

There are still living clones here who are worth fighting for.

He knew that Comet had taken up position at the other end of the entrance area, even if he couldn't see him.

"Comet, status report!" he barked through the comm.

"Sir, we're still under heavy fire. I don't know how much longer we can withstand it."

"Reinforcements?"

"On the way."

"Good. Hang in there, soldier!"

How exactly he and his men were supposed to hold out, he didn't know. The battle droids were closing in inevitably and they were slowly running out of ammunition. The grenades had hit and destroyed many enemies, but there were still too many of them. Stars, he hated droids! Whatever they were protecting was worth a lot to the Separatists. Then another volley of shots whizzed over his head. He had to pay attention and concentrate, damn it!

"Commander? What should we do?" Sinker asked him, leaning against his side. He had taken a hit to his left calf but gritted his teeth and fought on. Right to the end.

Wolffe had no answer for him. They were in a hopeless situation. He hoped for a miracle in the person of his general, who had also saved him back then. But he knew that he could not rely on Plo Koon's appearance. Even though Wolffe knew that every single clone was important to the general, Jedi were unpredictable. He was the commander and therefore the highest-ranking soldier. He had to come up with something, and fast.

"We'll wait for reinforcements, then we'll make a move forward." And then retreat, if necessary, he added in his mind. If there was anyone left to retreat to.

Sinker nodded loyally. He certainly knew as well as Wolffe that the chances of making it out alive were very slim.

He prepared to fire the last of his ammunition when he felt strong vibrations coming from inside the building. Shortly after, he heard some heavy explosions going off behind the battle droids, destroying many of them. Huh? Was he right and did the general arrive in time? But since when did he carry grenades?

Sinker had also straightened up in pain and peered through their makeshift fire cover. "What's going on, sir?"

He just shrugged his shoulders and continued to peer. The droids turned away from them and focused their attention on the inside of the building, which they were slowly approaching.

"Sinker, take the boys and retreat."

"And you?"

"I'm going to see what's going on. If it's the general, he'll need help. If not, I'll follow right behind. Let's go!"

Sinker nodded, spoke into his comm and organized their retreat together with Comet. Wolffe breathed a sigh of relief. The weight that had been on his heart was lighter again. If he knew his remaining brothers were safe, everything would be easier. The battle droids had now completely disappeared inside the building. He crept in at the side and closed the automatic gate. After all, he didn't want the droids to follow his brothers.

He crept along quietly as he heard the next rumble in front of him. What the kriff was going on? With great effort, he swung himself up a gallery and climbed another balcony to get an overview. He lowered his rangefinder and scanned the large hall below him. The droids slowly moved to the opposite side. There was no sign of his general at first. He switched to the scanner in his HUD and scanned the large warehouse for life forms. Bingo! At the other end, a glowing red-orange figure was crouching behind large crates. That couldn't possibly be his general. But since no other life form lived on this planet, it had to be one of them, right? He switched his comm to the general open frequency.

"Sinker? Comet? Any of us still in the building?"

Sinker replied immediately. "No sir, all the clones have retreated and are in the shuttles. We're just waiting for you and the general."

"That's... not quite right." a voice suddenly said softly. Wolffe knew that voice. It wasn't quite mature yet. His heart skipped a beat. This couldn't be true.

"Someone please tell me the cadet is in one of the shuttles."

Silence at the other end of the comm. For endless seconds.

"Commander, I... I just wanted to help."

"I swear to you, if I get you out of here alive, I'll kill you!"

**

Hunter cowered behind the crates and endured the commander's tirade. He had little choice. The fact that it was an open channel, and the entire battalion was listening was of no interest to him right now. The horde of battle droids was heading his way, and he didn't quite know how to get out of the situation. His senses had a lot to deal with from all the explosions, and the headache was unbearable. He crept slowly along the crates so that he still had protection from fire. He hadn't considered that the droids probably also had a life form scanner. He had laid out one last row of grenades in front of him and would be able to detonate them remotely for a final diversionary maneuver. But it was a hell of a long way to Wolffe.

"Cadet, you listen to me carefully now if you want to get out of here alive." Wolffe had opened a private channel. "I can give you a brief distraction, but-"

"Sir, I have another set of grenades laid out. I can detonate them and try to make my way across along the wall."

"Do you still have your rope shot?"

"Um...no, sir." Hunter admitted grudgingly.

"Ok...then I'm coming down. Fire the grenades on my signal and run as fast as you can."

"Yes, sir."

"Good, then...NOW!"

Hunter set off the grenades and ran. He felt the heat and the shockwave hit his senses hard once again. He felt dizzy, but he couldn't give up now. He kept running towards the door, which was still a long way off. But he had no other choice. He had to make it. He held his blaster in his right hand and the other object clutched tightly in his left hand. His lungs were burning. His muscles protested. His head was sending out waves of pain so intensely that he nearly blacked out once or twice. But he just kept running. He had his eyes firmly fixed on Wolffe, who had roped himself down from a raised balcony and was waiting for him. Together they would pull themselves back up the rope and hopefully be able to disappear quickly. On the way, he dropped his blaster powerlessly. He needed a free hand to grab Wolffe's waiting hand. It was only a few meters before he felt the electromagnetic pulses of the blaster shots.

Kriff, the droids had recovered and rallied faster than he had expected. He was still trying to dodge them when he felt a sharp pain twitch through his left shoulder. Instinctively, he wanted to let go of the object, but it was only by sheer force of will that he resisted. The blaster hit bit relentlessly into his shoulder, sending hot waves of pain through it. Hunter cried out, gritting his teeth and forcing back the tears that were welling up.

"Keep running!" Wolffe shouted at him. He must have slowed down.

He overcame the last few meters and grabbed the commander's hand, who lifted them into the air at the same time. It took a few seconds for them to reach the top of the beam. Wolffe pulled Hunter up with his arm and pressed him tightly against his body.

"Down!" he shouted, pulling Hunter with him until they landed together on the other side and he disconnected the rope. Hunter felt the strength draining from his body. His legs trembled; his shoulder ached like hell and his head throbbed relentlessly.

"We have to keep going. I've destroyed the automatic door mechanism, but that won't stop them forever." He heard what the commander was saying but couldn't process the information. He let himself be pulled along, trying to get his legs and brain to function on the way. It worked to some extent.

"Where the hell is your upper armor?"

"Stripped..."

"Why!?"

"You were right...the shaft was...was…really narrow..."

"You're an idiot!"

He grinned tiredly under his helmet. Yes, he probably was.

Just as they passed the outer gate and he thought they had made it, Wolffe suddenly stopped. Hunter, standing next to him, looked up and couldn't believe it. A single B1 droid had apparently survived and was standing a few meters in front of them with its blaster raised.

"Uhhh...you there! Uhhh...hands up!"

Kriff.

Neither he nor Wolffe had a blaster to hand. They were too far away for close combat. They had left hundreds of battle droids behind them, only to be caught by a B1 at the last moment? That wasn't fair.

Wolffe stood protectively in front of Hunter, pushing him out of the line of fire behind him. Despite the danger, this gesture warmed his heart. No reg had ever done anything like that for him. Then he felt a strong electromagnetic frequency nearby.

"Wolffe!"

"Quiet."

"But- "

"Shut up!"

"But...the general!" Hunter couldn't quite tell if his senses felt the vibrations of the lightsaber or the presence of the Jedi himself first, but only a second later, General Plo Koon emerged from the white void and effortlessly crushed the droid. That was the last thing he saw before the cold white turned into a warm black. He was still expecting the hard impact on the ground when his legs gave way.

But Wolffe caught him in his arms.

Then he lost consciousness.

And the object rolled to the ground.

**

There were several reasons why Wolffe was sitting here.

In the medical bay. Next to Hunter's bed. And waiting for him to wake up.

Firstly, he wanted to make the cadet realize what a headless idiot he was. That he had disobeyed a direct order from his superiors. And that he had saved everyone with his rash, dangerous, completely hasty action. That by finding the primary target, namely the head of the prototype droid, he had single-handedly accomplished the mission. Something his wolfpack had not managed to do. Plo Koon was already on his way to Coruscant with the prototype to philosophize with the Jedi Council and the Chancellor about this new development. Nothing that particularly interested Wolffe.

Secondly, he avoided his men. He had seen their knowing grins the moment he had entered the shuttle with the Jedi and carried the unconscious Hunter in his arms. Of course, his men knew him well enough to know that he secretly had a soft heart for his brothers, but he never flaunted it openly. When Sinker had gently nudged him with his elbow in the shuttle and let out a loud "Aww, isn't he cute!", Wolffe would have liked to kick him against his already bandaged leg. When the rest of the pack had also grinned filthily at him, he had turned away cursing and fled as soon as the shuttle landed, heading straight for the medbay.

And thirdly, he hid from Cody. He had apparently already read Comet's mission report (didn't he have anything better to do as Marshall Commander?!) and had already tried three times to reach Wolffe via comm. Unfortunately, you weren't allowed to use comm in the medbay. Haha. He would give him hell, he knew that. His big brother had been very clear about Hunter and a battlefield.

He let out a sigh and rubbed his stubbly chin, feeling tired. His back hurt, and his fingers were numb from the cold. They were slowly warming up again. A hot shower, a shave, and a warm bed would be perfect right now. But he didn't move away. He really didn't like it when one of his guys woke up from passing out and there was no one there. So he waited patiently.

Three hours later, Hunter slowly woke up. Wolffe had asked his medic four times to check his vital signs. Hunter was stable, but he wasn't quite ready yet, maybe because of his sensitive senses. Now he's moving slowly, rubbing his head and face before opening his eyes.

"Welcome back, kid."

"Hello, sir. What happened?"

"Mission accomplished. Thanks to your stubbornness."

Hunter nodded a little bit. He seemed to remember. "I really just wanted to help. Your situation seemed hopeless, and I thought I could help."

"You did, too. And yet you put yourself in danger and disobeyed direct orders from me and Comet."

"That's true. Hunter said, sounding a bit apologetic. "But isn't that the whole point? For..." He paused for a second. "...standing up for your brothers and risking your life to protect them."

Wolffe smiled. It's a rare sight. "But you're still a cadet. You shouldn't have to protect anyone."

"But at some point, I'm going to be leading my own squad in this war. And then I'll have to protect them."

Wolffe nodded. "I know that you and a lot of the other cadets are really looking forward to shipping out and becoming soldiers. To fight side by side with your brothers on the battlefield. But trust me, it's not that simple. When you lose good men every day, you sometimes wish you could go back to the carefree days on Kamino. So try to enjoy the rest of your time as a cadet and don't grow up too fast."

"Yeah...okay."

"Good, now tell me exactly how you did it."

And Hunter did. He stole away from Captain Fry, jumped down the shaft, landed inside the prototype's room, knocked out some B1 droids, and finally started the diversion.

And Hunter did. How he had stolen away from Captain Fry, jumped down the shaft, actually landed inside the prototype's room, knocked out some B1 droids and finally started the diversionary maneuver with the grenades.

Wolffe let him tell his story without interrupting him. He had already thought something like that. He would have to have a serious word with Fry, even though he knew, of course, that he couldn't really help it because Hunter had simply snuck away. Nevertheless, he should have noticed something and reported it immediately.

“I hope you realize that you were incredibly lucky. If you'd ended up in another room or battle droids had discovered you earlier, you'd probably have been captured or dead without us knowing.” He waited until Hunter nodded in surrender before continuing seriously. “I'll have to report you disobeying orders.”

“But...but Cody sent me here to prove I can obey orders...” he said, startled.

“Still Commander Cody to you, Shiny!”

“Yeah, sure. Commander Cody.” He seemed to think for a moment. “He won't be pleased to hear that I disobeyed your orders. But he won't be pleased to hear that YOU exposed me to such dangers either, will he?” Hunter said sheepishly. “And that I have bruises from you allowing a sparring match to decide my coming along?” He pointed to his chin, on which a bruise was indeed visible.

Wolffe looked at him with amusement. Ha, so the kid wanted to play? Cute.

“No, Cody won't be pleased to hear that you've been talking back to me non-stop and disobeying my orders. That you wandered away from your assigned team on your own authority, betrayed your captain and stole a grenade belt. That you voluntarily jumped into an unknown shaft without armor, fought with droids and were shot in the process. And that you collapsed in my arms and I had to carry you like a tubie to the shuttle and then to the medbay.” Hunter looked at him with wide eyes and blushed. “Yes, my big brother will be angry that I let all this happen, but I'm already a seasoned commander. And he'll forgive me. But what do you think he'll say about what you did? I've read your file, kid. Your arguments with the other cadets and so on. Do you really think it's wise in your situation to try to blackmail a commander like me?”

“Well...so...no.” Hunter scratched his head, embarrassed. “The way you tell it, it sounds much worse than it actually was...”

Wolffe laughed. “We both know Cody's going to give us hell. I'll have to tell him the truth, but also mention what a fearless, brave idiot you were and that you saved our asses.”

Hunter's eyes lit up and he smiled gratefully.

Kriff, with his unusual gray eyes, he really was cute.

**

A day later, Cody had given them both hell, as expected. He had first made a mess of Wolffe, who had only replied defensively “Read the report I sent you again!”. Then the holo had turned to him. “What in the name of the galaxy didn't you understand about the phrase 'stay out of trouble', damn it! I've been trying for hours to explain to Crosshair why you're lying shot in the medbay when he hasn't been allowed to shoot once.” He threw his hands up in the air in support of his words. “I sent you to Wolffe to learn FROM him, not WITH him on the battlefield! Stars, Wolffe! How could you let that happen?” he barked at his little brother again.

He was now visibly annoyed. “Give it a rest, Cody! It happened, the mission was successful and Hunter learned a lot. That's what you wanted!”

“I told you to let him watch.” Cody took a deep breath, his voice calming a little. “No more trips from now on!”

“Yes, sir.” Wolffe and Hunter said in unison, the commander, however, with a deliberate roll of his eyes at the holo.

“Hunter?!” That was Crosshair's voice! He would recognize that one anywhere. His distorted holo popped up behind Cody. “This is so unfair! You get action and I get to rot in a city where there isn't a single droid!”

“Crosshair!” Cody's admonishing voice made Hunter smile. On the one hand, he was sorry that Crosshair wasn't experiencing much, but on the other, he was glad that he was safe and well.

“Hey, Cross,” Hunter said, smiling gently at his little brother's holo. “Don't worry, we'll have plenty more missions where we'll get some real action!”

Crosshair nodded eagerly.

As if on cue, both regs sighed simultaneously.

“Eventually you'll understand what we mean when we say that action isn't always good...” muttered Cody in his thoughts. It was only then that he realized that Crosshair hadn't even been planned for this conversation.

“Ehhhh Crosshair, didn't I say the guns should be cleaned before dinner?”

Crosshair sighed theatrically, replied exemplarily, “Sir, yes, sir...” and rolled his eyes so that Cody couldn't see. Hunter had to laugh immediately, which earned him a sharp look from Wolffe. He had probably noticed Cross' eye roll too.

“The younger generation today is pretty cheeky. Maybe you should clean a few blasters too, kid!”

Hunter grabbed his left shoulder. “I think I'm too hurt...” he said to Wolffe, but winked at Crosshair. He grinned back and waved.

“See you soon, Hunter!”

Then his holo disappeared and Hunter was shooed out of Wolffe's room to have his shoulder injury checked and rebandaged.

Though already out the door, he heard Cody say in a muffled voice, “Wait until I get my hands on you again...” and a deep chuckle from Wolffe.

Hunter wondered if they were as close as Crosshair and him?

Chapter Text

The approach to Kamino was bumpy, and Crosshair clung to his armrests. After Tech's enthusiastic reports, he had thought he would enjoy flying as much as his brother. But the opposite was true. He closed his eyes and focused. Exposing himself here, vomiting, was out of the question. When the large domes of his home planet came into view, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost made it and would see his brothers again.
Stars, he had missed them so much!

Surprisingly, he had also missed Kamino. It was the first time he had left the gray, rainy planet with its stormy oceans, but he was happy to return to his familiar surroundings. However, he was less enthusiastic about the long necks and the other regs. Although the boys of the 212th had surprisingly been mostly friendly to him and had even rescued him from a dicey situation in the bar district, Crosshair knew that the reg cadets were different in training. They were not yet experienced soldiers for whom loyalty and the lives of others were more important than test results. They were arrogant idiots who wanted to impress their trainers and the long necks at any cost.
And Crosshair knew he had to deliver too. If they wanted to pass their final exams in a good year, they would have to work hard to be admitted. In addition to the general exams, such as fitness and combat strategies, this also included the final team exam and their individual tests. Wrecker would have to demonstrate his knowledge of bombs in theory and practice. Tech would have to prove his technical skills, especially under difficult conditions. He himself would have to fire precise shots under pressure in various environments. And Hunter would probably have to take the most comprehensive exam: in addition to his individual skills in close combat and with the blaster, he would have to demonstrate tactical attack and defense strategies, sophisticated battle plans, and outstanding leadership qualities to pass. If all went well and the Kaminoans and General Shaak-Ti gave their approval, they could leave at the age of 8, unlike the regulars. He could hardly wait!
The pilot transmitted the codes, they were assigned to Hangar 7, and they landed safely on the wet platform.
“Time to get out, shiny!” said the pilot with a grin. He and Crosshair had talked a little about his future during the short flight. “Good luck with your upcoming tests!”
“Thanks,” Crosshair replied and left the shuttle. He put on his helmet and hurried through the pattering rain into the dome. There was no sign of his brothers, but that didn't surprise him. They would all arrive at different times and probably wouldn't see each other again until they reached their barracks. So he headed straight there.

***

Relieved, he left the medbay and set off. After hearing about his injuries, Nala Se had insisted on giving him a full check-up. She had even picked him up from the hangar that morning and taken him straight to her lab. However, Wolffe and his medics had taken good care of him, and apart from a slight twinge in his shoulder, he was in great shape. He had to grin when he thought about how the commander hadn't let him out of his eyes since their mission. Wolffe was probably afraid that Cody would give him hell again if Hunter got hurt even a little bit more. That's why his last few days on the Jedi cruiser had been quiet and relaxed. He hadn't seen Jedi General Plo Koon again, but according to Comet, that seemed to be normal. Jedi came and went as they pleased. He had spent a lot of time on the bridge and had therefore learned a lot about ship control. Although Tech was supposed to fly and maintain their own shuttle at some point, Hunter would have to bring a little know-how with him. He had not taken any flying lessons yet, but that would be on the agenda for the coming year. The thought of it made him feel slightly nauseous again. The return flight to Kamino had also been a disaster. He checked his datapad on the way. His three brothers were scheduled to arrive at 1700, 1800, and 2200. Hunter was so excited to hear how they had been doing and whether their little experiment of splitting up into different battalions would deliver the desired result. But he would have to wait a few more hours before he finally saw them again. He wasn't hungry and didn't want to sit alone in the mess hall, so he would wait in their barracks. A little nap wouldn't hurt either. Thanks to his white armor and helmet, he didn't stand out in the corridors of Tipoca City and reached his destination without incident. The guys from the 104th had all been very nice to him, but he couldn't expect the same from the regs here on Kamino. Even Wolffe, with whom Hunter had had difficulties at the beginning, had been approachable in the end. He had written his report honestly but fairly, so Hunter shouldn't have any problems. Shortly before his departure, the commander had taken Hunter aside again, wished him good luck for his future exams, and urged him to take care of himself. Whether they would ever see each other again was uncertain, but not entirely out of the question. They would surely have to work with the regs and save their asses once or twice.
Hunter entered the combination for their barracks and the door opened with a hiss. The smell of chemicals and disinfectants stung his eyes. Ah, so the place had been thoroughly cleaned during their absence. How he hated it!

“Hunter!”

He jumped in surprise and turned to his right. Crosshair was sitting on his bed.

“Cross! You're already here?!” He ran happily to his brother's bed, who came to meet him.

“Yeah, we got here earlier than planned!”

They fell into each other's arms. Hunter held him tightly, pressing his face into Crosshair's neck and breathing in his distinctive scent.

Stars, he smelled so good!

After a few moments, they tentatively pulled away from each other to look deeply and long into each other's eyes. Hunter didn't know if he was doing the right thing or crossing a line, but he couldn't help himself. Without thinking, he placed one hand on Crosshair's chest plate and the other on his neck and pulled him down slightly toward him. Fortunately, Crosshair complied without resistance and their lips met. It felt easy and right. After a few moments, Hunter grew bolder and deepened the kiss. They only let go of each other when the urge for oxygen became too great.

“I missed you.”

Crosshair smiled. “Me too! Tell me everything!”

Together, they took off their uncomfortable armor and took place on Crosshair's bed in their blacks, leaned back against the wall, and shared their experiences and adventures. Hunter learned a lot about the 212th and felt sorry for Crosshair when he complained about the lack of action. In return, Hunter told him everything about his adventure. Crosshair's eyes lit up and he eagerly followed every twist and turn.

How sweet he was.

“And your shoulder is fine again? All healed up?”

“Everything's fine, don't worry.”

“Are you sure?”

Hunter nodded. “It's almost healed. Do you want to see it?”

Crosshair nodded. So, he carefully took off his upper blacks and sat down with his back to his brother. He gently traced the contours of the new scar.

“That's going to be a big scar, Hunt.”

He carefully massaged around the slightly swollen area.

“Mhm.” Hunter closed his eyes with pleasure and sighed. It felt so good to be touched by someone he could trust. Crosshair extended his massage to the surrounding muscle strands and massaged out the small knots. Hunter couldn't suppress a satisfied sigh, even though it hurt a little. But it was a good kind of pain, enveloped in Crosshair's familiar scent, his gentle hands on his body. He felt his arousal growing.

He wanted more. Right now.

He reached over his shoulders and grabbed Crosshair's hands. He guided them over his shoulders toward him, sliding his back so close to him that they touched. He placed Crosshair's hands on his upper chest, where a dark blue bruise had formed from his fall.

“Cross... Will you massage me here too?”

Crosshair stroked the spot gently. “Anything you want, Hunt.”

He pressed himself a little closer to him and encouraged Crosshair's hands to wander. Crosshair immediately complied, sliding his fingers over every inch of skin he could reach. When he stroked Hunter's nipples, his cock twitched suggestively. The bulge in his pants was more than obvious through his skin-tight black pants. Crosshair must have noticed it, but it didn't seem to bother him. On the contrary. Hunter could clearly feel something hard against his lower back. Was now the moment to be brave and take it a step further?

***

Their position was perfect.

Feeling Hunter so close was perfect.

Feeling his warm body and smelling his familiar scent was perfect.

Hunter tilted his head back so he could look at him from the front. Crosshair tilted his head forward and their lips met again. This time they weren't as tentative as before. The kiss was messy, but good. So good. The uncomfortable position of Hunter's neck forced them to break apart much too quickly, but Crosshair followed his instinct and kissed his way down Hunter's neck. Here and there he bit lightly, eliciting a soft moan from Hunter.

Stars, how long he had wanted him like this under his hands.

His cock was rock hard and probably digging uncomfortably into Hunter's back, but that would have to wait. First, it was his brother's turn. His heart was pounding in his throat as he moved his hands down from Hunter's nipples to the hem of his blacks. When he passed Hunter's abs, he twitched toward Crosshair's hands.
He wanted it just as much. Right?

Right?!

“Hunt... I... I want to... can I...?”

“Yes!” To emphasize his words, Hunter took his brother's hands and slid them under his pants along with his own. He grasped Hunter's hot, hard erection and moaned in unison with his brother.
This was so much better than in his fantasies! It felt velvety, hot, and hard, but also somehow very different from his own cock. Hunter's was thicker, but a little shorter.

It was simply perfect.

He had to do everything right now to pleasure his brother properly.

Hunter's hands released his and pushed his blacks further down so that his cock was free and only in Crosshair's hands. He didn't know exactly how Hunter liked it, but he started by gently stroking his cock, just as he liked it at the beginning. Hunter rewarded him with a few drops of precum and a deep sigh, pressing his hips against his hands.

After a while, he murmured, “Cross... more! I... need... more!”

This emboldened him, and he increased the pressure and speed of his right hand. His left hand found its way to Hunter's balls and squeezed them gently. Hunter let out another loud moan and his cock twitched. It probably wouldn't be long before he came. Should he finish it or drag it out a little longer? He wasn't sure how Hunter wanted it. But Hunter made the decision for him by thrusting his hips back and forth, pleasuring himself on Crosshair's fist.

Okay, so he wanted it right now.

The fact that he kept rubbing his ass over Crosshair's erection made Crosshair tremble as well. Even without direct contact, he was probably closer to orgasm than he thought. Nevertheless, his brother took priority. Crosshair slid his thumb over Hunter's slit, causing even more precum to ooze out. Hunter's breathing quickened and he trembled.
Crosshair grinned. He closed his fist a little tighter around the hot cock and pumped it quickly and hard. In addition, he moved his left hand to Hunter's nipple and pinched it lightly. His brother writhed in his grip, threw his head to the left side, and sighed again. Crosshair was only too happy to comply and licked Hunter's sensitive spot below his earlobe.

As he began to suck a hickey on that spot, he felt Hunter twitch in his hand.

He was sure he had never heard anything sexier than the deep moan that escaped Hunter's lips as he climaxed and shot his cum over his hand. His whole body twitched uncontrollably as Crosshair brought him through his orgasm. This twitching caused Hunter's body to rub hard against his own rock-hard cock. Unable to stop himself, Crosshair also came with a dark moan into his blacks.

Exhausted but satisfied, Hunter let himself fall heavily against Crosshair's body. He wrapped his arms around his brother, pulled him close, and kissed him on the head.

“Cross... That was incredibly good! Give me... a minute... then it's your turn.”

Crosshair didn't answer. What could he say? That he had come in his blacks, just from watching him?

How pathetic.

“...Cross?”

“No need.”

Hunter turned to Crosshair. “What...what do you mean? Don't you want me to...?” he asked, startled.

“It's already...happened,” he said grumpily, looking away, embarrassed.

Hunter laughed softly. "Really? You mean... you found this so arousing that you...just came like that?"

“Shut up!!”

Hunter laughed. Crosshair couldn't remember the last time he had seen his big brother so relaxed. He couldn't help but grin too.

“Next time, it's my turn!”

“Yeah, yeah... How long do we have until Tech and Wrecker arrive?”

Chapter Text

Three rotations had passed since their reunion. On the evening of their arrival, Wrecker and Tech had eagerly recounted their exciting experiences. Hunter had listened obediently to Tech's ramblings, but secretly he was just glad that all three of his brothers had returned safely. He would never have forgiven himself if anything had happened to one of them. He had missed them so much! But they seemed to feel the same way. That evening, they had all slept together in a cuddle pile in one of the bunks (it had been much easier when they were smaller!). In the days that followed, they spent as much time together as possible, but their individual training took up most of the day. So they only saw each other in the mornings and evenings, as everyone had their own lunch break and they couldn't eat together. But Hunter also knew that each of them had to train hard to pass their final exams with top marks. So he didn't complain. However, a check-up with the Kaminoans was scheduled for after dinner today. Since Hunter didn't know exactly what this meeting was about, he felt uneasy. He listlessly poked at his bantha mash.

“Hey Huntah, what do the longnecks want from us, huh?”

“Wrecker, I don't know. We'll only find out when we get there.”

“But... what if they... well, you know...”

“Hm?”

“What if they punish us for things not going so well?”

Tech interjected from his seat. “From a neutral point of view, there is definitely cause for concern. Since we all...”

“Not now, Tech!” hissed Crosshair.

But Tech pushed his glasses back and simply ignored him. "...have made mistakes, more or less, it's logical that they would discipline us. Or at least reprimand us. You, Wrecker, only ran into your commander after a large-scale search operation. Crosshair left his squad without permission, I sent a squad of Corries after innocent Coruscanti against my orders, and Hunter ignored all his COs' orders and sneaked into enemy territory."

The other three hung their heads in despondency.

“I was just trying to help...” Hunter muttered resignedly. Wrecker sympathetically placed a hand on his shoulder.

“But you're forgetting one thing.”

“What's that?”

“We, Wrecker, are 99ers. We are, as they say, defective. No one expects us to do everything right. Quite the contrary. Everyone expects us to fail. To make mistakes.”

Crosshair pointed his fork at him. “Tech, we've made mistakes! You just said so yourself! How is that supposed to help us?”

Tech put his knife and fork down. A sign that a long lecture was coming. Hunter was actually curious to hear his answer. “Think about it, Cross! By making mistakes, we fly under the radar. No one notices when we're not the best.”

That was his answer?! Hunter couldn't let that stand. “But we are the best, Tech! You're the best genius, Wrecker is the best bomb maker, and Crosshair is the best sniper! Of course our trainers expect only the best from us!”

"Of course we are, Hunter. But who really knows that? What percentage of the regs would admit it? The probability is less than 1 percent. Likewise, none of our natborn trainers would agree with that. The only ones who expect a lot from us are Nala Se, because she created us, General Shaak-Ti, because she knows us well, and Commander Cody and Commander Colt, because they've seen some of our abilities. That's four people, two of whom aren't here permanently, one of whom is a Jedi and has probably already foreseen our future, and Nala Se. And she'll surely tell us herself what she thinks of our performance. But she created us, and she'll want us to prove our abilities in war."

“So that's your grand plan, genius? That we make mistakes and make ourselves look worse than we actually are? You can't be serious!” Crosshair hissed quietly. He was angry, Hunter could tell from his burning gaze.

“He's right, Tech. That's not our way.”

“Yeah! No one is better than us!” To emphasize his words, Wrecker slammed both hands on the table, causing their cups to shake suspiciously. As usual, some regs turned to look at them, and Hunter heard a few distant insults. This time, he skillfully ignored his sensitive hearing.

"No, you misunderstand me. I don't want us to be worse than we are. We are significantly better than the average reg in almost every area. What I meant to say was this: I am 73.3 percent sure that we won't have to face consequences for our mistakes because no one expects us not to make mistakes. Therefore, Wrecker, your fear of punishment is unfounded and pointless."

The three brothers nodded in agreement. They could live with that.

“Okay, Tech, you could have said that right at the beginning without giving us a confusing lecture. Boys, let's get this over with and go to Nala Se's lab.”

***

He was boiling with rage inside! As if they didn't have to fear consequences for their behavior! The longnecks, in the form of Nala Se had pointed out their mistakes emotionlessly, as always, and threatened decommissioning if something similar happened again. To emphasize her words, she had sent a personal trainer after them.

Sargeant Harddog.

Unfortunately, his name said it all.

He had made it clear without further ado that he didn't care what mistakes had been made or what the reasons for them were. He was only here to deliver the consequences. And for now, they had to run. Run a long way. Crosshair hated running! Not as much as Wrecker or Tech, but he still hated it! They had been running around the halls of Tipoca City for forty minutes now. In the dark. In the rain. He slipped again and just managed to catch himself before falling. Pah! The natborn would like to see that, wouldn’t he! But Crosshair wasn't going to expose himself like that. He stubbornly put one foot in front of the other, keeping Hunter a few meters ahead of him in his sight. Tech and Wrecker had fallen behind, but since it was a large circle, they would soon catch up with them again. He felt sorry for his two brothers. Wrecker was simply too heavy to be a good runner, and Tech didn't know where to look without his datapad and often stumbled. If he could, he would take some of the punishment off them, but unfortunately, the penalty laps they had been given for twenty rotations each evening after dinner could not be shared. They all had to go through it together.

So he gritted his teeth and kept running until the sargeant caught up with them and finally sent them to the showers after 100 push-ups.

Silently, the four boys made their way to the shower rooms. Each of them was too tired and exhausted to speak. They took off their soaked blacks, grabbed towels, and entered the showers, which were fortunately empty at the time. Insults from the regs were the last thing the four of them needed right now. Except for the pattering water and the relieved sighs of his brothers as the warm water loosened their aching muscles, there wasn't much to hear. Crosshair washed his short hair and then risked a glance to his left. They had showered together since they were kids, but since their bodies had changed, it had become more difficult for Crosshair to ignore Hunter's nakedness. He felt the familiar tug in his groin that signaled his desire for his big brother. Except for the handjob and Hunter's revenge three rotations ago on the day of their reunion, the two had not found time for each other. In the evenings, they were simply too tired to keep their eyes open long enough to wait for Tech and Wrecker to fall asleep. They would have to remain patient, but that wasn't necessarily one of Crosshair's strengths.

Hunter had also lathered his hair and was in the process of rinsing it out. Since his hair was now long, it took a while to wash out all the soap. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warm water. Tech and Wrecker were standing on the other side of Hunter, so they didn't notice Crosshair admiring his brother.

Stars, he already had a perfect body.

And an even more perfect ass.

His muscular chest, narrow hips, strong thighs, and perfectly round ass made Crosshair's cock twitch.

Kriff.

That was the last thing he needed right now. But he wanted him. So badly.

To run his hands over that body. To kiss every inch he could reach.

When would they ever find the time to do that without being in a hurry or afraid of getting caught?

It annoyed him.

He grabbed a towel, dried his upper body, and tied it around his hips. At least that way his arousal would be hidden from the others. Annoyed, he went into the changing room and put on fresh blacks. Hunter came in alone a short time later.

As he dried himself off, he looked questioningly at Crosshair.

“Everything okay, Cross?”

“Yeah, everything's fine,” the sniper replied sharply.

He knew it wasn't fair to blame Hunter, but he just didn't know what to do with his feelings. It was too much to keep inside! He was angry, he was annoyed, he was sad, he…just missed him.

“Are you... sure?” Hunter asked cautiously once more.

“You tell me!” Crosshair snapped.

“What do you mean?” Hunter asked defensively.

“Apparently, I'm not as important to you as you always say!”

Hunter flinched. “What?!”

“You always tell me how important I am to you, but in the last few rotations, you haven't even been with me at night!” he let his anger run free. When he saw the look of shock on Hunter's face, he almost felt sorry for snapping at him like that.

“Cross, I... we didn't have time and—”

He fell silent when Tech and Wrecker entered the locker room. They were talking about some plants Wrecker had seen on the planet when they had been separated. Crosshair looked defiantly at his big brother, but he didn't say another word.

Disappointed, he packed his things and left the locker room without turning back or responding to his brothers' calls.

***

“What was that about?” Wrecker asked, puzzled.

When Hunter remained silent, Tech jumped in. “I have a feeling Crosshair is angry with us. What do you think, Hunter?”

The boy addressed sighed. “He's not angry with us... He's angry with me.”

“Why's that?”

“Well... it's complicated, but I think Crosshair feels... well... a little neglected by me.”

Tech put on his glasses after drying his face. “Crosshair has always been very fixated on you. Ninety-Nine once told me that even as a tubie, he was always craving your attention. And he got it by any means necessary, good or bad.”

Hunter nodded. He couldn't very well tell Tech and Wrecker what this was really about. He didn't even know what these strong feelings for his brother really meant. So how could he explain that to his brothers?!

“Let's go back. I'll... take care of Cross.”

The three of them left the washrooms together and returned to their barracks. To Hunter's horror, it was empty. Crosshair had been here, he could tell by the things lying on the floor in front of his bunk, but there was no sign of him.

Hunter's heart skipped a beat.

Kriff.

He should have known that Crosshair wouldn't want to meet him face to face. It was always like that when they had argued. He felt a slight anger rising within him. What could he do about it if their days were so busy?! Why was he the one who now had to deal with Crosshair's frustration?! He hadn't done anything wrong and had tried not to neglect Tech and Wrecker, and Crosshair hadn't liked that. But he had to live with it! He couldn't split himself into three, and his other two brothers needed his support just as much!

“I know where he is. I'll go get him,” he said grumpily.

Tech nodded to him and Wrecker looked at him sympathetically. “Should I come with you? If he doesn't want to, I can carry him!”

Wrecker's offer warmed his heart and he had to grin at the mental image.

“Thanks, Wreck, I can handle it!”

“As you say…”

Hunter waved to his two brothers and left their barracks. He wasn’t 100% sure, but he had a hunch where he would find his little brother. Since it wasn’t curfew yet, he could walk quickly through the halls of Tipoca City without having to worry about getting caught.

He was just turning into the last corridor that would lead him to their secret hideout, where he suspected Crosshair was, when he almost collided with a group of regs.

Oh no.

That's all he needed.

The four regs were about the same age as him, so luckily, they weren't boys from his command group. But that didn't mean he would get out of this without any trouble.

“Did you get lost, defective?”

Of course, they knew who he was. Hunter and his brothers had often trained with the regs of the same age before Hunter was put into the command group with the older regs and Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair received more individualized training sessions.

“None of your business,” he growled back.

“But the lights are about to go out. Not that you're afraid of the dark,” one of the guys said with a grin. The other three joined in.

Anger rose within him, but he knew he couldn't afford to make any mistakes now. A few weeks ago, he would raise his fist and punched the reg in the face for that cheeky reply. But now there was a lot at stake, and he couldn't afford any more missteps. And that included not letting himself be provoked by regs his own age.

“I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me so much,” he said flippantly with a grin to the reg.

“What?! What was that?” replied the reg sourly. “I'm not worried about bantha fodder like you!” He blushed and was laughed at by his friends. “Stop laughing, you womprats!”

Hunter grinned and used the moment of distraction to sneak past the boys on the right and then run away. He knew he would be faster than them if they followed him. But apparently, they were too busy teasing the reg to bother Hunter.

He had gotten lucky this time.

At the end of the long corridor, he took the hidden ladder to get to one of Tipoca City's balconies. When he opened the door, a rush of cold sea air hit him. He took a few deep breaths of the fresh air and let his senses wander across the covered balcony. A few meters away, he could feel the other heartbeat.

Bingo.

He slowly approached his brother, who was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. A mixture of anger at his brother's behavior and desire for him flooded through him. He took a deep breath and tried the gentle approach.

“Hey, Cross'ika,” he greeted his little brother softly.

“What do you want?” his brother hissed at him.

Okay, wow. What a welcome. So, he wanted the rough approach.

“What's your problem?! The galaxy doesn't always revolve around you, Crosshair! Tech and Wrecker need me just as much!” As he was about to speak, Hunter continued energetically. “And no, that doesn't mean you're not more important than them. But they're my brothers too, and you must understand that I have to take care of them as well.”

Offended, Crosshair broke eye contact and remained silent.

“Cross, come on. Stop acting like a tubie!”

That was probably too much. Crosshair jumped up abruptly, covered the two meters separating them, and lunged at him with such force that he knocked them both to the ground. Hunter was completely unprepared for the attack and hit the ground heavily. Crosshair held him firmly by the collar and looked at him angrily.

“Don't you understand, or don't you want to understand?!”

Hunter glared back angrily. “You seem to be the one who doesn't want to understand!”

Without waiting for an answer, he attacked, rearing up and turning them both around in a swift maneuver. He pressed Crosshair hard to the ground, causing him to gasp in surprise. Hunter leaned forward so that his face was only inches away from Crosshair's.

“So, what don't I understand, huh?” he asked.

Crosshair's gaze slid from his eyes to his mouth, where it lingered for a few moments. He tore himself away and looked gently into Hunter's eyes.

“You are mine.”

Hunter looked at him with wide eyes, then laughed. “Of course, di'kut. Did you doubt that?”

"Well... kind of. I – you – well, I…I don't know."

Hunter sat up and took Crosshair's face in both hands. He gently stroked his cheeks.

“Crosshair, listen to me carefully. You're my baby brother” – he grinned mischievously, knowing that Crosshair would be upset about this – “but you're so much more than that. You are, and you know it, along with Tech and Wrecker, everything in my life. The most important people in this galaxy to me. And...” he took a deep breath to collect himself, “I want to try everything with you. You are special to me. Stop doubting that. We'll stay together forever, I promise you.”

Since words had always been less important to them than actions, he leaned back down toward Crosshair and pressed his lips to his brother's. The innocent kiss soon turned into aggressive kissing, interrupted only by the need for oxygen. Crosshair raised his upper body so that Hunter sat on his lap, his legs to the right and left of Crosshair. He felt Crosshair's arousal beneath him.

They looked deeply into each other's eyes, embarrassed. Hunter broke the silence first.

“Do you remember when we drank that bottle of Spotchka here a few weeks ago?”

Crosshair nodded and smiled. “You were incredibly drunk after that!”

“That's not true!”

"Oh yes, it is. I had to carry you back because you couldn't stand up!" Crosshair laughed relaxed.

Hunter's heart warmed. “I love your laugh so much,” he whispered and kissed him again lovingly and with all the feelings he carried inside but couldn't express.

He would never voluntarily break his promise that they would be together forever.