Archive of Our Own

“You’re staring.”

Hunter rips his gaze off Anika, where she is going through lightsaber forms with Omega in the center of the clearing, to glare at his brother. Crosshair is smirking, a look of glee in his eyes that promises a lot more torment to come. “No, I’m not,” he snaps back, flushing.

“You are,” Crosshair assures him snidely, leaning forwards. “You’ve been staring at her for the past fifteen minutes, Hunter.”

He flushes even deeper. “Shut it,” he hisses.

“Crosshair is correct,” Tech says mildly, not looking up from his datapad. “Every time I’ve looked up, you’ve been staring.”

So, basically, since this impromptu training session started.

“Watching someone and studying their moves does not constitute as staring,” he grits out, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance at having been called out by his brothers.

“You should have been watching Omega then,” Crosshair drawls. “She’s the one who needs pointers.”

He has never wanted to punch Crosshair this badly before, but he refrains, if only because Wrecker, who is cheering Omega on, totally oblivious to their discussion, would probably punch him back in Crosshair’s defense.

“I don’t know how I can stand you,” he mutters under his breath. The comment is, of course, directed at Crosshair, who just laughs at him. “I hate you,” he adds, even more quietly, as if his brother might somehow not hear it.

“Feeling’s mutual,” Crosshair agrees, smirking, and Hunter finally gives into the impulse to elbow him. Hard.

 ***

One year earlier

“The last droids are up ahead,” Hunter informs his squad, crouching behind a boulder. Jabiim is not an easy place to fight, with all of the sparsely covered landscape; it’s practically a desert in some places, the surface damaged and destroyed by all of the battles.

“I see them,” Crosshair reports from his vantage point atop a cliff ledge a distance away, overlooking the open valley beneath, “And they have tanks.”

“Wrecker can handle them,” Hunter decides, refocusing the macrobinoculars on the tanks in question. They’re lingering a distance back from the others, ready to attack any enemy forces who approach. But they’re also backed close to the edge of a cliff, and he doesn’t have a good feeling about it. Still, a mission is a mission.

Wrecker cheers. “I get to blow ‘em up!”

Hunter rolls his eyes, fondly. “Yes. But watch out for that cliff ledge. Tech and I will handle the rest of the forces. Crosshair, cover fire.”

And then, they leap into action, falling into the familiarity of the plans that they’ve created and perfected over years of training. This is what they’re prepared for, ever since they were young. There is no option other than success; they have never failed a mission yet, no matter how few they’ve actually been on, and they will not start now.

But Hunter’s instincts are still buzzing as he shoots down the droids in front of him, rolling under a few blaster bolts and taking out the next two droids in succession. That’s when it happens. He doesn’t see, exactly, how it unfolds, but one moment, he’s firing at droids, and the next, something prickles sharply at his senses.

“Wrecker!” 

It’s Tech who calls the warning, and Hunter whirls, braced for the worst, knowing that he’s too far away to get to his younger brother in time. The explosion is blinding, and his heart nearly stops for a moment, stuttering when there’s a snap-hiss and a blue lightsaber appears from in the smoke. A… Jedi? But there weren’t supposed to be any Jedi here?

“I’m fine,” Wrecker assures them over comms, sounding slightly shaken. 

Hunter swallows, tucking away his fear for later, giving the order. “Keep moving.”

It’s not until the battle has been won, with help from the mysterious female Jedi, clad in black robes, that Hunter has a chance to think about her sudden, unexpected appearance. 

“We weren’t informed a Jedi would be here,” Hunter comments, approaching.

“Where am I?” she asks, frowning, glancing around. “What is happening?”

…What? “We’re on Jabiim,” Hunter replies, with no small measure of confusion, because… if she’s here, she ought to know that, right?

Her gaze darts around, almost anxiously. “Where’s Obi-Wan?”

“General Kenobi?” he clarifies. He’s on the Jedi Council. Of course they’ve heard of him, but they certainly don’t know him. “He… is not a part of this mission.” She only looks more confused than he’s feeling, and he can hear her heart rate picking up. “… Who are you?”

“Anika Skywalker,” she replies. The name draws up blanks. The ‘Skywalker’ part is somewhat familiar, because Hunter’s heard of a Jedi with that name, but definitely not her.

“There appears to be no record of a Jedi by that name,” Tech speaks up, studying his datapad, “The only Jedi I can identify with the name ‘Skywalker’ is Anakin Skywalker.”

“What?” Anika demands, voice rising a little. “But that’s – that does not make any sense.”

No, something is definitely not adding up, and he can’t figure out what it is. She appeared out of nowhere, and there’s also no record of her existence. But she’s obviously a Jedi, not a… rogue one on the Separatist side trying to fool them, so what’s going on? “How did you get here?”

“I do not know, but I sensed a disturbance in the Force before I… ended up here,” she answers, slowly, “It appears I may not be in my reality.”

What?

“… What does that mean?” Hunter asks.

Anika huffs out a breath. “I don’t know, okay? I don’t know what’s happening any more than you do. You’re clone forces for the Republic, right? Is there a way you can get me to Coruscant, to speak with the Council?”

That’s definitely the simplest solution. Trying to even begin understanding what’s going on here is mind-blowing, and it’s not the most important concern right now, either. They need to report on the status of the battle, and restock weapons and rations. “We… could take you to Coruscant,” he replies. That’s the only chance of contact they’d have with the Jedi Council. It’s not as if they report to the Council.

“Thank you,” she replies gratefully.

***

None of them have been to Coruscant before, so it’s… an interesting experience. And they go to the Jedi Temple which is also very weird on multiple levels. It’s a little overwhelming, if Hunter is being honest, being here surrounded by so many Jedi. A part of him wonders if he’ll see General Skywalker around here, because… well, he knows of him. Everyone does. And from what he does know, Anika looks similar to him. Very similar. 

Hunter was expecting that to be the last they saw of that Jedi, but it’s not. They’ve finished restocking supplies and looking around the city without wandering far when she seems to materialize next to them out of thin air. He jumps, startled, and she flashes him a small, apologetic smile. 

“Sorry,” she offers, sheepishly. She’s fidgeting. “I – uh, I wanted to talk to you.”

Unexpected. “What is it?” he asks, uncertain if he should call her some sort of title. Maybe not. It’s not as if he knows her rank, anyway. 

“I’m from another reality. It – my situation is… complicated. I’m a Jedi, of course, but… I guess I can do something else, if I want, and I… I thought that maybe I could… join you?” She says it like a question, and she swallows, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking away again. “It’s up to you, of course, but I thought maybe… having a trained Jedi with you could help. You’ll still be the squad leader. It’s –” She huffs, shaking her head. “I’m not trained for leading an army. Or… any of this, really. I wouldn’t know what I was doing if I was to get my own battalion and lead them out there. I want to help, but I don’t know what I’m doing. Maybe, if I was with you, I could… make a difference another way.”

To say he’s taken aback by her words would be an understatement. He’s actually shocked by them, by her frankness. It’s always just been the four of them. He’s never had a reason to think that someone else might join them someday. Especially because no one’s ever wanted them before. The regs certainly haven’t. “I’ll have to talk to my squad,” Hunter says finally, “But I’m sure they’ll be fine with it. We’ll need to go through some training, to get you integrated, so we know how to work together.”

“It won’t be hard, though, right?” she asks hopefully, optimistically. 

Despite himself, he smiles slightly. “No,” he assures, “I don’t think it will be hard at all.”

***

Anika still has no idea how this could’ve happened, but it doesn’t change that yes, she clearly is in the wrong reality. It was… weird, meeting this Obi-Wan on the Council, via hologram, knowing that he’s not hers.

It’s only truly sinking in now that she has no idea when she’ll see hers again, because she doesn’t even know how to get back to her reality. Or if she can. The Council has no more of an idea what to do. They don’t really consider her a Jedi here, though they offered to take her in as one. But she’s not sure she really wants that.

It would feel too out of place, especially given that no one here is hers. Not to mention there is literally a male version of her here, who she has yet to meet.

The last thing she knew in her reality, she was heading to Cato Neimoidia to rescue Obi-Wan. Here, she’s not only in a completely different place, but also… in the future. Even if it’s only a couple years or so.

Still, for as long as she’s here, she has to do something with herself and the only people she really knows are the clones she appeared alongside. Working with them isn’t so bad, though. She always wanted to get to know the clones a little better in her own reality, something she never had time for. 

They’re working on training together now, incorporating her into how they fight and operate. It’s taking time, but none of them seem to mind. If anything, they seem happy to have her with them, even though it must be strange, since she’s both a Jedi and female.

They’re heading out of the training room, to return to their barracks, when she sees a short, blonde haired… girl hovering in the hallway.

“Hello,” she greets, waving at them, though Anika feels a distinct amount of nervousness and uncertainty coiling around her in the Force. Her presence has a spark of brightness; it feels like molten honey. It’s softer and distinctly lighter than that of any of the other clones. Is she… Force sensitive? That’s possible?

“What’s that?” Wrecker asks, leaning down to inspect her.

Tech leans closer, adjusting his goggles. “Adolescent human female. Origins… uncertain.” What’s she doing here? Only clones should be here, although… Anika can definitely see the resemblance in her facial features.

“My name’s Omega,” she says, “I wanted to see you. I heard a Jedi joined you.”

Hunter steps forwards at that. “You know who we are?” He sounds surprised and a little curious. All of them are, honestly – Anika can feel it – but she, at least, has a suspicion that this girl is a clone. Somehow. A clone of who is a whole other story.

“Hunter, Tech, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Anika,” she chirps, smiling. 

“Why are you here, on Kamino?” Hunter asks. 

“I –” Omega hesitates, and Anika’s eyes flicker towards the end of the hallway where a vaguely familiar figure is suddenly standing. Nala Se.

“Her job, of course,” the Kaminoan says, moving closer. “She is my medical assistant, one with a curious mind that causes her to wander. Come, Omega.”

“Just a moment,” Anika blurts out, holding out a hand, stopping both from leaving. “She is a clone?” The only reason she is speaking up now is because she knows that, because of her ranking as a Jedi, the Kaminoans will respect her where they won’t the others. 

“Yes,” Nala Se replies, almost reluctantly. Her eyes narrow marginally, almost challenging, but Anika doesn’t back down. She needs to know if what she’s sensing is the truth.

“Is she Force sensitive? She feels… different.”

Another, longer pause. “She is, but she is Kaminoan property, not your concern, Jedi.”

Anika clenches her hands, the gears in her prosthetic whirring. None of them speak as Nala Se and Omega walk away, and after a moment, Hunter steps forward, leading them to their barracks. “I can free her,” Anika says as soon as the door has closed. “I can go to the Council and request that they let me take Omega as my Padawan. It would be… very non-traditional, and Omega wouldn’t be a true Jedi, but she would still be trained. Leaving her here… doesn’t sit well with me.” She doesn’t need to add that it bothers her, because of her childhood as a slave. She’s mentioned it to them, and they understand. 

The brothers look at each other, and Crosshair huffs, sitting on his bunk and stretching. “If you want to collect another Jedi, I’m not going to argue,” he drawls, looking at Hunter.

“She would be safer here,” Hunter states, not an agreement or disagreement. He’s considering it, Anika knows, processing what it would mean for all of them if Omega joins them. 

“She would,” she concedes, because she cannot deny that, “But only so long as Nala Se wants to keep her around, right?”

Wrecker’s expression darkens. “We gotta get her out.”

Hunter looks at Tech and then Crosshair, before nodding. “I agree.” And that settles it.

***

When Anika contacts the Council via holocall, they accept her words with seeming reluctance and finally decide that Omega should be brought to Coruscant to be tested in-person, so they can decide if her latent Force-sensitive abilities will even activate. And so, the six of them leave Kamino for Coruscant. Unlike before, Anika brings them into the building itself, showing them around while waiting for the Council to be able to receive them. It’s… Showing her squad where she grew up as a Jedi is… it’s nice. It’s nice to be able to share this part of her past, and even if this reality is different, the Temple is still the same.

All of them are awed by the building, even if they don’t show it or try to play it off, like Crosshair. But the keen look of wonder in his eyes gives him away, no matter how much he maintains that he’s Not Impressed. No one believes him. 

In the short time since they’ve been with Omega, Anika can tell how protective of her they all feel. The girl is special, a bright little light amidst the darkness of the war, and it’s nice to see her get to spend time with her brothers; somehow, Anika doubts she ever has before. When the Council finally calls her in to speak to her – alone, of course – the rest of them take up positions outside, waiting for whenever the meeting will adjourn. 

And that is when Anika senses a brilliant Force signature, comparable to a star and oh-so-familiar, approaching. She stills, turning towards the hall, seeing the young man who is so identical to her, and so different, standing there, regarding her with open curiosity. 

Finally, he huffs, smirking and approaching her. “I guess I’m you. Or you’re me. I am not entirely certain how that works.”

Anika grins back. “Me either. I guess Obi-Wan told you about me?”

He nods. “He mentioned it, and I’ve wanted to meet you ever since.”

“This is the… other you?” Wrecker asks, looking between them.

“Yeah,” she answers, blinking a few times. This is… awkward, to say the least, to be talking to herself, and slightly unsettling, because Anakin knows more about her than anyone else could ever understand. “He’s me.”

“Or she is me,” Anakin replies, dryly, “And these are… Clone Force 99?”

Anika can’t deny, or hide, the wave of emotions that wash through her when she thinks of her new squad, of how they accepted her so easily and readily, welcoming her with open-arms. They understand her, or at least they understand the feeling of being alone and unwanted. She chose them, and they chose her. They’re her family now.

She doesn’t miss the way Hunter’s emotions flux with a strange amount of… awe. And hero-worship. They all know about and look up to this version of Anakin. That’s… weird. At least they don’t see them as the same. It would be beyond awkward if they looked up to her, too.

“We are,” Hunter affirms, moving to stand at her side. The gesture is meant to put him on even ground with her, but it still makes her feel less alone. She’s felt alone since she came here, but being with them, with the Bad Batch… it is comforting. More comforting than she knows how to put into words.

Anakin’s eyes linger on her, and in his eyes, she can see understanding, and maybe a little regret. Longing, too. He can see what she has, and… he feels alone, too, doesn’t he? She always felt alone at the Temple, and it only became exponentially worse once she came here. It hurts, knowing that Anakin is alone, without anyone really, while she is building a family. But they have each other. Maybe they can’t be with each other a lot, but… well, hopefully they can work something out, arrange some sort of communicating system so they can talk, sometimes. 

“I’m glad you have them,” he murmurs, reaching out, touching her shoulder, a steady reassurance and a promise. 

Anika offers him a small, shy smile. “Me too.” They leave it at that. There’s nothing more for either of them to say.

***

It’s… interesting, getting to know Omega. Hunter’s always been protective of his brothers, but it’s different with her in some ways. Probably because she’s younger, and she’s relying on all of them to protect her.

Even if she’s now Anika’s padawan, and learning to use abilities they’ll never understand. She doesn’t have any training at all, so it’s taking time, but they’re working it out. Going on missions is more difficult, but Anika’s abilities more than make up for that. 

She’s good, and Hunter is so grateful to have her with them. Because of her presence, the regs bother them less; some of them even show them a grudging admiration. She’s loyal to a fault, and quick to run to their rescue. She’s everything the squad needed, and Hunter has no idea how they managed so long without her. No matter how much Omega might slow them down sometimes, Anika more than makes up for it with her daring and skill. 

Every chance they get, whenever they’re not on missions, Anika is working Omega through lightsaber training, drilling the forms into her over and over. She’s a good teacher, knowing when to push, when to stop, knowing how to get Omega to reach her best. She does that for all of them, to a point, but it’s most obvious with Omega, since she’s Anika’s student.

“You’re staring.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You are. You’ve been staring at her for the past fifteen minutes, Hunter.”

“Shut it.”

Crosshair is still laughing at him, completely unfazed by the sharp elbow he received to the ribs. Tech shakes his head, muttering something under his breath and looking back at his datapad. And then, suddenly, it beeps. He straightens, looking towards Anika and Omega, before turning to Hunter. “We have another mission,” he states. “We’re being sent to Yalbec Prime.”

Hunter jumps to his feet far faster than he ordinarily would have. “Great,” he replies with an unnatural cheer. Crosshair only laughs harder. “I’ll let Anika know.”

“Privately?” Crosshair asks gleefully. “I’m sure I could arrange –”

“Not one more word,” hisses Hunter, glaring at him.

His brother smirks, waving a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell on you.” Tech’s eyes glint with amusement, but he doesn’t say anything.

Sometimes, Hunter really hates his brothers.

***

“Just slow us down,” Hunter orders from behind her as Anika flies the Marauder in towards the base on Anaxes. Brings it barreling in at top speed would be more accurate, but it’s not nearly as bad as the brothers are acting. And Anika is definitely not just partly doing it to get a reaction out of everyone.

“But it’s fun!” Omega protests, mirrored by Wrecker’s laugh of agreement.

“It could damage the ship,” Tech reminds.

“And the landing platform,” Hunter adds, irked.

Anika jerks it to a screeching halt in the middle of the platform, and she might’ve thrown the others from their seats if everyone wasn’t already secured – it was one of the first things that Hunter ordered when he realized that she wouldn’t let up on her nosedive through the planet’s atmosphere. 

Crosshair snorts, his amusement curling into the Force. “Don’t be a drama queen, Hunter. It’s not a good look on you.”

There’s the sound of something thunking plastoid, and Anika guesses that Hunter probably whacked him. She smirks, setting the ship down with a gentleness that’s in stark contrast to the speed she was flying with earlier. She loves flying, always will. It’s so… freeing.

“We should do that again!” Omega says excitedly, bounding to her feet.

“Yeah,” Wrecker laughs – actually, Anika’s not sure he’s stopped laughing.

“We should not,” Hunter replies, flatly, “We could have hit something.”

Anika leans over to pat his shoulder. “I’ll have you know that I’m an excellent pilot,” she declares loftily. “We would have been fine. I’ve been flying since before I could walk.” Hunter makes a face, obviously not reassured, but something in his eyes softens, and she feels a flicker of a deep fondness for him. They’ve grown much closer over the past months. They’re friends, family even, but that doesn’t prevent her heart from yearning for more. There’s a softness to Hunter, a calm steadiness that grounds her, and she never wants to lose it. She couldn’t bear it if she did. He’s become too important to her.

And, what she feels for Hunter is very different than how she feels towards the others. The others are more like siblings to her, or something of that nature.

Wrecker is like the crazy little brother she never asked for, but doesn’t know how she ever did without. He nearly crushed her ribs the first time he hugged her – it had caught her totally off-guard. No one had hugged her, really, since she became a Jedi.

And Crosshair is… well, Crosshair. He doesn’t talk much, but she respects that. She understands that. She’s not much of a talker, either. She grew up alone at the Temple. She never had… anyone. But there’s a certain gentle softness to him that she can see no matter how hard he tries to hide it. And he’s… childish. They all are in a sense, but it’s especially predominant on Wrecker and Crosshair. They look up to her, and despite their initial cautiousness, she adopted them both almost immediately.

Omega is… sibling can’t describe the fierce protectiveness Aniaka feels towards her. She’s raising her, after all.

And she’s probably the only person who pays attention to or understands a lot of what Tech is rambling sometimes, like he is right now. 

“The likelihood of our ship sustaining damage in such a descent –” Tech is saying, and Anika accidentally tunes him out. It definitely wasn’t intentional, but sometimes, there is literally nothing else you can do when Tech is talking. She’s gotten used to it, except when they’re working on some mechanical madness together. Then, she thinks everyone’s gotten good at tuning them both out.

“We shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Anika notes, standing, finally breaking eye contact with Hunter.

They head outside the ship, to see Cody, Rex, and a couple other members of the 501st waiting for them.

“The cavalry has arrived,” Wrecker announces much too loudly as they walk down the ramp.

The introductions go smoother than Anika might have expected, given that they always have a hard time working with the regular clones, but these are Anakin’s clones, and she knows how much they worship him – especially given that he and Anika have stayed in limited contact over the months.

“So, Commander, what kind of ‘suicide mission’ do you have for us this time?” Hunter asks Cody.

They’ve worked with him a number of times, which means Anika also got the chance to interact with this version of Obi-Wan a little. In some ways, though, she thinks it only makes it hurt more knowing that she’ll probably never have her own back.

“Let’s get going. I’ll brief you on the way.”

Wrecker whacks one of the other clones unnecessarily hard as they climb on the gunship, and Anika shoots him a pointed glance, which she doubts he even noticed. But they don’t need to start hostilities between each other for no reason. Especially when that clone in particular – Jesse – seems distinctly wary for some reason.

She stands between Hunter and Crosshair, who’s chewing on a toothpick like he usually does. After knowing him for so long, she can’t help but think a lot of it is a… nervous gesture.  She doesn’t know how much he even realizes that anymore, but he seems to do it a lot when he’s uncomfortable. Like right now. Whatever’s happened between them and the regular clones, Crosshair seems most… affected by it in some ways. At least outwardly.

“You have your own Jedi?” Jesse asks curiously, after him and Crosshair exchange a few… not-quite glares. She can sense they’re wary of one another. Considering the bit Anika has been able to see of their lives, she understands why Crosshair is wary of the regs. All the Bad Batch are. She’s not sure about Jesse, though.

“I’m part of the squad,” Anika replies, “I’m not officially a Jedi here, in this… reality.”

“This… reality?” Jesse repeats.

“You’re the one the General’s mentioned?” Kix realizes. From the sudden flux of emotion she senses from them, they’re clearly eager to meet her. And they seem rather enthralled at the prospect of meeting another version of Anakin. 

“Yes, I am,” she confirms. And she’s excited to be here, with… Anakin’s clones.

***

The mission to infiltrate the Separatist base goes smoothly enough, and Anika’s glad to see that they and the 501st are working together more easily now. The others are Anakin’s boys after all. They shouldn’t be fighting with each other.

Rex seems strangely shaken, though, as they all settle into the speeder on the way back for their ship.

“That number, what did it mean?” Tech asks, breaking the silence.

“What number?” Anika queries, frowning. Tech and Rex had gone into the data center to get what they needed, while she’d stayed outside to fight with Hunter and Omega. That’s where a Jedi was really needed, after all.

“CT-1409,” Rex replies, quietly, “That was Echo’s number. He’s alive.”

Anakin mentioned him once, Anika remembers. He must’ve been one of the clones he and Rex were closest with. “Why would he be behind this?” she wonders, frowning. She can’t imagine how the Separatists could’ve gotten this kind of information out of him. Really, she doesn’t want to think about it.

“I don’t know, but we have to search for him,” Rex responds.

“We don’t even know if it’s him,” Hunter points out.

Anika glances over at him. “It’s worth checking out, right? We need to do that, regardless.” And if a clone might be held captive of the Separatists, she’s not going to risk leaving them there.

They get back to base shortly, explaining the situation to Anakin. It’s good to see him again, though she’ll take the time to think about that later.

Unsurprisingly, though, Rex is, by far, the most enthusiastic about the mission.

“I’m sure the Council will approve the mission,” Anakin assures, “Just remember the primary goal is to learn how the Separatists are predicting our strategy, whether it’s Echo behind it or not.”

“Well, if you want my opinion,” Hunter interjects, “Sounds like a trap. But me and the others will tag along anyway, if only to say ‘I told you so’.”

“Doesn’t sound so bad,” Anika offers, cheerfully. Mostly, if there’s another clone out there who needs their help, she can’t deny him that.

“We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

“My master and I always used to spring traps, whenever we’d find them,” she tells him, dryly. It will be dangerous taking Omega into something so unknown, though. But they’ll be doing it together, and with Anakin there too, she can hope it’s something they’ll all be able to handle. Hunter’s not wrong to worry about it. He’s responsible for all of them. 

“We did that, too,” Anakin replies, a flicker of amusement on his face, “Just make sure you’re all ready to go if we get the go-ahead from General Kenobi.”

“If you’re certain he’ll approve the mission, why wait?” Rex asks, “Let’s get going.”

Anakin nudges him, obviously trying to communicate something to him. “First, we have that… thing to do,” he says.

“Uh… what thing?”

Anika raises her eyebrow at the two, trying to parse out what’s going on. “You know,” Anakin answers, so many unspoken things lying in those single words. For a moment, through the Force, she gets the briefest glimpse of a woman, a very familiar woman, accompanied by a feeling of deep affection and longing. Padme? What – what is Anakin talking about? This… better not be what she thinks it is?

“We don’t have time for that, sir,” Rex practically hisses, shooting a look at Hunter and Anika out of the corner of his eye, obviously wishing they weren’t listening. She nearly smirks, especially at the bafflement that Hunter is radiating, along with barely concealed curiosity.

“Yes, we do,” Anakin insists, subtly motioning with his head towards somewhere behind them.

“Well, I’ll just let you two sort this out,” Hunter interjects, holding up a hand and gesturing to Anika to join him.

“A moment,” she says, looking at Anakin before grabbing his arm and tugging him a few steps away. “Did I just see what I thought I did?” she whispers, intrigued. “You and… Padme?”

Anakin makes a face. “I care for her, yes,” he admits. “I know it is… not exactly allowed, but… we have made it work.”

Her traitorous mind flashes to Hunter, wondering what it would be like to give him an affectionate touch that’s more than… just friends, wondering what it would be like to curl against him the way she wants to sometimes. Hunter is safe. He’s home. And even if she knows he’s younger than her, he still makes her feel protected and cared for.

“Huh,” Anakin murmurs, “So… you and Hunter?” Oops? Well, she should have guessed that if she can pick up on his thoughts, he can also pick up on hers. 

Her face grows warm as she shrugs. “No,” she replies, “But I… care for him. More than I should.”

Anakin pats her shoulder. “You don’t need my blessing, but you have it anyway. I think you’d be good together.”

She flushes even more. “Thanks,” she mutters awkwardly, not quite meeting his eyes as she leaves him and Rex to do their thing, slinking back to the Marauder and hiding in the shadows not too far from where Crosshair is loitering. She really, really doesn’t think she has the ability to face Hunter right this second without a moment to collect herself after that conversation with Anakin. She needs to clear her mind so she can talk to Hunter without – well, without having thoughts she really shouldn’t be having.

“I thought Jedi weren’t allowed to have relationships,” Crosshair drawls, sidling up next to her, so close that they’re almost touching.

Anika goes rigid without meaning to, feeling stupid for it a second later, knowing how much she’s giving away. Crosshair is good at reading people, so she deliberately relaxes, keeping her posture casual, no matter how feigned. “No,” she replies, “They’re not. Attachments of any nature are dangerous. They’re encouraged to let go of people, not hold on.”

Crosshair studies her, chewing on a toothpick. “Hm.”

His gaze is beginning to become unnerving, no matter how soft he is, especially because there’s a distinct note of amusement curling into the Force. “What is it?” She goes for curious, but she’s pretty sure she pulled it off badly, from the flicker of mirth in Crosshair’s brown eyes.

“You said they,” he notes. “You don’t consider yourself a Jedi?”

“Not anymore,” she confesses, surprising herself. “I guess I’ve been away from the rest of the Jedi for so long, and… I’ve been with you. It’s so different with you, and it’s… refreshing. I feel like myself.”

A faint, genuine smile curls his lips, but the sharpness of his gaze never wavers and with sinking dread, Anika has a feeling that she knows where this conversation is going. Kriff. If anyone can rattle her, that someone would be Crosshair, and she has a feeling that he will get a great deal of enjoyment out of watching her squirm. Siblings. Honestly. She wouldn’t trade them for anything in the galaxy, though. They’re hers, and she’s going to keep them all safe, no matter how crazy they might make her.

“So,” he replies, “That means you could have a relationship with someone if you wanted?”

She narrows her eyes at him. “If I had someone to have a relationship with, then yes, theoretically I could.”

Crosshair smirks at her. “You do have someone in mind though, don’t you?”

“Not you,” she deadpans, a little desperately, and Crosshair takes a step away from her, a flash of absolute horror on his face.

“I should hope not,” he sneers, pausing, and then, “If you want my assistance…”

She rolls her eyes. “With what?” she asks with long-suffering patience. “It’s not as if you could reasonably lock us together in the same room long enough for us to actually talk about my feelings that have absolutely no relevance. My feelings are mine to deal with, Crosshair. They don’t matter.”

A gleam enters his eyes, and somehow, Anika gets the sinking feeling that he’s taking that as a challenge. Oh. Oh no. 

“I’m sure you can be persuaded to change your mind,” he purrs with a grin, nudging her arm before sauntering away.

This is… bad.

***

Hunter can’t help noticing Anika seems to be acting a little more… reserved? And maybe slightly uncomfortable, but he has no idea why. Though given the amusement he could swear he feels from Crosshair – that should literally not be possible without the Force, but right now, it seems true, anyway – he can’t help but wonder why.

Not that it matters right now, because they need to be focusing on the mission. The very dangerous, likely suicidal, mission, for that matter. He doesn’t like it.

They’re on Skako Minor now, and after they’re very strange meeting with the Poletecs, a primitive species of natives on the planet, they were given guides to lead them to a ridge that overlooks the Separatist outpost in the distance. They’ll have to go from here on their own, tracking the signal.

“I am no longer picking up Echo’s signal,” Tech reports, looking up.

“I don’t understand,” Rex objects, “You said it was coming from that city.”

Just like Hunter was afraid of. They could have been led all the way out here for nothing. 

“I can only speculate, but it’s possible there’s a latency issue with the frequency caused by all the atmospheric disturbances,” Tech offers, studying his datapad.

“It’s… possible,” Anika agrees, uncertainly.

She’s wary, too, but Hunter knows she really wants to believe that Echo is alive. Still, he has to be practical. “Or, maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap and your friend’s actually dead,” he points out, “I can’t be the only one thinking that.”

“Look, every mission could be a trap!” Rex interjects, heatedly, “This one is no different. I’m telling you, that signal is being sent by Echo himself. He’s alive!”

“We don’t know that,” Anika interjects quietly, “We can only assume.”

“I think you’re letting your personal feelings get in the way,” Crosshair adds, a razor-sharp edge to his voice, though it’s not deliberately provocative. 

Rex rounds on him. “I know it was him.”

“You suspect,” Hunter interjects, before any arguments can escalate, “But that doesn’t change that this could be a trap.”

“The Separatists are figuring out our plans somehow. It’s still worth a look at how they’re doing it,” Anika points out.

“Sergeant,” Anakin speaks up, “Take your men and scout the area for a tower entrance. I want to talk to my Captain alone.”

Anika exchanges a glance with him, before she follows the rest of them down the slope towards the tower.

Infiltrating the building is simple enough. They split up into pairs as they search the hallways, and Hunter could swear Crosshair is very intentionally ensuring that he gets paired with Anika. Because he rarely ever interjects with commentary on who should go with who unless it directly concerns him.

So there’s absolutely no way that’s not intentional.

But what is strange is that Anika herself looks irritated for some reason, shooting Crosshair a glare and then not meeting Hunter’s eyes while they go. It’s as if… she’s hiding something, something that Crosshair knows. Which. Weird. He’s not really sure what that would be. It’s not as if they keep secrets from each other.

It turns out Echo is here, and the Separatists have turned him into some kind of… machine. They were literally downloading information from his mind, so how much of his mind is even left as his own, Hunter can’t say.

It’s… appalling to see, but now they need to focus on getting out of here. Which, predictably, is getting more and more difficult, because the droids are rapidly closing off all their exits.

And now, they’re balanced precariously on a pipe far above ground, with droids closing in from both directions.

They’re moving in single file and Crosshair must’ve made a wrong move, because he stumbles, suddenly, nearly losing his footing. Anika scrambles to grab him first, likely using the Force to keep them both balanced carefully on the pipe, before she tries to turn around, to deflect the shots away from the droids approaching behind them. 

“When the locals attacked us, I recorded the creature’s distress call,” Tech says suddenly, perking up.

“He records everything. It’s a hobby,” Hunter states, flatly. Of course, Tech would’ve recorded that. He would have been more surprised if he hadn’t.

“Which allows us to call the creature’s to us,” he adds, before an ear-splitting screeching noise fills the air, making him grateful for his helmet – it easily could have overstimulated his senses otherwise. As it is, it’s making his head throb, probably because he’s so close to the source.

They don’t have to wait long, though, before the creatures fly up, and Tech yells at them to jump.

“Remember what I said about private time?” Crosshair whispers, tauntingly, before shoving Anika and Hunter, who are on either side of him. For a moment, he’s falling, and then, he lands on the back of the creature. Anika lands near him, and he instantly reaches out to steady her so she doesn’t slip off, silently promising to yell at Crosshair later when they’re out of danger. 

***

Even with the Separatist loss on Skako Minor, that doesn’t make taking Anaxes easy. If not for Echo’s ability to plug into things, the planet could easily have been completely destroyed, along with everyone on it.

Anika’s been so distracted by the mission, she doesn’t have much time to think about… what Crosshair was saying about Hunter until after it’s all over. And frankly, she still doesn’t much want to think about it – if he could stop trying to pair them up very intentionally, that would really help – so she turns her attention to the far more pressing matter right now.

Echo’s fate.

“He will never be like the other regs,” Crosshair notes, idly chewing on a toothpick.

“He won’t be,” Anika agrees, “I think the only place he’d really fit in now is with us. We’re the bad batch, after all.”

“Yes,” Hunter concurs, “We could make the offer to him, even if he is not interested.”

“We should,” Omega says, looking hopeful.

Tech and Wrecker express their own agreements, and that settles it.

“I’ll let you deal with that,” Anika says, “I’m going to speak with Anakin once more before we leave.”

“Go ahead,” Hunter replies, and she takes off in search of him.

She can’t say why, but she can’t shake the feeling that whatever’s about to happen in the future, the war is about to get worse. Things in the galaxy are getting darker, more violent. She doesn’t know what that’s going to mean in the long run, but she’d like to see Anakin one more time before she goes – she doesn’t know when she’ll see him again after that.

But at least whatever happens, she knows Hunter and the rest of her squad will always be by her side.

“Hunter’s offering Echo a chance to come with us, if he wants to,” she tells Anakin, “I thought you should know.”

He smiles, faintly. “I am… grateful for that. He was always closest with Fives, and now that he is… gone, it may be easier for him to be elsewhere. So many of the boys are different than when he was last here.”

“I’m sure,” Anika replies, wincing, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him.” She knows what happened to Fives, at least as much as anyone does. He was accused of trying to assassinate the Chancellor, but neither she nor Anakin entirely believe it. After that, he just… disappeared. He went into hiding somewhere, and he’s got to be out there somewhere, but he’s not… here.

“I know you will,” Anakin says.

“Omega seemed pretty excited about it,” Anika comments, dryly.

“She appears enthusiastic about nearly everything,” he points out, though she doesn’t miss the sharp flare of longing from him, in the Force. He’s thinking about Ahsoka. She knows without even having to ask. Seeing her with Omega, and remembering his own once padawan, can’t be easy.

“She is,” Anika agrees, “She deserves better than what we can give her in the war.”

“Ahsoka did, too,” Anakin replies, quietly.

“Yeah,” she answers, subdued, reaching out to take Anakin’s flesh hand for a moment. (She will never get over the weirdness of technically touching herself.) “All we can do is fight to end this as soon as possible.”

Anakin nods, and they leave it at that. She needs to get back to the others, anyway.

And she’s unsurprised when she returns, to see Echo standing outside the ship with the others. “So, you decided to join?” she asks, cheerfully.

“I did,” Echo replies. He seems… uncertain, but they can help get him settled in. It’s the third time in the past year that they’ve gotten a new member, after all. It won’t be hard.

She exchanges a glance with Hunter as they board the shuttle, ready to return to Kamino, to help Echo get adjusted. Although… he was already looking at her.

And really, she can’t help thinking about what Crosshair was saying earlier. Pointing out how she’s no longer a Jedi anyway, so if she wanted to –

Okay, maybe she would actually have indulged in that train of thought just a moment longer if she didn’t suddenly feel his flare of amusement. How he always manages to… notice them, she has no idea. But she can’t help thinking, wondering… despite her irritation, because she knows Hunter feels the same way.

***

Hunter is decidedly uncertain when he gets a message from Crosshair – which is allegedly from Tech, though he has his doubts for some inexplicable reason; probably from the way his youngest brother has been mercilessly tormenting him ever since they went to Yalbec Prime – requesting him to pick up supplies to restock the Marauder. But he goes, because it will give him something to do in their downtime on Kamino. And after all, there’s a limit to how long they can reasonably endure training exercises. 

He hardly has a chance to get through the doors of the supply room – though the location itself is suspicious, because it’s too small and unused, not to mention the items here are ones rarely needed in the first place – before they slide closed behind him. He spins in time to see a flash of someone who can’t be anyone other than Crosshair, his hearing picking up the sounds of sparking. He tries the door, but it doesn’t open.

“Let me out,” he demands sharply, feeling completely and utterly done with this. Teasing is one thing. This… is something else entirely. And he is not impressed. 

“In due time,” Crosshair’s voice answers with far too much cheer. Hunter is tempted to take his vibroblade to the door controls to force his way out. “You looked like you could use the privacy.”

Hunter outright growls at that, and his brother had better know to run far and fast because Hunter is coming for him. He slams a hand on the door, and hearing Crosshair’s cackle on the other side does absolutely nothing to improve his mood. “Crosshair!”

“Have fun!” he calls back. “I’ll be back to let you out… soon.”

And then, he walks away.

Hunter is going to kill him. 

There’s a quiet, disbelieving but resigned huff from behind him, and he freezes, especially as he realizes that he can hear an all-too-familiar heartbeat. Slowly, he counts down from ten so he doesn’t scream before he turns to face Anika. He is going to kill Crosshair with the hilt of his vibroblade. 

They stare at each other for a moment, a heavy silence blanketing the storage room. “I guess we’re stuck in here,” Hunter finally says flatly. “Did you know he was planning this?”

Anika hesitates, but shakes her head. “No,” she answers, a little sheepishly, “But I guessed he was once he lured me in here. Something about the way he was acting… it tipped me off. And he… kind of implied he would pull something like this.” She makes a face, obviously no more enthused about the situation than Hunter is.

“Can you get us out of here?” he queries.

She shrugs a shoulder. “Yes, but… if we’re here, maybe we should… talk.” She carefully avoids his eyes as she says it, and Hunter feels his own heart skip a beat, nervousness suddenly threatening to drown him. After… well, after Skako Minor, he had begun to question if Anika actually felt the same way he does. He’d seen her eyeing him, looking away as soon as he noticed, and since he has been, admittedly, watching her more, too, it’s happened quite a bit.

“Is there something to say?” he manages after a few seconds of trying to formulate something.

“Well,” she says contemplatively, “Not much. I think you know how I feel, and I think I know how you feel, so either we can ignore it, or…”

Anika’s voice trails off at that, and she shifts closer to him, closing some of the distance between them. But she doesn’t finish her sentence, either.

Hunter swallows. “Or?” he prompts, feeling his heart rate pick up. Hers has as well, and he takes a step closer to her, close enough that she has to tilt her head slightly to look at him. He never thought that there could ever be an ‘or’. Not for them. 

“Or we can see where this takes us,” she offers shyly, barely above a whisper.

Oh, he already knows what he wants, but his wants are against everything that he’s been taught as a soldier. He wants… her. He wants to hold her, to touch her, to protect her even if she’s more than capable of protecting herself. These urges are nothing new though – he’s felt them for months for her, and for his brothers all their lives, but this is… different in a way that he himself doesn’t even know how to explain.

He finds himself reaching out without consciously deciding to, taking her hand. It’s her left one, the only human hand she still has. Her breathing hitches, almost unnoticeably, but it’s still enough for Hunter to hear. “It would have to be a secret,” he says, uncertain what it is he’s trying to say. He wants this, but the rules – 

“If anyone found out… it wouldn’t be good,” he finishes. Anika isn’t stupid though – far from it – and no doubt she knows the risks just as well as he does, if not more so.

She looks down at their hands, before stepping closer to him. It feels… intimate in a way that makes his heart race. “I know,” she murmurs, “But you and I, and all of us, we can keep secrets.” Her smile is small but genuine, and she looks… content. There’s peace in her bright blue eyes. Hunter doesn’t think he’s ever seen her serene before. Not like this. 

“Maybe not Wrecker though,” Hunter jokes.

Anika chuckles. “I don’t think we need to worry. I trust our brothers.”

For some reason, that sends a surge of warmth through him, the knowledge that Anika truly and fully accepts every single one of them as her family. He presses his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes, feeling as she loops an arm around his back, holding him close. “The way I feel about you,” he whispers, “I’ve never felt like this before. It’s…” He trails off, unsure how to complete the sentence, much less express his feelings.

“Terrifying,” she supplies. “Exhilarating.”

He huffs out a breath that’s not quite a laugh. “Exactly.”

And then, she’s closing the distance between them, or maybe it’s him who does it, their lips meeting in a slow, hesitant kiss, but one that still conveys every bit of the affection and desire they harbor for one another. It’s – it’s everything. Hunter wraps his arms around her, tugging her flush against him as her fingers tangle in his hair. He backs her against the wall, and for the first time in what feels like forever, lets himself feel. 

He doesn’t need to be careful and in-control here. He doesn’t need to worry if he’ll betray something he shouldn’t, because he’s safe here with her. He isn’t her commanding officer here. He doesn’t need to worry about having to be someone else’s support. He’s just… Hunter. 

The world around them falls away as they lose themselves in each other, and it’s not until his ears pick up the sound of the door opening that he realizes they’re no longer alone. They pull apart, almost comically fast, but not fast enough.

Crosshair, who is standing in the doorway, makes a noise that’s somewhere a cross between a laugh, a snort, and a squawk, though he seems more amused than anything.

“Don’t start,” Hunter orders before his brother can even get his mouth open, straightening his bandana and smoothing back his hair. “You’re the one who locked us in here.”

He raises his hands, mock seriously. “I thought to let you know that there are little eyes on the way here who don’t deserve the traumas of witnessing your debauchery.”

Hunter flushes, and he can’t help but glance to Anika to see her blushing as well. “I don’t think you know what that means,” he finally splutters. 

Crosshair smirks. “I don’t care what you do… as long as you keep it private. I refuse to be a witness to whatever two you get up to.”

It is rare for Hunter to be struck speechless, but right now, he is. 

It’s Anika who finally breaks the awkward pause of silence. “Vod’ika? Shut up.” She smiles sweetly at him before walking to the doorway. 

This time, it’s Crosshair who can’t find words. Still, he steps back as Anika approaches him. “Did you…?” he falters, not finishing the question.

She reaches out, patting his shoulder. “You’re my brother, Crosshair, no matter how annoying you might be at times.” When he doesn’t say anything, undoubtedly too overwhelmed by emotion, she continues, “Now, let’s go find these ‘little eyes’ you were talking about.”

Hunter nudges Crosshair’s shoulder as he exits the storage room. “Maybe I’ll take you up on your offer about arranging private time.”

Crosshair groans. “Not now. Omega and Wrecker are literally right there.”

Hunter laughs at him; he can’t help it, and it’s so freeing to tease his brothers, to feel the warmth of his love for them burning brightly. Maybe the changes in his relationship with Anika will take some getting used to, some adjusting, but these are times of change anyway, what with Echo being integrated to the team. If they have each other, they’ll be fine. They’re family, after all, and family looks after one another.