Ten: Mental Battles

                                    

                                          
I couldn't find the artist who owns this. It does not belong to me!
CT-9904 scowled as he chewed on his toothpick. He was still thinking about CT-9917 and how he—
"Yes, you should feel bad. You hurt—maybe even killed—your baby brother! Let me back!" Crosshair shouted inside his head.
"Shut up," CT-9904 hissed. He could literally see in his mind Crosshair fold his arms. 
"No. You hurt Tech! How could you! He's your baby brother! Wake up!"
"CT-9904. You have been requested on the bridge. Vice Admiral Rampart wishes to speak to you," one of the new recruits informed. 
CT-9904 nodded, giving a low hiss before slinging his sniper over his back and standing up. 
He needed to follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders.
Good soldiers follow orders.
Good soldiers follow orders.
Good soldiers follow orders.
Good soldiers—"STOP! NO! STOP! STOPSTOPSTOP!!" Crosshair tried to fight. Once again, CT-9904 had to battle Crosshair down. 
CT-9904 followed orders. CT-9904 would obey no matter what. That was what he was created for. CT-9904 quickly walked to the bridge where he would receive his orders.
Sure enough, Rampart was standing with his arms behind his back and his shoulders squared. The Vice Admiral moved his head towards where CT-9904 walked out. 
Good soldiers follow orders.
***
Hunter had underestimated how vast the afterlife would be. Every person and creature who died was here. 
Every.
One.
It was kind of overwhelming for someone who had enhanced senses. And watching his brothers and sister struggle was torture for him. He was there when Omega trained with Ahsoka. He was there when Tech was captured by the Empire. He had to watch as Crosshair slit Tech's throat. 
That threw him into rage. Even though he couldn't do anything about it, he sat by Tech's side as his little brother started to bleed out. He was there when Omega and Wrecker found the pilot's body. It broke Hunter seeing his brother and sister so horrified. 
For a while, Hunter sat by Tech's side when the younger was unconscious. For weeks on end, no one but the medics where allowed in the small med-bay. Hunter knew that if Tech woke up without anyone familiar, he would go straight into a panic attack. That would not be good. 
After six months, Omega, Wrecker, and Echo were still not allowed in. Medics were working day and night, trying to save the clone. 
And they had failed. 
There was one night where Tech, out of nowhere, tensed up and his back arched. The heart moderator beeped dangerously fast and he was groaning in pain. The medics started to panic, doing everything they could to calm their patient down.
It wasn't enough.
Hunter watched in panic as Tech' heart monitor went from a dangerous spike to a low, long beep. No no no no no! Tech couldn't die! Not yet! Not now! He should be the last of his brothers to go! He had too! He had too!
But alas, Hunter saw a small shimmering around Tech's body. Hunter watched helplessly as the mechanic's spirit pushed himself up, confusion clear in his gaze. Tech's eyes glanced around before landing on...."Hunter?" the pilot whispered.
Hunter smiled softly. "Hey, Tech."
Tech bolted off of the bed and ran to hug the older clone. Hunter realized how much he missed this. Sure, he had hugged 99 when he found the other clone in the afterlife. But he had missed hugging his squad. Wrecker. Echo. Crosshair. Omega. Tech. 
"I-I-I—" for once in his life, Tech didn't know what to say. This was all to much for him. He broke down. 
"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay, little brother. It's going to be okay." Hunter held the younger clone close to his chest. They stayed like that, even after the medics got Tech's body to breath again.
***
Six months had passed, and Tech was still a spirit, although his body was breathing. 
A year since Hunter died. 99 had come to see the land of the living and both he and Tech were overjoyed to see each other again. If there was a brother Tech was the closest to other than Crosshair, it was 99.
99 had been snatched away from them when they were on a mission. All of Clone Force 99 had grieved for their ori'vod, but Tech had been broken. He had stopped talking for weeks, almost two months. It hurt the other three knowing that their youngest brother was so upset.
It didn't help him when Echo found out their relationship with 99, and brought up the fact that he had held the maintenance clone after death. When Omega joined, she said that it was through 99 where she learned about them all. Even though she was there when Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech were born. The first three when she was three, and Tech when she was five.
Speaking of Omega, she, Wrecker, and Echo had been given permission to see Tech about five months ago. It pained Tech to see his brothers and sister worry over him, and it hurt Hunter to see all of them so distraught.
Back to the present, Tech was curled up and was leaning on Hunter's chest. The two would had talked about many things—stories of the past, what Tech hoped for the future, and what Hunter had been doing for a few weeks before Tech was....yeah. 99 had just left to see Hevy, and Tech's old squad had come to see him. But now, it was just Tech and Hunter.
It was hard for Tech, knowing that he'd have to leave ten brothers in order to return to his other three and one sister. Hunter made sure Tech was happy, though. 
Especially when it was time for the pilot to wake up.
"Will I remember this?" Tech looked up hopefully.
Hunter's eyes grew sad as he placed a hand at the back of Tech's head. "If all goes properly, no. But I'm always with you. I promise." Hunter gently pulled his little brother's face closer to his own, their last Keldabe Kiss for a long time. "I love you so much, little brother. And I can't say how proud I am of you."
Tech gave a small sob. But before he could reply, his spirit was back in his body. And Tech woke up.
I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Ok. So.
Yeah, the part about Tech's old squad, I'm working on a Bad Batch Origin Story and HOPEFULLY it'll be out soon
I'VE GOT A MILLION THINGS TO WRITE!!!! SO MUCH TO WRITE, NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAA!!!!!!