Chapter Text
The Bad Batch had just returned from another dangerous, yet low paying, job for Cid and trudged towards her parlour, armour covered in muck. Tech eyed off the straight, tense line of Hunter’s back. He had not been pleased with how the job had gone sideways…yet again.
Hunter had been more tense as of late, quick to annoyance – especially with Tech. He was still mad about the Riot Race and that Tech had risked his life to save Cid’s.
Tech knew that he had made the right decision. Without Cid, they were without employment…without employment meant no credits, which meant no food or supplies. Yes, she had made the first foolish bet herself, but Mileggi had also cheated to ensure his win. Omega had then stepped in, a little brashly in Tech’s opinion, voicing up an extra bet that – if he had lost – would have them all belonging to Mileggi. Omega hadn’t thought through all of the possibilities and probabilities like Tech would have, but she was not him, she did not have his superior intellect – though that did not mean she was not immensely clever.
She just tended to let emotions rule her decisions at times.
Tech glanced at Echo, seeing he was grimacing as he swiped at his head with his hand, attempting to get the muck off before it slipped under his processor. Echo did catch his glance though, turning his head to meet his gaze.
“You good?” Echo asked him quietly as they continued down Ord Mantell’s grimy streets. “Hunter went a bit hard on you today. You did what you had to do for the mission, even if it meant you had to go against the plan.”
Tech exhaled, long and heavy, glancing at Hunter’s back. Omega was trudging along beside him, but even she sensed his bad mood and was rather quiet. Wrecker was grumbling as he walked between Hunter and Omega and Echo and Tech.
“I did what I believed what necessary,” Tech agreed quietly, wondering if Hunter was listening to their conversation or if he was too caught up in his own grumpy thoughts. “I saw that the target had security droids coming, but if I activated the doors, it would give us the time we needed to get the relic and get away relatively cleanly. Yes, it meant that I was not in position and we needed to make a detour through the swamp…but there would have been far too many droids.”
Echo nodded in understanding. “I get it, Tech, you did what you did to get us out.”
Tech cast a look in Hunter’s direction. “He does not agree. He has not been understanding of my choices lately.”
Echo hummed in agreement, rubbing a mucky hand over his face before he realised and grimaced. “Yeah, I know, Tech,” Echo murmured with another sigh. “I think he’s still a bit annoyed about the Riot Race…and I understand that you did what you had to there, but it was something that you shouldn’t have had to do.”
Tech gave a half shrug. “It happened. There is no changing that. I did what I had to do to ensure Omega’s and Wrecker’s safety…along with Cid’s.”
Echo reached out to clasp his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “I know, Tech.”
They entered Cid’s Parlour to find the Trandoshan by the bar. She turned as they entered, screwing up her scaly face at the sight of them.
“You look horrible,” she stated bluntly. “Did you at least get the relic?”
Hunter set it onto the bar top none too gently, glaring at her. “It’s here as requested – though you failed to mention that the target had legions of security droids!”
Cid wasn’t too concerned with Hunter’s outburst as she looked over the relic. “You’ve battled army droids, you’re fine,” she said, not paying attention to Hunter’s scowl. “Now you’ll get paid. I’m going to contact the client, and you can get some food…and have a wash. You’re dripping muck on the floor.”
Hunter scowled at her back as she headed off to her office, relic in hand.
“I’m gonna go wash up,” Echo stated airily, seeing Hunter was in an even worse mood. “Omega, do you want to go first?”
Omega looked up through muck sodden hair and nodded, giving a glance to Hunter. “Sure.”
Tech took his helmet off, resting it on the bar, as Echo, Wrecker, and Omega headed towards the upstairs rooms. It was where Cid lived, but there was an area for them as well when they stayed in the parlour instead of going back to the Marauder…and currently the sonic on the Marauder was on the fritz, so they hadn’t been able to clean themselves before they arrived back to Ord Mantell.
Tech was planning on using some of the credits earned from this job to fix the sonic after it had broken sometime during their last mission.
He used a towel that Azi had given him – the droid tittering all the while about the mess – to slowly clean off his helmet. He could feel Hunter’s gaze glaring daggers at his back, and he did not want to make eye contact with his older brother, not in the mood for yet another rebuke.
“Hunter!” Omega called as she darted back downstairs, now clean and dry. “You can go upstairs now if you want so you can get cleaned.”
“Later,” Hunter’s gruff voice stated shortly. Tech heard Omega sigh before she came to sidle up beside him instead.
“Sonic is almost free, Tech,” she told him with a small smile before she glanced over her shoulder at Hunter. “He’s still not happy, is he?”
“No,” Tech answered with a sigh.
“I can hear you.”
“Mm, definitely not,” Tech added on, focusing on scrubbing a stubborn part on his helmet.
Tech shifted on to scrubbing all of the pouches on his armour as they couldn’t be cleaned with the sonic as Echo came downstairs.
“Wreck’s almost done, Hunter,” Echo told him, only getting an annoyed grunt in reply, which made him sigh. He came over to lean against the bar beside Omega’s stool, watching Tech clean the many pouches on his armour instead. Tech glanced up to meet his gaze, exchanging a commiserating look.
“Hey, Goggles!”
Tech bit back a sigh as he turned his gaze to the short Trandoshan as she came towards him.
“Yes, Cid?”
“I had another call,” she told him before ordering a drink from Azi – the once medical droid from Kamino quick to begin making it. “Another interested party in hiring you to race in the Riot Races.”
Tech cringed at that, sparing a glance towards Hunter, who was sitting partly hunched over in one of the shadowy booths, a grumpy expression on his face.
Ever since the Riot Race, Cid had been contacted by interested parties, interested in acquiring her winning racer. Cid had told them that he was not contracted by her, that he was more of a freelance driver, and therefore could not sell him to them – though Tech believed she wished he was and that she would sell him quite quickly at the right price.
Instead, she said she would pass on the message that he had interested parties looking to employ him for racing, and she did, but Tech wasn’t interested in racing again. It probably could be lucrative working for the right employer, but the stakes were too high…and they wanted to stay off the Empire’s radar. Racing could put them back onto it, even if it meant potentially a better pay day.
A few interested parties had even turned up in Cid’s Parlour to talk to Tech face-to-face, to offer lucrative deals and to try and sweet talk him into signing contracts for their employer. One such party had turned up just before this latest mission – which was probably why Hunter was still so angry with him.
“I am still not interested,” Tech stated quickly. “That one race was enough.”
Cid hummed, also glancing at the stormy looking Hunter. “Well, I told them I’d pass the message onto you, give you the offer. I told them you were smart enough to at least consider it and not just brush it off. I mean, you can, but it soothes the ruffled feathers if they think you’re at least considering their offer, you know?”
Tech made a small noise of agreement, turning his focus back on his pouches.
“We don’t want any more of those offers, Cid,” Hunter’s voice spoke up now, dark and annoyed. “Tech should never have put himself in such danger and raced in the first place.”
“It was necessary to save Cid,” Tech quickly interjected, shooting Hunter an annoyed look. It wouldn’t do them any good to annoy the Trandoshan who paid them and kept them off of the Empire’s radar. “I made the decision with the best probabilities and outcome for all of us.”
Hunter scoffed, which caused Tech to tense. He heard Echo sigh from behind him, but he ignored it, instead glaring at Hunter.
“What is your problem?!” Tech demanded to know, getting tired of the ire aimed at him. “You were not here. I made the decision to protect all of us. I calculated the odds, I knew what strategy to take, why are you still so caught up on this?”
Hunter stood up, jaw tight with annoyance, as he glared at Tech. “Because you are meant to be smarter! I need to trust you to make smart decisions, Tech, to not put us in danger – but you did that at the Riot Race by putting your own life at risk, and potentially putting us all back on the Empire’s radar, then there was the decision to go after the war chest, where you got injured, and you did it again today by ignoring my orders and going off the plan!”
Tech’s hands clenched into fists by his side. “I did what I had to do to ensure all of our safety!” he hissed. “Yes, it was not by your plan, but your plan did not consider the squads of security droids the target had!”
“You didn’t even advise me of the plan change until you were doing it!” Hunter snapped, eyes darkened with anger. “You put us all in danger…again!”
“No, I gave us the best route out of there with the relic!” Tech snapped back. Omega, Echo, Cid, and now Wrecker, who had come downstairs at the sound of yelling, all watched them fight silently.
Hunter growled, throwing his hands up in frustration. “You keep putting yourself in danger, Tech! You’re meant to be smarter than this! You’re not one I should need to be worrying about, but I am because you keep putting yourself in stupid situations!”
Tech’s hands shook by his side – from rage or something else, he wasn’t sure.
“I have done what is necessary,” he stated once again, voice cold.
Hunter ran a hand through his long hair, irritated. “And you didn’t even bother consulting any of us about it, you just went and did what you wanted…again…because you think you know everything, that you know what’s best for everyone.”
Tech stiffened at that accusation. “I do not know everything,” Tech said, voice ice cold now. He had heard this accusation so many times, that he believed he was better because he was smarter. Mostly it was aimed at him by the Regs…but when it was by one of his own brothers, who knew better, well, it hurt. “I calculate the odds and probabilities from the information I have at hand at the time. Yes, my mind is exceptional…I was created that way after all, but I would not put our squad at risk if I did not believe it would work, or because of some stupid plan with no space to manoeuvre!”
Hunter stiffened, stepping closer to Tech, who stood his ground. “Are you saying that my plan was foolish, that I put everyone in danger?”
Tech wasn’t cowed by Hunter’s quiet and deadly tone.
“That was not what I said,” Tech said through gritted teeth, “but you were not willing to compromise. You believe that because you are the oldest, because you were the sergeant, that your plan is what goes…but it doesn’t always work, Hunter, and you’ve become less open to hearing out our plans.”
“I am still your sergeant, Tech, and I am still in charge of our squad,” Hunter snarled, getting into Tech’s space now. “You will listen to my orders!”
Tech stepped back, turning his head away, staring at the door to the parlour instead.
“I know that Crosshair’s decision not come back with us on Kamino is still affecting you,” Tech said instead, voice shaking slightly with barely contained rage, “and that the lives we are living, the danger we are putting ourselves in to survive, is not what you wanted – but this is our life now, Hunter. We are a squad, a team, and we’re meant to work together…I’ve made my choices as you’ve made yours. It does not make them stupid because you didn’t make the choices yourself,” Tech spat out before he turned on heel and grabbed his helmet. “I am going back to the Marauder before we both say something we will regret. I want to be alone.”
That last part was for Echo, Wrecker, and Omega. He grabbed his helmet, shoved it onto his head, before he stormed out of the parlour and towards their ship, needing the refuge to work on his emotions.
Echo sighed as he watched Tech storm out, turning to look at Hunter, who seemed to have faltered somewhat, staring where Tech had disappeared.
“Really, Hunter?” Echo asked in disbelief, gaining Hunter’s attention. “I know you’re annoyed about Tech putting himself at risk – but you could have just told him you’ve been worried about him getting put in danger by some of the choices he’s made, you didn’t have to blame him for everything that’s gone wrong lately.”
Hunter sighed, seeming to have deflated, the rage having dissipated at the brisk exit of their younger brother. He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the long strands.
“Yeah, I know,” Hunter stated gruffly.
“You’re an idiot,” Cid added on as she shook her head in disapproval. “Goggles will always put you guys first, if he made that choice then it was for a reason and probably a damn good one.”
“I know,” Hunter growled at her before his shoulders slumped again. “I’ve just…he’s been putting himself in far too many dangerous situations lately and with all of these people trying to get him to race for them…I…I guess I thought he might leave us for them.”
“He wouldn’t do that!” Omega insisted, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Hunter. “He’s rejected every single offer, even the really big ones, because he doesn’t want to leave us, Hunter! But you might make him leave us if you keep snapping at him like that!”
Hunter nodded again, sighing, as he glanced towards the door. “Yeah, you’re right, Omega. I-I’ll go talk to him once he’s had time to work through his own emotions and tell him that I’m more concerned about him putting himself in a dangerous situation that he can’t get himself out of.”
“And that you don’t want to lose him,” Wrecker added on, giving him a stern look. “You need ta tell him that, Hunter, he’s not gonna know it unless you tell him.”
Hunter nodded once again. “I will, Wreck,” he promised. “Let me clean up and let him calm down…and we’ll take him some food a bit later on.”
The others murmured in agreement at that plan, knowing that it wasn’t going to help going after Tech now. He had to separate himself for a bit, to calm himself, so he could be in a clearer headspace.
Tech marched to the Marauder, anger still coursing through him due to Hunter’s words. People quickly got out of his way as he stalked towards the space port where Cid had a spot for when they were on Ord Mantell.
Once he was in the Marauder, within its quiet hull with its familiar smell and its feeling of safety, did Tech finally allow himself to relax. He stared about the quiet interior for a moment before the silence was broken by their defective GNK droid, Gonky, making his way over and honking at him.
“Yes, I am back,” he told him, patting the top of his square chassis fondly. “I needed some time alone.”
Gonky honked at him once more before he waddled off to give Tech privacy, knowing the preferences of this Clone Force 99 member and his need to be alone at times. Tech sighed before he headed into the cockpit.
There would be something in there he could work on.
Grimacing as he looked down at his armour and was swiftly reminded of the muck that still clung onto the white plastoid, Tech swiftly removed his armour, placing it aside to clean it later. He didn’t want to transfer any of that gunk onto any of the Marauder’s systems…and it would make it easier for him to get under the consoles without the bulk of his armour.
He glanced at his forearm computer – the one piece of armour he left on, never without it - at a chirp, opening it to find a message from Phee from before he left for this previous mission. He hadn’t had time to read it and had set a reminder to look back at it later once the mission was completed. They had been messaging every now and again since their failed treasure hunt, mostly on Phee’s end – though Tech did occasionally reply to her if he could.
Phee: Saw you won a Riot Race, Brown Eyes, go you! How’d you talk Hunter into that one?
Tech sighed, shifting to sit in the pilot’s seat as he considered how to answer that, especially since that altercation with Hunter was still so fresh.
Tech: He wasn’t on that mission. He is not pleased with me for risking my life and the safety of the squad.
Tech stared out of the viewport after he sent his response to Phee, not really paying attention to the space port outside of the hangar doors. He knew that Hunter was worried about him, that that was where most of his anger had come from…it had been the same when they were cadets on Kamino. He got angry when he got worried about them, when they did something that might draw the attention of the Kaminoans.
Another chirp drew his attention.
Phee: You wouldn’t race and risk yourself unless it was important, Brown Eyes. I know that and surely he does too. Are you okay?
Tech: He is not happy with me, there have been a few Riot Racer owners seeking me out to race for them, which he is definitely not happy about, but I will deal with it. Where are you currently?
Phee: I will accept the change in topic, Brown Eyes, I guess things got a bit heated between you two, huh? I’m on my way to a temple ruin, looking for an ancient scroll for an extinct culture. Apparently, it speaks about rituals involving true love, so I’m curious to see what it’s about…does it tell you how to achieve it or does it only work if you are truly in love?
Tech raised an eyebrow at that.
Tech: Sounds fascinating, if not odd. Do take care of yourself and remember the treasure is not worth your life.
Phee: Oh, you are too sweet, Brown Eyes. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself and come back with a new tale to tell. Take care of yourself too, Brown Eyes. Punch Hunter in the face if he gets too overbearing, I’m sure he’d deserve it.
Tech couldn’t help the small snort of laughter that erupted from him at that. He could definitely hear Phee telling him that with that smirk on her face. Tech acknowledged the message and let Phee go back to preparing herself for her own mission.
Sighing, Tech looked about the ship once more before he shifted to the floor, frowning at the panel in front of him.
He couldn’t get the argument out of his head, going over what Hunter had said repeatedly, pulling apart each sentence and barb. Swearing, he put his head into his hands.
He couldn’t focus on repairs with only the silence and the echoes of his and Hunter’s argument running through his head, so with the a few taps on his forearm computer, Tech chose a song to play through the ship’s speakers.
He hadn’t done this for a while, usually his song choices irritated Hunter, finding the beats too loud and annoying – so he usually only played his music choices when he knew Hunter wouldn’t be there…or if he wanted to keep Hunter away for a while.
Allowing the music and the lyrics to fill his mind, Tech turned his attention to the power console instead, shifting to lay on his back before he shuffled underneath it. He had noticed there had been some delay while trying to get the ship into hyperspace, so he would look at that first.
Tech fell into the rhythm of working, thoughts filled with what he would need to do next, along with lyrics of the songs that played. He paused as he heard a noise under his music – a type of shuffle and clank?
“Gonky?” he called out from under the console. “What have you gotten yourself into now?”
The GNK droid did occasionally find itself getting into a spot it shouldn’t be, which then required rescuing.
Tech yelped as a hand grabbed his ankle and yanked him out from under the console. He quickly reacted after that, kicking out and hitting something solid, getting the grip on his ankle to release, before he rolled into a crouch, gaze landing on the intruders.
Three masked humanoids stood in the cockpit, staring at him. One had their hand on their stomach, rubbing where Tech had kicked.
“Sure this is him?” one of them asked, causing Tech to frown even as he looked around. He sighed internally as he saw the intruders were between him and his armour, his comm…and his blasters.
“This is the one,” another one of the masked intruders confirmed. Tech’s eyes narrowed as he slowly lifted into a standing position.
“I am not sure what you want, but I am not the one you seek…nor will I go easily,” Tech warned them, shifting his back foot so he was in more of a ready stance, ready to defend himself. “I am trained in fourteen styles of unarmed combat.”
There was a small huff of laughter. “You are the one we want. The one who won the Riot Race with no previous experience. The boss didn’t like that you turned down his offer, so now you don’t get a choice in the matter – but he’ll be glad to know you’ve got some fire behind you.”
Tech felt his chest constrict at that. He was being targeted because of the Riot Race. Hunter was right…he was foolish.
Tech feinted right as the trio closed in, ducking and weaving under their attempts to grab him, punching, and kicking out when they got too close, knocking back hands and bodies.
He had to try and reach his comm, to press the emergency button, to get his brothers to come to his side.
“This would have been easier if he stayed at the bar,” one of his assailants grumbled as he stumbled away as Tech elbowed him in the rib cage. “We could have just drugged all of them.”
“Well, he didn’t,” another hissed as he kicked out himself, making Tech stumble as the kick connected with his shins. Tech attempted to leap over one of the seats, to give himself some space to fight back in, as the trio crowded around him, giving him no room to move, but he was caught around the waist and thrown back into the middle of the trio.
They were competent fighters, Tech thought to himself as he ducked under a punch, knowing not to give him any space to get himself out of. He cried out as a foot connected with the back of his knee, making it collapse underneath him. Burly arms wrapped around his chest, quickly pinning his arms to his side. Tech struggled in the grasp, legs floundering and kicking.
He managed to get his feet against the side of the console, using it as leverage to shove himself and his captor backwards, sending them both towards the ground. The assailant holding him grunted as they both landed heavily on the metal floor of the Marauder, but he managed to hold onto to Tech’s writhing form.
“Will…someone…dart him…already?!” the one holding Tech managed to grunt out as he struggled to hold onto Tech’s fighting frame.
Tech grunted as he struggled and writhed, trying to find a way to break through this one’s hold – but it was much too strong. This one certainly wasn’t human.
He swore as he felt a sharp pinch in his upper thigh, stopping his struggles for a moment to glare at the one who was crouched beside them, hypo held in his hand from where he had just injected it into Tech’s thigh.
“You’re making a mistake!” Tech snarled at them as he continued to fight, though he could feel the beginning of the drugs taking effect, his limbs becoming heavier, less cooperative. “I will not race for your boss, and my brothers will find me!”
The one crouching beside the assailant holding Tech turned to face him, a grin evident even behind his mask.
“You will comply with our boss,” he warned Tech. “One way or another, he has ways of making you comply…and your brothers won’t find us. They never do.”
Tech’s limbs stopped cooperating now and he felt his consciousness begin to slip from him. The one holding him let go, letting Tech’s unresponsive body fall off of his own and into a heap on the floor beside him. Tech lay there, trying to get his limbs to work. He could see his comm sitting right there, perched on his stacked armour, so close yet just out of reach.
“When you wake up, you’ll be in your new home, Tech,” the one crouched beside him crooned and Tech did not like the way he said his name. “I’ll be nice and warn you now, it’s best to comply with the boss…or you won’t like what he’ll do to make you.”
“Never,” Tech muttered, eyes beginning to flutter shut against his will. “I do not follow orders easily.”
A chuckle. “We’ll see. Get him. I want us out of here before any of his brothers realise he’s missing.”
Tech felt his body being lifted from the ground before he was unceremoniously thrown over someone’s shoulder. He stared at the floor of the Marauder as his captors left the ship.
They were leaving it in one piece at least, giving Tech some relief, though he was still fearful of what was coming for him.
Tech found it impossible to keep his eyes open now as his captors carried him to another waiting ship.
Hunter had been right, Tech’s sluggish mind thought as he was carried away from the safety of his brothers. He could only hope that Hunter would still come for him as he finally succumbed to the drug and knew no more.