Unofficial Commander

Chapter 6: Secrets

Over the next few weeks, it became routine for Macawi. She occasionally joined the Batch for training, but mostly spent time giving other clone squads advice for their training runs. She also started to eat with the clones. She said it was because she was part of the team and not their commander since the Kaminoans disagreed with her doing so. Which wasn't entirely a lie, but it was mostly to spend more time with Crosshair. The other clones picked on the group frequently, calling them "The Sad Batch", and "Clone Force Defective" which they usually ignored. One particular day, though, Wrecker started a fight, which quickly involved the rest of the squad, except Crosshair. That quickly changed though. She let it go on for a few minutes before someone was thrown into her back and made her drop her food. She got up on the table.

"That's enough," she shouted. The fighting didn't stop immediately. "I said that's enough!" The fighting stopped after she took out one of her sabers. She put it away and stepped down.

"You're soldiers of the Republic, more importantly, you're allies. Act like it." She glared at them all as they mumbled apologies to her teammates. She then glared at the Bad Batch, they wouldn't apologize, though. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh.

"None of you are more important than the other, and none of you are more special than each other." Hunter opened his mouth to argue but she put her hand up. "You are all unique and special in your own way, that doesn't make you better than your fellow man."

She tried to avoid calling them clones, it made them feel like property and she hated referring to them as such. Once everyone had calmed down she sat back down next to Crosshair. Glancing between the four of them she saw that they were all angry. Seemed like the situation more than anything else.

"Throwing your tray at someone is an effective way to start a fight."

"I just got angry at all the insults thrown at us, so I threw something at him," Wrecker replied, crossing his arms.

"We're better than them, so I don't see how it matters to you anyway, Macawi."

She frowned at Hunter's comment. She knew they didn't like the regular clones, since they felt like they got in the way.

"Is that how you all feel?"

"A majority of them will be dead months after leaving, it's better not to care about them."

"They're expendable, we're not." Crosshair stated after Tech's statement.

She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. She wasn't going to press the issue with them. Their minds weren't exactly going to change on the matter. The rest of dinner was spent in silence. After dinner, they all went to the barrack to relax.

She had been noticing how much more relaxed they had gotten around her, acting more like siblings than before. Wrecker was constantly antagonizing everyone, and they put up with it for the most part. Tech always had a mess of wires, or parts of different kinds strewn about everywhere. Outside the barrack, he was very organized. Hunter would put his feet up on the table or beds when he would sit down and fully relax, unlike having to put on airs of authority to the others. Crosshair always relaxed the most, making jokes and messing with Wrecker. He was also comfortable showing small amounts of affection to Macawi in front of them, putting his arm across her shoulders for the most part.

He sat on his bunk and she sat on the floor in front of him, leaning against his leg. He was messing with his gun. The scope was off just enough for him to notice but he couldn't get it perfect. It didn't affect his shooting but it bothered him. He spent a few minutes going back and forth with it, but it wouldn't sit perfectly. Macawi watched him struggle with it before holding her hands up for it. He handed it to her after a moment. She shouldered it and looked down the scope.