KAMINO, CLONING FACILITY, 5 years earlier....
"Come on, Tech! Hurry up!" Wrecker shoved Tech's shoulder.
"I'm almost done." Tech continued tapping his datapad.
Crosshair, Hunter, and Wrecker, stood quietly behind Tech, who was sitting in a strange position. It helps me think, was what he said to them before.
"WOOYEAHHH!!!" Screamed the datapad suddenly. The whole batch jumped at the sound but eventually calmed down and smiled at each other.
"Way to go, Tech." Hunter smiled gently. Wrecker cheered in the back until Crosshair told him to stay quiet.
Tech had finally managed to track and intercept a broadcasting signal of a pod racing program. Now they had something new to do during their downtime.
The batch settled down close to each other and watched for a while. Every once in a while they had to shush Wrecker, who cheered loudly whenever he thought it was appropriate.
The room slowly grew sleepy; the batch began to droop on each other and daydream. That is until a loud advertisement played.
Tech jumped up and reached for the volume button. He turned it down but just as he did, the advertisement caught his attention.
An alien woman spun around smiling, winking at him. Wrecker leaned in, Cross scrunched his face, and Hunter's eyes grew wide; they all stayed silent as they watched this Twilek advertise for a dress company.
"Wow," Wrecker exhaled, "What is that?"
Tech adjusted his goggles and leaned in closer. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the lady in the advertisement blew a kiss, and made Tech dumbstruck.
Tech cleared his throat but his voice cracked anyway. "That is a Twilek."
"That- is a woman." Hunter nodded without taking his eyes off the Twi.
"That- is disgusting." Cross spat.
Wrecker looked at Tech, still waiting for a better explanation of why he felt what he did.
"You're just saying that because your afraid of girls." Hunter turned to Cross when the program went back to pod racing.
"Am not."
"Are too."
Cross stood up and puffed his chest out; Hunter did the same but he was buffer and looked and acted more like a grown up than the rest of them.
Tech and Wrecker stared from the floor to see what would happen.
Cross softly pushed Hunter's shoulder.
"Haha." Hunter laughed and Cross smiled a little.
Hunter threw his arm over his brother.
"We're not scared of them, are we, Cross?"
"Maybe you are." Cross chuckled as he and Hunter began play fighting. Wrecker smiled and jumped on both of them.
"Get off." Cross pushed Wrecker. Wrecker didn't seem to hear him and kept him pinned to the ground.
"Aliens are gross." Crosshair said as he finally got away from Wrecker.
"You're gross." Tech said as he threw a pillow that hit Cross' feet. The boys just laughed at the failed attempt. Tech turned off the pad and launched himself onto a very terrified Crosshair.
They hit the ground hard but they were laughing and wrestling. Wrecker was about to throw himself onto them when Hunter's arm stopped him.
He didn't want Wrecker to crush them as he had in the past. Instead, Hunter began his own little wrestling match with him.
❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂
Hunter woke up in the dark. He rubbed his eyes and sat up in his bunk. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and he scanned around for a quick look at his sleeping brothers.
Hunter yawned quietly and leaned back onto the wall. Somehow he didn't want go back to sleep.
What do I want? He asked himself. Food? No. Water. Hunter smacked his lips, slid off the bunk, and grabbed his canteen. He drank excessively. He felt thirstier than he ever had. He drank until he could feel it move in his stomach. He felt sick now; and yet, somehow, he still wanted to drink.
"Ugh..." he let out a small groan and sat back on his bunk.
The water made him feel awake and he stayed awake, sitting on his bunk for about an hour. His mind felt asleep but his eyes burned to close.
Hunter recalled the events of that day. Wrestling. Tracking. Tech did good. Pod racing-
Hunter's pulse increased greatly for a quick moment.
That Twilek. A smile slowly stretched across his face as his eyes drooped. Head-tails. Soft skin. Pretty eyes. Colors- so much color.
There's so much, Hunter thought, so much more than- this. Hunter's smile faded as he tucked his arms into his chest and held himself. He shifted onto his pillow and under his blanket. He let out a long sigh and the sick feeling from all the water came back.
"Hunter?" A whisper came from close by. Crosshair came and sat on Hunter's bunk.
"Yeah." Hunter just turned his eyes.
"Don't get caught up in all the stuff Tech shows you. It's just a waste of time."
"I don't think so. I liked it."
"You liked the feeling it gave you. You'll have plenty of adrenaline once we get on the field; which is soon, Hunter." Crosshair's tone grew eerily convicting. "Get your priorities strait."
Hunter got a sour feeling in his heart at those words. "Yeah. I'm tired."
"Sleep. We have our first combat assessment tomorrow."
Cross stood up and left.
"Night, Cross."
......
"Night, Hunter."
