Chapter Text
1409 jumped as a loud pair of clones entered the room, glancing up from the reg manual he had been reading. He glared at the interruption, both clones laughing at some kind of joke before making a beeline for him. Sighing, 1409 shut off the datapad and nodded politely at them.
One of the clones sat confidently in front of him. The other perched on the table, smirking, already somehow managing to annoy 1409. “I’m 782, this is 5555. What’s your designation?” The seated clone asked.
Before he could even reply, 5555 interrupted. “Call me Fives.”
“5?” Repeated 1409, noticing the number on the clone’s training uniform.
“No,” the guy huffed, rolling his eyes. “Fives. It’s my name.”
“According to regulation 5e82 all clone cadets must be referred to by their designated...” 1409 began, cut off by Fives.
“Oh, for kriff’s sake, you some kind of walking reg manual? You gonna spend the whole time reciting them?” He scoffed, 782 snorting in amusement.
1409 crossed his arms. “No, I just...”
He was cut off by another two clones entering the room one behind the other, both smiling nervously before coming to sit at the table. “Uh hi. I’m 4040,” the first greeted.
The second, who had sat next to 1409, did a little wave. “2010.”
“782,” the clone sat opposite 1409 greeted with a cocky grin.
“1409,” sighed 1409, noticing Fives was watching him with narrowed eyes.
“I’m telling you, it’s gonna be so much easier when you all get names,” Fives said, shaking his head before sliding onto an actual seat. “I’m Fives. Not 5, not 5555, Fives.”
“Well, guess that’s everyone. What do you boys reckon they’re gonna start us off doing first?” 782 asked. “I’m hoping we get to blast some droids!”
4040 leaned forwards, looking excited. “I bet we’ll run rings around those clankers!”
“Unlikely,” shrugged 1409. “We require the standard skills training detailed in section six of our manuals before the trainers will let us into the training simulation. We need to study the basics before we can hope to succeed in the sim. As long as we follow our orders we will get through training.”
“Damn, lighten up 1409,” growled Fives, rolling his eyes. 1409 bristled, biting back a retort as General Shaak Ti and two unknown trainers entered the room and they all jumped to attention.
“Welcome, Domino Squad. I hope you are all acquainted with each other now. This is Bric and El-Les, your instructors. They will be training you to become clone troopers, and in three months time you will be undertaking your final simulation test. I expect you to uphold our values of bravery, valour, and, most importantly, unity. May the force be with you,” she finished dreamily.
“Sir, yes sir!” The five cadets shouted in unison.
After Shaak Ti had drifted back out of the room, Bric stared at them, unimpressed. “You heard the General. Get moving to your first training session!”
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1409 did his best to keep his head down and follow orders. All he had ever wanted to be was a good soldier. It was literally what he’d been born to do, after all. From his first memories 1409 had it drilled into him that he needed to follow orders, do the Republic proud, do whatever it took. Failure wasn’t an option; it meant either death, or reconditioning. The Kaminoans weren’t compassionate and they sure as shit didn’t teach them kindness. 1409 didn’t know where he got his from. With his batchmates 1409 had felt like he could be himself; he didn’t second guess the urge to hug his brothers, snuggle beside them at night if they were feeling down. But then he’d been split up from them and lumped in with Domino squad.
782 and Fives constantly swaggered around with their cocky grins and boisterous cheerful attitude, relentlessly berating the rest of them. 1409 bore the brunt of the teasing from Fives, while 782 acted like his own team, constantly disappearing off to do his own thing, completely forgetting about the rest of them. 4040 was pretty good at diffusing tension, always easy going and quick to find the humour in a situation, but he never seemed to take their training seriously. 2010 had quickly been nicknamed Droidbait by 782 after he seemed to attract the training droids' fire like a magnet, constantly getting himself killed off and then complaining about it.
No, all in all, 1409 did not feel a whole lot of kindness or compassion to his squad. If anything, kindness became a weakness. He’d tried to lose that soft side of himself. There didn’t seem a place for it anymore.
Instead, 1409 had thrown himself into training, sure that if he simply followed the rules, did everything asked of him, he would prevail. He’d tried so unbelievably hard to be a good soldier. But try as he might, 1409 couldn’t seem to get it right. Because it wasn’t just a case of him following the rules; it was getting the others to follow the rules too. The situation was kriffing infuriating.
1409 sighed as he looked down at their rations. He’d read the constituent ingredients, gone through the nutritional values, knew they provided optimum calories and vitamins. But damn, did they get boring. When Fives sat down heavily beside him, staring at his own rations with the exact same sigh of boredom, 1409 almost managed a smile.
“Eat up Fives. We got our final practice later,” he encouraged flatly.
“Ugh,” Fives groaned dramatically. “What’s even the point Echo?"
1409 sighed. "That's not my name..."
"Stop responding to it then," Fives replied airily, ignoring his splutters of protest. " We both already know that 782 will bugger off with his over-compensating gun, Droidbait will get shot, 4040 will get distracted by something only he finds amusing, you’ll spend the whole time repeating the kriffing orders back to us like a damn echo, and I’ll be left to pick up the sodding pieces!”
Before 1409 could come up with a scathing retort, Droidbait sat down opposite them with a grin. “Cheer up boys! Maybe this time we’ll get to the end!”
“Yeah, and Gamorreans can fly!” Giggled 4040, sitting next to him.
“Well, I for one am sick of Bravo Squad and their smug fucking faces. We’re just as good as they are, if not better!” Insisted 782, having slammed his tray forcefully beside Fives. “Keep together on this next one and we’ll beat the Citadel course no problem.”
1409 rolled his eyes covertly and concentrated on his rations. When they made their way to the training suite he didn’t bother wishing the others luck. He just needed to try and get them to stick to the rules and follow their orders and they might just avoid reassignment to maintenance duty.
The initial part of the test progressed as usual, the squad able to blast their way through the first wave of droids. An instruction to take the tower came over the comms and 1409 turned to the others. “We’ve received orders to take the tower...”
“Stop repeating every order, Echo!” Yelled Fives from where he was crouched next to 4040.
Echo ground his teeth. “Stop calling me that!”
“Well stop repeating every order then,” growled Fives in response.
782 stepped out from the cover and readied his gun. “Less yapping, more blasting! Let’s move up to the Citadel!”
Fives sent Echo a look of ‘I told you so,’ which just got Echo clenching his jaw even harder. “782, you’re breaking formation!”
“Just follow my lead would ya?” Bellowed 782 as he advanced through the field.
Droidbait leapt up from Echo’s other side. “Ok, I’m following him!” He sprinted at an awkward crouch in 782’s wake, Echo cursing under his breath as he noticed droids closing in on Droidbait’s right flank. But before he could shout a warning, Fives had already acted, leaping at Droidbait and tackling him to the floor, rolling them both to the nearest cover.
Echo gestured to 4040 to move up to their location, shooting out more droids as they went until they sunk next to the others. “Ok, since we’re not actually doing too badly, how about we follow orders for once? This is our last practice test.”
“How about you shut up with instructions, you’re not in charge, Echo,” Fives snarled at him, moving out from under their cover again to reach 782’s location further ahead.
4040 and Droidbait followed him, Echo just about ready to scream in frustration. “But we have to follow orders!” He yelled after them, standing to make his point, and almost immediately getting blasted in the shoulder by the training droids. It bloody well hurt, Echo briefly wondering how Droidbait put up with getting blasted so often.
He stayed down, listening in defeat to 4040 and Fives argue about which direction they would both take, both promptly getting blasted by the droids, while Droidbait literally surrendered. Echo chuckled to himself slightly hysterically. Guess Droidbait didn’t want to put up with getting blasted all the time after all.
They all stomped back to the barracks in a foul mood, 782 launching his helmet across the room. Echo also let his frustration show. “We just need to follow orders,” he admonished them.
782 growled, whirling around to face him. “Would you shut up, go read the regs or whatever it is you are actually useful for,” he spat, squaring up to him. “You need to be able to adapt from your precious rules on the battlefield. I’m thinking like an ARC trooper.”
“ARC troopers follow orders,” Echo snarled in reply, crossing his arms in defiance.
782 turned, frowning menacingly. “Care to repeat that? Echo?” He hissed.
Echo was so done with this shit. He lashed out, fist connecting with 782’s jaw with a satisfying crunch. Before he knew it, Fives had grabbed him around the waist to pull him away, while Droidbait and 4040 had grabbed 782. To Echo’s horror, however, Bric also arrived on the scene looking positively fuming. Echo winced internally. What the hell had he been thinking? What if he was thrown off the training programme? What if he was demoted to maintenance? What if he was reconditioned?
“What the hell is going on here?” Bric growled, glaring at them with disgust.
782 stepped forward, shaking off the other two clones. “Oh, nothing, Master Chief, just a minor disagreement here with my defective brother. Thought it was your responsibility to train him, not mine?”
If Bric looked angry before, he now seemed positively thunderous. “If it was down to me, CT-782, I’d have you all shipped off to maintenance right now. Still, maybe it will be amusing to watch you all make fools of yourselves one last time,” he sneered before stalking off.
Unsurprisingly, Bric turned out to be absolutely correct. Their last Citadel run was a disaster. Echo lay on the floor rather painfully while his team-mates were admonished for leaving him, all of them being given an automatic failure. The words sunk like stones into the pit of Echo’s stomach as he squeezed his eyes closed against the angry tears that threatened to fall. Failure.
When he looked up, Echo was surprised to find Fives stood in front of him, holding out a hand. Echo debated swatting it away but accepted the help, wincing at the bruises he could feel forming. “You ok?” Fives asked gruffly, dropping Echo’s hand when he was upright.
Echo sighed. “Think my pride is more wounded than my shoulder.”
Fives snorted before sighing unhappily. “You’re not a bad soldier Echo. Neither am I. If we were on another team I just know we’d have gotten through this.”
Frowning, Echo stared at him in question as they walked. “Why don't we ask?”
“Huh?” Fives asked in confusion, pulling a face.
“Why don’t we go find Shaak Ti?” Echo explained. “Ask her for a transfer?” Fives actually paled at the thought, Echo finding it amusing that the confident clone was suddenly nervous of speaking to the Jedi General. “Don't worry,” he drawled. “I can do the talking.”
Fives managed a small grin. “I thought you were all about following orders. Didn't take you for one to ask a Jedi for a favour!”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, mate,” Echo murmured, catching Fives assessing glance. When they knocked at the observation floor door, a soft ‘enter’ drifted through. Echo and Fives exchanged a nod before Echo opened the door, both of them standing to attention.
“General Shaak Ti, sir. We would like to request a transfer to another team. Both of us just know that we will be able to pass the final test if we could be allowed to work with another squad who are more disciplined, perhaps...”
Shaak Ti held up her hand, Echo immediately falling quiet. “Echo, isn't it?” She asked serenely, Echo nodding. “And Fives?”
“Yes, sir,” Fives replied. “Echo is right. We’re just struggling to work with the others.”
Shaak Ti steepled her fingers, looking around the room with vague interest before turning back to them. “I want very much for the both of you to succeed in graduating. Your path to success, however, lies with your team. Perhaps you can solve your problems as a whole, not as individuals?”
Fives sighed, Echo letting out a breath of relief that they weren't apparently going to be punished for their insolence. “Yes, sir,” they both replied.
“Wonderful. See you both in your final training exercise tomorrow.” Shaak Ti drifted back out of the room, leaving Fives and Echo staring after her.
“Nice try,” Fives murmured, Echo snorting.
“Well, at least we got one last chance. C’mon, let’s go find the others,” Echo replied as they went back to their barracks. Droidbait was in his blacks, stretched out, giving them a little wave as they walked up.
“Where you two been?” Droidbait asked.
“Uh, well the good news is we get another shot at the final test...” Fives began.
Droidbait sat up in interest. “And the bad news?”
"You’re stuck with us. Where the other two?” Echo asked, sitting heavily on his bunk.
“I dunno. 4040 was heading to the hangar for some reason, something about Bric requesting his assistance with something. I don’t know about 782.”
“Hevy.” 782 was stood behind them, arms folded. They all started and turned to him in confusion. “It’s my name. We all need to step up if we’re going to get through training. Watching Bravo earlier, what made them so much better than us?”
“Uhh, they weren’t shit?” Groused Fives, Droidbait whacking him in the arm.
“They worked together,” Echo replied, meeting Hevy’s gaze. “I’m sorry for hitting you earlier.”
Hevy just shrugged. “Perhaps you knocked some sense into me. I need to remember I’m part of a team, not just charge off alone. But Fives you need to trust the team and listen to our orders instead of arguing, Echo you need to be willing to adapt to the situation. Droidbait, you need to quit leaving yourself vulnerable to attack, and 4040...”
“I need to take the whole thing more seriously.” 4040 had similarly snuck up on them and was stood leaning against the wall listening to them. “Apparently I’m a real cutup.” He grinned widely. “Guess we all got names now!”
They all stared resolutely at one another, before Hevy nodded. “Alright Dominos. Get some rest and let’s show the commanders what we can do!”
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When Domino Squad aced their test, Echo was just as proud and excited as the rest of them. Both General Shaak Ti and Commander Colt looked proud too, giving Echo a rush of endorphins; he couldn’t help the basic need to impress his superiors.
“C’mon Echo!” Fives insisted. “All the squads are celebrating in the mess hall; you can afford to take one night off!”
Echo huffed a sigh but let himself be pulled upright off his bunk. “Ok, fine,” he breathed with a grin.
Although the clones couldn’t get hold of alcohol, music, or even food much more exciting than rations, they celebrated nonetheless, the excited tones of chatter and laughter loud in the hall. Echo even found himself enjoying the atmosphere, spotting 99 at the edge of the room. He left Fives where he was telling some loud amusing story with Hevy, and wandered over.
“Congratulations, Echo,” 99 said in greeting, smiling warmly.
Echo grinned back. “Still don’t know how you remember all of us 99. You must have seen hundreds of clones come through training!”
99 nodded. “Of course. But you are all unique.”
“Well, yeah I guess. I suppose I would recognise Fives even if he had his helmet on, even just over comms. But not all of them.” Echo realised 99 was staring at him with interest and was aware that his cheeks were probably going pink. “I spend a lot of time with him. With the squad. Recognise the way he talks, his mannerisms.”
99 squinted at his face as if he were searching for something. Echo wrestled his composure in check, waiting it out. “Well, remember Echo, when you’re on the battlefield, the most important thing is unity. Bring our brothers home, at least, as many as you can.” His expression turned sad, and it struck Echo how 99 must have met so many clones and seen a large proportion never return. “Well, I won’t interrupt your celebrations anymore Echo. Good luck!” 99 gave him a clap on the back before moving away, hailed instead by Colt who greeted him with a warm hug. Echo turned back to his squad, smile still on his face, moving through the crowd to reach them to find Fives was still in full swing telling some kind of absurd story by the sounds of it.
“... So I says to her, Baby, you and me could really...” Fives was saying, something about the statement turning Echo’s stomach sour.
“Fives, you’ve never even met a girl!” Cutup interrupted gleefully, the rest bursting into laughter around him, Fives along with them, always happy to take a joke at his own expense on the chin.
“Well that’s what I would’ve said anyway!” Fives eventually added, still chuckling, meeting Echo’s eyes. He paused, a slight frown crossing his face. He stood from his place at the table, leaving the others to it and moving towards Echo. “You ok?” He asked quietly when he’d reached his side.
Echo managed a nod. Before he could say anything else, a clone bounded over. “Fives! Ink says he’ll do you next!”
Snorting at Echo’s expression of confusion, Fives clapped the clone on the back. “Be right there Hooper.” He turned to Echo. “Ink is doing tattoos for us. You gonna get one?”
Blushing at his ridiculous misinterpretation, Echo pulled a face. “It’s against regulations.”
Fives rolled his eyes. “Loads of clones get tattoos. Even Colt has one!”
“No thanks. You go on,” Echo said, shaking his head.
Pouting, Fives grabbed his wrist. “At least come hold my hand then pal! It’s supposed to be bloody painful!”
Echo sighed loudly. “Fine. Don’t get used to me watching your damn back when you do something stupid though.”
“Don’t know what I’d do without you Echo,” Fives replied with a wink, sending an odd sensation through Echo’s belly.
Echo looked away, attempting to play off the moment like it hadn’t affected him. “Bet you wouldn’t last a rotation without me!” He managed, relieved when Fives just grinned. “Don’t worry Fives. I don’t plan on leaving the Dominoes anytime soon.”
Fives smiled wider. “Good. Imagine the trouble I'd get up to if I was left alone with my own stupidity!”
Echo sniggered along with him and let Fives pull him through the crowd.