Blood-Kin
Author's Note: Though this is technically a sequel to Blood-Bound, Blood-Touched, Blood-Ties, Blood-Power, and Blood-Cursed, it CAN be read as a standalone! Have fun seeing the next installment with the Bad Batch in this universe! :D
I will be writing more in this universe, though it might be a few weeks before the next one-shot is done.
PS. This is for square "Found family" on the Bad Batch Bingo and the square "Amnesia" on the 501st Bingo. :)
~ Amina Gila
"Steady," Echo says, watching Omega as she struggles to keep her arms perfectly steady so she can fire her bow. "Hold the position."
Her brow scrunches with concentration, and she grits her teeth as she tries to keep her arms still. She might be a vampire now, like the rest of them, and she might have their enhanced abilities, including strength, but that doesn't automatically mean her body is adjusted to using them.
"Good," Crosshair murmurs from his place, perched on the edge of a table, watching. "Now fire."
Omega lifts the bow, lining it up and letting go. The purple beam of energy flies through the air, striking the center of the target, and she squeals, spinning to high-five Wrecker.
"Good job, kid!" he praises, ruffling her hair.
Hunter steps forward. "I think that's enough of this practice for today," he tells them, a small smile on his face as he looks at Omega. "Let's head back to the Marauder. We can continue Omega's lessons there."
They're always careful not to speak much about her abilities. She's Force-sensitive. She got it naturally, unlike Hunter, who became sensitive to the Force after feeding from Anakin. Echo feels an amused fondness when he thinks of it.
Crosshair was the first vampire, turned on a mission before Echo even joined them. When his hunger set in, he fed from Hunter, turning him. After Echo joined their squad, they turned him so he would be a part of their bond. It just so happened that Anakin came to visit while Echo was going through his transformation, and he bit his General, turning him, too. It's spread from there, and Echo knows that many members of the 501st are now vampires. Anakin's special, though; he's their sire, and perhaps it's because of his strength in the Force, but when they feed from him, they get a temporary boost of Force-sensitivity. Except in Hunter's case – and Kix's, too – it wasn't just temporary.
Hunter learned to use the Force from Anakin, via a holocron as well as in person, on the missions the Bad Batch have gone on with the 501st since Anakin's turn. He has two lightsabers, too, and once they turned Omega to protect her, Hunter took it upon himself to teach her the Force and lightsaber combat, while the rest of them handle the other aspects of her training.
Once they got Crosshair back on Bracca, he's been aiding Omega with learning to use her bow.
"You are improving greatly," Tech states, adjusting his goggles as he looks at her. "You are able to keep your arms steady for several seconds longer than you could at the beginning of the week."
Echo stands, stretching. "Let's head out," he says, echoing Hunter's words, prompting the others to get moving. "We'll see how much more we can get done while there's still daylight."
Hunter leads them as they go up the steps to exit the cantina, jerking back and nearly knocking over Echo as a blaster bolt hits the ground right where he just was. "There's a sniper out there," he warns grimly. "Whoever it is, they're waiting for us."
Crosshair pushes forward. "I can handle it."
"Split up," Hunter orders, "Crosshair and I will lead them away. Echo, circle around. See if you can get behind him. Tech, Wrecker, stay here with Omega. It might be another bounty hunter after her."
"On it," Echo promises. He waits while Hunter and Crosshair draw their weapons, ducking out of the cantina and dodging the blaster bolts fired at them, sprinting down the road, weaving in and out of cover. A moment later, he steps out of the cantina, too, blaster drawn, as he scans the roofs to see the shooter, who is still trying – and failing – to hit the duo.
And… there.
Running across the roof is a black-armored figure holding a sniper rifle. The armor doesn't have any insignias, but if Echo had to guess, it's someone with the Empire. The coloration and style remind him of what Crosshair wore in his couple weeks with the Empire when he was part of the Elite Squad, or whatever they were called. How did the Empire find them here? What do they want?
"I think it's the Empire," he warns through their comms as he starts down the street, climbing up onto the roofs to give chase.
"Stay on alert," Hunter tells them. "Echo, are you behind him?"
"Following," he replies.
"Crosshair, double back," Hunter instructs. "We'll corner him in an alley, see who sent him."
Hunter continues to draw the man out, keeping his attention while Crosshair and Echo circle behind him. It's a blur of action after that. Echo fires at him, and he spins toward him while Crosshair jumps him from behind. They struggle as Crosshair tries to get his weapon out of his hands, and then, Hunter's there, helping pin the man down. They drag him down from the roof, pinning him against an alley wall. He kicks and struggles, but they're far stronger, so keeping him restrained is easy.
Echo reaches for the man's helmet, yanking it off. It's a clone, and the scent hits him at the same time he sees the tattoo of a 5 on the right side of his head. The world screeches to a halt around him, and he can't tear his eyes away from it, frozen in place. Hunter nudges him over their telepathic bond, whispering an inquiry. You alright?
"Fives," Echo whispers, his voice breaking on the name. It's Fives. He knows it is. The tattoo is the same, as is his scent, though it's so much stronger to him, now that he's a vampire. It's unmistakably Fives' scent. Fives was his batchmate and squadmate, and they were close, extremely close. They relied on one another in a way they never had with anyone else. Getting out of Skako Minor and learning that Fives was dead had torn a piece of him away. He's never recovered from that wound, didn't think he ever could.
But Fives was dead. Rex was there when he died, and so was the General. This – none of it makes any sense. How can Fives be here?
Empty, brown eyes turn toward him without a hint of recognition, and belatedly, Echo realizes that Fives won't recognize him. He's a different person now, nothing like the brother Fives remembers him as being, and as far as Fives knows, knew, he is the one who died.
"It's me," he tries, though as he speaks, he begins to think something else is wrong with Fives, "Echo."
Still nothing.
"Echo, he's gone. This isn't him," Hunter says quietly, "It can't be."
"Maybe something happened to him," Echo argues, unable to tear his eyes away from his younger brother's face. "It's him. I know him. I would know him anywhere."
Crosshair makes a quiet sound. "Echo…"
"I know him," he answers fiercely.
"Well, even if it is, he doesn't remember you," Hunter points out, "Or anything, if I had to guess." His eyes narrow on Fives, wariness visible. "Who sent you? Why are you here?"
"You're traitors," comes the answer, hard and cold and so unlike Fives that Echo nearly recoils, pain twisting at his heart. He doesn't know what he would do if he came so close to getting Fives back only to lose him again. Fives was… everything to him once. A piece of him died with Fives, and he can't get it back, ever, not with his brother gone.
But he's not gone. He's not. They just need to find a way to bring him back.
Crosshair scoffs. "And you were sent here to kill us, weren't you." It's not a question. "That didn't go so well. Got reinforcements we should know about?"
No answer. Not that Echo expected to get one.
"The Empire never told you who you were after, did it?" Hunter queries. Because if Fives came alone, they must have sent him here for another purpose. There's no way they could have truly expected Fives to defeat Hunter, when the latter is Force-sensitive and armed with lightsabers. The Empire might not know about their vampirism, but it does know that Hunter is Force-sensitive, thanks to the report about it that Crosshair gave after his chip activated.
Still nothing. The mutinous, stubborn look on Fives' face only hurts worse. Echo knows it, has seen it before so many times, has seen versions of it countless times on so many of his brothers' faces, but none of them have quite been like the one Fives had. I need you to remember, remember me, he thinks desperately, but he can't say it.
"We need to scan him," Echo tells them, "See if he's got a tracker or something, or if it's safe for us to take him."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Fives says stubbornly. They ignore him, and Hunter nods, contacting Tech and asking him to meet up with them. A few minutes and two scans later, Tech has declared that he's located all trackers, explosives, and weapons on Fives' person, so they can safely transport him elsewhere once those things have been neutralized.
"Why doesn't he remember anything?" Echo demands, his heart still pounding too fast.
"Unknown," Tech answers with a small frown. "Either he sustained a head trauma, or the Empire has done something to him. Possibly, it is a combination of the two. I will not know anything more until I can scan him properly on the ship."
Probably using his brain chip scanner if Echo had to guess. Apparently, feeding leads to the breakdown of the chips. That's what let them get Crosshair back on Bracca – Hunter enticed him to feed, and once he did, he healed. They got him back then. Maybe – maybe the same will be true for Fives, even if he's not a vampire.
"I can turn him," Echo blurts out, glancing between his brothers. "Maybe it'll heal him."
There's a pause of silence as they exchange looks, possibly communicating mentally with one another. "What if it doesn't work?" Hunter asks quietly. "What if he's still willing to oppose us? What then? Would you really be willing to compel him into obedience?"
Echo falters, looking into Fives' eyes, so similar and yet so unfamiliar – they don't have the spark in them that made him Fives. And yet, he knows what Fives would want, the brother he grew up with. "Yeah, if I have to."
"Okay then," Hunter murmurs, exchanging looks with Tech and Crosshair again.
"Hold him," Echo warns, pressing a hand on Fives' chest to keep him still as he leans in. Fives squirms and thrashes harder, but Hunter and Crosshair hold him in place as Echo bites into his neck, willing him to transform. He's never done this before, other than with Anakin, but that was an accident. Still, he's heard how it's done, and he knows the transformation will take because of his intent.
Fives' blood is slightly bitter, probably from his anxiety, fear, and anger, but Echo knows, hopes that it'll be better soon, once he transforms and remembers. He doesn't know what he would do if Fives didn't remember him.
"It's okay," he murmurs, licking the blood off his lips as he pulls back, infusing the words with a compulsion to help Fives calm down. "You're safe."
Fives still twists a little, trying to break free, chest heaving, but there's a certain calmness entering his gaze that was absent before. Echo feels awful about using a compulsion on him, but he doesn't know what else he even could have done. They need Fives to be calm so they can get him back to the Marauder.
"Are we clear to move?" Tech queries, turning to Hunter.
Hunter's brow furrows, and his eyes go a little distant in that way Echo is familiar with from his General. Anakin's expression did that, too, when he was sensing things with the Force. Same for the Commander, or any Jedi, really. "Yeah, we're clear," he answers. "Let's get him outta here."
"Don't fight us," Echo murmurs, still using a weak compulsion.
Fives' eyes dart between him and the others, and there's something anxious in there, buried under a mask, but Echo knows him. He can still see it, and it hurts. But he has to trust. He has to have faith that it will work out.
Hunter comms Wrecker on the way back to the Marauder, telling him to meet them there with Omega and let them know if he runs into any trouble. They get Fives back there without any issues, thankfully, and once they're there, they go about securing him and stripping him of weapons and tracking devices and whatever else. He struggles against them, but they're stronger, so it's futile.
Fives' breathing and heartrate begin to increase as the transformation takes root, changing him. Echo can feel the bond with him slowly forming, settling into place, and he welcomes it, because even if Fives didn't truly consent to this, it's something he would still have wanted. After he found out about the chips, he would never have wanted to be forced to serve the Empire. What did they do to him? Rex thought he died. So did the General. What – what happened?
Omega runs up the moment she and Wrecker get back, hovering anxiously behind them. "Is he really Fives?" she asks.
Echo nods. "Same scent. Same tattoo. It's him."
She waves, a little shyly. "Hi," she says.
Fives just snarls at her, glaring. Echo moves in front of her, ready to protect her if he has to. "What did you do to me?!" he demands, shifting around, the first gleams of hunger appearing in his eyes. Soon, he'll be too far along to care about whatever mission he was given.
"I'll explain everything," Echo promises, "You – you're a vampire. You're part of our coven now, and you're bound to us. You'll have enhanced abilities like we do. We feed on blood, mainly each other's."
His jaw works. "That's why you bit me."
He nods. "I turned you, so you'd be like us. Maybe –" he hesitates, "Maybe it'll help you heal from whatever the Empire did to you."
"What if I don't want to drink blood?" His eyes are narrowed, guarded.
"S'not gonna hurt us," Wrecker assures quickly, "And you're not gonna care about that once you get further."
He scowls. "Great."
"He should feed from me," Hunter tells them. "I'm the least likely to be hurt, and Echo…" His eyes turn toward him, and Echo shifts, feeling a little uncomfortable under that stare. "You can't afford to lose much blood. He can still feed from you, but later, once we know it's safe."
Somehow, he can sense that Echo wants Fives to feed from him before he himself was even fully aware of that desire. He wants it, needs it. He and Fives were so close once, and he's missed him like he misses his limbs, maybe even more. If Fives feeds from him, he'll be able to feel him again. He'll feel close with him the way he feels close with the rest of the Batch when they feed. He needs that, to heal.
"Yeah, okay," he concedes grudgingly.
They wait around, and it isn't much longer before Fives' transformation has progressed to the point where his hunger is obvious, both in his gaze and in the way he's shifting and growling. Crosshair wordlessly removes his restraints when Hunter nods to him, and they position themselves around him, waiting and watching, tensed, ready to reach for weapons if it proves necessary. Fives pushes to his feet, looking between them, before his gaze settles on Hunter.
It had been Hunter who he was shooting at earlier. Maybe his brain will consider feeding from him akin to fulfilling his orders, whatever they were.
He springs at him with a quiet snarl, and Echo feels guilt at the way he instinctively takes half a step forward, ready to protect Hunter if it's necessary. It's not, though, and once Fives is comfortably feeding, they begin to relax.
"Hey, 'mega, you wanna…?" Crosshair's voice trails off, but he raises an eyebrow meaningfully at her.
Hunter sighs, giving Crosshair a stern look. "You know the rules."
Crosshair grins at him. "When do we ever follow orders, Hunter?" he says, way too brightly, as Omega happily slips her hand into his, vibrating excitedly, practically bouncing.
Echo nearly rolls his eyes at the exchange, but instead, he just folds his arms across his chest, giving Crosshair a disapproving look. After Omega was first turned, Hunter set the very firm rule that they were not, under any circumstances, to feed from her. She's small, so much smaller than they are, and Echo completely understands, and seconds, it, but Omega was grumpy. The only one who's been willing to break the rule is Crosshair.
He claimed it was for a "bonding experience", but really, Echo thinks that he was just trying to make Hunter react. Though they'd tried to hide it, Hunter still caught them in the act. The ban remains, and yet, Crosshair still intends to disregard it.
With a smug smirk, Crosshair sprawls on the rack opposite where Hunter and Fives are, and Omega happily clambers into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and tilting her head back so he can bite her.
"Ya sure about this?" Wrecker queries unhappily. He's the biggest of all of them, the most worried about accidentally hurting them when feeding. Even if he's one of the kids, this isn't something he'll disobey Hunter on, no matter how much he enjoys fooling around.
Crosshair cuddles Omega to his chest and bites into her neck, giving Wrecker a thumbs-up in answer. Echo just sighs. It's Crosshair. He can't really expect anything else from him.
It's a short while later before Fives pulls back from Hunter, licking blood from his lips, expression furrowed with confused thoughtfulness. Echo immediately steps forward, worry rising. "Are you okay?"
He reaches up, gingerly rubbing his head. "I… yeah. Maybe. I don't know."
Concern tightens within him, and he moves closer. "What is it?"
Fives blows out a breath. "I feel… different."
"Different how?" Tech queries. "It is to be expected that you feel different after your transformation. You are no longer human."
He shakes his head. "Not that. My head. It's… I was sent here to eliminate you and your sergeant first. You're all deserters, traitors. It made sense – it's what the regs say the punishment for treason is." A pause. "And then it didn't."
Echo's heart skips a beat and then starts pounding harder. It reminds him of what happened with Crosshair when they got him back, of how his mind returned to him, a little bit at a time. "The Empire did something to you," he says, "To make you obedient, maybe even to make you forget." He moves closer, lowering himself to the floor in front of Fives so he's at eye-level. "Your name is Fives. Do you remember that?"
He blinks, opening and closing his mouth before nodding very slowly. "Yeah," he says finally, brow furrowing, "A little bit. It's all… fragmented."
Echo glances helplessly toward Hunter and then over at Tech and Wrecker who are watching. "Give it time," Hunter tells them finally, "It'll come back."
"What if it doesn't?" It's Fives who asks the question.
Hunter presses his lips together. "We'll deal with it then, okay?"
"You okay?" Echo queries, feeling horribly out of place as he looks at the brother who used to be able to read him as fast as he could quote off the reg manuals. Fives is different now. It's been so long. They've changed, and that hurts, but he – they can work this out, if only Fives remembers.
Fives looks away, a flicker of vulnerability on his face before it's covered with a cocky smile as he meets Echo's eyes. "Of course. Don't worry 'bout me. I'm not gonna kill you."
No one believes him that he's alright, but they leave it at that, at least for now.
**w**
That night, Echo decides to stay up in the cockpit on watch. Even if Ord Mantell is safe, they need to be on alert. The Empire might not find them here, but there's all sorts of criminals who roam here. Caution is required.
He looks up, away from the viewport, when he hears the quiet sound of shuffling. He knows who it is even before Fives enters the cockpit, lowering himself into the co-pilot's seat. The rest of the Batch are sleeping, at least lightly, but somehow, Echo isn't surprised that Fives is awake. So much has changed for him in such a short amount of time, and he must be… confused. Overwhelmed. He can feel his flux of emotions even now. Nervousness. Fear. Resentment. Anger. It's the anger which Echo is familiar with the most. He feels it, too. Has ever since he heard Fives was dead. It's a sort of helpless, blinding rage, one that never truly fades. It's one that never can fade… until now. Maybe now it can, with Fives here.
"What happened to you?" Fives asks quietly, studying him. "You're…" He trails off, gesturing vaguely, and Echo knows what he means. He's a cyborg now, more machine than man.
"Do you remember the Citadel?" Echo inquires.
Fives wavers. "I think so," he admits finally. "Maybe. I'm not – it's all still very… confusing."
Echo shifts. "I survived the explosion," he tells him, "And the Separatists captured me. I was handed over to Wat Tambor and the TechnoUnion. They… used me as their… algorithm, to fight the Republic." His breath catches, and he swallows, hard. It's very difficult for him to talk about it, but this is Fives. He's always told Fives everything. If Fives had been thought dead in battle, Echo knows that he would never have been able to handle it. The only reason he didn't spiral and fall apart entirely was the knowledge that Fives' death, alleged or otherwise, was not his fault.
"Rex and the Batch got me out, and I've been with them ever since," he finishes.
Fives reaches out, touching his arms, his eyes intent, focused, alert in a way that they haven't been all this time since they got him. "Echo, I'm sorry," he says softly, firmly. "What happened to you… I shouldn't have left you there. I thought –" His voice wavers a little, almost breaking. "– I thought you were dead."
"Yeah," Echo whispers, "Yeah, me too."
He doesn't know which of them moves first, but then, they're both clinging to each other, soaking in each other's presences. Nothing can make up for the time they were apart, but their bond is still there. They can still reforge it, strengthen it.
Nothing, nothing will take them apart again.
**w**
They contact Rex the next morning once Tech determines that Fives' memories are coming back at a rate which promises a full recovery over the next rotation. They still have no idea what was done to him, but whatever it was, his transformation was able to heal it. For that, Echo is grateful. Having Fives there, but forever out of his reach, would have been unbearable. He doesn't know how he would have endured that.
Echo honestly isn't even sure how to go about telling Rex about Fives, but he deserves the warning. "Where are you now?" he asks, once he and Rex have finished updating each other on their statuses.
"We keep moving around, jumping from place to place," Rex tells him. "We've got a small fleet with us, three Star Destroyers, the entirety of the 501st Legion along with others who we've picked up over time, and it's not easy to stay hidden."
"Can we meet up?" Echo questions, hopefully. "We – the Empire may have tracked us to our current location, and we need somewhere to go."
"Of course," Rex answers, "Anakin was just saying that he wanted to bring the whole coven together." He pauses. "You should know that General Kenobi is one of us now. He and the General went somewhere. It went badly, and Anakin accidentally turned General Kenobi from what I've been told."
"I've got some news for you, too," Echo admits, shifting a little. "It's – Rex, are you sure Fives died?"
Rex stills. "He died in my arms, Echo. Why would you question that?" The heartbreak is visible in his eyes, even over the hologram.
Echo swallows. "Because the Empire sent someone after us. They – they sent Fives after us, Rex. He's alive. He – I turned him. He didn't remember anything at first, but his memories have been coming back, healing."
Rex is quiet for so long that Echo almost wonders if the transmission was broken. "He was dead," he whispers, shaking his head. "I don't understand how…"
"Me either," he agrees, thinking of the scar he saw on Fives' chest when he was changing this morning. It's a scar from a blaster wound, one that would have gone right past his heart. It's the one that Rex thought he died from, so how…? But there are no answers. Fives doesn't know, and certainly none of them do, either.
"It's my fault," Rex states. "I was right there. I should have known he was still alive."
"Rex, this isn't your fault," Echo retorts firmly. "Anakin was there, too. He's a Jedi. He ought to have sensed it. Are you going to blame him?"
Rex jerks back. "Of course not," he answers immediately and then huffs. "Yeah, I see your point. It's just… hard, knowing Fives was out there and we had no idea. We don't even know what's happened to him all that time. The Empire could've done anything."
Echo grimaces. "I know." The same thing has been haunting him.
"I – I thought I sensed something… familiar," Rex murmurs, "But it didn't seem possible. Anakin did as well, I'm certain, but we didn't speak of it. We thought he was… I thought I was imagining it."
Echo nods, understanding. "Send me the coordinates of where you are," he says to Rex, "And we'll be there as soon as we can."
**w**
By the time the Marauder is touching down in the hangar bay of the Tribunal, Fives' memory has fully returned. At least they think it has. Echo has spoken to him in detail about a great many things, and he seems to remember everything. They talked for a long time, swapping stories, telling each other what has happened in the other's absence. Fives is bonding with the other Batch members as well, and Echo is grateful to see how easily he fits in. In some ways, it's as though he's always been there.
Rex and Anakin are waiting in the hangar bay, along with the Commander and many other clones. Jesse, Kix, and Cody are there, too – Echo can see them from the top of the ramp. Hunter disembarks first, Echo behind him, and they walk off their ship onto the hangar bay floor. Anakin and Rex nod to them, but the moment they see Fives, all their focus goes straight to him. He watches, feeling more curious than anything else, like an outsider, as Rex presses their foreheads together for a moment, Anakin crowding in to pull Fives into a tight embrace which he returns fiercely.
"We thought you were dead," Rex murmurs. If they weren't all vampires, the conversation might actually be private.
"I thought I was dead," Fives answers dryly. "I'm not sure what they did. I shouldn't have survived a wound like that." As he says it, a hand comes up to touch his chest, which his scar is located.
"I'm so sorry," Anakin tells him fervently. "I should have known you were alive. I sensed your presence, but I thought… sometimes, presences can linger for a time after death. I thought that's all it was. I'm sorry, Fives."
He shakes his head. "General, it's not your fault. If you need someone to blame, blame the Kaminoans and the Empire. This is all on them."
That somehow seems to be a signal that the reunion is over, because the others crowd in. Echo talks to Jesse and Kix about Fives, telling them the details of what had happened, and Kix insists on taking Fives to the medbay to scan him over, just to make sure he's alright. He is, and they still don't get any more answers as to what happened with him, or why he lost his memory, but it's something they're all worried about. If the Empire did it to Fives, who knows who else they could do it to as well? They have so many brothers who are still with the Empire.
"Hunter, care to join us in the barracks tonight?" Anakin asks sometime later, after they've moved to the cafeteria to eat and continue swapping stories.
It's comforting to be here, surrounded by other vampires, the rest of their coven, especially when they're the 501st. Echo left them to join the Bad Batch because he knew he would never fit in the way he once did, but that doesn't mean he didn't miss them. Fiercely, sometimes. He missed the orderly chaos of them, the established nature of their routines. He was used to them, and when he joined the Batch, he had to adjust to something entirely new.
Hunter doesn't even hesitate. "Of course, Anakin."
And Echo feels a thrill of excitement. There's nothing quite as comforting as curling amidst a pile of his fellow vampires to sleep. He can't wait to introduce Fives to their new way of life.
There's a brief scuffle as everyone vies for the spots next to Anakin. He's their sire now, and there's a certain comfort to be had from being near him. It's something engrained in their vampire abilities, something so primal that Echo can't even put it into words. Anakin's their sire, and he protects them. Maybe it's just that simple.
In the end, Fives ends up sandwiched between Anakin and Rex, while Echo takes a spot half on both of his brothers. The rest of the Batch sprawl out around him, and he shifts, conscious of his metal legs, hoping that Tech doesn't find it too uncomfortable to be down here. Cody is on Anakin's other side, Ahsoka sort of between and on them both, with the rest of the clones scattered across the floor.
Echo hasn't felt this comfortable since before Order 66, since the last time saw Anakin, even.
And then, as they're settling down, the door to their barracks slides open, and there's a small "oh" of surprise from General Kenobi. For a moment, Echo feels as if he was caught doing something wrong, and he knows he's not the only one, but that feeling fades quickly when Anakin perks up, radiating delight.
"Master, you came," he says.
General Kenobi huffs. "I was unaware of what you were doing when you asked me to come." He hesitates, and then, the awkwardness he feels obvious in his voice, he continues. "Did you need something?"
"We wanted you to join us!" Ahsoka calls cheerfully, wiggling around as she lifts her head off Anakin's abdomen. Cody grunts as she – presumably – crushes his legs a little further.
"This is most uncivilized," the Jedi Master – ex-Jedi Master, actually, grumbles, crossing his arms, though it doesn't seem like he actually means it.
"Hey, no one's feeding," Anakin replies, laughing. He glances around the room. "Yet."
Yet is a good word. Echo suspects that a number of clones will be feeding on each other before long. It's not that they need the blood for healing or strength so much as it is that feeding gives them a sense of intimacy and closeness that they can't otherwise achieve.
"Dad, come on," says Cody, and Echo makes a strangled squeak in surprise. But so does Obi-Wan so he doesn't feel too embarrassed by that.
"Dad?" he repeats, raising his eyebrows.
"Dad," Anakin affirms, "There's plenty of room for you. C'mon!"
A pause. "I am not going to be feeding from anyone, and nor will I let anyone feed from me," he sniffs. "I hope that's clear."
"Crystal clear, sir," Cody says dryly, shifting closer to Anakin.
There's some shifting and movement as they make room for their last Jedi to join. His awkwardness as he settles next to Cody, reaching across him to touch Anakin, is painfully obvious to everyone, but Anakin leans into the touch, purring softly. Somehow, that sound instantly relaxes Echo, and everyone else. Their sire is comfortable, which means they're safe. They have nothing to worry about.
He pokes Fives in his side to get his attention. "Can I feed?" He sends it through their bond, hoping for an affirmative. He hasn't actually fed from Fives yet, or vice versa, but he wants to, desperately. He yearns to feel the kinship with him that he's felt with so many of his other brothers.
"'Course," Fives murmurs, moving his arm closer to Echo's face. "Like this?"
It'll definitely be easier than crawling upward and dislodging everyone else in the pile, even if he still wants to bite Fives' neck. Maybe not now, though. "Mm. Yeah. S'fine."
He clumsily pulls back the sleeve of Fives' bodyglove, sinking his fangs into his brother's wrist and sucking. The blood is warm, sweet with Fives' contentment, and Echo relishes in it. Fives pulls him a little closer, purring quietly.
"Why do you… do this?" General Kenobi asks quietly, his words obviously directed to Anakin.
"What?" Anakin sounds more amused than anything else. "Bite each other? Purr? Snuggle?"
Echo waits for an answer, but none is forthcoming, and finally, Anakin shifts with a chuckle. "Master, we're a coven. We're a family. This is what families do."
And really, there's no better explanation than that.
Final Notes: Reviews are always appreciated! ^-^
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