#amberowl24

"The Shiny" Part Two

“CT-9075, report to Commander Fox’s office.”

Five sets of identical brown eyes landed on a sixth set that had frozen in place.

“What did you do?” one of them asked playfully.

“Nothing,” 9075 replied confusedly. “I guess I have an assignment.”

“You’ll have to borrow some armor,” another said with a grimace.

“Let’s GO, 9075!”

“Kark, kark, kark,” 9075 muttered. “See you, fellas!”

He tore down the corridor toward the command center, stopping just short of Commander Fox’s office to catch his breath before hitting the button to announce himself. The door swung open to reveal Fox’s office chair turned away from the door, its occupant busy—presumably on a datapad judging by the blue light visible on a couple of nearby surfaces. He crossed the threshold and stood at attention as he waited for his turn with the commander’s time.

“You know we age twice as fast as nat-borns. You do know that, right?”

9075 kept his nose in the air and his posture stiff. “Yes, sir!”

“So every minute you keep your superiors waiting is like taking two minutes from their lives. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, sir,” 9075 said with conviction. “Apologies, sir. There were circumstances.”

The chair spun around, and 9075 was shocked to see that it wasn’t his new commander speaking to him. It was Alpha-17, who seemed just as surprised at the sight in front of him. “What the kriff do you mean by coming in here slow as a damn Hutt and OUT OF YOUR ARMOR?!”

9075 swallowed and opened his mouth to speak, but Alpha-17 beat him to it.

“Parade. Speak freely, and make it quick.”

9075 relaxed slightly into parade rest, not realizing how tightly he had tensed up until he forced his muscles to do something different. “I’m sorry, sir. My armor’s curing, and in my haste to get here, I didn’t have time to acquire another set. Sir.”

Alpha-17 stood, and his voice lost some of its irritation. “Paint day, is it? Making your armor part of the Guard?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Right.” Alpha-17 slowly circled the new trooper like a predator. “That’s important. Making connections with your fellow troopers. Your brothers in arms.”

It wasn’t a question, but something in the older man’s tone suggested 9075 should respond as if it were. “I believe it is, sir.”

Alpha-17 plucked a holoframe from Fox’s desk and spoke low. “It is. The men you train with and fight beside are your family. I’ve fought beside countless men in this war. Trained a lot of them. Some of the men I’m proudest to have trained were at 79’s last night. I don’t get to see them very often, so last night I gathered them together for a holo.” He leaned in closely to the shiny’s ear from behind. “Care to guess who I’m referring to?”

9075 swallowed hard, recalling with a sudden chill how the commando behind him had looked straight at him after taking that holo. “The commanders, sir?”

“The commanders. Six men as hard to keep in one place as a litter of freshly weaned massiff pups. Between Fox not wanting to be there and Mayday chasing a beskar skirt half the night, I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to herd them all in for a group shot. But then, it happened, and I got the perfect shot. Except, it wasn’t perfect, was it, 9075? There was someone else in my perfect shot. Someone who wasn’t supposed to be there.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Someone who didn’t earn it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Someone who had the stones to not only holobomb the shot by looking right at my datapad but also silently brag about it by holding his fingers up in a victory sign!”

“Yes, sir.”

Alpha-17 held up the holo to 9075’s face, and there he was, peeking out from behind Commander Cody’s shoulder with two fingers in the air as casually as if it were a daily occurrence.

“What. Were. You. Thinking?”

“Do I still have permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t set out to be in that holo, sir. I just happened to be sitting there when it happened.” He stared at the holo in front of him and sighed. “I guess I was a little starstruck when I saw all the commanders standing together like that. And when I noticed there was a holo being taken, I didn’t want to ruin it by being a dull nobody in the background.” He shrugged. “The victory sign was me trying to fit into it.”

Alpha-17 set the frame back on Fox’s desk and crossed his arms. “And why were you spying on the other patrons in the bar?”

The young man’s eyes widened slightly. His “stealth reports” weren’t as stealthy as he had hoped.

“I had never been to a ‘goth night’ before. I’d never visited a bar or been around civilians either. I wanted to take notes, sir.”

Alpha-17 had, of course, read the kid’s file. It wasn’t hard to find, as he was the only new trooper who had left the barracks that night. He knew that tenacity and observational skills were a large part of why 9075 had been assigned to the Guard, and it gave him an idea of what to do with the eager shiny in front of him.

“Since you’re so fond of seeing the way things work, you’ll be observing Guard headquarters for the next week as you take over sanitation detail for the cleaning droids. The barracks, the mess, the kennels, the latrines, all of it. If there’s a microbe anywhere it’s not supposed to be, I expect you to kill it.”

The “yes, sir” this time was slightly deflated.

“Dismissed.”

CT-9075 turned for the door, but Alpha-17 suddenly had a belated thought. He had taken dozens of holos at 79’s the previous night and didn’t know who some of the people were, particularly the civilians. But this shiny trooper did.

“Before you start,” he said quickly, making 9075’s turn for the door a 360-degree spin, “I want a copy of all the notes you took last night sent to this station. I want to see if your skills are as good as your file suggests, Holobomb.”

There was no smile on the older man’s face or any indication that he was giving him a compliment, but hearing the great Alpha-17 use the word “good” to describe his skills gave 9075 a sudden boost of confidence. But that boost turned into a hyperfuel-powered surge when he realized what else had been said.

“Sir? Did you just give me my—”

“Do you not know what ‘dismissed’ means, trooper?”

“I do, sir! Thank you, sir.”

He waited until he heard the door slide shut behind him before letting loose what was likely the biggest smile of his life.

He called me Holobomb. I have a name. Alpha-kriffing-17 himself gave me a name! I’m Holobomb!

He all but skipped down the corridor as the possibilities swirled in his head.

I should paint a holo puck on my armor with a hologram of a bomb coming out of it. Or maybe fingers making a victory sign! I wonder what the others will call me…Bomber? Holo? HB?

It was almost enough to make him forget he was on sanitation duty. Almost. Three days into scrubbing latrines, scraping things off the mess hall floor, and having hounds get overly friendly with his leg, and Holobomb started to wonder if maybe he shouldn’t have made the choice to be included in the commander holo at 79’s for GAR Goth Night after all. But those thoughts were fleeting. He was glad he chose to flash a victory sign that night. To him, it was a victory. He knew this week would pass and fade in his mind, but the memory of Alpha-17 giving him his name and having the first holo ever taken of him be in the same shot as six of the GAR’s best would stay with him forever.  

I keep forgetting to tag the taglings! GGN @foxwithadarkside @lonewolflupe @wings-and-beskargam @fiveminutetrash @crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf @feral-ferrule @ladylucksrogue @nika6q @skellymom @vimse @gargothnightzine @sunshinesdaydream @noblelightfighter @returnofthepineapple @freesia-writes @covert1ntrovert @vikushat @nocturius8015ficore @mamuzzy @risavulpes @niobiumao3 @sazzujazzu @blackseafoam @thora-sniper @gars-weaponeer @leenathegreengirl @vodika-vibes @headphones-ct-09978 @thecoffeelorian @bad4amficideas

MONSTER FICS

Tambor's Monster (reader insert/quick read) Echo is the Star Wars version of Frankenstein's monster in this Gothic-style romance, returning to his senses and living in the woods alone with his guilt.

Only If You WANT to Die (reader insert/quick read) Tech is a vampire who only drains the blood from those for whom living has become too painful, and he's tired of doing it alone.

The Headless Guardsman (reader insert/multichapter) Fox becomes a ghostly variation of The Headless Horseman, responsible for night after night of the Coruscant Guard finding dead citizens with snapped necks. But there's a reason for his nocturnal killing sprees. A very good reason.

A Moment with The Headless Guardsman (reader insert/quick read) Fox uses his ghostly powers to leave a gift at your desk as a cheer up after a particularly bad workday.

The Dogman and the Librarian (quick read) Dogma is bitten by something in Coruscant's lower levels that changes him inside and out.

Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? (COMING SOON DELAYED TO 2026/quick read)

SPOOKY FICS

The Presence: A Spooky Bad Batch Tale (quick read) Something seems to be haunting Clone Force 99's barracks on Kamino.

A Crosshair Carol (multichapter) Crosshair is visited by four ghosts who attempt to warn him of the horrors awaiting him if he remains with the Empire.

The Disturbance (quick read) Senators Chuchi, Amidala, and Organa visit Kamino and find themselves in the midst of an annual haunting.

The Vampire Queen of Coruscant (quick read) Hound becomes suspicious when Fox begins spending every night with a Senate aide Grizzer doesn't like.

Cursed Empathy (quick read) Coruscant Guard shiny Holobomb gets on the wrong side of an old woman who curses him to spend the night in someone else's shoes.

The Haunting of Royce Hemlock (quick read) Hemlock is tormented by the ghost of a vengeful clone.

HALLOWEEN FICS

Lights in the Dark (reader insert/quick read) The Batch make their visually impaired friend a very special Jack-o'-lantern.

A Matching Set (@clonethirstingisreal OC/quick read) Crosshair tricks Hunter and his should-be girlfriend together with a couple's costume.

The Bud Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree (@nika6q OC/quick read) Tech and Phee's little daughter puts together an impressive costume.

My favorite divider ever 🦉 by @dystopicjumpsuit!

"The Shiny" Part One

Ask any commander about shinies fresh from Kamino, and they’ll all say the same thing: The first thing they do is wear themselves out from excitement.

That was certainly true of the latest batch of newbies who had just landed on Coruscant this evening. Every one of them left Wild Space with enough adrenaline in his veins to power the Venator he arrived on. But traveling from the edge of the galaxy to its center isn’t a short trip. By the time they arrived, the group of newly graduated troopers had gone from wanting to show the galaxy what they were made of to wanting someone to show them where their barracks were.

However, there’s always that one trooper…

That shiny stood with his arms folded as he stared his brothers down. “Seriously? None of you want to come?”

“I’m tired,” one of them said simply, plopping down on his bunk.

“We get our assignments tomorrow,” another reminded him. “No way I’m meeting my new CO with red eyes.”

“But it’s 79’s! Our new commanders might even BE there!” the shiny reasoned excitedly.

“As of tomorrow, we’re Coruscant Guard. Don’t you think we’ll be seeing a lot of 79’s?”

The eager shiny sighed. He wasn’t going to win this one. “Fine. You can all be good little tubies and sleep tonight. I’m going to 79’s to finally see what it’s all about!”

“Have fun,” one waved without looking up. “Don’t do anything to get yourself arrested.”

“Yeah, that’d be awkward,” another added with a laugh.

“But it would be a great way to see the inside of HQ before the rest of us. Maybe that’s his plan.”

“Maybe I’ll be invited there by one of our commanders,” the shiny teased as he slid on his new, gleaming white helmet. “Or maybe I’ll go home with some hot civ.”

“If you get that lucky tonight,” the first trooper said with a smirk, “I’ll polish your helmet with my tongue.”

“Ugh. Good incentive not to then.” The shiny waved over his shoulder as he left the others to their rest. “Sweet dreams, little tube-lings!”

----------

CT-9075 was easily the most energetic of his batch. He was also incredibly observant and made connections others often missed. His near perfect marks in all aptitude tests involving deductive reasoning made him a prime candidate for the Coruscant Guard—not that they ever let him know that. The last thing the trainers on Kamino needed was to stoke the fire of a promising cadet’s ego.

Trooper 9075’s boundless energy wouldn’t let him rest as he should have done. It was his first night ever on another planet, and he wasn’t about to waste it. He had heard stories about 79’s, usually as he was listening in on the conversations of older troopers who didn’t know they were being spied on—stories of drinking, dancing, card games, and beautiful people who weren’t clones. He needed to see this wonder of the universe now.

He could feel his heartbeat quicken as he approached the doors, its tempo almost matching the thrum of the music within. He was glad he had his bucket on to reflect the orange light flooding down from above. He was certain he had a silly, “fresh off the meiloorun truck” grin on his face just from being at the entrance to the bar he had heard so much about, and he was glad he could hide it.

That grin faded to a nervous frown as soon as he walked in.

There had been people blocking part of the entrance, and though he could see the upper corner of a notice on the door, he hadn’t had a clear line of sight to read it. Now that he was inside, he turned around to read it through the other side of the transparisteel. Even backwards through the clear surface, he could make out the words “GAR Goth Night.”

Goth Night? I didn’t know 79’s did themed nights! What even is a goth night?

A quick look around gave him his answer.

Troopers and civilians alike were dressed in a dark and rebellious style. His clone brothers were all out of armor and wearing a mixture of styles and textures he would never have dreamed of putting together until now. Fishnet shirts or no shirt at all, tiny vinyl pants that left nothing to the imagination and full-length leather pants that…well, they didn’t leave much to the imagination either. Leather coats, studded collars, corsets, lace, fur, chains, spikes, piercings...

The civilians in attendance were dressed just as provocatively, though there were considerably more low-cut crop tops and short skirts being worn by that part of the 79’s population. 9075’s shoulders slumped. He had hoped to blend in and be part of the 79’s crowd tonight. Instead, he was literally and figuratively the shiniest thing there.

He couldn’t stay dressed as he was, but as his eyes landed on the bartender, he had a hopeful idea. He pulled off his helmet and secured it beneath his arm.

“Excuse me? Is there somewhere nearby where I can find some different clothes?”

The bartender took one look at the very un-goth armor in front of him and chuckled. “Didn’t get the memo about tonight, did you kid? Well, you’re in luck. There’s a whole storage closet in the back full of things people have left. Look for the door labeled ‘Lost and Found.’ Just don’t forget your armor when you leave. Something tells me you aren’t used to wearing yours yet.”

9075 pursed his lips to the side. He hated how right the older man was.

The lost and found cupboard was a treasure trove…if you were a woman. He wasn’t so desperate for a new look that he considered putting on one of the six black breast binders hanging on the closet’s hooks, but his young and curious gaze lingered on them for longer than he would ever admit. He didn’t fancy wearing a skirt either, though the sheer number of them had him wondering why so many of 79’s female patrons left the bar missing their clothes.

His bin rooting paid off. He was eventually able to find a few camouflaging choices for a man his size and left his armor carefully tucked beneath a pile of coats. He left the tiny room in a black turtleneck tee and pants, a couple of silver neck chains, and long, gray fingerless gloves roomy enough for him to tuck his vambrace into. It was a barely acceptable look, but with so many far more interesting people present, he doubted anyone would notice, and anything was better than his stark-white armor.

He sat at one of the empty seats of an unoccupied table and watched the comings and goings of the people at the bar. The view was intoxicating in its variety—so much so that he decided to put his skills to the test and try to discern what he could about the people he saw. It would be good practice for the detective work he would soon be doing.

Trooper 9075 knew full well why he was being assigned to the Guard. His observational skills were in the top five percent of all clones. It’s how he noticed the passwords of his trainers and knew when and where they would leave their datapads. He didn’t give it a second thought when he had looked up his scores. If they hadn’t wanted him to know, they should have done a better job of keeping the information secure.

His hidden vambrace was the perfect way to record his observations about the scene around him. He watched as nonchalantly as he could, discreetly speaking his findings into his vambrace’s recorder to review later:

CT-9075: 79’s Stealth Report A woman just walked in, a pretty one—brown hair streaked with the same blue as her eyes, nice smile... CT-9075: 79’s Stealth Report Marshal Commander Cody is here! I would know that legendary scar anywhere. He’s keeping his assets tastefully covered tonight... CT-9075: 79’s Stealth Report I heard someone refer to the clone with the full beard as Commander Mayday. He seems to know he looks good in that sleeveless shirt with the mesh sides. It’s too bad THAT ONE wasn’t in the lost and found closet... CT-9075: 79’s Stealth Report The little Mikkian talking to Commander Wolffe must be a Jedi. Three people have addressed her as “commander” in passing... CT-9075: 79’s Stealth Report The men in front of me seem to be setting up a group holopic. Is that...Commander Fox? Then that must be Commander Thorn beside him. Here comes the marshal commander again. Oh, kriff! Here come three more. They're ALL commanders? Whoa! I'm going to be in the background of a commander holo! They all look so cool standing there, and here I am looking no more interesting than the bar stools. I don’t want to ruin the shot. I should do something to fit into it better. Finger blasters maybe…or a victory sign?

This was something his new brothers in the Guard wouldn’t be able to boast about! 9075 knew he would probably be tired in the morning, but it would be worth it. After all, how many shinies could say they were about to be framed on the desks of some of the GAR’s finest commanders?

He was feeling a little less shiny already.