The second part to the beginning lore of Ocho my clone oc! And maybe now introducing another!
“Strays”
Read here on ao3 (✩)
Summary: Ocho watched them come and go, cadets like him get placed into other batches if needed. Not him. He wasn’t sure if he’d get another.
Warning: Bullying, his hand gets cut like once but other than that it’s mild!
Word count: 2065 (Yeah I got way into writing this)
Notes: I didn’t mean to make the poll a week and ‘Stray’ and ‘Murk’ were close for the most part but writing this it was Murk and I did get attached to the name. Oh well- Wolffes second part is coming out soon!
He started to understand. Ocho started to see a pattern to the world, and with an eye for them it helped him survive just a little longer.
Under the protection of Master Ti the young cadet for the time being stayed in a small barrack with only two others like him. Alone without a batch to belong to.
The tranquility of not being ridiculed in the only place he could rest didn’t last long. There was always one.
It would be perfectly probable that all of the cadets his age were currently conspiring against him in an attempt to get Ocho kicked out for good. Or at least that’s the pattern.
See? He’s got an eye for them.
Since the incident that landed him in the barracks that constantly changed, many of the cadets that were here momentarily left for their new batch.
He was on roommates 7 and 8. The pattern continued.
The bunk seemed to swallow him hole, the clicking from a cadet on his own bed went hand in hand with the white noise he was creating swiping his finger over his own datapad.
The colors on his screen were muted and calming, after being forced to stare at stark white halls and boring cadet uniforms this piece calmed his nerves.
Ocho’s eyes scanned the room periodically. He continued to work but every nose would make his eyes dart up. It wasn’t until Sweep, the other roommate got done with training.
With the woosh of the door Ocho dropped the datapad down on his stomach, his hands flew faster and pulled the rough blanket over his body.
“Whatcha got there hmm?” Sweep came over to him. “Applying to be decommissioned yet?” His voice was scratchy and scarred the inside of any pairs of ears that had the misfortune of hearing it.
Ocho didn’t say anything, the only indication that he had heard was the way his eyes skyrocketed as Ocho rolled them.
Sweep didn’t leave him alone for the few days that he was staying in the barrack. With just Ochos luck the cadet was being moved to his old unit, with the kid he punched.
Ocho didn’t come off well after that.
Sweep peered into his bunk, the datapad shown through the blanket slightly. Ocho wanted to face plam, clearly he didn’t turn it off properly.
Sweep was fast, Ocho could give him that. Where he was lacking brain speed he made up for it physically. The blanket along with the datapad was ripped from his body.
The blanket was dropped to the floor, in his hands Sweep swiped through datapad- face contorting into a sick smirk.
“Did you do these?” He laughed coming to the end of the different drawings that were held on the pad. “Absolute bantha shit. You know soldiers of the GAR have to be tough right? This is for tubies, drawings.” He scoffed to himself.
“Give that back.” Ocho teeth were clamped together as he almost growled the words.
“Ahh so it can speak.” Sweep sneered extending his arm out.
Ocho reach for his datapad for it only to be ripped away by the cadet. In one swift motion the pad was snapped in half over Sweep’s knee and tossed to his feet.
He lurked forward slightly but a voice in the back of his mind stoped him. "Not everyone wants to continue to waste resources on something that continues to make problems.” If Ocho did something, anything he’d surely be doomed.
“That’s right.” The smirk was gone from the cadets face, venom laced his words. “You can’t do anything. You’re helpless.” He spat quickly walking towards Ocho. “You’re a outcast, lost cause.”
Ocho could practically smell his breath at his point and it reeked. “Good luck everserving the GAR if you can’t even make in out of basic training. It’s not like anyone would want you anyway.”
Looking around the room one last time Sweep stepped back and grabbed a bag from his bunk. “I’ve came to tell you I, unlike some, found a squad.” He sneered in both of the boy’s directions. “I would say it’s been a pleasure but it hasn’t.”
White hot rage shot up through Ocho, something he truly has not experienced to this extent before. So badly did he wish the pick up the shattered glass and throw it as hard as he could in Sweeps direction.
But he wouldn’t move. He could barely think as he helplessly watched the cadet leave the barrack for good.
The pattern continued. Another left.
Despite his best interest hot tears started to well up in Ochos eyes as he dropped a knee to cradle his data pad. The glass screen all jagged now cut a bit of his hand but he didn’t seem to notice.
The other cadet who watched was long forgotten in Ocho’s mind until he appeared in front of him helping him clean it up.
Ocho could only glare slightly returning his focus back down. Along with the tears his checks became red hot in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry about that.” The cadets airy voice barely passed his ears, nor did he look up again. “He was such a jerk anyways I’m glad he’s gone.” The kid continued to ramble along those lines for a few seconds before Ocho had enough.
“They were good. The drawings you made I mean.” He rubbed the back of his neck slightly. “I never got a good luck but I didn’t need one to know they were excepti-“
The cadet was cut off by Ocho’s low voice. “Leave me alone.” The rambling stoped instantly as wide eyes met his own.
“What?” The kids brow furrowed cocking his head slightly.
“I said.” Ocho took a breath. “Just leave me alone. Simple?” He wouldn’t want to be compared to the jerk that just spoke to him but Ocho was so over it that it didn’t matter at his point.
“I don’t care if you thought they were good, or that kid was a dick. I don’t!” He shouted now standing up with the broken shards in his arms. “I just want to be left alone! Is that too much to ask?”
Ocho realized what he’d done. The cadets curls fell in front of his eyes that were wide. Flicking them slightly to the side he stood up as well. He opened his mouth to say something in response. Ocho could see in his eyes that he desperately wanted too, but instead he turned quickly on his heels and left.
Alone again. Ocho stood with the remains of the datapad sticking and poking into his arms, blood that was his own once again dripped to the floor bellow from his hand this time.
That cadet was only trying to help, the first one that actually wanted too and what did Ocho do? Scream and drive him out of the room.
The datapad was discarded quickly into the trash by the door as the bright lights of the hall made Ocho squint. Maker did he hate this place.
Ocho didn’t know where the cadet could have went, frankly he didn’t even know his name.
Towards the end of the hall after a few turns, tucked away in a corner the lights dimmed slightly masking the spot in some darkness. Squinting Ocho could just made out a small shape that contrasted the shadows slightly. It was here that Ocho would always remember as ‘The spot’
“You followed.” Ocho wasn’t sure if it was a general statement or question. He wasn’t really sure what to do. Standing there awkwardly he watched the cadet slightly.
“No one really comes down here so it’s a nice place to think.” The voice was light on his ears, not a burden as others were.
Ocho looked slightly to his left the large window that displayed the crashing ocean and Kamino facilities in the middle of a storm. His eyes swam in it for a second before returning his wondering mind to the other person.
“I am truly sorry about what happened.” The voice said again. Ocho gathered the confidence to crouch down by the other cadet. The distance between them was large but something Ocho was comfortable with. The other cadet didn’t try to move closer.
“I apologize for what I did.” Ocho barely spoke over a whisper but a smile cracked on the other kids face.
He turned slightly so he was facing Ocho the small smirk still on his face. In an instant Ocho feared the worst but to his surprise the kid said.
“I’m Mercury. Well I do also go by Murk since it’s kind of long. I have no idea how I even got the name really, I haven’t had it for long but it’s definitely growing on me.I-“ he caoight himself for a moment, taking a breath after the spew of words.
“No no no you go now.”
Ocho almost missed his opportunity to tell his own name. Unlike Murk his answer was. “Ocho.”
The name felt weird on his tongue. That fateful day after the med bay Shakk Ti happily helped Ocho find a better name instead of his number.
Not many have said it though. Looking into the fresher mirror or after a long training he would whisper the name to himself. “Ocho.” “Ocho.” He was his own person with a name. It was his and it was the one thing no one could take.
“Ocho.” Murk tried it on his tongue for a moment before he smiled. “It suits you Ocho, I like it.”
Another ramble of Mercury’s started again. The words flew over his head as Ocho sat down and leaned his own back against the wall.
His mind raced repeating Murks voice saying his name in his head. It was his own, something that signifies it was him.
Looking over slightly at the babbling cadet he could remember Mercury in a few of his trainings, lips shut and eyes wide taking in as much as he could. It contradicted him now.
He was also silent for the most part the past week as he moved in. Mercury’s overall being confused Ocho slightly before he interrupted. “You talk a lot.”
He feared for a moment that he said something wrong yet again before Murk answered. “I normally don’t. Well not normally I would love to talk more but it’s just that all those people, and they, you know.” He tried a few times to find the right words before he said.
“Maybe your just easy to talk to. Ever think of that?”
Ocho could only shake his head in response. Did someone, a brother say something about him in a positive manner?
After a moment of silence Ocho almost wished Murk would start talking again, something about it made him realize there would always be someone that wanted him. At least for now.
“I think we could get you a new datapad. And if you don’t want to tell those long necks Sweep broke it maybe I dropped it or something- or it fell from the top bunk.” He rattled off a few ideas.
Ocho’s brow furrowed in thought. Glancing over that the cadet next to him. “You don’t have to take the blame Mercury.”
“I know but it could help keep you off the radar for now, I think everyone knows what you’ve been up too by now.” Mercury stood up and took a few steps waiting for Ocho to follow.
While he stood Murk continued to talk. “I wish I had to confidence to stand up like that, show everyone that I wasn’t messing around.”
“It seems cool until you get scolded constantly by the nat borns and long necks.” Ocho found the words falling freely from his mouth, not worrying to bite his tongue for once. “And everyone else tries to beat you up.
A laugh escaped the lips of Murk, Ocho barely even realized he tried making a sarcastic joke until it was out of his mouth.
“If for now you want to use my datapad you can.” Mercury filled the small silence as the pair of boys found the entrance to their barrack.
“We can share it I don’t mind.”
‘We’ The word struck Ocho as strange but for now he could get use to it.
The pattern change now slightly, for better or for worse? Ocho wasn’t sure yet
So with a lot of help from many different references I revamped my clone oc Ocho!(the dreads were much easier to draw lol)
Please enjoy some headcannons about him and his shenanigan with the 501st
Hopefully this will hold y’all over while I work on another piece of writing!
Ochos very creative and has a very steady hand when it comes to painting and drawing
When he was a cadet he loved to draw on any available paper or surface, but since he was bullied for them Ocho is just now falling in love again with drawing after putting it off for so long
He tells nobody about it though
His nose has been broken many times and so it’s a little crooked, he’s sometimes self conscious about it but Rex always seems to find a way to mention how much he likes it and how cool he looks
When it comes to food the spicier the better in his eyes. Jesse losses a spicy food contest against him when they were on some outer rim planet- he swears he can still feel the burning on his tongue
Ocho has these adorable dimples that come just a little higher on his face- Fives absolutely loves to poke them whenever he can get Ocho to crack a smile.
Since he is a very reserved boy it's hard to get him to even smile but the trick is with a really really bad pun
(The first time he laughed in front of the 501st was when Fives made the 'is there an echo in here' joke)
Even though it's hard for him to trust when you do get him as an "acquaintance' he always seems to have something to say
These are mostly sassy remarks and comments either said out loud or under his breath
Hardcase thinks this is the funniest thing in the world and will literally fall to the ground laughing while Ocho just has a small little smirk
Has to be top of the class in everything that he does.
He seems cool and collected but he craves validation in a lot that he does (*cough cough me cough)
An absolute shot with anything that he can get his hands on, has duel blasters that are always on his hips and he cares greatly about.
Ocho got his name because he's been in a few different squads growing up (some bullies but my boy got it) and he heard of the word for eight from Shaak Ti's story's she told him and his brothers- She said it fit him.
Since he didn’t really grow up well with his original batch mates the 501st became his closest family
He cares very greatly for everyone he’s close to and you can see it in the small jesters he does
Extremely loyal and would never betray any brother or Jedi commander. Ever.
