And a thank you to my friend Jan, or better known as @highgroundanimations , for making this piece for me. You swooped in at a difficult time to lift my spirits, right in time for the birthday of my droid 99.
As a little thank you, I wrote him this.
From where 99 is sitting he can see that new clone Captain. The one who actually takes care of his hair unlike Hunter and has weird blue eyes. He also has a stupid pretty smile, or at least, that’s what he heard his maker say to Crosshair. 99 doesn’t see it though. He just has a smile like any other clone. He needs to get a closer look though and turns his head a little more to see him better.
“99, sit still. I am working in your chest with a screwdriver. I don’t want to rewire you because you also have a crush on Tukk,” his maker says and boops him on the head with said screwdriver. The small droid beeps loudly and shakes his head.
“I do not have a crush on a dumb clone! How dare you say that to me!” he says annoyed. His maker shakes his head with a laugh, as does Crosshair beside him.
“I don’t know, 99. You are staring intently at him. Am I seeing hearts in your eyes?” Crosshair asks and leans down to inspect him.
“No! Go away! I do not like that clone!” 99 says and tries to push Crosshair away. It’s not like a small droid like 99 could actually physically push a clone like Crosshair away but he lets himself get pushed back regardless.
“We’re just kidding 99. But what’s your obsession with Tukk?”
“He’s different and maker keeps staring at him instead of fixing me!”
“Oh sheesh sorry. I didn’t know I was staring that much. He's just so… pretty.” His maker sighs and lets his eyes wander to Tukk again. Both Crosshair and 99 groan at this.
“Playboy, I know you are easily distracted by anyone prettier than Rex but I want my droid back. Hurry it up, okay?”
“Yes, yes. I’ll get to it.”
The regular maintenance goes by quickly which is good. 99 cannot sit still for it, even though he has to. He is glad when his maker goes over the final points and he can move again. He should be shut down for things like this but Crosshair isn’t a fan of that, so he has to go through it all. While his maker checks a final joint, Captain Tukk and his men walk by.
“Wait…” Captain Tukk stops and takes a few steps backwards. “Is that a clanker? How did you find one this small?” His maker laughs and turns to him.
“I didn’t. I made him. This is B1-99, a member of Clone Force 99. He specialises in infiltration, hacking and being a general menace. He is supposed to be extra support in emergencies but he got a little out of hand. Now the GAR has a clanker on their payroll.”
“Roger roger!” 99 salutes the best he can and Tukk salutes back. The men around him salute too and all seem impressed. 99 loves all the compliments and puffs his chest out proudly.
“Good to know the GAR is supported by such a cute droid. Maybe I’ll see you in action some day,” Tukk says. He waves at them and he leaves with his men. 99 stands there frozen. Cute? CUTE?! He isn’t cute! He is a dangerous tool made to disrupt Separatist forces, not some cute toy! He stomps his foot in anger. He will show that Captain cute!
“Aw…” He snaps his head over to the sound and sees his maker with that stupid smitten smile on his face and Crosshair coughing behind his hand to hide a smile too.
“Shut up! I am not cute!!” the droid shouts and stomps his foot again.
99 spends the rest of his day irritated at his usual perch on Crosshair’s shoulder. Every once in a while he rambles on about not being cute and the rest of the day he is silently fuming, sitting there with his arms crossed and hissing at everyone who talks to him. Crosshair lets him, it’s better for the droid to get it out of his system than to try to change his mood.
“Cute… I am not cute…” 99 hisses again to a Crosshair who rolls his eyes.
“Of course not, 99. You’re a ferocious beast, ready to strike. I don’t understand how Tukk didn’t see that.”
“Exactly! I am a soldier too.” Crosshair’s sarcasm goes right over 99’s head and he even feels proud at himself for being as good as he is. He will show Captain Tukk what he is capable of!
The batch takes a moment to breathe and chat with each other outside of base. Crosshair sits on a ledge with 99 still on his shoulder, still fuming about earlier today and glancing at Tukk and his men a few paces away. There has to be a way for revenge but the droid doesn’t know how without making Tukk an enemy. He just wants to tease him, that’s all. Tukk takes his helmet off and shakes his stupid hair but something else catches 99’s attention. On the helmet sits a red feather, Tukk strokes it before putting the helmet under his arm. If he could take that for a few minutes, he could show Tukk what he is made of.
99 sits tight and waits for the perfect window of opportunity. Once Tukk sets his helmet down, he slides down Crosshair’s arm to the ledge and stalks towards the helmet. He waits a moment longer until Tukk turns his back then he strikes. He sneaks over, keeping low and hiding behind some weapons and other debris on the ledge until he is pressed against Tukk’s helmet, just out of sight. He glances back towards the rest of the batch. Hunter looks like he wants to speak up and 99 quickly signals him to keep quiet. Crosshair is on his side and shushes Hunter. They whisper to each other and Hunter reluctantly nods at the droid. It’s good to know his batch stands behind him. 99 looks up again. Tukk is still distracted by his conversation. The droid takes his chance and grabs the feather out of the helmet and runs for it, past his batch. He salutes Hunter’s facepalm and Crosshair’s grin. Again he is proud of himself, he will give Tukk a nice run for calling him cute.
“Eh.. Captain? That droid ran off with your feather?!”
“Hey! Get back here!!” Running footsteps follow 99 and he laughs. He quickly turns the corner on the ledge and he hears Tukk slide to a stop because he missed the corner. The clone catches up with him soon though. “Stop! Hey!!”
“Oh is this yours? Sorry!” he shouts. He looks over his shoulder and holds up the feather. “Come and get it, Captain!” With another laugh he looks forward again and picks up the pace. There has to be a way to extend this game, if he keeps running Tukk will catch him before he is exhausted. But there is something 99 has over Tukk and that is size. There is a spare engine placed right beside the ledge just up ahead. 99 quickly scans it and finds the perfect spot. Tukk comes closer and the sensitive droid sensors pick up the heat of his hand. 99 grinds to a halt and Tukk overshoots him, stumbling forward to stop himself as well. The Captain looks back and watches with wide eyes as 99 salutes him and slips in between the parts of the engine and out of sight.
“Get back here!” 99 hears Tukk run towards him but there is no way he can grab him from here. He carefully crawls through the open spaces there are until he is almost at ground level, taking care of the feather and making sure it stays clean. From outside he hears Tukk call over others and shout his name to the great pleasure of the droid. He carefully walks under the engine, making sure to stay out of sight. He has to find a different hiding spot, he can’t stay here forever. He scans the immediate area and quickly finds a new way of escape. It is a bit away but if he books it, he might make it.
99 doesn’t wait around long and crawls out of his hiding spot and runs as fast as he can towards the next one.
“There you are! Get back here!” Tukk shouts behind him and quickly closes the distance. His sensors pick up the clone and the droid doesn’t have to look behind him to know what’s happening. He stays on course and waits. Just as Tukk’s hand is about to close around him, he rolls to the side, dodging the hand entirely. Tukk stumbles over his feet again and this time he falls. 99 doesn’t wait to see if he is okay and runs towards his escape, a small pipe. Tukk recovers quickly and his on his feels but right as he is about to grab him, 99 disappears into the pipe. Tukk tries to grab him but his bulky armour stops him from doing so.
“No! Stop!” 99 is tempted to stop and taunt but decides against it. He can do so at a later time. So he keeps running, out of sight of Tukk.
99 stays within the vents until Crosshair comms him.
“He’s sulking in the messhall. You’ve done enough.” Fair enough. He picks some dust off the feather and fixes some of the strands to make sure it’s as neat as when he took it. Time to return what he stole.
With his size, it’s easy for 99 to sneak into any room, even while carrying a bright red feather. People don’t look at their feet as closely as they think. Even though the messhall is filled with clones, 99 can walk in and hide behind the legs of chairs or clones easily. Tukk isn’t hard to find, he sits by a table and pouts at his helmet.
“Aw. Poor clone,” 99 says to himself when Tukk strokes the place that held the feather. Time to return it. The droid quickly marches over to the table and carefully climbs up Tukk’s legs. The clone is too distracted to notice him, too busy feeling sorry for himself to see him coming.
“Come on, Captain. You’ll find a new feather. Stop pouting and try to eat something,” one of his men says. With another sigh, Tukk places the helmet beside him on the bench.
“Fine, Roy. But after that we need to find Clone Force 99 again. I don’t care that they can’t control that clanker, I want back what’s mine.” Roy shakes his head and pushes the tray in front of Tukk closer to him.
99 waits a moment, until both Tukk and Roy are too busy with their food, then he places the feather back neatly where it belongs. He peeks over his shoulder to Tukk, who hasn’t seen a thing. Then he carefully lowers himself to the ground again and waits. It doesn’t take long for Tukk to gasp and pick up his helmet.
“How? Wait when did my feather get back here?! I wasn’t there a few minutes ago!” 99 giggles to himself when Tukk looks around him and under the table to look for him. He is an expert at what he does, Tukk can only try to find him. He sneaks out the messhall feeling pleased.
99 returns safely to the batch and salutes them. While Crosshair gives him a proud smile, the others don’t look so happy.
“B1-99 reporting for duty!” Hunter raises an eyebrow at him.
“Did you get it out of your system?”
“Good. Don’t do it again. I don’t want to get punished for your ego. Get back to Crosshair and stay here.” 99 doesn’t like Hunter’s disappointed tone and does what he is told. Wrecker and Tech don’t look at him either and the droid crosses his arms.
“I didn’t even do anything. He got his stuff back…”
“Tell that to Tukk himself,” Crosshair replies and nods to the Captain storming towards them.
“How did you do that?! How did I not notice you?! You’re carrying a bright red feather around!” Tukk asks, more than impressed. 99 hides his pride and shrugs.
“I am made to infiltrate bases. Sneaking up on a clone isn’t that hard,” he says. “Am I still just cute?” Tukk blinks at the droid.
“That’s what this is all about? Because I called you cute? And here I thought Roy was unreasonable…” he shakes his head and smiles tired. “Yes. I still think you’re cute.”
“Hey!” 99 is ready to jump up but Tukk isn’t done yet.
“But also skilled. Next time I want to see you in action when it isn’t against me, okay?” 99 sits back down and thinks about it for a moment.
“Roger roger. But don’t leave your helmet unattended next time.”
