To Heal Poignancy ■ TECH - The Bad Batch ■

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R2 released a few beeps.

"It may be hard to find information on him, you'll have to dig deep. I don't expect him to be easy to search up. Trust me, I've already tried. Can I count on you for this?"

The astromech beeped a few more times before he backed up, and turned to roll out of the room.

Once that issue had been settled, she worked on a few things before she returned to Crosshair. Arrangements had to be made immediately. Extraction was as soon as possible. Now that she knew someone was after Crosshair, she did not want him to leave her sight while he was on Coruscant. Like, ever.

She made it back into the medical room. She picked up the ends of her skirt to hurry over to Crosshair's side. An unconscious Crosshair and TC-6O were the only ones in the room.

"Report?"

"It has been quiet," TC-6O responded. "The medical droid has informed me that CT-9904 has had a positive recovery and will wake up shortly."

Adla nodded and pulled up a chair. "Great, thank you, TC-6O. You are free to go."

The droid nodded her head slightly. "Thank you, my lady."

Adla stayed with Crosshair until he finally woke up several hours later.

She startled awake at the pained moan that exited the sniper's lips. A name or an exclamation, Adla couldn't tell which it was, accompanied close behind. "Mayday... Mayday..."

"Crosshair?" she gently asked. She had released her hair from her intricate bun and now had to push away the strands that stuck to her cheeks and close to her mouth. The brunette senator lightly placed a hand on his arm.

Crosshair suddenly jolted into a sitting position. His eyes were wild and frightened, something Adla wasn't used to seeing from him. "Mayday! Help him!"

"Crosshair!" she shouted to get his attention. "You're on Coruscant. It's over, you're safe."

Her heart broke when Crosshair finally looked over at her. His eyes did not hold their general aloofness. He didn't hold his usual calm and collected demeanor. It was as if a new person returned back to Coruscant from Barton-4.

So this is what it took for Crosshair to finally understand the Empire? Adla regretted ever wishing for him to figure it out. To look at him felt utterly heartbreaking.

It took him a few moments to get a grasp of his surroundings. When he realized where he was and who he was with, he became completely silent. All the soldier could do was stare at the opposite wall.

Adla sat and comforted him in silence as well. She didn't press him for any information. She just watched as he quietly processed what had happened on his most recent mission.

"They let him die," he whispered after what felt like an eternity.

She frowned, "I'm sorry."

His gaze dragged back to her's. The sincere, sad puppy-dog look caused her heart to break further.

"I don't want to be here anymore." The confession was so quiet, for a moment Adla thought she heard him say that in her head.

"Yeah, okay," she gently nodded, "I can find the medical nurse -"

"I don't want to be on Coruscant." Crosshair's voice interjected, correcting her on his intention. "I want to go home."

Home.

To them, Clone Force 99. The Bad Batch.

Adla dropped her voice dangerously low. "You will. I am already making arrangements." Her voice returned to normal. "Rest, for now."