Echo grumbles, rolling his eyes underneath his helmet. They should have known that this mission would heavily involve the Empire. It seems like every corner they've rounded has been swarming with those TK-troopers. At least, the thought that they're TK-troopers makes Echo feel better than thinking they're his brothers.
"What is the plan now?" Omega asks, tucked near his side. After making her way to the top of a building with Tech and Echo, they now have a full view of the courtyard below. Their mission is to capture a prized pet, but they have yet to see it.
"We will remain up here until Hunter gives us further instructions," Tech says, scrolling through his datapad. They're currently hidden behind a red brick railing, sitting low on the ground. "Echo and I will keep an eye out for the pet while you make sure that no one gets into the palace."
Omega nods her head. "Got it." She says. She peeks over the railing, scanning the courtyard down below. Troopers are keeping their posts, a few marching back and forth. So far, it seems like their squad hasn't been spotted yet. She holds her bow close to her, ready to use it when the time comes.
Minutes quickly pass by as they wait and watch for Hunter and Wrecker to appear. Omega gradually lowers her guard, the troopers down below getting nowhere close to the palace. In fact, they seem just as bored as her.
Behind her, Tech and Echo are discussing their possible exit plans. She's about to add to their conversation when she realizes that something is not right. A trooper down below holds her gaze, their helmet tipped up. She hides her body better behind the railing then peeks back down.
When their eyes seem to meet, she watches the trooper's hand begin to lightly the side of their leg. She squints, trying to make out the pattern, but she can't see that far away. They're all the way across the courtyard and a couple of stories below her.
"Something's wrong with that trooper." She says, scrunching her nose.
Tech and Echo quickly rush to her side, placing her between them. "Which one?" Echo quietly asks, placing his hand on her shoulder. He peeks over the edge, trying to follow her gaze.
"The one staring right at us." She says, pointing so only Tech and Echo can see. "They keep staring at me and tapping their side. It's like they're trying to send a message, but I don't understand it."
Tech whips out his binoculars, zooming in on the trooper. Echo and Omega tuck down again, placing their backs against the cool railing, waiting for Tech to update them. Tech furrows his eyebrows, feeling like he and this trooper are in the middle of a staring contest. They both refuse to pull away as if they're locked onto each other. "This is odd," He mumbles.
"What are they doing?" Echo asks.
"Absolutely nothing," Tech replies with a slight shake of his head. "They haven't alerted anyone to our position. They've hardly even moved."
"That doesn't make any sense," Omega says as she places her hand on her chin. She tries to rack her brain for possible explanations when Tech suddenly lets out a gasp. "What is it?" She asks, jumping to his side, trying to get a look.
"I think it might be Crosshair," Tech says, his voice giving away his uneasiness and confusion.
"What? You've been staring into those binoculars for too long." Echo quickly argues, flipping around and staring back down below. After taking a quick look, he snaps back to glare at Tech. "Crosshair had on black armor. This guy is in your typical white."
"Then why is he tapping out our help signal?" Tech snippily asks, looking away from his binoculars to meet eyes with Echo.
"Let me look." Echo grumbles, snatching them out of his hands. He zooms in on the trooper, waiting for the signal again. Sure enough, they pat out the series of hand signals that the squad made up for when they found themselves in a sticky situation. "I don't believe it."
"He must need our help," Omega says, grabbing onto Tech's arm. He looks down, seeing her worry-filled eyes. "Maybe he wants out of the Empire now. We can rescue him."
"We don't know that." Echo instantly replies, his voice hard. He hands the binoculars back to Tech. Gently, Echo lays a hand on Omega's shoulder as Tech looks back down. "We don't even know that it's him. And if it is, then this could be a ploy by him to distract us."
Omega pouts as Echo and Tech go back to arguing, trying to figure out the right thing to do. They're debating about whether they should take this as a sign that they've been spotted or just ignore it.
Omega huffs crossing her arms over her chest. She can't just sit here and ignore it. No, she needs to do something. It's Crosshair. It has to be. "Let's ask him." She declares, her eyes brightening.
"What?"
She suddenly rises so that she's higher than the railing but hopefully not making their presence known to the rest of the Imperial troopers. She reaches over so her hand is in front of the railing. Quickly, she taps back on the railing their signal that means confusion.
The squad uses it for many occasions, depending on the situation. They might use it if they missed a command or have found themselves in a predicament. She hopes that he'll understand that they're confused by his request.
Tech and Echo sneakily pop their heads up, watching the trooper's reaction.
Slowly, the trooper taps the side of his head. His hand drops again, seemingly waiting for a reply.
"I don't remember that one," Echo says, his nose scrunching under his helmet.
Tech shakes his head, glancing at him. "That's not a signal. I don't know what's he doing."
Omega hums, biting on her lower lip. She doesn't understand. She has a good feeling that it is Crosshair. He responded to her confused tap, so she isn't going to give up yet. "We should call Hunter. Maybe he'll know."
"Omega, that's not one of our signals," Tech says, looking back at her. He then looks down, shaking his head. He doesn't know what to do. They can't waste their time screwing around with this trooper. "Maybe it's not Crosshair." He mumbles, beginning to rapidly tap his fingers on the railing in thought.
"It must be! He knew the signal." Omega says, snapping her head to look at him.
"That doesn't mean anything." Echo argues back, grabbing her attention. She huffs, her face squinting at him. Echo sighs, dropping his shoulders. "Look, I know you want it to be him. But we can't prove that and we can't risk this mission by worrying about this trooper."
She glares, her fists tightening. She can't understand why they are so hesitant about this. Clearly, that is Crosshair. He's responding to the squad's created tapping signals. "I'm trying one more time."
She signals to the trooper again against Tech and Echo's warnings. They flip to watch, waiting to see his response this time.
The trooper taps the side of his leg.
Tech looks to Echo. "He tapped back his name." He says, sounding like the wind has been knocked out of him. "Repeatedly."
"Contact Hunter. Let him know that we're getting Crosshair." Omega demands.
As if on cue, Hunter's voice rings through their comms, interrupting their growing argument. "Guys, there's no pet in here. Wrecker and I have searched the entire place."
"We have a bigger problem at the moment," Tech replies, suddenly tenser than Echo has seen in a while.
"What now?"
"Crosshair's here." Echo answers. "And he wants help."
"What?" Wrecker and Hunter reply.
"Wait," Omega says. She rises up, peering down at Crosshair. "He's signaling something again. What is he saying?" She asks, looking over her shoulder at Tech.
He leans over and looks through the binoculars, watching Crosshair. After a beat, Tech's hands fly to his wrist. "He says something about Zygerria." He says, confusion laced in his tone.
"Zygerria?" Hunter repeats.
Wrecker's laugh echoes loudly in the comms. "I remember that mission. We had to stuff Crosshair into a cage so we could ship him to a higher point. He complained about a sore back for weeks."
Tech and Echo snap their heads to share a glance. "He's the pet," Tech immediately says.
"Huh?"
"We're here to save him," Tech says, his fingers flying to type on his datapad. "It makes so much sense now. The leadership on this planet has never been known for exotic pets. In fact, this planet is hardly mentioned ever. It's been basically ignored since the dawn of time. This has all been a ploy just to get us here. There is no pet, just Crosshair." He explains.
"Are you serious?"
"Dead."
Omega bites her lower lip. "So what do we do? How can we save him?" She frets.
"Hunter?" Echo asks into the comms.
"I'm working on it." He replies back. "Where is he at?"
"Dead center of the square. Not ideal." Tech answers with a shrug.
Omega leans her arm back over the railing again as the others continue to brainstorm. Someone needs to update Crosshair and let him know that they understand what's going on. She rapidly taps back their code that backup is coming then anxiously waits for a reply.
His back straightens and his arms lock tight to his side. As she watches him prepare himself for their inevitable fight with the Empire, a smile creeps its way onto Omega's face. And somehow, she knows he's grinning under his helmet as well.
"He's on the move," She says, watching him walk towards the south wall. Tech and Echo lean over, their eyes scanning the courtyard to try and find him.
"What is he doing?" Echo asks, moving to look over Omega's shoulder.
"I don't know. But I told him we're coming to help."
Before anyone can ask another question, a loud siren rings in their ears. Omega grimaces, covering her ears and hiding behind the brick railing again.
"What is going on out there?" Wrecker asks.
Troopers begin filing out, leaving one lone person near the south wall. "Crosshair just cleared the courtyard for us," Tech says.
xxx
Crosshair takes a deep breath, waiting in the courtyard. They'll only get a few more seconds before the Empire realizes that this has been a false alarm. He glances around, surprised at how many troopers actually left their posts.
There are supposed to be other troopers on guard in the courtyard, but maybe his brothers took them out before he set off the alert.
He groans, the side of his head starting to act up again.
No. Not now.
Not when he's this close to being rescued.
The blaring alarms must be setting it off.
He grabs the side of his helmet, trying to counteract the pain beginning to grow inside his head. He can't let the chip take over his mind now. He needs to get off this damn planet and get it taken out of him.
He's so busy focusing on pushing out the terrible mantra that threatens to rule him that he doesn't even realize his brothers have surrounded him. "Crosshair, is that really you?" Hunter asks, his blaster aimed at him.
Crosshair takes a deep breath and lifts his helmet to show his face. "Yes." He replies before grimacing. He can hardly speak, let alone explain what's going on. He needs to keep his mind if they're going to get out of here. He drops his helmet back over his face. "I'll explain myself later as long as you help me out of here."
Hunter's eyes dart around the group, taking a quick poll of the group's opinion. Crosshair hopes that they'll at least get him off this planet. After a beat, Hunter nods his head. "Alright. Let's go." He says, waving for everyone to follow him.
Crosshair quietly gasps as they run, struggling to keep control of his mind. Just a few more minutes and they'll be back on the Maurader. Then he can let his chip have its hold over him. He just has to hold out for a little while longer.
As he joins his brothers against the wall, a blaster bolt echoes around them. Omega jumps, covering her head then quickly composes herself again. "We've been spotted," Tech says, rapidly tapping on the screen on his wrist.
"You think?" Echo replies as another round of blaster fire echoes around them. "We need to keep moving. Tech and I found an exit earlier, it's just to our right."
"Crosshair, is that way safe?" Hunter asks.
Good soldiers follow orders.
The sniper forces himself to relax his jaw. "It should be." He says, sounding breathless. "There are a few corridors that troopers are stationed at, but you can take them." He adds before clenching his jaw tight again.
Hunter quickly rounds the corner, the others right behind him. With each step closer to the exit, Crosshair finds himself drifting away. The voice grows louder and louder in his mind, starting to make it difficult for him to hear what the others are saying.
The alarm, blaster fire, and anxiety of escaping also make ignoring his chip seem practically impossible.
Good soldiers follow orders.
Omega suddenly grabs his hand, pulling him back to the present. The others are nowhere to been seen. How long has he been standing here? Did she just risk her safety to bring him back to his senses?
"I know you're scared." She suddenly shouts over the blaster fire. Her head peeks around the corner then looks back at his face. "Just stay with me! Hunter will let us know when it's safe."
When did they form this plan?
"Come on!" She yells, dragging him with her. Crosshair stifles a groan, forcing himself to keep up with her. Each step requires conscious thought. He is so close to losing his mind that he's surprised he's even made it this far. "We're almost there." She encourages.
He shakes his head, his right hand coming up to pound against his helmet.
He has to focus.
He has to stay in control.
Hunter waves them into the ship as Wrecker shoots at the troopers from the ship's opening. Together, Omega and Crosshair climb the stairs into the Marauder. The two of them lean against the wall, catching their breath. Hunter follows up after them then calls out to Tech that everyone's on board.
"We made it." Omega pants, a smile on her face as she lets go of Crosshair's hand to place her hands on her knees.
"Is everyone alright?" Hunter asks as the ship kicks into hyperspace.
Mumbles of yes and complaints of almost being shot echo around the ship. Omega picks her head up. She looks at Crosshair, who hasn't said a thing yet. "Crosshair, are you alright?" She asks, gently touching his forearm.
Good soldiers follow orders.
Crosshair slides down the wall to the floor, coming back to again. He groans as he pushes his helmet off of his head. He doesn't remember getting onto the ship. When did they get into hyperspace? His eyes widened as he realizes the stares he's getting from the others.
The pain intensifies inside his head. He grits his teeth as he pinches his eyes shut. He can't hold it back any longer. Soon, the floodgates pushing back his chip will have to come down. "The chip." He hisses, writhing back against the wall.
"What?" Wrecker asks, falling to his knees to be at his brother's level.
Crosshair turns his head to the side. "They never took it out." He gasps, pointing to his temple. Wrecker leans in close to look. He sees the ugly scar they saw on Kamino. A new one has also appeared on his temple, but it doesn't look surgical to him. It looks like he was cut open by sharp branches or clawed.
As Hunter steps beside Omega to get a better look at Crosshair, Tech's eyes scan the room. "But you said you had it removed," He says, searching for where he set the machine he made to test each of their chips. His hands fly to grab it from the counter. He then shoves Wrecker aside, working to get the contraption onto the sniper's head.
"They lied."
The room goes silent, nobody knowing what to say.
After a beat, Tech calls over AZI. The droid quickly does his job, scanning their brother's head even though he clearly hates it. "It's mutilated," Tech says as he rises from the floor. Crosshair groans, curling into a ball on the floor. "I don't know if we can safely take it out. It's risky."
Good soldiers follow orders.
"I don't care." Crosshair mumbles, his hands now tightly squeezing his head. He can't keep this up. It's going to win. It always does in the end, no matter how much of a fight he puts up. "I'd rather die than leave it in."
Hunter's eyebrows furrow. He understands that this procedure might be deadly, but it's obvious how much pain his brother is in.
He won't leave him like this. Not again.
"Wrecker, get him on the table." He suddenly orders, snapping his head to look at each member. "Tech, sedate him and get that chip out."
"We don't know what will happen."
"Just do it!" Hunter barks, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Understanding, Tech gets to work prepping AZI as Wrecker lifts Crosshair from the ground. The sniper flinches at the contact but doesn't put up a fight. Echo and Omega quickly clear the table, tossing the random belongings to the side so that they're out of the way.
Gently, Wrecker sets him down on the smooth, cold table. Crosshair shivers, looking around the room as Hunter approaches him. Without warning, he grabs Hunter's hand.
Hunter freezes, looking at his brother's contorted face. He must be in terrible pain. "Help me. Please." He begs.
"We are. Just hang on." Hunter assures, his voice giving away his anxiety. Throughout all their years together, he's never seen Crosshair like this. "Tech will get it out. You're going to be alright." He adds, gripping his hand tightly.
Echo sighs, digging through the comparts on the ship. "We don't have enough medicine to completely knock him out. This should be enough to get through the surgery, but it's going to be painful." He whispers to Tech.
"It'll have to do," Tech replies as he works on AZI. "We don't have a choice. It's clear that his deformed chip is causing him immense pain. Just give him what we can."
Echo nods, walking over to the table. Swiftly he stabs the sedation medicine into the side of Crosshair's neck. The sniper's eyes shut after a beat, his hand falling limp in Hunter's. "I'll stay in here with Tech and AZI. You and Wrecker keep Omega distracted. This isn't going to be pretty."
Hunter nods, agreeing. "Come on, Omega."
She quickly follows him and Wrecker into the cockpit. Hunter keeps his eyes on Crosshair until the doors slam shut, locking them out. Neither group can hear what is being said on the other side.
"He's going to be okay, right?" Omega asks, now holding tightly to Hunter's hand.
He looks down, seeing his anxiety is shared with her. "Of course. We all survived. He will too." He replies, trying to keep his voice calm. He refuses to let her see that he's just as worried.
Omega hesitates, unsure whether she should say what she's thinking. She remembers when one trooper's chip malfunctioned back on Kamino. When his friend removed it from him without Nala Sa's permission, he died. She doesn't want that to happen to her brother.
"Crosshair's tough," Wrecker says, taking a seat. Omega turns to face him. "He once got shot by three droids in the same mission."
"Really?" Omega asks as she cautiously sits on the chair across from his. Hunter follows their lead, also taking a seat.
"Yupp, and he didn't shed a single tear." Wrecker smiles.
"Wow." She awes. "How did he get hit so many times?"
"He was being too cocky," Hunter answers with a shrug. "But I won't blame the last one on him. That wasn't his fault."
She tilts her head. "Why?"
"The droid had been taken down by Wrecker." Hunter begins, glancing towards the gentle giant. Wrecker simply looks out the window, ignoring him. "But he didn't disarm it completely. So when Crosshair kicked it, the blasted thing shot him in the leg.
Omega giggles, covering her mouth. "I'm sure he really let Wrecker have it."
"Oh yeah. I had to do his chores for like a week." Wrecker chuckles, the memory vivid in his mind. "That's also the most curse words I've ever heard Crosshair say in a single sentence."
Omega opens her mouth, only to be cut off by Hunter. "That we won't repeat."
She scoffs, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't going to ask."
She was.
Suddenly, screams of agony fill the room. Omega flinches, covering her ears as Hunter and Wrecker bolt up. She quickly runs to Hunter's side, fear coursing through her. "What's happening to him?" She asks.
"I don't know. But I'm sure Tech and Echo have it covered." Hunter stutters, finding himself lost for words. He sits back down, trying to calm himself. He suddenly reaches out, pulling Omega into his lap. As another round of screaming begins, she hides her face in Hunter's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Omega. It'll be over soon." Wrecker says, trying to make her feel better as he rubs her back. She nods her head but doesn't move out of Hunter's arms.
She's trying to remain strong, but tears threaten to spill from her eyes.
What have they done to her brother?
xxx
Tech and Echo stand on either side of Crosshair. Both of them are gently applying pressure to his arms to keep them flat on the table. AZI continues performing the surgery as if Crosshair's cries of pain are completely normal.
"Should we get Wrecker?" Echo asks as he adjusts his hold on Crosshair. He's easy to manage currently, his legs slightly kicking every now and then, but he worries about what might happen if he would get out of control.
Tech shakes his head. "No. He'll be alright. These types of procedures are normal for us. He's just in a lot of pain right now."
"Normal?" Echo asks, studying Crosshair's tight fists. His arms have a slight tremble from how strained his muscles are. He's practically as stiff as a board, aside from his random spasms of pain.
Crosshair lets out a shout again then grinds his teeth together.
"Unfortunately, yes," Tech replies once the sniper quiets down again. "Being defective clones, we were subjected to many tests, scans, and surgeries to assess our progress. When we were younger, we typically went through the same ones. But as we got older, they became more specific. They would usually shock Wrecker's muscles to test his strength, examine every one of Hunter's heightened senses, and test Crosshair's enhanced eyesight in different lighting and distances."
Tech doesn't add anything more, leaving it up to Echo's imagination. Knowing the Kaminoans, they probably subjected them to procedures too painful for them to talk about, even with each other.
Echo looks up at Tech, concern washing over his face. "What about you?"
Tech remains silent, tightening his grip slightly on Crosshair as he lets out another soft cry. Tech comfortingly rubs his wrist as Crosshair clamps his mouth shut again.
Echo refuses to ask Tech again.
Knowing this, Tech takes a deep breath. He drops his head, busying himself with checking Crosshair's pulse. "They studied the way my brain processed information. How fast the connections worked and what parts lit up. I had some blood work done here and there, but they usually focused on my brain activity."
Echo frowns. "I'm sorry."
Tech glances up, adjusting his goggles. "You didn't have any say in it." He says, clearing his throat afterward. He looks back down then slightly shrugs. "Besides, we thought they were completely normal until we were older. We didn't know any better."
Echo sighs, shaking his head. "Still, it wasn't right. You never should have been subjected to that."
Tech drops the conversation there. He doesn't like thinking back on it. He would rather keep those days in the past.
AZI eventually stops whirring and turns off his surgical light. Crosshair suddenly seems to relax. His fists open and his shoulders roll down from his neck. His arms and legs no longer tremble, not fighting the pain anymore.
"CT-9904's chip has successfully been removed." AZI declares, emitting the chip out for Tech to take. "The chip was firmly planted. That is why he was in so much pain."
"Thank you, AZI," Tech says, taking the chip from the droid. He holds it up to the light, his stomach twisting in knots. If he wasn't present for the removal of Crosshair's chip, he wouldn't believe this is the same one that's inside all clones. Though it shares the same structure, it looks mangled and dark.
"I believe someone has tampered with it." AZI declares, noticing Tech's uneasiness. "It doesn't look like the chips you've shown me."
"I'll look into it more." He replies, tucking it into his pocket. "How is Crosshair?"
"His vitals are stabilizing. He should be coming back into consciousness very soon." AZI answers, floating away from their brother.
Echo removes his hands, walking over to one of the compartments. "I'll look around for some pain medication. He's going to need it."
Tech nods and remains at Crosshair's side, gently examing his head. It seems like everything went well. Aside from the evident pain he's endured, he looks okay now. A gentle smile works its way onto Tech's face. Though he isn't wearing his usual scowl, Crosshair actually looks more like himself than Tech has seen since Kaller.
His silver hair has begun to grow out again. It's not as long as it used to be and it seems to be somewhat taken care of, styled long on top and short on the sides. The area around his large scar remains bare though, probably unable to grow hair anymore.
Crosshair groans, his eyes fluttering as he wakes up. Tech slightly steps back. He knows how Crosshair likes his personal space. He'll probably push Tech aside just to get it, especially after the surgery he just had.
Without warning, Crosshair's cold hand reaches out and snatches Tech's wrist with spooky accuracy, considering the surgery and sedation medicine he was given. He yanks him closer, rather than away like expected.
Tech freezes, the tight grip startling him. He looks down at his brother's half-open eyes, his heart stopping. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Crosshair mumbles, his head lolling to the side to fully face Tech.
He repeats it over and over, his voice raspy from his screams.
Echo silently watches it unfold from the side, afraid his movement might interrupt this moment between two lost brothers. His eyes follow Crosshair's desperate grip up to Tech's face. Sadness and guilt make themselves present in the creases of his forehead and downturned mouth.
Echo knows exactly what the pilot is thinking about.
Late one night after the destruction of Tipoca City, he and Tech had one too many drinks at Cid's. The others had gone off to bed, leaving the two of them alone. There, Tech confessed to him that it was easier to think of Crosshair as dead, rather than willingly joining the Empire and parting from them.
Echo understood. He's not sure how he would have taken the news if Fives or Rex had willingly joined the Empire.
But now they know that Crosshair never had a choice, even when he thought and claimed he did. It's clear that those past thoughts and confessions hurt Tech.
Slowly, Tech pats Crosshair's clenched hand with his free one. "I wish I could have helped you sooner, Crosshair." He quietly replies.
Crosshair's voice begins to die out. He rolls his head to face the ceiling. "I'm tired." He says.
"You can't go to sleep yet," Tech says, his mind getting back to the process at hand. "Echo is looking for pain medication. You have to take those before you can go to sleep."
The sniper's eyes narrow. "I am going to go to sleep now."
Tech bites back a snippy reply, crossing his arms over his chest. Just like Crosshair to disobey medical orders. He looks over at Echo, ignoring Crosshair for the moment. "Have you found the pain medication yet?"
Echo shakes his head. "They're not in here. I think we have to break into the emergency supply in the cockpit."
Tech sighs. "Alright. I'll go grab them."
Before he can make a move towards the door, Crosshair grabs his wrist again. Tech turns, expecting to hear a snarky reply from him, but instead, he meets wide eyes filled with fear. Tech furrows his eyebrows, confused.
"You can't leave me here alone." Crosshair says with a soft tremble. He swallows, trying to ignore the lump in his throat.
Tech sympathetically smiles. "You're not alone, Echo is here."
The sniper shakes his head. That's not enough. Echo won't know what to do if something goes wrong. He's resourceful, but he's not the brains of the squad. "You can't go." Crosshair orders, his gaze hard.
"I'm just going to the cockpit."
Crosshair's jaw clenches. His eyes dart around the room then land back on Tech. "But what if the voice comes back? You have to be here so you can get rid of it."
Voice?
Tech and Echo share a glance of confusion.
"I'm going to be right back. The pain medication you need is stored in the cockpit. Echo is going to stay here with you until I return." Tech explains, watching for a reaction. The sniper drops his hold on him, letting him slowly walk to the closed doors.
Crosshair finally nods, but it's clear from his clenched hands at his side that he doesn't want him to go. Worried he won't get another chance, Tech quickly exits. He hopes he'll find what he needs and be back before Crosshair freaks out again.
The doors slam shut behind him, making Crosshair jump.
Following Tech's subtle order, Echo goes to his side. He makes sure he's in Crosshair's line of sight as he slowly walks over so that he doesn't scare him. "How do you feel?" He gently asks.
"Like someone ripped out part of my brain." He confesses. Echo slightly chuckles at the joke. Crosshair nervously begins to smile then softly gasps, closing his eyes as a wave of pain rolls over him. His hand goes up to press against his temple, but Echo stops him.
"Don't touch it. It'll hurt more." He cautions, placing his hand over Crosshair's forearm.
Crosshair arches his eyebrow. "That's how I relieved the pain before."
"I know," Echo says. "But the pain isn't from the chip anymore. It's from the surgery."
Before Crosshair can ask another question, Tech enters the room again. Omega is in the middle of asking him a question when the door slams shut, cutting her off. "I've got the medicine." He says, hurrying to his brother's side.
Noticeably, the sniper relaxes at the sight of Tech.
"Once I take this then I can go to sleep?" Crosshair asks, holding out his hand.
"Yes. There are multiple." Tech says, rolling the pills into his outstretched hand.
Crosshair sits up with the help of Echo. His eyebrows furrow at the colorful pills in his hand. "This one is huge." He remarks.
"I know. But trust me, you'll feel much better after you take them." Tech smiles, offering him a canteen of water.
Without another word, he tosses back the pills. He gives back the canteen then lays down on the table.
"Wouldn't you rather sleep in your bunk?" Echo asks, watching him get comfortable on the table.
Crosshair shakes his head, his eyes already closed. Within minutes, he's fast asleep on his makeshift surgical bed. Once it's clear that he's in a deep sleep, Tech and Echo begin clearing the area. They had pulled Crosshair's armor off of him before surgery, haphazardly tossing them aside, leaving him in his blacks.
After neatly storing his armor in a corner, Echo turns to Tech as he grabs the blanket off of Crosshair's bunk. "I'm sure they've got lots of questions for you."
"Oh, yes," He says. He glances over his shoulder at the door. "I suppose we could let them in now. The medicine should keep him knocked out for a while. I gave him the good stuff."
Echo lets out a snort, a smile on his face.
Tech smirks in reply. "He'll have an attitude adjustment too when he wakes up."
Echo shakes his head at him as he drapes the blanket over Crosshair's body. The sniper doesn't react, his mouth remaining slightly open as his breathing begins to deepen. "Out like a baby." Echo quietly comments as Tech opens the door.
Quickly, Omega rushes over to Crosshair's side, pushing past Tech. "Is he okay?" She frets, her large brown eyes studying him. She takes in the large bacta patch covering his temple. Though he's asleep, his face still seems to be crinkled with worry lines.
"He's alright. The medication has finally kicked in." Echo answers, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She lets out a worried sigh, gently grabbing Crosshair's hand. She softly rubs it like Hunter does when she's injured. She doesn't know if it will make him feel any better, but it always helps her.
"We heard him," Wrecker softly says, his eyes looking to his sleeping brother then back at Tech. "Why was he in so much pain? None of us did that when we had our chips removed."
Tech pulls the chip out of his pocket, holding it up to the light. "This is his chip. AZI said that it was firmly planted into his brain. Considering that and the limited sedation medicine we have onboard, that's probably why it was much more painful for him than us."
"Poor Crosshair," Omega frowns. She pats the top of his head tenderly, feeling his soft silver hair. "Don't worry. You're okay now." She comforts.
Hunter takes the chip from Tech's hands, squinting his eyes at it. "Why does it look so much different from ours?" He asks, noticing how much darker and tangled it is. While theirs was a light pink, this is almost purple and dark red. It looks like it's decaying or has been severely damaged.
"I don't have an answer for that at the moment," Tech responds as he grabs his datapad from off the counter. He feverishly taps away at it before adding, "But I do have plenty of theories."
Hunter furrows his eyebrows as he hands back the chip. He's not sure he really wants to hear Tech's theories. He has a feeling that they're not going to be good concerning Crosshair's health. Based on the state they rescued him in and the way he easily dozed off, things clearly haven't been easy for him.
"What do you think they did to him?" Wrecker asks as he wrings his large hands. His stomach has been twisting in knots since the surgery. Even after all that has happened between them as brothers, he hates the idea of anything bad happening to Crosshair. Seeing him like this makes him feel horrible.
"Well, I'm assuming the Empire has something to do with it," Tech says, his voice heavy. "I don't know why I never considered it until now, but they were able to activate the chips with a simple order. I'm sure there are other ways to turn it on, some that might be pretty invasive."
Echo frowns, stepping away from Omega. "Do you think they could have enhanced it some way?"
Tech deeply sighs as everyone's attention lands on him. "There was a significant difference between him in the brig and the hangar." He replies, adjusting his goggles. "I originally assumed they bribed him some way, but after briefly examining his chip and his unusual actions, enhancing it makes more sense. He went from bursting out at Hunter to shooting down Wrecker in a matter of hours."
"After Crosshair gave his report about the padawan surviving, the Imperials became very interested in him," Omega says, her eyes never leaving Crosshair's face. "I don't know all of the details. Usually, AZI and I would get to sit in and watch the surgeries that take place, but Nala Sa sent us away. We were exploring your barracks before being taken to the brig."
"So they pulled Crosshair out for surgery?" Hunter asks.
Omega shrugs. "I don't know. We were just told to prep the area. Nala Sa ordered us to the underwater lab without any more information."
Hunter sighs, crossing his arms. It's not a lot, but it is something. "We won't know anything for certain until he wakes up again."
"We'll have to wait longer than that," Tech says with a smile. "With the drugs working in his system now, he's probably not going to know his own name when he wakes."
Wrecker chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest. "Lucky. I'd like to be so doped up that I forget my name."
"It'd probably take the dose needed to knock out a bantha." Hunter teases, hitting Wrecker's shoulder playfully.
"And we definitely don't have enough money to buy that much medicine." Tech comments, lifting his eyes up from his datapad.
"Well, at least he's sleeping good," Omega says, stepping away from him. As the others continuing conversing, she walks back to her room and grabs Lula from off the floor. She then shoves a crate beside the table so she can sit comfortably next to Crosshair. Gently, she lays Lula down near him.
Hunter glances over at her. A soft smile grows on his face.
Using Lula as a pillow, she lays her head close to his, similar to how she waited for Wrecker after his chip removal.
Watching her, Hunter finds himself in awe at how easily she warms up to people.
Every interaction she's had with Crosshair has been painful. The shootout in the hangar, the ion engine on Bracca, and the destruction on Kamino. These alone should make her harbor hard feelings and put a bad taste in her mouth. Hunter was able to overhear the conversation the two of them shared in the lab and brig, which made him upset at how his brother talked to her.
Yet, she acts like he's never done anything to her.
Not once has she talked about him in a bad light. She organized his belongings, keeping them tidy and on his side of the room, asking Wrecker if that's how Crosshair would have liked his things treated. Even after he confessed that he had his chip removed and refused to tell them when she brushed it off.
And now, she's made her place beside him, offering him silent support and gentleness.
Even Hunter will admit that he has not been so quick to forgive Crosshair. After years of training and fighting side by side, he felt like the person he always trusted to watch his back was the one who ended up stabbing him.
xxx
Eventually, the others go off to bed, leaving the ship eerily quiet. Hunter offers to take the first shift, watching over both the ship and Crosshair. Omega goes with a fight, arguing that she wants to stay by Crosshair until he wakes up.
After falling asleep twice by him, Echo totes her back to her room. Wrecker also voices his concern for their brother, checking with Tech multiples to know if he will be okay. After multiple assurances that Crosshair will be alright, Wrecker gently rubs his knuckles against Crosshair's silver hair.
At a volume only Hunter could hear, Wrecker whispers, "Get better quickly, brother. We're all rooting for you."
After Wrecker finally crawls into his bunk and fills the ship with loud snores, Hunter makes himself comfortable on the crate that Omega dragged over. He finds himself lost in his thoughts, thinking about everything from what they're going to eat to how Cid is going to react to another clone.
Unintelligible mutters come from the sniper, pulling Hunter from his stupor.
Crosshair's limbs are tucked tight to his chest. His body gives slight trembles every now and then, either from being cold or a nightmare he's most likely reliving. His hands occasionally press against his head then slink back to hold onto himself.
Hunter can't help but stare at him.
Now that the threat of Crosshair dying in their care has ended, Hunter can truly begin to grasp that situation they've placed themselves in. And he's got to say, it's really messy.
Millions of thoughts run through his mind as he tries to make sense of things since Kaller. Before Daro, he used to try to remember their last days together, looking for every sign that could be considered odd for Crosshair. Those that might be explained by the chip.
And sure, a few things stuck out. Like blindly following orders, disrespecting him, and Crosshair's unusual rigidness.
But some of the things his brother said and did, Hunter could actually see him choosing to do.
He had been dealing with these thoughts on his own, sorting out what category to place his brother in. After discovering that Crosshair had his chip removed, Hunter assumed it was taken out sometime after Kaller since Crosshair knew and acted out Order 66.
Where in the timeline after Kaller had always been the question for Hunter.
Was it just after Onderon?
When they were on Bracca, did Crosshair attempt to fry them in the ion engine without encouragement from the chip?
Hunter struggled hard with that one, which unfortunately opened another painful question.
If it was the chip, did that make his brother a murderer or just the weapon?
He didn't know what to think, so he left Crosshair in a gray area. Not exactly a criminal, but no saint either. He wasn't going to actively search out the sniper and ask if he wanted to reconsider his choice, but he wouldn't turn him down if he asked.
But now, everything Hunter decided is hazy again.
The chip was never removed. It was a lie that they fed him to keep him on their side. They played with his emotions, giving him false ideas of purpose and use. They took the grimy words the Kaminoans told them as cadets and attempted to make it shiny and new for him.
You were created to fight.
You are superior to all the other clones.
The Republic can't protect the galaxy without strength.
A strength that you four clones were created with.
Hunter finds himself cringing as the nasty words Crosshair repeated to him in the training facility fill his mind again. It's weird how easy it was for him to swap out the Republic for the Empire. How similar the two actually are when you look at it through the lens of a clone.
Hunter sighs, slightly shaking his head.
Looking at him sleeping makes a memory cross his mind. Tech and Wrecker had gone down for the night, leaving just the two of them awake. The war had been dragging on for about two years at this point, and questions about what would happen to the clones begin circulating in the Senate again.
After teasing each other about finding girls that would tolerate their unusual habits and settle down on dainty planets with them, Hunter honestly asked Crosshair how he felt about that idea. It sort of came out of nowhere, but Hunter wanted to know. If they got this chance, would he take it?
His brother rolled his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. He looked out the window, staring at the blue and white lights before quietly answering, "I was created with the sole purpose of taking down targets from impossible distances. It's hard to think that anyone would want me for any other reason than to kill."
Hunter didn't understand his response at the time. He loved Crosshair for much more than his ability to take down droids. His quiet company when he didn't want to talk about how badly he messed up a mission with his poor decisions. His assertiveness when it came to the regs taunting Tech. The daredevil side that only Wrecker seemed to get out of him, causing injuries that they played off with grins.
Hunter couldn't see why his brother thought of only himself as just a weapon, especially when they were all created for specific purposes. Wrecker was created to crush and smash droids to bits. Tech was created to soak up information like a sponge. And when it come to him, sometimes Hunter only saw himself as some freaky massiff that belonged on Coruscant tracking down criminals.
Clones in general were made only to fight and die, after all.
But he sees how both the Empire and the Republic treated them. And for Crosshair, there wasn't much of change.
Neither one cared about him. Just his abilities.
As if he knows that Hunter's eyes are on him, Crosshair groans as he rolls onto his back. He's partially awake, his rising heart rate catching Hunter's attention. He grabs his head again, trying to sit up on the makeshift operation table. He can hardly keep upright, the drugs in his system affecting his balance.
Hunter jumps up, pressing a hand to Crosshair's shoulder. He tries to lay him back down, but he resists. The sniper's eyes widen and he tenses, his fight or flight kicking in. "Easy. It's me, Cross. You're alright."
His eyes adjust to the lights as he slightly relaxes. "Where am I?" He hoarsely asks.
"On the Marauder heading for Ord Mantell." Hunter answers. Now that he's awake, Hunter gets a good look at his face.
Oddly, he looks more like a clone now that his silver hair is cropped close to his head.
"I don't remember getting on the ship." Crosshair drawls. His words come out slow and his mind seems to be thinking at that same pace.
"It's so quiet." He adds after a beat, an air of uneasiness in his tone. His eyes shift, scanning his surroundings, almost as if he's looking for something or someone.
"Everyone's gone off to bed."
"No." Crosshair replies, looking back at him. He shakes his head, seemingly forgetting what he was looking for. Gently, he raises one of his fingers and taps the side of his head. "In my head. It's quiet again."
Hunter swallows, not knowing what to say.
When he doesn't respond, Crosshair ungracefully lays himself back down on the table. He reminds Hunter of when he's drunk. He's uncoordinated and his comments don't make any sense.
The sniper's eyes strain to stay open, long blinks showing how hard he's trying to stay awake.
He's waiting for a question or remark. It's like he knows there's something on Hunter's mind.
And there is.
And Hunter knows that he shouldn't ask it, not when Crosshair is in such a vulnerable state. After being sedated and then drugged with the best pain medicine that Tech could find, he knows that his brother will honestly answer any of his questions.
"Why did you ask us to rescue you?" He asks. He finds that's the main thing he wants to know. After everything that they've gone through, why did Crosshair choose them to come and get him? When they had parted on Kamino, Crosshair acted like he wanted nothing to do with them.
So he has to know why his brother sought them out. Out of everyone in the galaxy, why did he specifically chose them?
Crosshair takes a deep breath, clearly trying to work out the question and his response. His eyes narrow, as if he can't really believe it himself. "You said you could help me." He says, almost as if he's tasting the way the words feel in his mouth.
"Yes." Hunter nods his head. "And we have."
"And I missed you."
Hunter freezes. He never expected that kind of confession out of Crosshair. "We could have been together again a long time ago." He says, his voice low and slow.
"I know." Crosshair replies with a soft scoff. He rolls his eyes, an expression Hunter often found himself on the receiving end of. "I tried to get you to join me and side with the Empire."
"Crosshair, what the Empire is doing is wrong," He says, narrowing his eyebrows at him.
"I didn't care. I just wanted us together again like before." Crosshair mumbles, his eyes fluttering.
Hunter frowns. "Then why did you stay on Kamino after being offered to come with us?"
Crosshair struggles to speak, loudly yawning as he fights off sleep and the effects of the drugs. Hunter starts to think that he isn't going to get an answer. But he meets the sniper's eyes from under his heavy lids and hears him rasp, "You didn't want me back."
Hunter finds himself physically recoiling.
Crosshair begins to mumble something else but slowly his head lolls to the side, sleep winning out and taking over his body.
Hunter steps back, giving his brother space to rest. He moves the crate over to the other side of the room. The rest of his shift seems to go by in a daze, Crosshair's last sentence repeating over and over in his head.
Is it true? Was there maybe some part of him that didn't want Crosshair back?
Is that part still there? Lurking in the back of his mind?
Hunter hardly notices when his shift ends. Wrecker wakes up without needing any time to gather himself. He's eager to take his turn making sure that Crosshair is safe and sleeping soundly. "Go get some sleep, Sarge. I'll keep an eye on him." Wrecker says, gently patting Hunter's shoulder.
"Right," Hunter mumbles, standing up from his crate. He stumbles into bed, his mind thinking about too many things at once. He finds that he's unable to sleep, no matter how much his body demands the rest.
So he watches from his bunk as Wrecker pulls Gonky up beside their injured brother. He listens to him attempt to quietly whisper everything that Crosshair has missed, keeping him up to date. He talks about everything from Omega and Cid to the blasted rancor and his new favorite game at the cantina.
Hunter can hear Crosshair's slow heartbeat seem to steady out as Wrecker holds his hand and continues on.
Hunter rolls over onto his stomach, hiding his face in his pillow.
Force, why can't he seem to have the same feelings of enthusiasm as Wrecker about Crosshair's return?
Why does he have such a reservation about all of this?
He pinches his eyes shut, letting himself dwell on his feelings. All of this is so much to process. First, none of it was Crosshair's fault. Then, some of it was his own doing. But what is it now? He obviously never had his chip removed.
But the chips don't dictate everything a clone does, right?
They were just meant for Order 66.
But something happened to Crosshair's chip. It's clear that someone has done something to mess with it. Could that account for everything their brother has done since Kaller?
All of this is making his head and stomach hurt. Hunter wants nothing more than to step out into cold, fresh air and take a deep breath. Nature has always calmed him down.
Too bad they're stuck in hyperspace.
Wrecker's whispers pull his attention. Hunter tilts his head, peering down at the two with one of his eyes.
Even though Crosshair's head is in some other galaxy, he lets Wrecker help him sit up. He accepts the glass from the gentle giant, allowing him to trickle the cold water down his throat.
"Is that better?" Wrecker softly asks, though his gravelly voice makes it seem more like he's grumbling. Crosshair ignores him, his head spinning around. He checks over both of his shoulders, clearly trying to find something. "What are you looking for?"
"Where's Admiral Rampart?" Crosshair asks.
"He's not here," Wrecker says, not removing his hand from his brother's shoulder. "Why are you looking for him?"
Crosshair begins to grow distressed, his heart rate picking up. "I got my chip taken out without his approval." He quickly explains, trying to wiggle out of Wrecker's grasp. "Did he find out? Am I being replaced?" He asks, his voice rising.
Hunter's about to jump out of bed and calm Crosshair down, but Wrecker handles the situation as if he's done it a thousand times. "No. You're not being replaced and you don't need his approval anymore. You're with us. Safe on the Marauder and free from the Empire and Rampart." His voice sturdy.
Crosshair freezes, his voice chillingly quiet and confused. "Free?"
"Yeah." Wrecker nods, keeping his tone calm. "You trust me, right?"
Crosshair doesn't reply, but he's stopped trying to escape from Wrecker.
"Come on, Cross. It's me." Wrecker says, a soft smile on his face. He gently squeezes his shoulder with a light shake. "What's my name?"
Crosshair takes a deep breath, his heart rate already steadily dropping. "I know who you are." He scoffs. "You're Wrecker."
"Uh-huh. And what's the name of that doll I torment you with?" He continues, his voice chipper than before. He leans down, his face now hidden below the table.
"Lula."
"And look, I got her right here." Wrecker cheers, grabbing the doll from under the table. Omega had left it for Crosshair for when he woke, but Hunter had forgotten to give it to him.
"I hate that doll." He mutters, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand as Wrecker shows her off.
"Well, she loves you!" He teases. Hunter's mouth opens, about to tell Wrecker to stop but he's too late. The stuffed animal is squished against the sniper's face, making him groan.
He pushes her away, and Hunter expects Crosshair to snap. Instead, he catches a loopy smile flash on the sniper's face. "You always do that when I'm mad." He slurs, his nose playfully scrunched up.
"Yeah, because it cheers you up."
"Whatever." Crosshair waves away as he lays back down on the table.
"Feeling tired?" Wrecker chuckles, watching his brother make himself comfortable on the table. Tech mentioned that the drugs would have an effect on Crosshair's mood. He was hoping that it would act the same as alcohol, which always loosened up the grumpy sniper.
"I want to shut my eyes." He clarifies. "They're heavy. And it's so bright in here." He mumbles, beginning to drift off to sleep again.
"Well, why didn't you say something?" Wrecker asks, rising to his feet. He shuts off the light near Crosshair, making the room dimmer. "Is that okay, Cross?"
"Yeah. Now I can actually go to sleep." He sighs, his deep breathing already signaling to Hunter that he's close to passing right out.
Wrecker smiles, shaking his head. "Well, don't forget Lula."
"Will you leave me alone if I take her?"
"Yupp!"
With a trace of a smile on his face, Crosshair accepts the doll. He doesn't necessarily cuddle the damn thing, but she's not completely an arm's length away from him. "Goodnight, Crosshair." Wrecker slightly teases.
He mumbles back something between 'good night' and 'shut up.'
Hunter sighs, closing his eyes. Why is he so worked up about this? As long as his brother is safe, isn't that all that matters right now?
He finds himself falling asleep quickly after Crosshair, refusing to dwell anymore on their strained relationship for the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~