FERN'S POV
"You know," I released my grip on Crosshair's chest plate and leaned forward, resting my arm on my propped knee. My mouth formed a deep frown as my eyes briefly averted to my right. "I'd almost prefer you still had your inhibitor chip in your head. This would've been easier..." I then eyed the right side of his head and gestured with my chin. "How did you get that scar?"
"Why do you care so much?" The sharpshooter rolled his eyes, yet his hand reached up and touched it.
"It was on Bracca, wasn't it?" I scoffed through my nose with a slight tilt in my head. "The ion cannon—"
"Shut up." He shoved my leg away. "Go away."
My eyes narrowed. Parting my feet firmly on the floor, I towered over him with my arms crossed. Our knees pressed together. "You gave that order to incinerate us. Serves you right."
"Where did that sensitive Fern go?" he jeered. "This Fern seems more like the old one."
"I'd thought you would prefer this one." I smirked, but when Crosshair scoffed, the grin sank. "I'm not messing around, you hear me? You've caused us just as much as pain and stress as you claim we did to you. Do you have any idea what these past months have been like for us? Having no one to rely on? To supply us? To trust?"
"You want—"
"Not finished." I silenced him. "Ever since I joined the squad, I have endured adolescent rancors and Zygerrian slavers, moon dragons, incineration pits, disgusting flying bugs, held hostage by the Pykes, bounty hunters, I almost got blown up, and I witnessed Wrecker under the influence of his chip activating, almost killing Tech right in front of me...just before my own chip activated and I almost killed Hunter..." My voice gradually trailed off as I replayed each ordeal in my head, and blew a stream of air between my lips. Then, my eyes fluttered, bringing me back into reality. "All while running and hiding from you and the Empire." I paused. "So...it's now your turn to educate me on how much you've been struggled. How much you suffered?"
"I don't have to tell you anything." Crosshair retorted.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn't taking 'no' as an answer. "Alright, since you have free will, why the Empire, huh? Hunter and I have already told you: we've seen what the Empire is doing to the galaxy. It's not all peaceful like you've been misled to believe. Even Raxus' senator would've been tortured, or worse, if we hadn't rescued him."
"That was you?" he growled.
"Oh, you heard about that?" I smirked, then sighed, rolling out my neck in debilitation. My adrenaline had finally depleted itself. "So what is it? You've already defended the Empire's annihilating actions upon Kamino, but I still need answers. Think of me with an open mind to join you, but I need a little convincing." I finally settled myself next to Crosshair, drastically softening my antagonism. After all, I wanted to make some progress on this dispute. My soaked braid dripped onto my lap as I tilted my head to carefully study his subtle facial expressions in the dimmed lighting of the shimmering, midnight-green ocean.
The enhanced clone paused for a long time, and I began to worry I was going to have to be forceful again. Until, he sighed in defeat, his eyes stared straight ahead. "I am a soldier, and as a soldier, I have seen many civilizations across the galaxy during the war. Most of them still reigned in chaos, destroying thousands of innocent lives, despite the Republic's efforts, just as much as an authoritarian regime would. I know you've seen it, too."
"I understand your point, but if you're claiming an authoritarian regime like the Empire acts on the same spectrum—"
"I didn't say that." Crosshair shook his head. "The Empire did what the Republic could not. It ended the war. It's over. But, there are still insurgents throughout the galaxy who are agitators, rebels, who will start another war if the Empire does not stop them. They are not innocents like Hunter thinks."
"They?" I questioned. "What are you talking about?" Crosshair finally glared at me and, for a moment, it seemed like he would clarify himself, but elected against it. "Point is, with the war ended, the Empire needs soldiers to keep it that way. It needs strength, and Clone Force 99...We used to be the epitome of strength. What I don't understand is how you, Hunter, and the others can leave your purpose behind."
"Wow," I scoffed. "I never took you as a pragmatic thinker, Crosshair. It's almost funny. Once your chip was removed, you made the decision to bring Clone Force 99 back together, because you believe we belong together to serve our purpose as soldiers... You also thought the squad was incomplete." The irony bashed me like a proton torpedo as I slowly began to understand the clone's point of view. "You said earlier that we weren't loyal to you... What did you mean?"
"Hunter had always said we stick together." The uptightness in his sneered voice suddenly diminished. "In fact, that was the last thing he said before I was separated from you in the brig."
"I remember."
"What is it that you see in Hunter?" he abruptly snapped at me, his toasted-amber eyes narrowed in disbelief. I blinked in confusion while my lips slightly parted; Crosshair didn't give me a moment to object. "I've realized his leadership is flawed, and from what you have told me yourself, he has led you all into multiple dangerous situations and taken in a liable child instead of sending her off where she would be safe. Instead of serving under the Empire, which would provide us with supplies and resources just like the Republic did, you all run away to play mercenary."
"Hunter has flaws, yes, but we all do." I defended. "That's what makes us more human. He has a good heart. He only does what he thinks is best for the squad. And, I believe in him. And Omega..." I clicked my tongue with a head bob. "despite the danger we unintentionally put her in, she is still safer with us than anyone. The Kaminoans wanted her back and sent bounty hunters after us. They wanted to collect her DNA, and then decommission her. What if the Empire got her?" I waited for any reaction, and received a subtle lift of his brows. The corner of my lips twitched into a grin. "I don't disagree we could've protected her better, but she also chose us... She's a smart girl, and she made her own decisions." I scoffed softly. "I'll admit, in the beginning, I wanted nothing more than to drop her off at an orphanage and call it a day after we escaped Kamino. But, I've grown to care for her and love her. She is part of the squad. Permanently."
"Love?" Crosshair huffed right back. He bored his glare deeper into my impartial stare. "What do you know about love, Fern? What I caught you and Hunter doing -- was that love?"
"It's why I was forbidden to join Clone Force 99 in the very beginning." I calmly revealed. It took him a moment to connect the dots. As I watched the realization wash over his tattered face, I actually smiled. "Can you imagine what it would've been like if I had joined the Bad Batch when it was first formed? The five of us? Knocking out every single mission we took on."
Crosshair didn't respond, but his eyes averted from my gaze.
"Even though I wasn't part of the squad, I was always informed what you four were up to. I knew everything about you boys...and Crosshair, without you, Clone Force 99 is incomplete. I could never replace you. After all, you're the sharpshooter."
"How perceptive." He rolled his eyes as if it was a joke.
I was prepared to prove it wasn't.
"You're kidding me, right? The Bad Batch, known for pulling off the strangest and most dangerous tasks in the most bizarre, risky, and flat-out reckless fashion ever. Every member is an enhanced clone with a unique mutation that are necessary to execute the most flawless of missions. You're not just the sharpshooter. You are the backbone of the team. Putting down supportive fire power from a safe position so that the rest of the squad can perform even riskier strategies. We experienced a lot of failures after we left Kamino -- that's because you were gone, and the squad could no longer function on the same level.
"Furthermore, we no longer benefitted the resources and supplies from the Republic. Not only had we lost a key member of the team and taken on the task of protecting a child, we were completely thrusted out of our norm and were having to recover the best way we knew how, hence becoming mercenaries. Luckily, I had an old hookup. Plus," I elbowed him playfully. "Tech may contain all the calculations to defeat droids in that brain of his, but he has no comprehension on how to maneuver and/or defeat literally anything else."
I finally got a smile. A faint simper, but it was there. Elated, I felt I'd finally reached him. My hand subconsciously reached up and cupped his right jawline, his stubble pricked my fingers and palm. At first, he flinched to my touch, yet he didn't retreat. "Answer me this, Crosshair." I breathed softly as my thumb softly stroked his protruded cheekbone. "What's more important to you: your purpose...or your family?"
The sharpshooter seemed to tilt his head more into my palm as he pondered over the question. His eyes closed.
Please, I internally begged him. Crosshair...I want to forgive you...so much...Help me, help you...
Suddenly, I didn't want to know his response. Something inside me whispered that it simply wasn't important anymore...because deep down, the damage had already been done, and Crosshair had made his decision...
He noticed that transition in me, and it almost seemed like he thanked me... I slowly removed my hand from his face and nodded, a single tear rolled down my cheek. In a moment of compassion, Crosshair scoffed incredulously and gently wiped it away.
"I suppose, we should head back now." I decided. "We still have to survive this catastrophe."
"I agree," he breathed. "but, this was a nice chat."