Archive of Our Own ^beta

They were rock hard.

"Hunter?" Omega didn't quite know what to say, but she had to say something. The confusion at everything that had happened on Kamino was starting to scare her more than the incidents themselves. Maybe it was because she knew she couldn't understand. But she wanted to so badly, so she would try.

Hunter finally slid his gaze to meet hers.

Omega picked at the hard edge of Hunter's wrist comm and scrunched her face up.

"Hunter, why couldn't...why wouldn't Crosshair come with us?"

Hunter sighed and sat up, dropping his arms to his knees. "I don't know, Omega."

"Why not?"

Hunter blinked up at her. "What...? Because... Because Crosshair isn't who he was."

"Or who we thought he was," Wrecker muttered miserably.

Hunter shot him a glare, then stood and strode to the bunkroom. Omega heard the unusual sound of the lock activating after the door slid shut.

Echo had said nothing, Tech hadn't gotten involved at all!

Thankfully, he was now making that right by helping Omega now.

And Hunter...had said something Omega didn't understand. In the end, Hunter had just let it happen.

Something needed to be fixed. Omega was absolutely sure.

And going back for Crosshair, even if he didn't want to be with them, was the start.

The trap door to the hold popped up behind her at the same moment that the bunkroom door unlocked and slid open with a sharp hiss that blended with Hunter's gasp of surprise.

"Tech, what are you doing?"

"It appears we have forgotten something!" Tech called back.

Omega made herself as small as she could in the copilot's seat.

"Tech." Hunter's tone was heavy. "We've been over this. He doesn't want to come back."

Echo grasped her wrist as she reached for the controls.

"Hold up, Omega. Let Tech land the ship first."

Omega listened impatiently for the sounds that accompanied the Marauder's landing sequence to reach the correct portion of hisses and beeps so she could safely open the door.

Hunter's hands wrapped around her shoulders from behind, and he pulled her back.

"I think you should stay here, Omega."

A flare of anxious worry pushed up Omega's throat and came out as irritation. "But Hunter! Crosshair could be hurt!"

"That's precisely why I want you to stay." His features twitched, and he added, "I need someone to get the medbay ready if Crosshair is hurt."

Omega knew Hunter had added that last bit to soften what his first response had been. But she also knew that worrying wouldn't help Crosshair or the others at all. Obeying quietly would keep things as smooth as possible, so she nodded.

"I'm sorry, Hunter. I'm just worried."

"I know, kid. We all are."

Omega heard the final hisssssssshhhhhh that said the ship was fully secure on the landing platform. The door opened, and Echo, Wrecker, and Tech slipped by them and hurried down the boarding ramp. Hunter squeezed Omega's arms once more and hurried after them.

Omega paced up and down between the rows of flight seats. It had been nearly ten minutes since the others had left. The medbay had been made ready in five (there wasn't ever much to do - it was always ready), and now there was nothing to do but wait.

Finally, Omega left the empty seats and clambered into her room. She supposed she could tidy it up again, but all that would mean would be to refold her blanket.

Lula and Trooper sat limply in one corner, flopped against the new communicator Tech and Omega had made for Crosshair. The stuffed dolls guarded it day and night. Wrecker had even told Omega she could keep Lula there as back-up for Trooper - the communicator was too special for just one guard, even though Trooper was excellent at guarding things.

Things like Mantell Mix for example, Hunter's razor (that had been a scary adventure. Hunter wouldn't let Omega use his knife so she took the next best thing - but she 'fessed up when Echo told her it was wrong to take things without asking. She hadn't thought of that at all) and even the drawings Omega had made to decorate the Marauder. (Trooper had to act as a paperweight for those until a suitable place to hang them had been found. Tech said the pictures were very nice, but he needed to see the screens in order to work.)

Omega picked up the communicator and turned it about, brushing her hands over every part of it. She had liked helping to put it together, and for the first week after it had been completed, whenever she saw it she thought, "I really hope Crosshair likes it!"

Tech had even shown her holos of Crosshair, explaining how he was using the pictures to change the outside pieces of the communicator so they would "exactly replicate Crosshair's original communicator" as Crosshair was "quite proud of how - 'unshiny' he appeared". Tech explained that this was because the Bad Batch's reinforced armor took quite a lot to earn any dents and marks. And as Crosshair was the sniper, any scratches his armor received were few and far between.

"Add to that the general skill level we share, and the chances of him getting any is almost nonexistant!" Tech had said.

Omega smiled and tapped her finger along a big scratch that Tech had let her cut, right on the side of the speaker's mount. Hunter had let her use his knife for that, and -

The communicator's light blinked once, and Omega blinked back.

"Omega!"

Omega snatched up the comm. "Hunter?" she called, scrambling down the ladder.

"Omega, get out here. We found Crosshair, but we can't get to him."

"On my way!"

Omega shut off the communicator, and, setting her mouth in a grim line, she bolted out the door.

Omega slipped past Hunter to look down as well.

The walls of the landing platform's support that jutted out on either side of the ladder were held a wide strip of buckled metal between them. It was more like a vertical tunnel now, and Omega could see a silvery tint a short distance down the shaft.

"Crosshair!" She turned back to the others, panic rising inside her once again. "What happened?"

"He must have climbed down there when the fight started," Echo mumbled.

"The metal angled outwards as it fell between the walls," said Tech. "That makes the opening too small for any of us - but you..."

"Can't Wrecker bend it back?" Omega gasped.

"'Course I can!" Wrecker shouted. Hunter interrupted.

"We can't risk it just coming free," he said. "Crosshair could fall. Omega, we need you to get down there and hang onto him so that Wrecker can move this -"

He cut off abruptly, and Omega stepped into the shaft.

It was a tight squeeze, but thankfully the space widened the further down she climbed. Six steps down, her feet were on level with Crosshair's head.

Shifting as close as she could to the left wall, Omega shimmied down even further until she stood alongside the sniper.

Crosshair was pressed hard to the right, only held upright by a twisted piece of metal that had split free from the main plate. It curved against his left side and had stabbed hard into the wall, securing Crosshair from slipping off the ladder.

Crosshair's breathing was shallow, and he wasn't moving. He was leaning partly against the wall and slightly forward, his hands resting limply on the ladder rung in front of him.

Thankfully, he was secure, but Hunter was right. It wouldn't be enough to stop Crosshair from falling once the temporary back of the tunnel was shifted.

Omega put an arm around Crosshair's waist, careful not to touch his side, and grabbed the ladder rung in front of the sniper's stomach, gripping a step slightly higher up with her left hand to secure herself and Crosshair. She craned her neck up and saw Hunter's face at the opening, watching her.

"I've got Crosshair!" Omega called. "But part of the metal came loose, and he's trapped!" She eyed the broken metal around Crosshair and gulped. "I think it's smashed his armor!"

Hunter's head tilted. "Hang on, okay?" he said.

The shadow overhead disappeared, and Omega could see a small piece of sky in the opening above her. There was no blue in it anymore, only darkening clouds, and within seconds, large drops of rain were falling.

Several made it down the shaft and splashed onto Omega's face before breaking into smaller droplets. The fine mist sprayed the stairs and Crosshair's armor, and at the base of the ladder, the ocean began to rise.

Omega swallowed hard. She didn't want to be trapped with water rising all around her again. The waves had nearly reached the top of the landing platform when they had first landed on it, and there was no doubt they'd come at least that high again. It might not come this high...  And she had only been in the shaft for a couple minutes anyway, but still...

Omega wished the others would hurry.

She could hear them talking hurriedly above her, but couldn't hear any words. Soon even the voices were drowned out by the pouring rain. The wind was rising as well.

Crosshair's quiet breathing grew more rapid and he shifted, lifting his head with a gasp. The rain fell harder, covering every other sound with a roar of wind and water. The metal backing of the shaft rattled loudly under the rain, and Omega gasped into the cold air and clung to the ladder as tightly as she could.

"Hang on, Crosshair," she whispered. "We'll get you out of this. You don't have to worry."

"What - are you - talking - about!"

Omega startled and bent forward to look up at Crosshair's face. She hadn't realized he was conscious.

His eyes were squeezed shut and his face was very pale - but maybe that was just the shadows. Hopefully.

Omega bit her lip and looked towards the sky again. The walls of the shaft seemed to be closing in, and Crosshair's breathing was becoming heavy. Where were the others?

Please hurry! she thought and wondered if maybe this feeling, this uncertainty of what would happen and the waiting for it in such a small space, was something like what Crosshair might have felt under the influence of the inhibitor chip.

Either way, she didn't like it. Omega had had to wait for help in a small shaft not too long ago when Sullo Pria, Tech's former handler, had been hurting Tech. Omega couldn't prevent Tech's being hurt then, and she couldn't stop Crosshair being hurt now, but at least...

At least Crosshair wasn't waiting alone.

The small area darkened, and the hard raindrops stopped falling into it. Wrecker was crouched over the shaft.

"Omega! I'm gonna push this back, okay?"

Tech's head suddenly popped into the opening as well.

"Once the opening is large enough for me to get in, you will climb out and I will get Crosshair."

"Got it!" Omega called. "Please be careful! He's hurt!"

"I don't - need you - whining for...m-me..." hissed Crosshair.

Omega clung harder to the ladder rung and attributed his comments to pain. She would not get annoyed. She needed to be quiet and not give Crosshair any more reasons to be annoyed with her. Some things she couldn't help. But what she could help, she would control.

"Omega!"

Overhead, Tech and Wrecker disappeared rather violently, and then Hunter was peering down at her. Water dripped from his hair, further soaking Omega's as it fell, and the wild wind began to carry heavy drops over Hunter's shoulders and into the shaft again.

"Omega, try and guide that metal away from him, okay?"

"Right!"

Omega scooted down another step. Her boot slipped on the wet metal, and she gasped, grabbing at the piece that pressed against Crosshair's side.

Crosshair shuddered.

"Sorry!" Omega squeaked, and the backing of the ladder shaft began to creak.

Crosshair suddenly turned and glared down at Omega. She could feel his angry gaze boring into her and kept her own eyes on her work. If she had looked up, she would have seen confusion underneath the anger, but she kept her head down and held on tighter. She only heard the irritation in his voice.

"Why did you come back?"

There was a horrible sccreeeeech!!!!, and suddenly the small space behind them expanded. Crosshair jerked and pressed his face against the ladder rung in front of him.

Omega squeezed his arm, pulling it forward against the ladder so he wouldn't fall backwards if he ended up letting go. Her arms were shaking and she knew she couldn't hold him up if he did lean back. This had definitely been a gamble.

Crosshair sighed, and Omega couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Crosshair! Are you okay?"

Crosshair raised his head and glared balefully at her.

His face was moist with sweat - or maybe it was the rain? Hopefully... - and there were hardened lines around his eyes. But despite his obvious exhaustion, he managed to fling out his words with the most irritated scorn and disgust that Omega had ever heard.

"Oh, go away..."

"The metal has been worked free! We're coming up!"

"Do you need any help?" Hunter called back.

"Maybe...once we reach - the surface!" Tech's voice sounded strained, and Omega could hear the muted clang of boots falling heavily on metal rungs.

Tech emerged first, his already smoothed-back hair plastered flat against his head from the rain. He scrambled to the surface of the landing pad and turned, reaching down into the shaft.

There was an unsteady pause.

Then,

"Crosshair, don't be stubborn!" Tech snapped. "You could very well die without proper treatment."

"I didn't ask you - to rescue me!" the sniper growled back.

Tech lay flat on his stomach and reached into the shaft with both hands.

"For your information, I did not. We wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for Omega." A pause. "Come to think of it, neither would you."

Omega bounced on her toes in a near fit of apprehension. She didn't care about any of what was being said right now. She didn't even care about how it had all started or how it had come to this! She only wanted Crosshair to be back home with them and safe.

After another moment of silence, where all that could be heard was the steady rush of wind and splattering, pounding drops, Crosshair sighed.

Omega wasn't sure how someone could snarl a sigh, but Crosshair managed.

Tech reached down a little further, then he was stumbling to his feet, Crosshair's wrists caught in his hands, the sniper's fingers wrapped tightly around Tech's forearms.

They staggered in place. Omega hurried forward and tried to steady Crosshair, and Crosshair slowly lifted his head and glared at her.

He couldn't glare at Tech because Tech was standing alongside him, one of Crosshair's arms over Tech's shoulders for support. But Omega felt that if Crosshair had been able, he might have glared at Tech, then shaken him as well.

Crosshair was trembling. Omega stepped away, unsure of how to help. Perhaps she should just stay out of the way until Crosshair had cooled down. She had never seen anyone so angry.

Crosshair stared hard at Echo, then at Wrecker, then finally landed his piercing gaze on Hunter.

"You...perfect...fools!" he growled. "Fools!"

Omega cringed, and Hunter stepped forward, then paused when Crosshair bit back a cry and doubled over. Wrecker shoved his way forward, catching Crosshair as the sniper collapsed.

Wrecker carefully lifted him and backed away, turning towards the Marauder. As Wrecker passed by Hunter, Crosshair lifted his head from Wrecker's arm, and Omega closed her eyes as Crosshair's opened. She didn't want to see them, even though she knew Crosshair was looking at Hunter and not at her. She hated how cold and bright Crosshair's eyes were. They scared her. But she couldn't help hearing his voice - wavering and weak, but angry.

"You...You could - have...died..."

Omega couldn't tell if the soft sigh that followed was Hunter or Crosshair.

Once she was sure Wrecker had passed, Omega opened her eyes.

Hunter was gazing after the sniper, watching as Wrecker carried Crosshair to the ship. Tech tripped after them, hovering his datapad near Crosshair's head.

Hunter poked Echo on the arm and jerked his head towards the ship. Echo gave him a searching look, then followed after the others, his boots clicking heavily on the landing platform.

Omega waited. She didn't want to leave Hunter all alone to stare at the now empty ocean with only his thoughts. No more than an hour ago, he had climbed aboard the ship with only a few parting words to Crosshair, and with a steady face and silence. Now, there was no silence.

The wind dashed across the raging sea, tossing the waves into foaming peaks. The water had climbed all the way to the very edge of the landing platform. The waves lapped helplessly about the rim, as if they were struggling to pull themselves onto solid ground.

Omega looked up into Hunter's face. The heavy storm clouds cast a shadow across his face, and it seemed to Omega that some had even crept into his eyes. They were gray now, and though he stood motionless against the wind, his hair whipped across his brow and sent the shadows in his eyes shifting all about like strange flashing lights Omega didn't recognize. The storm was inside of Hunter, and if she hadn't trusted him so completely, Omega would have been terrified.

A bolt of lightning split the clouds and sent a piercing clap of thunder rolling through the air. Omega jumped and clutched Hunter's hand. She squeezed it harder and harder as the storm grew more wild, and finally, Hunter let out a single, quiet sigh.

Hunter was facing the storm that raged all around - the storm outside as well as inside. Omega swallowed. She didn't understand why the storm inside Hunter was there at all. Things had never seemed so hopeless and complicated. Omega wanted to be upset, but she looked up at Hunter again and saw that his eyes were less pale than before. He was brave. Omega knew how to be brave, too.

With a deep breath, Omega released Hunter's hand.

She hadn't noticed, but Hunter had been holding on as well. Without looking at her, he tapped her on the arm and turned her towards the ship.

"Let's get off this planet."

Omega nodded, wondering how Hunter's soft tone could sound so desperate.

She reached the boarding ramp and scrambled to the top, her boots sliding and squeaking against the water pouring over the steps. Echo was at the top, and he gripped her shoulder, looking out over the rainswept ocean as well.

Echo had been invited into the Bad Batch. So had Omega. But Omega knew that she and Echo would never be to Hunter what Tech, Wrecker and Crosshair were. Echo and Omega were apart from the others somehow. Not often and not by much, but apart enough that in a time like this, they were unable to do anything for Hunter. Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair were not out in the storm with their sergeant. Their brother.

Hunter was alone.

He walked slowly towards them, and Omega felt such a surge of unknown sorrow that she was frightened. She stepped back, leaning into Echo, and pressed her arms over her heart which was pounding fiercely.

It beat faster and faster, and her knees began to shake as she struggled not to collapse.

A powerful gust of wind surged from behind them, then switched directions and collided with a neighboring breeze, sending a perfect sheet of rain streaking across the landing pad and obscuring Hunter from view.

Omega jumped forward, and Echo pulled her back, but she continued to struggle.

"Hunter! Hunter!!!"

The rain blew upwards then, and Omega coughed at the sudden burst of air that slammed against her face.

She could see Hunter again.

He was standing, poised as if he were about to jog up the steps as he so often did, but he was motionless, looking back over his shoulder as the ocean swelled again.

A huge wave climbed high above the edge of the landing platform. It rolled forwards, growing ever higher as it approached, then, with a frantic reach, it collapsed, crashing onto the surface and sending a spray of foam shooting out in all directions. Ripples of water crawled foward and brushed over the toes of Hunter's boots. Then the wave died and slowly slid back into the sea.

Omega was so captivated by the scenes playing out around her that she didn't notice when Echo stepped back. She didn't feel him guiding her to the side so Hunter could climb slowly into the ship. She didn't hear Echo leave for the cockpit, but when the door of the Havoc Marauder closed, it was like a thunder clap. The solid cllunng! and the hissssss of the seal and lock shut out the storm on Kamino forever.

But not forever.

As Hunter passed Omega, he looked down at her, and Omega looked back at him.

He smelled of wind and cold, wet rain. His eyes still held a ghost of the stormy clouds. It was as if he were a mirror for the storm. But reflections were quiet, and for a long moment there was nothing but silence.

The Havoc Marauder trembled as it lifted from the landing pad and took off through the storm. Soon, Omega could no longer hear the familiar sound of rain on the viewport anymore. They were leaving Kamino forever, where so many storms had happened. But they were taking a worse storm with them, a storm Omega hadn't wanted.

Hunter turned away.

The dim lights on the control panels blinked slowly...on...off...a glimmer here, a small flicker there...like fading lightning. Their glow barely reached Hunter's face, but Omega could still see the water sliding down Hunter's cheeks.

Droplets of salt water. Salt water from the final, desperate wave.

Or perhaps they were tears.

He felt sick in his bones. They were cold and aching, and more than once he'd twitched, unable to maintain rigidity as the others treated him.

To his left, CT-9902 was wrapping thick gauze around his leg, and on the right, CT-9905 held a blinking scanner over his torso.

They have names a voice inside his head whispered. A different voice than the cold mechanical one he'd heard so often.

But, no. CT-9904 would call them by their designations. They were clones, soldiers of the Republi-... Empire...meant to serve...unswerving loyalty...

His head twinged so sharply he hissed through his teeth and tossed his head back on the table he was lying on. A hand touched his forehead.

"Crosshair?"

That only made his headache worse. Cross-... CT-9904 fought down the urge to attack them. Not yet.

CT-9902's booming voice almost made him reconsider.

"Ya think he got hit when he tried to get off the platform?"

"Most likely," said CT-9905. "He is behaving less like himself than before. At least he could communicate semi-rationally. Now, however... It is just like when we...when he stayed on Kamino the first time."

The sound of boots entering the hold brought CT-9904 struggling upright. He knew those steps. They were more than dangerous.

Panic spurted through his stomach, and once more, hands were pushing him gently, but firmly to lie back down on the table.

At least they weren't rough like the droids. They seemed...familiar somehow.

Of course they are, the different voice said. They're your brother's.

CT-9904 refused to even acknowledge the voice. It was irritating, often snide, and was the whole reason for his monstrous headaches.

The footsteps continued to approach. Soft and steady...

Stealthy...

...like they had before, the night Crosshair refused help...

Angry...

Not with me...the Kaminoans... Kleal Selri...

Another sharp needle in his brain, and the memories that swirled on the edge of his consciousness swept over him. He felt as if he were drowning. But it was better than the steel emptiness that had filtered through his head.

Again, a hand touched his face, and he felt something settle across his forehead. It was a wide metallic band, and it buzzed incessantly.

Danger...!

He'd fought it before, he could fight it now...

Good...soldiers...follow - orders...

The system has been corrupted. Terminate -

Get out of me!

He was jerking and he couldn't stop. That ridiculous inner voice had to be stopped. The Empire would not accept units unfit for duty and the rigors demanded of them in -

"Tech! What's happening?"

"I don't understand, Hunter! It's similar to when Wrecker's chip responded to the brain scan, only...there is nothing there!"

Good soldiers...follow...

Terminate the traitors.

No!

They abandoned the mission and deserted their unit...

That's not why I didn't go back!

The pressure in his brain mounted to an unbearable intensity, and someone was shouting, further irritating his ringing ears.

...CT-9904

Crosshair...!

01100011 01110100 9904...

Omega lay on the soft matress of her bedroom floor. It had been a few hours since they had found Crosshair and brought him back to the Marauder. But it felt like forever ago. Omega had a feeling Crosshair only came because he was unconscious.

She had only ever spoken to him a few times. The other Batchers had been in the conversation for all but two of those times, and what Omega had seen of Crosshair was very intimidating and downright confusing.

He was sparing with words, but when he did speak, his words hit their mark. He stalked about with toothpicks and a perpetual frown, he was grumpy and rather unsociable.

Omega smoothed her blanket and thought, Maybe because he's hurting...?

A thought struck her, and she sat upright. It had been her persistance to bring Crosshair back that dragged him here, she would make him feel at home again. It had been her coming into the team that had made Crosshair lonely, she would be his friend. It had been Omega who had stepped into Clone Force 99's lives, she would make sure none of them suffered for it.

Omega rocked slightly back and forth as she thought. She still didn't understand why Crosshair seemed to hate the others so much.

Before she met them, when she had been living in Nala Se's private labratory with only the Kaminoan scientist and AZ for company, Omega had looked into and accessed all the records and holos of Clone Force 99 that she could.

Crosshair had stuck out instantly to her because he... It seemed he was always so focused on the others that he never had time for himself. When she had seen him alone on recordings of solo exercises or security feeds, his responses to external incidents or his surroundings in situations that didn't pose a threat were very minimal. Sometimes there were none at all.

Omega shuffled forward and picked Trooper off the commlink. Lula tipped over onto it as if determined to obscure the precious device from view. The tooka doll had landed precariously on the commlink, but Omega let her stay if only to make her feel better. She imagined Lula to be something like Wrecker - when Wrecker wasn't yelling or blowing things up: interested in a lot of things, concerned with anything that concerned someone else, thoughtful and eager to help.

That had been Omega's first impression of Wrecker (once he had stopped yelling enough to have an actual conversation with the others), and she was glad her thoughts had been correct.

Wrecker seemed pretty much the same now, only a little sad.

Omega slowly rotated Trooper between her hands as she reflected on the others' reactions to Crosshair's return.

Hunter had been painfully obvious in his hurt. His face remained as usual, alternating between focused and intent, and softly amused. But his eyes bled out confusion and hurt. Omega didn't like it at all. She needed to discover the reason for all this if she was going to fix it.

Echo seemed distrustful of Crosshair, just as he had been when Crosshair was first separated from the rest of the Batch. Echo was the spotter as far as Omega was concerned. He kept a sharp eye on everything, and if something came up, Omega was certain Echo wouldn't hesitate to slam it down in front of Hunter for assessment, silver tray and all.

Smiling to herself at the thought, Omega turned her mind towards Tech. He was curious about things like Omega was, which made him an ideal companion for long hyperspace flights. There was a lot of time on those trips to research different plants and wildlife the Bad Batch encountered on different planets.

Maybe Crosshair would like to hear about the missions Omega had been on!

Omega's smile faltered and she twisted Trooper's limbs about uneasily. Something told her talking to Crosshair about missions she'd been on with the others was a bad idea.

"What should I do, Trooper?" she whispered.

The trooper doll offered no suggestions.

Omega tossed her to the corner, and Lula was knocked off the comm device entirely by Trooper's flailing limbs.

Omega frowned. She needed someone to help her. She wasn't experienced enough to do anything to help Crosshair and the others. She was too little.

Straightening her skirt, Omega hopped to her knees and slipped down the ladder. Tech would be the one she'd ask for help.

So far, aside from his momentary hesitation, Tech didn't seem averse to Crosshair's being back with them. But Omega had seen things change before. People could change, too. And they had changed - but in a direction Omega felt wasn't right.

Tech's words about Crosshair to Wrecker in the underwater tunnel slipped again through Omega's mind. She shook her head irritably. This was all nonsense about people being a way they couldn't change or making decisions they wouldn't change. The others would see that Crosshair was their brother, and Crosshair would know for sure that neither he nor they could be really happy unless he stayed.

Omega set her mouth in a grim little line and ran over her thoughts once more. Decision made and confirmed, she started forward towards the hold.

Crosshair would have to change. She would make sure of it.

Omega cast a look about the Marauder and sighed. Everyone was asleep. That was good, except so was the person she wanted to talk to.

Tech's head was tipped forward onto his chest and he snored gently. AZ lay on the ground in front of the flight chair Tech was seated in, a pile of circutry and wires acting almost like a lap robe for the mechanic. A probe dangled from Tech's limp fingers, and Omega took the tool in her more awake hand, setting the probe on the ground before it could fall and clatter everyone from sleep.

A low murmuring caught her ear. The bunkroom door was open and Hunter's voice was drifting out in tired, dejected tones. Omega shuffled closer, wondering what had happened to make him sound so sad, but even at the edge of the doorway she couldn't make out any words. That was probably good, she decided, when Crosshair's sharper voice sounded harshly, and Hunter came slowly out of the room.

Omega stepped aside to let him reach the control panel, her eyes glued to his hand as he pushed the button and closed the door. His fingers were shaking.

Without looking at her, Hunter walked into the cockpit and sealed the door before Omega could so much as call out to him.

Wrecker stirred on his rack. Echo mumbled something unintelligible, and Tech snored a little louder.

Omega sighed again and fingered the sleeves of her tunic. So, she was alone once again. She might as well start now before she became too nervous to even try. If Crosshair had made Hunter leave so visibly despondent - Hunter whom he'd known all his life - how could she, a little girl who had only spoken to Crosshair a few times, do anything to help?

It couldn't be too hard, she thought and turned to face the bunkroom door. From what she had seen, Crosshair felt threatened somehow by the others. While they knew him better, being the newest member of the squad gave her some advantages as well. She wouldn't have to work towards starting over with Crosshair like the others would.

Her hand hovered over the door controls, and she hesitated, wondering what Hunter would say if he caught her - wondering why she felt the others would stop her if they should wake up and notice her.

She didn't actually have a satisfactory reason to offer. And she didn't want to lie.

A hitching sigh from inside the room jerked her from her thoughts, and she was on the other side of the door before she had time to think again.

It seemed forever since Omega had stepped into this room and seen Tech lying awake in his bunk after the others had rescued him and Omega from the wicked Kaminoan on Bora Vio.

Crosshair was in the bunk, but the difference between what Tech had been like and what Crosshair was now couldn't have been more drastic.

He lay on his back, hands clenched at his sides and eyes squeezed shut. The dim light split harshly against the ragged scarring on the right side of his head and was lost in the sharp angles of his face. His whole frame trembled, and despite how hard she found it to be patient with him, Omega found herself hurrying forward to his side.

She was a medical assistant, after all.

But what could she do? The others had treated his injuries...but not all of them.

Crosshair didn't gasp again, but after a single hard tremor, he clapped a hand to his forehead and gritted his teeth.

Omega placed a hand on his arm. She knew it wouldn't fix anything, but maybe it would comfort Crosshair, at least a little.

"Your chip didn't get removed, did it?" she said softly. Hunter would have to be told.

Narrow fingers clamped around her wrist so tightly she squirmed to get away. Crosshair opened his eyes. Omega blinked hard, trying to chase the tears from her own, but she wasn't fast enough to prevent one from sliding down her cheek.

Crosshair was looking at her, almost vacantly. He had stopped trembling and the pained lines on his face were slowly fading.

Omega twitched again, her wrist twinging in Crosshair's unyielding grip.

"Crosshair," she sniffed. "Please let go!"

Recognition flashed across his face, and he dropped her arm as if it had shocked him, then clenched his hand as he pulled himself stiffly upright.

"What do you want?" he growled.

Omega swallowed and rubbed her wrist. The pale marks from Crosshair's fingers were slowly turning red, and she was sure her wrist would bruise.

"H-how are you feeling?" she ventured.

Crosshair didn't respond for several seconds, whether from surprise or annoyance, Omega couldn't tell. She could feel him watching her, but she didn't look up and continued to rub her sore wrist.

Finally he spoke.

"Just...go away..."

Omega frowned. She was only trying to help! But at least she was sure now that the chip was still inside Crosshair's head. She remembered her words to Crosshair when she and the Bad Batch had been trapped underwater on Kamino and wished she could unsay them. But she couldn't. She could apologize, though.

"I'm...sorry for speaking to you like I did back on Kamino." She cast a hesitant glance up.

Crosshair was no longer watching her. His head was turned slightly towards the wall - he was ignoring her.

Omega tried again. "I know it really isn't your fault. The chip made you this way. You can't help it."

Silence.

Omega shuffled her feet, unsure of whether to leave or not. Then Crosshair spoke - bitterly, but very softly.

"Can't I?"

Omega shook her head. "The inhibitor chip -"

"The chip," Crosshair interrupted, still facing away from her, "is no longer functioning properly. It's been shut down."

Omega nodded, determined to indulge him despite not believing him.

"We'll help you. Once the chip is out, you'll feel a lot better. You'll be a lot better, too. I promise."

She knew Crosshair was rolling his eyes. "How touching," he sneered. "Hunter's pet -" he rounded on her, eyes flashing - "is trying to win over an enemy."

"You're not an enemy!" Omega retorted. "You're not Hunter's enemy either! Or Tech's! Or Echo's, or Wrecker's!"

Crosshair huffed. "Aren't you mine?" he snarled.

Omega took a step forward, shaking her head violently. "No! I'm not your enemy, I want to help!"

"You want to help..." Crosshair muttered derisively. "Is Hunter your enemy, then?"

Omega was shocked. "What? No! He's my friend! He -"

"Then why isn't he doing what's best for you?" Crosshair's tone was soft and dangerous. "For the squad?"

"He is!" Omega snapped.

She was angry that Crosshair had dared to say what he had. And folding her arms, she told Crosshair that Hunter had tried to give her a better life and she hadn't wanted it. She had wanted to stay with him, and still did. He might not be able to give her everything Cut and Suu would have, but he provided what he could. All of the Bad Batch did. They were Clone Force 99. They worked with what they had.

Crosshair lifted an eyebrow. "What, I'm no longer part of this squad?"

Omega stammered. "Wh-wha-no! That's not what I meant! I..."

Crosshair turned to face the wall again with a world-weary sigh. "Just forget it."

Omega twisted her fingers together and around her hands. The silence stretched on for several minutes. She wanted to speak, but had no idea what to say. She didn't want to leave - Crosshair might think she was scared of him. But she was also feeling very sleepy.

Finally, Crosshair spoke again.

"Just say it already."

Omega blinked. "Say what?"

Crosshair sighed loudly and tilted his head slightly to glare at her. "Aren't you going to pester me, too, about why I joined the Empire?"

"No. I don't care about that."

Crosshair cocked his head and watched her suspiciously. Omega looked back, wondering what there was in her that he mistrusted so much. She didn't think she was getting anywhere, so she said,

"Do you want to see my laser bow?"

Crosshair snorted, lowering his eyebrows until his eyes were mere slits his face. "No."

Omega shrugged. "Okay. But I have to work on it anyway. Tech's added some different features to it, and I want to make sure I get them memorized."

Crosshair lay back down, rolled over and didn't respond.

Omega hurried out to retrieve her bow. When she returned, Crosshair was asleep.

Positioning herself against the far wall so as not to disturb him, Omega set to work. Within five minutes, she was asleep as well.

The kid was irritating.

Crosshair lay facing the wall, utterly motionless. He listened as she left the bunk room and mentally sighed when she came back carrying something. No doubt, her bow. Her footsteps were less light than before and she stepped with more purpose.

At least she wasn't swinging her weapon about while skipping. So she wasn't completely stupid.

She had shown as much by actually responding to him rather than staring blankly.

The conversation had diverted his thoughts to less exhausting grounds, but not by much.

He didn't understand why she had come, and something not understood, especially when it was (or was of) a person was something to treat with scrutiny and derision. It was the best way to reveal its true purpose.

Most people wouldn't stand to be insulted if they held a rank or some other position of authority. If they didn't, in name or ability, that was when they broke the fastest. With nothing to back up their claims of authority or behavior, their defences crumbled satisfyingly fast.

And when someone had real authority and used it, like Commander Cody, they could be safely respected without the deference endangering Crosshair or his squad...

Crosshair had early on decided to be proud of how different he was. It was the only way to keep from being afraid. And acting on that pride had made him the instigator of practically every fight he was involved in rather than being the subject of premeditated assault.

But Omega was strange. More than strange. Because she was different even than Clone Force 99 was.

That didn't mean Crosshair liked her. He didn't. She was annoying, and so was everything that had happened because of her. Not only that, things had been downright dangerous.

Hunter returning to Kamino for her, the ion blast from the engine no doubt the kid's idea, and all of them nearly dying because she activated the droids when Crosshair was just about to fix everything. He and everyone else had been delayed because of the kid's interference, and that had nearly cost them their lives. Add to that the fact that she had been willing to disregard everything that had happened to Crosshair because of her by risking her life for a kriffing droid.

Crosshair did not like her at all.

He almost turned over, intending to tell her to go away, but decided in favor of ignoring her. His side and leg were buring again, and he knew if he spoke now, he risked dropping a word or two that Hunter would kill him for if the sergeant ever heard the kid repeat them. Hunter had gone soft.

The sounds of the kid fiddling with her bow became less annoying and almost soothing. Crosshair suddenly found himself thinking about Tech and the nights Crosshair would wake to find the mechanic still up and tinkering with various projects.

Crosshair relaxed and let the pain work through his injuries. He didn't have the energy to be annoyed right now. He needed to heal so he could leave and find Admiral Rampart.

The others would try to stop him. Maybe. Hunter would not force him to stay against his will - and if he did, Crosshair could easily make himself so unbearable that Hunter would forget whatever foolish morals held him to take care of Crosshair and side with Echo. Crosshair knew the cyborg was not at all happy about his being onboard.

Wrecker was strong, but too simple to make much of a difference with his opinion. And Tech -

A sudden pain stabbed behind his eyes, and Crosshair flinched. He thought there was something he should be remembering. But when he tried to latch onto the idea, it flickered from his mind and hovered tauntingly on the edge of his memory...

Click-click-tap-tap...

Crosshair blinked. Everything was silent except for the low humming of the Marauder flying through hyperspace. Turning over, he caught sight of Omega, her back to the far wall. She was slumped down over her weapon, asleep.

Crosshair shook his head and blinked again. He was sure there was something he'd been thinking about, but it had escaped him. And he didn't know why that bothered him so much.

Omega shifted, her hand tightening around her bow.

Crosshair almost made a move to get up and take the bow from the kid. He had no desire to be shot in his sleep.

Pressing a hand to his throbbing leg, he pushed himself up, then looked towards the open doorway and hesitated.

Someone was taking her weapon. Her mind felt more awake than her body, so Omega didn't mind. She knew she'd fallen asleep on her work.

"Thanks for leaving her on the floor," said Echo's voice.

Echo was in front of her, and Omega stumbled into his arms. He lifted her. She felt pleasantly warm, despite the cold metal of his scomp link. Her face was too tired to move, so she smiled inside. But the smile turned into a frown as a sneering whisper pushed through her dozing thoughts.

"How...touching..."

Then Echo was carrying her back to her room in the gunner's mount. And the last conscious thought she had was a sleepy wish that Crosshair wouldn't want to fight all the time.

A quiet wind sounded hollowly around the Marauder and slipped over the transparisteel window in the gunner's mount. It hushed the sounds of the other members of the Bad Batch as they prepared for the day. Blinking bleerily, Omega reached for her chrono, but gave up about halfway. It felt way too early.

Omega turned onto her back and pushed herself deeper into the soft floor. The wind sounded cold, and it made her chilly to even think of it. She had just tucked her blanket more firmly under her chin when there was a knock outside the curtain and Wrecker's cheerful voice boomed in.

"Hey, kid! You awake?"

"No..." mumbled Omega.

The curtain slid open, bringing in Wrecker's beaming smile like a glare of sunshine.

"Yeah, y'are!" he yelled.

Reaching out to the outer wall by the ladder, Wrecker flicked on the lights. Those definitely imitated sunshine. It didn't help that the sky outside was coated in thick, heavy clouds.

Omega shut her eyes tightly and frowned. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel like getting up this morning. She tried to be logical and come up with a reason why she should feel this way, but nothing came. She felt...grumpy.

"Do I have to get up, Wrecker...?" she sighed.

"Yes," said Hunter, passing by the gunner's mount without so much as looking at Omega. The sound of his clicking boots faded out as he moved to one of the computers, then stopped completely. Omega kept her eyes shut and held herself firmly still. Just five more minutes...

Hunter's footsteps sounded again, coming back towards the gunner's mount, and Omega sat bolt upright.

Wrecker jumped off the ladder, and Hunter looked up.

Omega squinted down at him.

Hunter smirked and turned off the lights, and Omega couldn't help the grateful smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Somehow she felt a little less tired, now. Even if she did, she didn't need to frown...

"Get up, Omega. We're heading out."

Omega bundled up her covers and threw them into the corner of her room, knocking over Trooper and Lula who sat stoically astride the precious commlink. "Where? Where are we?"

"Ord Mantell."

Omega flopped back down. "Ugh...I hope Cid doesn't make me play anymore Dejarik matches..."

Hunter chuckled and now Omega smiled fully, too. It was always nice to hear Hunter's laugh. It came rarely, like Tech's smiles and Echo's jokes. And despite his often cheerful behavior, even Wrecker seemed to be losing some of his good humor lately.

Everyone seemed so...tired...

Omega rolled onto her back and stared at the now lifeless string of bulbs on her ceiling.

"Hunter...?"

"Hm?"

"Can we go somewhere?"

Hunter climbed up the ladder and sat at the top. "Like where?"

"Oh..." Omega blinked slowly, suddenly very happy that Hunter was sitting there, talking with her. And she realized, with some confusion, that she missed him. But that didn't make sense. She had seen Hunter every day since she left Kamino with him and the others. She would have to ask how being lonely for someone whom one saw every day was even possible. But not yet. Hunter was still waiting for an answer to his question.

Omega looked up at him. "I don't actually know... Somewhere nice. Where we can all go exploring instead of running away all the time."

Hunter nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I suppose we could use some down time... Tell you what. We're going to check with Cid about another job. Now hold on," he said as Omega's face fell. "We're going to get the highest paying one she's got and once it's done, we're taking a trip back to Pantora."

Omega smiled and sat up. "Fixing things?"

Hunter nodded. "That's right. Might as well get that errand out of the way. Assuming the gran doesn't gun me down before I can return his credits."

He chuckled again. Omega didn't think it was very funny.

Hunter tapped her on the nose. "Then, we can take a look at some places and see where you'd like to go for a few days."

Omega fairly wriggled with excitement. "Really!?"

"Really." Hunter climbed down to the floor, and jerked a thumb over one shoulder. "Now get up, get some food in you, and get to watching the ship. We won't be gone long."

Omega bounced to the edge of the ladder and tumbled from her room, snagging her boots in one hand just before she hit the floor. She didn't mind staying behind for a bit, she thought, struggling to pull her boots on as she hopped after Hunter.

The others were already grouped at the door. Omega looked up, nearly losing her balance when Wrecker laughed.

"Whatcha doin' Omega?" he howled.

Tech's head popped up behind Wrecker's shoulder and Echo smirked.

Hunter shook his head and put on his helmet. He punched the door controls and the Marauder slid it's metal ramp out and down, opening itself to the biting sting of cold wind.

"Let's go," said Hunter. "Don't blow up the ship, Omega."

"Wait - she's staying?" said Echo.

Before Omega could respond, Wrecker gave her a gentle pat - in truth, a solid thump - on the back, and followed Hunter down the ramp. "Don't blow up the ship without me!" he grinned.

"Don't blow up my ship at all, if you please," Tech sniffed, tripping after Wrecker.

Echo put a hand on Omega's shoulder and called after Hunter. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Aren't you...?"

Omega jumped, falling solidly into Echo at the sudden voice that snaked from behind her. She turned halfway to glance behind her, and remembered with inescapable clarity what was different about today.

Crosshair was leaning against the doorframe, one hand gripping the edge, and glowering.

Omega gulped. He was here.

Then Hunter was back in the ship as well, pushing past Echo to face the sniper. Echo kept a hand on Omega's shoulder, and Wrecker stomed up the ramp and towered behind them.

Hunter removed his helmet. "Not this time, Crosshair. You'll be fine 'til we get back."

Crosshair lowered his head and gazed piercingly at Hunter. "That's not what I meant. Aren't you afraid I'll run off and tell the Empire where you are?"

"No."

Omega felt marginally better at the certainty in Hunter's tone and the open surprise that flashed across Crosshair's sharp features.

"Really..." the sniper drawled.

Hunter nodded firmly. "Really. You're not going anywhere with that leg, and if you try, Omega can shoot you."

Omega didn't feel happy anymore.

Wrecker ducked down and whispered loudly in her ear. "He means stun!"

"I know..." Omega whispered back, but Crosshair had shoved himself away from the doorframe and took a single step forward towards the group.

"And that's another thing. Aren't you afraid I'll injure your little sidekick?"

"Nope." Hunter turned and waded through Echo, Omega and Wrecker, stepped back onto the stairs and walked down the ramp to Cid's landing platform.

Wrecker patted Omega's head and followed, seemingly satisfied to follow Hunter's conviction that all would be well. Omega wasn't so sure.

She didn't miss the furtive glance Echo shot at Crosshair, or the way Echo was lingering as he started down after Hunter.

Crosshair shoved himself forward and Omega had to skip out of the way as Crosshair stumbled and clutched at one side of the Marauder's entrance for support where he clung, gasping faintly.

"And why...is that?"

Hunter turned back and gave Crosshair a hard stare. Omega peeked out of the ship under the sniper's elbow, careful not to get too close.

Echo caught her gaze and bumped Hunter with his scomp link. "Hunter, I don't think -"

Hunter cut him off with with a wave and stepped forward. "Because no one," he said "who risks valuble time, their position and their life in order to prevent another's capture or death is going to do anything to harm a child. I don't believe you ever valued the Empire, Crosshair. Either for itself or for what it does."

Crosshair snarled, slowly pushed himself away from the doorframe and stumbled back to the bunkroom.

Omega watched as the Bad Batch started off towards Cid's. The gray morning seemed even more dreary than it already had, and the biting wind stung her nose. A few forgotten wrappers and some pieces of limp foliage mysteriously present in this "dump" - as Echo called it - floated mournfully past the Marauder and disappeared between the buildings.

Omega wanted to run after the others and leave Crosshair to be grumpy all by himself. But just as she thought she might seriously consider it, Tech, with a final wave in her direction, tapped his wrist controls and closed the Marauder's door. Omega tipped forward and leaned her head against it.

"Can today get any worse...?" she asked the Marauder. Not too loudly - she didn't want Crosshair to know she was in a bad mood as well. It might make him feel victorious.

The ship was silent except for the whistling wind that split and swirled around the folded wings of the ship. Omega puffed out her cheeks and sighed, straightening abruptly.

"Well, I suppose I could go keep Crosshair company!"

The bunkroom door slid shut with an angry hisss!

Another moment of silence. A loud swoosh of wind - and impossibly, it began to rain.

Omega leaned on the dashboard, slumped over in the copilot's seat. She watched the swirling rivulets of rainwater streaking down the viewport and sliding off to who knew where. Everything was dark and silent.

Omega wished, not for the first time, that there would be some way to fix everything. She was sure there was, if only she could find it! She definitely needed to talk with the others - perhaps then she'd be able to sort out the confusing swirl of thoughts in her mind. She had so many questions, but that was all she knew. She wasn't sure what those questions were, nor even what they were about. It was frustrating, and that puzzled her.

She idly flipped an unresponsive switch on the control panel back and forth, back and forth...

There was...one question she had - it had come to her that morning while Hunter was talking to her. And that question she wanted an answer to as soon as possible. Perhaps she could discover what else was bothering her if she at least had one answer to work from.

She needed an answer now.

Omega bounced up from the seat and spun about, pausing as she looked around the very empty ship. Empty except for -

Omega sank back into her seat and shook her head. She would be quiet and leave Crosshair alone.

But then another thought struck her. A thought from the previous evening. Crosshair still had his chip. She was sure of it. And she'd forgotten to tell Hunter!

Perhaps she was mistaken, but his reactions and what she had heard from the hold when Tech and Wrecker were patching Crosshair up was clearly not from Crosshair's physical injuries. Also, the way he had looked when she had seen him after... Something wasn't right.

The Marauder's main console communications board flashed at her, and Omega watched the lights dance, letting her eyes slide shut to the mezmerizing patterns. Only to jerk awake as she realized someone was trying to contact her.

She hit the button and Echo flickered into view on the holo. "Hello, Echo," she said.

"Omega? Just checking in - Hunter's still arguing with Cid about our payments. Just letting you know we could be later than expected."

Omega shrugged. "That's fine. Did you find a good job?"

"Well... It pays pretty well - four thousand, supposedly, if Cid doesn't cheat on us again."

"She's pretty tricky, huh?"

"Yeah," Echo chuckled. "Unfortunately, she's the only one we can go to for jobs without risking getting turned in to the Empire - though come to think of it, she might just do that if it suits her."

"Don't say that, Echo," said Omega. "I don't think Cid would turn us in. She likes us, I think... Plus, we've gotten her a lot of money! I don't think she'd risk me as her Dejarik player." Omega always felt very grown up, talking over holo.

Echo sighed. "I hope your right, Omega. But as far as I'm concerned, it's all about the credits with Cid."

Omega nodded along.

"And that's another thing," Echo went on. "Cid found out somehow that we have another person on board! Docking fees just went up because of that!"

"What?" said Omega, trying to sound as affronted as Echo did, but not quite sure she understood what it was all about. "She's charging more because Crosshair is with us?"

"Yup," said Echo. "Force help us if she ever finds out he was Imperial - maybe still is Imperial. How's it going over there? Everything okay?"

"Oh, fine." Omega looked about the ship again. "Crosshair hasn't come out since you left, and I've cleaned up the ship, studied more about those yalbecs -"

"Yalbecs? Why would you be studying about those?"

"Well..." Omega giggled a little nervously. "They are interesting...! And..."

Even over the holo, Echo's raised eyebrow was evident. "And what?"

Omega took a deep breath. "Wrecker said fighting them is the only way I'll be allowed to use a big knife," she blurted.

Echo facepalmed. "Omega, I hope you never have to use a big knife."

"I know..." Omega hid her hands in her lap and stared down at the toes of her boots. "It's just...I just want to..."

Echo smiled faintly. "Maybe later - oh! Gotta run. Look, Omega, we'll...bring you back some Mantell Mix. Okay?"

The Echo holo disappeared as did the sound. But not before Omega had heard Cid's sharp voice over the speakers contending with Wrecker's for volume and Tech's higher tones chirping out, "That is extremely unfair!"

Omega smoothed her tunic and wandered towards the rear of the ship. She wondered how Crosshair was doing.

The bunkroom door was still shut. It was nearing 1300 hours.

Omega knocked. "Crosshair?"

No answer.

Omega checked the controls. The door was no longer locked. Tapping the button, Omega opened the door and stepped inside.

Crosshair was sitting upright in his bunk, watching her.

Omega jumped. "C-Crosshair! How...how are you?"

"What do you think?"

He sounded just as sour as ever. Good. Nothing was seriously wrong.

Omega stepped forward. She wanted to ask him if he had heard her knocking (she was sure he had), but decided a less confrontational approach would be more prudent.

"Are you hungry? she asked.

"Yes."

Omega blinked. She hadn't been expecting such cooperation. Crosshair seemed to guess her thoughts.

"What?" he sneered. "Surprised?"

Omega shrugged as politely as she could. "Um...yes, actually. A bit..."

"Hmph." Crosshair leaned back against the wall and massaged his bandaged ribs. "You're an observant little pest. I figured you wouldn't accept a lie, so...if I answer the way you want, maybe you'll go - away."

Omega sighed and moved to the shelf where Hunter kept the ration bars. She didn't think Crosshair was ready for MREs.

Setting a bar and a water pouch on the pillow, Omega stepped back and folded her arms. "Does that mean if I ask you to eat something, you will? Because I won't go away until you promise to," she said.

Crosshair snorted. "You're so naive."

"I just want you to eat some food!"

Crosshair rolled his eyes.

Afternoon stretched into evening. The gray clouds overhead hadn't lightened at all despite the copious sheets of rain they sent streaking down from the sky. The viewport in the Marauder's cockpit was a shimmering mirror coated by a constant ripple of rain. Pounding fingers sounded all over the exterior of the ship, even underneath where water streamed to the surface of the landing platform and bounced up again.

Omega wandered back and forth, around and around.

Crosshair still had not come out of the bunkroom.

Omega had left only after he had sneeringly agreed to eat the food she had brought him. She hoped he hadn't lied just to get her to leave. He seemed starved.

Omega had worked with people before who were just as unpleasant as Crosshair. In one scenario, even more so. That had been scary. That had been the day Nala Se gave Omega the Kaminoan headpiece to wear, telling her it would "protect" her.

Omega still didn't understand how that poor soldier could have been so awful to her. She had merely been trying to help by giving him pain meds and saying hello.

Nala Se had explained that when humans are hurt, they tend towards aggression as a means of defence and denial of their pain rather than silent acceptance.

Omega wondered now if Crosshair was so mean because he was hurting a lot. She was determined to find out. Maybe the problem with people who get hurt like that is that they drive everyone away by their behavior and soon have no one left to help them.

And Omega did not want that to happen to Crosshair.

Slipping through the narrow path between the the flight chairs, Omega reached Crosshair's weapons kit and slowly wrestled it all the way back to the bunkroom. She knocked.

Again, no answer.

She knocked again, sending a tentative "Crosshair...?" against the forbidding metal door.

She jumped back as the door hissed open, and Crosshair came slowly out. It looked as if he had been about to run her over despite his inability to move quickly, but his eyes darted to the weapons kit and he hesitated.

"Where did you get that?"

Omega shifted the end of the heavy case to lean against her side. She was about to drop it.

"You - left it on...the ship!" she gasped, heaving at the case again.

Crosshair grabbed the top of the weapons kit and hauled it to lean by the door. His searching look flickered down at Omega.

"What else did I...leave on the ship?" he asked.

Omega fidgeted, then grasped her fingers tightly, determined not to let Crosshair see how nervous she was. Perhaps now would be the time to give him his new communicator?

"Well," she began. "You left..." She almost said "your armor" but held back at the last moment. That could wait. She would have to ask Tech about it first. "Your communicator... But it got destroyed."

"And who destroyed it?"

Not "how did that happen". Crosshair, Omega reflected, was a very suspicious person. She opened her mouth but Crosshair interrupted before she even began to speak.

"Perhaps it was Hunter? He never could stand reminders."

"That's not true!" Omega shot back. She held her breath and counted to three. Anger would help nothing here.

Crosshair watched her through narrowed eyes.

"That's not true," Omega repeated again, more calmly. "The commlink got ruined when a bounty hunter smashed it. Hunter didn't get rid of it. He missed you just as much as the rest of us."

Crosshair scoffed. "Then explain to me why he didn't try to get me back..."

"Why didn't you try to come back?"

Crosshair's pale cheeks flushed, anger darkening his eyes. He snatched up the weapons kit from where it leaned on the wall and strode back into the bunkroom.

Omega followed.

Crosshair turned to glance at her over his shoulder, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Whaaat?"

Now was not the right time to mention that Omega had been wearing Crosshair's old communicator. She scuffed one boot on the floor and said, "Can I watch you?"

Crosshair glared, then studied her almost curiously. "What?"

"Can I watch you work on your weapons," said Omega, pointing to the kit. "Is that...okay...?"

Crosshair said nothing and lowered himself stiffly to the floor.

Omega took this as an invitation to stay, so she slowly sank to the ground as well, mimicking Crosshair's position.

Crosshair opened the black case and took out one of the Firepuncher attachments. He ran a hand along its length, and when a tiny smirk curled up one corner of his scowling lips, Omega was curious.

"Do you like being a sniper?" she asked.

The smirk vanished. Crosshair continued to ignore her.

Omega sighed and tapped her fingers on her knees as she'd seen Wrecker do sometimes.

She didn't know how to make Crosshair happy again, or even if he could be. But it was clear to her that something important was bothering him. So she did the only thing she knew how to do in situations like this. She could try to be friendly, no matter how difficult Crosshair might make it.

"The others all have enhanced skills," she said. "And I can't learn those things. You know, tracking the way Hunter does, or being really smart like Tech, or strong like Wrecker." Omega rocked slowly back and forth where she sat, eyebrows furrowed in thought as she considered her next words. "I know you have enhanced eyes..."

"How perceptive..."

"But maybe you could teach me to be a sniper, too?"

Crosshair continued to work, though the steady pace with which he was rubbing down his gun attachments faltered.

Omega rocked harder, nervousness pushing her to speak further.

"I know it might not be fun for me, but I can work hard! I've been getting better with my bow, and maybe if I practiced a lot, you could teach me to be really good at timing shots and aiming and -"

Crosshair growled and Omega jerked her gaze up to meet his.

"One thing about sniper's," he snarled. "We know how to be quiet."

Omega held her breath.

Crosshair eyed her once more, then returned to his work.

For a long while, there was nothing but the heavy pattering of rain on metal and the soft swish-swipe of a rag as Crosshair cleaned his weapons.

Omega found herself relaxing in the quiet. After a time she could hear each of her own inhales and exhales, as well as Crosshair's soft breathing. It was nice to sit and watch him work. She liked his steady motions of long practice, Crosshair's familiarity with his occupation making Omega feel more confident about approaching him. It didn't matter that he was still acting as if Omega didn't exist. She would have to be patient - maybe in the end he would be friendly like Hunter and the others. Or maybe...this was just the way he was? Quiet. Someone who liked to be alone...

At last Omega heard steps approaching outside the ship. But still she waited, being quiet so Crosshair could work. The peaceful silence was only broken when the door to the Marauder opened, four pairs of boots clomped up the stairs, and Wrecker yelled, "Boy, it's quiet in here!"

Omega bounded upright, clattering out of the room in such a flurry of motion that Crosshair started and jammed his finger into the empty clip case he was working on.

Yanking his hand free, he rubbed his sore finger on the rag that had fallen to the floor, and listened as the others piled into the ship. A few muttered conversations were taking place in the background behind the still unusual sound of the child's voice excitedly chattering away at top speed.

He couldn't catch any of her words aside from "weapons" and "Crosshair". And he told himself he was glad he couldn't understand whatever else the kid was babbling about.

He shoved the clutter of gun parts off his lap and slowly rose as Hunter, with a hopping Omega at his heels entered the room.

How perfect. The master and his faithful little pet.

The master's eyes flicked over the gutted weapons kit and he smiled a little, looking at Crosshair.

"Been working all this time?"

"No," said Crosshair shortly.

The pet scooted around Hunter, a wide grin plastered to her face.

"And I was being quiet like a sniper!"

Hunter chuckled and rested a hand on his holster. "Really?"

"Really." Crosshair pulled himself upright and dropped the rag deliberately into the open kit. "Miracles do occur."

Omega smiled happily up at him, her obliviousness to the meaning of his remark more amusing than annoying for some reason.

Hunter, predictably, was not amused.

"You sure are aching for a fight, aren't you, Crosshair?"

Crosshair decided to save his response for later and allowed Hunter to continue. The sergeant hadn't come to chit-chat.

"Cid wants to meet you."

Crosshair frowned and fumbled for a toothpick. His pockets were empty, so he turned towards his bunk -

And found Omega behind him, holding a toothpick out to him.

Crosshair snatched it and turned back towards Hunter, and lodged the toothpick firmly between his teeth.

"Cid who?" he growled.

Hunter shrugged. "Just...Cid. She's a trandoshan. Runs a bar not too far from here. And...she wants to meet you."

Crosshair scowled, suspicion driving his brows to well below halfway down his eyes. "Why?"

Hunter shrugged again. "Don' know. I wouldn't worry, though. She's trustworthy... About that sort of thing, at least.

Echo stuck his head around the edge of the door - "Until turning us in gets her more money than we're currently making for her," - and moved on.

Crosshair eyed Hunter. "She's been cheating you."

Hunter sighed, a confused smile twitching across his mouth. "I don't know how she does it. But somehow...every time..."

"And you never figure it out until too late."

A soft laugh. "Nope..."

"That doesn't surprise me," Crosshair hissed. "You never could do a single dishonest thing even if it meant saving someone's life. And you're only getting worse."

Hunter glowered and then sent a soft, knowing look at Omega who still stood behind Crosshair. Apparently, there was something to disprove Crosshair's statement about Hunter.

Crosshair stepped back and pushed Omega out of the way so he could sit down on his bunk. "And you want me to come meet this...Cid without knowing why?"

Hunter nodded. "We're not getting any more jobs until she sees you. She made that...very clear.

"What does she want me for? To turn me in to the Empire?" Crosshair spat.

Hunter frowned. "Wouldn't that be just what you'd want anyway? You've got it written all over your face, Crosshair. You can't wait to get out of here."

Crosshair stood and flicked the toothpick onto the floor, anger building behind his eyes. "For once, Hunter, you've got it right. But do you even - know - why?"

"I don't need to understand," Hunter shot back bluntly. "Your actions have said enough. You're not who we thought you were."

He turned his back on Crosshair and started to leave the room.

A surge of hurt and fury forced Crosshair's hands and he snatched up the pillow on his bunk and flung it after Hunter. Omega scurried forward and with a soft "oomph!" she was standing in front of Crosshair, the pillow hugged tightly underneath her chin.

He stared at her for a moment. She blinked back at him and squashed the pillow.

"Hunter taught you to play catch, too? How sweet," Crosshair growled and folded himself over onto the bed to lie stiffly.

Omega walked to the bunk and set the pillow on top of his face. Crosshair smacked it away, scowling as she giggled and skipped out of reach.

"Hunter didn't teach me, actually," said Omega, pausing at the doorway. "Shaeeah and Jek did!"

She disappeared around the doorframe and Crosshair flopped back with a groan and pulled the pillow up to cover his face again.

It all but hid the light in the room from his eyes - he could still feel them burning. It muffled the noises coming from the others as they clattered about the ship, and deadened Wrecker's yelling to a tolerable level.

Slowly, questions slipped into the front of his mind.

When had Omega met Shaeeah and Jek? Why had Hunter gone to the Lawquanes? What was Hunter keeping him here for? What would he have to do to convince Hunter to let him go?

He knew Hunter wouldn't even consider leaving Crosshair when Crosshair was recovering from an injury. An injury he wouldn't have gotten if Tech hadn't interfered and fired on the Imperial ships.

You know that's not true... his head whispered. Crosshair smashed a mental pillow onto his brain.

But it didn't stop its whispering to him. Every phrase it told him, every angry statement he thought it contradicted, the words replaced by the image of Omega.

It unnerved him for some reason, so he reached into the cubby at the head of the bunk, retrieved another toothpick and stuffed it into his mouth under the pillow.

It broke. And the uncomfortable whispers in his mind continued.

He almost welcomed the distraction when Hunter leaned back into the room and interrupted the tiring thoughts.

"Come on, Crosshair, we're heading out."

Crosshair shoved the pillow off his head and let it tumble to the floor. "No."

He sneered disdainfully at Hunter, making his annoyance and disregard for the sergeant's words as obvious as he could.

"Your injuries should have healed enough by now to make a short trip easily enough," said Hunter. 

Crosshair froze.

Hunter stepped all the way into the room. "I don't know what your issue is, but I've got a squad to take care of, and you are not going to get in the way. You're coming."

"Make me."

Hunter looked about ready to start forward, but suddenly, Omega darted past him and into the room, a set of folded fatigues in her arms, her eyes glowing with excitment.

"You'll like Cid," she blurted. "She's a little mean sometimes, but she does like us. I think she'll like you, too."

She plopped the pile of clothing on top of Crosshair while he looked on in confusion, and Hunter watched with obvious amusement.

Omega reached happily for the box of toothpicks.

"Shall I carry these for you?" she asked.

Crosshair glared.

The rain pitter-pattered pleasantly on the dusty stones of Ord Mantell. Omega twirled around once before hopping back to walk alongside Echo. Hunter was at the front of the group, Wrecker stumped along directly behind him, oddly silent, and Tech had his nose buried in his datapad again.

Omega kept her datapad in a little bag at her side, and she pulled it out as she walked, curious as to how Tech was able to work and keep his balance at the same time.

The raindrops plinked delicately onto the screen. Omega wiped them away with her fingers. The watertrails left rainbow streaks on the tablet screen, blurring the lighted image into sharp pixelated spots of color. It was beautiful.

She stumbled. Echo caught her arm, then took her datapad.

"You can do that when you're older," he said, and slipped the datapad back into her bag.

Omega skipped once and tapped the toe of her boot into a puddle. Some droplets jumped up and sprinkled the hem of her already wet tunic. "Technically, I'm older than all of you," she said, tapping her boot harder and making a bigger splash.

The water sprayed onto Echo's kama and several drops flew into Omega's eyes. She blinked hard as her vision blurred, and stumbled into Echo.

Echo steadied her again, his smirk audible in his voice. "Like I said, when you're older."

A soft huff that could have been a laugh sounded behind them. Omega wiped the remaining water from her eyes and turned back.

Crosshair was following slowly behind everyone else, walking stiffly, but steadily. Omega hurried back to him, scuffing her boots into a few more pools of water on the way, and spinning again, she fell into step alongside him, unable to stop herself from clapping her hands.

She was so excited that Crosshair was in the group, coming with them to go on a mission! She couldn't believe how well everything was going, considering how Crosshair had refused to leave Kamino with them.

But now, they were all together again, and things would be so much better! Hunter wouldn't be so tired, Wrecker would smile more, Tech would talk more, and Echo wouldn't be so severe.

It might take a few days for everyone to get used to having Crosshair back, and that was another reason Omega was looking forward to the "down time" Hunter had promised the squad. They would actually have those few days without being interrupted by missions or Imperials shooting at them.

Omega stomped another puddle, delighted by the shining droplets that sprayed out in all directions. Crosshair ignored her still. At least he hadn't told her to "go away".

Omega felt safe enough to venture a question.

"Crosshair? Did you ever...play in the rain?"

Crosshair did not reply, and Omega was glad when Tech unglued his eyes from his tablet screen long enough to glance at her over his shoulder.

"Sometimes we did," said Tech. "But such occurrences as 'playing' were very infrequent and often...less than safe."

"Where did you play?" Omega asked.

"On the roof," Wrecker suddenly cut in. "Boy, that was fun! You could see the whole ocean -"

"Merely a portion of it," Tech interjected.

"-and I wish you could'a seen the sun comin' up, Omega! It was great!" Wrecker beamed, completely undeterred by Tech's interruption.

"One time," he went on, grinning as Hunter's shoulders hunched, "it was really fun! We were sneaking around -"

"That was not fun," Tech quipped. "That was a disaster."

"But there were so many weapons! The armory -"

"Was restricted," Hunter interrupted. "Yeah, that was a disaster."

"You boys sure got into trouble a lot," said Echo. "I know I haven't heard the half of it, but even Fives and I didn't get into messes like that!"

"What happened?" Omega asked.

Wrecker winced, then laughed, then winced again. "Uh...I set off one of the stun grenades...?"

"Oh..." Omega stared at the toes of her boots, not wanting to hear anymore. She could well imagine what had occurred after the Bad Batch was caught.

The conversation seemed to be over. They walked along in silence for a minute or two, Omega splashing every puddle she encountered in her path.

They were almost at Cid's. And so far, Crosshair had said nothing.

Omega opened her mouth to speak again, looking up at him this time. Crosshair was scowling darkly.

Omega breathed once and tugged his hand. "Crosshair, I know you didn't like it on Kamino. But, was that sunrise at least pretty?"

Crosshair glanced down at her, and Omega stared up, confused at the sadness in the sniper's eyes.

Instantly, she ducked her head. "I'm sorry, I was just wondering," she whispered. Her confusion grew all the more when Tech turned back again and looked at her curiously.

Crosshair sighed. "Yes, it was," was all he said.

Cid was waiting at the door of her office when they arrived. Bolo and Ketch, her two regulars, waved to Omega as she passed by with the others. Omega waved back, and Cid shook her stick in Hunter's face.

"Where the heck have you been?" she shouted. "It's almost time for me to close!"

Tech checked his chronometer. "I don't know why you would be closing. Technically, there are still several hours before -"

"Bah-bah-bah-bah, I don't wanna hear it, Goggles," Cid retorted and disappeared into her office.

Hunter shook his head and followed, and Tech and Wrecker exchanging a whispered conversation just behind him. Echo went in after them, facepalming.

Omega hesitated.

Crosshair was lingering some distance away from the door, one hand resting on his hip, his head tilted at an odd angle.

Omega went over to him. "Crosshair?"

Crosshair continued to stare at the office doorway. "That's...Cid..." he drawled.

"Uh-huh." Omega nodded. "That's Cid." She was just about tug Crosshair towards the office when Ketch and Bolo, who'd been whispering over their Dejarik game, rose from their table and wandered over to Crosshair and Omega.

""So, 'oo are you supposed ta be?" Ketch piped up, looking Crosshair up and down. His Ithorian buddy slowly sauntered around Crosshair, sniggering into his vocabulator.

"Are you a prisoner?" said Bolo. He poked the gray fatigues Crosshair was wearing, then wiped his fingers on his shirt.

Crosshair glowered and Omega stepped closer to him, confused.

"Yeah," Ketch agreed. "Where's your armor? Are ya with the other guys? They've all got armor."

"Hey, I don't have armor yet," said Omega. "Leave him alone!"

Ketch ignored her. Bolo kept circling Crosshair.

"You don't look like much without it," said Bolo. "What are you, their guest or something?"

"More like their accountant," Ketch sniggered. "Or maybe you're just a stray -"

Crosshair pushed Omega aside and sprang forward. Ketch let out a bark of alarm, and Crosshair wrestled him into the wall, the sniper's forearm pinning Ketch across his throat.

Omega stared, and Bolo went bounding around the room in dismay. Ketch struggled unsuccessfully.

"Watch yourself, Weequay," Crosshair snarled. "I kill for a living."

Suddenly, Cid came stamping into the room and jammed herself in between Ketch and Crosshair, shoving them apart.

"Alright, alright, this round is over. You two!" - gesturing to Ketch and Bolo - "Get outta here! Bar's closed! See you tomorrow! Go ahead and take a bottle with you. Whatever it takes to get you outta here!"

Ketch and Bolo, quite forgetting their former terror, rushed to the bar and started arguing about which drink choice to pick. They settled on "Reactor Coolant" and were gone.

Omega shuddered. Wrecker had tried "Reactor Coolant" once, and after that Hunter had restricted the squad to nothing stronger than "Thermal Detonator".

Except Omega. The only drink Cid served that Omega was allowed to have was blue milk. At first, she hadn't wanted to, mostly because she had some every time the others ordered drinks, and she'd had so much of it that Wrecker told her she might turn into a bantha at some point. And she'd almost believed him. Until Hunter had done that funny thing with his eyebrows.

But she really did like the blue milk. She hoped at some point she could actually see a bantha cow for real. Not just in the pictures Tech had loaded onto her datapad.

Cid was tapping her stick impatiently, sighing in exasperation when Ketch and Bolo's loud arguing could still be heard several moments later.

The trandoshan tapped Omega on the head. "Come on, Tiny." She jerked her thumb at Crosshair. "You, too, Scrawny. Come on. We're waiting!"

Omega trailed after Cid, pausing just long enough to hear Crosshair's slow footsteps following behind.

Once they were inside the office, Cid closed and sealed the door, then stumped around her desk and sat down, looking for all the world like a shrewdly benevolent frog.

It didn't last long. The friendly gleam in her slit pupils shifted into a calculating glower as she watched Crosshair unblinkingly.

But strangely enough, when Omega looked, Crosshair was ignoring Cid completely.

Hunter looked between Crosshair and Cid a few times, then ran gloved fingers through his hair. "Cid, what's this all about? Why'd you want to see him?"

"Because of the job," the trandoshan replied. "Hey, you! Yeah, Scrawny hiding in the back there!"

Crosshair folded his arms slowly and finally met her gaze.

"Yeah, that's right," Cid called. "I'm talkin' to ya, Toothpick! Come on up here!"

Crosshair glared and did not move.

Cid growled and heaved herself out of her chair before waddling up to Crosshair. She walked around him once, then tapped him with her stick. "Sniper, eh?"

Crosshair dropped his arms to hang at his sides and turned to glower at her. "What makes you say that?"

Cid waved her stick at him. "Just look at yourself!"

Omega and Wrecker exhanged a glance and shrugged.

"Cid," Hunter said as the trandoshan went back to her desk. "Why did you want to see Crosshair in particular, and what is this job?"

"It's simple, really." Cid tapped her claws along the engraved desk edge and smirked at Hunter. "You'll be happy about the payment, too, Bandana Boy. Ten thousand credits."

Crosshair stepped forward. "What are the conditions?"

"That's the great part!" Cid cried. "The client needs one man neutralized - I don't care how. The results you boys have given me thus far makes me think you could achieve the desired results without actually killing the target!"

Hunter leaned his hands on the desk top and bent down to peer into Cid's eyes. "We never have taken a job where the goal was to kill a man."

"Who is it?" said Echo.

"Just an Imperial officer," Cid replied, waving her hands about for emphasis on how ridiculous Hunter's serious behavior was. "An admiral, I was told. He's staying for several days at a dignitary meeting on - "

"I don't wanna hear it," said Hunter, and he stepped away. "We'll do retrievals and extractions, but assassination is not going on our agenda."

"What do your boys think?" Cid snipped. "I think you could really use a hefty chunk of credits."

"Would we even get a 'hefty chunk'?" Echo snorted.

"Of course! What do you say to three fifths of the haul?"

Tech tapped his upper lip rapidly. "You would give us six thousand credits out of ten thousand?"

Cid grinned. "Don't you think sixty percent of that kind of a payment is affordable to me? If someone is willing to pay ten thousand, I'm willing to pay good chunk of that, especially after all you boys have done for me!"

Hunter shook his head. "We're not assassins."

"And you don't have to be!" Cid hollered, waving her arms about in irritation. "The client said 'neutralize', not 'kill' the target! Maim him, send him to a nut house, pack him away in a cellar, I don't care!"

Hunter frowned. "I'll think about it. For now, how about something a little more...easily managed?"

Suddenly, Crosshair stepped forward. "Who is the target?"

Cid blink at him. "Huh? Oh, some admiral called...daugh, what was it...? Admiral Boarding Ramp, or something."

Crosshair narrowed his eyes. "Rampart?"

"Yeah, that's it." Cid cocked her head and gazed sidelong at Crosshair. "You're takin' it?"

Hunter clamped a hand on Crosshair's shoulder, pulling the sniper around to face him. "More importantly, what's it to you?"

Crosshair shook him off and turned back to Cid. "The whole job pays ten thousand, you say."

Cid nodded. "That's right. Goggles there already confirmed with me the cut you boys would get." She smiled hopefully.

Crosshair placed a hand carefully on the desk and drummed his fingers once. "What percent of which cut?"

Cid stared at him, her gaze locked with his for a moment. Then, a wide grin split her mouth. "I like the way you think, Toothpick! Maybe we can talk business?"

Crosshair leaned both hands on the desk. "We are right now, aren't we?"

Cid flashed him a nervous smile. "Alright, you win. Six thousand for doing the job."

Tech stepped forward, his mouth twisted to one side. "That was...already confirmed, Crosshair. Unless... Oh..."

Crosshair looked at Cid from under lowered eyebrows. "I'm surprised it's taken you this long to know that you have to deal in simple numbers with someone like her, Tech," he said.

Tech blinked and cocked his head at Cid.

Cid flapped her hands dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, takes one to know one, Toothpick. So. You want the job?"

Hunter pulled Crosshair back and raised an eyebrow at Cid. "I said we'll take something easier to manage."

Cid sniffed, then shrugged. "You'll get four thousand credits for delivering some cargo safely to Pantora. That's the only other high-paying job I have."

"Pantora, huh?" Hunter rubbed his jaw. "And why are you suddenly offering the next best-paying job?"

"So you'll come back, duh," Cid snapped. "Looks like I'm not going to be able to make a living if you keep bringing that Toothpick around."

"Maybe we won't have to if we could trust you not to cheat us anymore. Like you just tried to." Echo gave her a pointed stare. "What do we have to do? Sift through every word you say to us?"

Cid rolled her eyes. "I look out for me, buster. If you can make a bit of cash while making me money too, fine. Anyway, the offer stands. You boys get four thousand credits for making that delivery. Take it or leave it."

Hunter nodded. "Fine. What's this cargo?"

"Drinks, packaging supplies, and a few...valubles."

"What sort of valubles?" said Echo.

"The kind of valubles most people want nowadays," said Cid. "Weapons, boys! That Empire sure sucks them up fast - so I'm trying to make sure a few more get out there to the other guys!"

"Right, and...who are we delivering them to?"

Cid pulled up a small holo and set it on the desk. "It's a Gran named Reeka Mor. He's a shop owner just outside the capital."

Omega came forward to study the image and grinned. Hunter nudged her arm.

"Yeah, we've met that guy," he said. "Pantora it is then."

Cid tossed the holo to Omega, who caught it and slipped it into her bag. "Pantora it is."

"So, Tiny!" Cid clapped Omega on the shoulder as she followed the squad out of the office. "You going to be ready for more money-making operations when you get back?"

Omega glanced up at Hunter who had turned back slightly at Cid's question, and smiled. "Actually, we're going to take a vacation!"

"A vacation, huh?" Cid tapped her chin with a long claw, then stroked her stick thoughtfully. "Any idea where you'd like it?"

Omega scrunched up her face. "Not...really...? Somewhere nice, though. Everyone needs some down time," she added seriously.

"Somewhere the Empire isn't," said Echo firmly. He stepped back to Omega's side and watched Cid through narrowed eyes.

"Relax, bolts-for-brains," Cid drawled, rolling her eyes. "I'm not interested in interfering with your vacation! I've got a few places in mind if you need suggestions. My informants keep me pretty up to date on which places are Empire-free. For now, at any rate."

"Good." Hunter folded his arms. "Any suggestions? That won't shake whatever trust we have for you?"

"I promise, Bandana. I'm not interested in getting you and your little group involved in my missions if you ain't interested. But yeah. I do have a few ideas."

Tech adjusted his goggles. "Such as...?"

"Well how about Verdacca for starters?" Cid snapped. "Quiet place, plenty of low-life bars here and there, lots of open space!" The trandoshan smiled and cocked her head down at Omega. "And plenty of grass and open sky."

"Are there any Imperial forces there?" Hunter asked.

"Not so far," Cid replied. "Seems the Empire's targeting more well-to-do planets first. Not that they're going to do anything to help the less fortunate in those places. Money-grubbing slobs..."

Echo quirked an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Cid.

"Look, metal-head!" she squalled. "I'm not a corrupt politician! I do what I say I'm about! I look out for me! You know that!"

"How is that not corrupt?" Echo muttered. Wrecker elbowed him.

Hunter huffed and shook his head. "I don't know anything about politicians - I'm just trying to take care of my squad. On which note... Tech! How's Verdacca look?"

Tech, who was busily swiping his finger repeatedly up his datapad screen twisted his mouth to the side and studied his device a moment longer before he straightened and put it away.

"Verdacca appears to be a safe option," he stated, and took a breath.

Echo leaned over and glanced down at the datapad. "No more than a few hours jump away, twenty-six hour rotation, close to standard. Hmm..."

Tech frowned at Echo's interruption and pulled the tablet away. "I will take care of preparing the ship," he said bossily. And with a pointed look at Wrecker, "We should also restock on our supplies."

Omega set her aside and pulled the holo device from her bag. She remembered the Gran. She had nearly broken some of his merchandise while waiting for Hunter to finish bartering. That incident led to the "no touching things in the shops" rule. And Omega tried very hard to remember. Credits were hard to come by, and there had been a few nights where she had seen Hunter and Tech in a late conversation about "economizing".

Wrecker had looked up the word for her the next day.

Omega pressed the device controls, wondering how much ten thousand credits looked like and remembered Crosshair's questions to Cid and Tech's surprised reaction. "What percent of which cut?" She thought she understood what Cid had been doing, but didn't quite see how the trandoshan had managed it. She would have to ask someone. But not Crosshair. She had bothered him enough.

The holotransmitter flickered, and a blue image of the Gran wavered into view. Omega watched the image lazily rotate three times before she straightened. There was a small flash of pale blue that swept down the holo display every few seconds. She almost hadn't noticed it. But now that she had, her attention was gripped, and she stared intently, trying to catch the small figures that flickered through the blue light.

They disappeared too quickly. Omega tried to keep her eyes on the same section of the image as it turned so that she could focus on one figure at a time. It didn't work. The second holo shifted randomly, and despite her best efforts, Omega couldn't catch a bit of it.

She shook the transmitter, turning it over to see if there was any way to slow down the recording. There wasn't. Because it wasn't a recording. It was a projection with a second one built in.

She pressed her lips together in a determined frown.

Whatever it was, it would have to be extracted.

A loud hiss and dull clang from the boarding ramp shot through the ship. Omega crawled to the ladder and peeked out, still clutching the holo transmitter. Echo and Wrecker must have returned with the supplies.

Eager to help bring in the supplies, Omega slid down the ladder, then skidded to a stop as Crosshair staggered into the Marauder and leaned heavily against the wall.

"Crosshair! Crosshair, are you all right?"

The holo device clattered to the floor as Omega ran forward. The sniper looked up at her just as Hunter hurried from the cockpit followed by Tech, and Omega froze at the fierce grimace on Crosshair's face.

"Crosshair...?" she whispered.

Hunter strode up to Crosshair and grasped him beneath the arms. Crosshair did not resist as Hunter helped him towards the bunk room.

Omega panted, startled by the suddenness with which Crosshair had burst into the ship, and the even more sudden interference of Hunter. "Tech! Is he okay...?"

"He will be all right," said Tech quickly. "Omega, please return to your room."

"But -!"

"Please."

He didn't wait for her to respond, but hurried into the bunk room after Hunter.

The door closed, and Omega was left alone.

She shuffled back to the gunner's mount, thoughts swirling about in her head until it began to ache. She checked the chrono and sighed. It was nearly 2100 hours, and Wrecker and Echo were still not back with the supplies.

What had Crosshair been doing out alone? He hadn't returned to the ship with Tech and Hunter, and Omega didn't think he'd been helping Echo and Wrecker. Or maybe he was helping them, she scolded herself. Maybe that's why he was so...tired? No, he wasn't just tired, he was injured. He had been struggling on the way to Cid's, and the brief scuffle with Ketch and Bolo in the trandoshan's parlor had probably not helped him any.

Omega lay down and tucked Trooper tightly under her chin. She stared sadly out at the familiar interior of the Havoc Marauder, unable to help noticing each blinking light and glowing dial. She had practically memorized the positions of every control on the main dashboard, and was well on her way to committing the placements of the navicomputer's controls to memory as well.

Trooper rattled inquisitively as Omega pulled the blankets up, so she scootched up a bit further on her pillow to let Trooper see out as well.

Everything was quiet, seemingly all was well. But it wasn't.

There was a low murmur of voices from the bunk room, and Omega sniffed, unable to stop the tear that slipped down her face when Tech's voice snapped, "Why didn't you say something?" and Crosshair's voice hissed something Omega couldn't catch.

"I shouldn't have made him come," Omega whispered. Trooper did not reply.

Suddenly discouraged, Omega sat up and threw the doll from the gunner's mount. It skittered across the floor and stopped with a muted clink as it collided with something on the floor. It could be one of Wrecker's explosives for all she cared.

The voices from the bunk room faded, and silence pervaded the ship once more. The sky outside was completely black, and the soft glow from the dashboard illuminated the slow trickle of raindrops on the viewport from the inside. It looked strange, the shining drops eerily soothing as they slithered in pale tracks down the transparisteel.

Omega didn't notice when her confusion fled to be replaced by a comforting darkness.

**************

At first, Omega thought it was morning. She turned slowly and blinked blearily at the chrono, groaning tiredly when the numbers 0100 registered in her muddled brain. Besides, it was still very dark. She couldn't see any of the cockpit controls... Someone had slid her curtain closed.

The rain had stopped, but now there were footsteps moving about the ship - the heavy thuds of Wrecker's boots mixed with soft metallic taps from Echo's, and Hunter's quieter shuffling.

Omega shoved herself up on her elbows and blinked rapidly. What had woken her? It must have been noise of the hatch when Echo and Wrecker came back.

Swiping a hand down her face, Omega curled up and tugged the blankets around her shoulders as tightly as she could. Sitting up had made her cold, and she pushed her face hard against the pillow until she felt tired enough to drop back off to sleep.

The stealthy footsteps in the main area below blended together, accompanied by whispers and Hunter's low voice. Omega liked Hunter's voice. It rumbled when he talked quietly. The quiet conversation continued for some time and rain began to fall again. These nighttime sounds made a sort of lullaby, and Omega thought it would be nice to hear one.

She had tried to sing before. AZ was her only listener as Nala Se was often busy with her work, and once she had started helping the Kaminoan in her work, Omega had stopped singing. She didn't remember any of the tunes she used to hum anymore, and she didn't remember if she had ever put words to them.

Words tapped against her mind, and Omega turned over, then woke up with a start.

The others were talking...about Crosshair!

"I don't know what he was doing hanging behind," Echo said, tone still hushed. So, they must think she was still asleep.

"I did not notice him drop back," said Tech.

"Look, it doesn't matter," Hunter said. "I'm not sure we should be acting like probe droids with him, but at the same time..."

"Does he even want to be with us?" Wrecker muttered, volume level surprisingly controlled for his usually vociferous tones.

Hunter hummed thoughtfully. "I don't see that we need to do anything about it..."

"Hunter," Echo cut in. "I understand you want to act as if none of this happened, but we just can't. What if Crosshair is out to turn us in? We'll be executed for sure, and who'll take care of Omega?"

Omega bit her lip, heart pounding as she gingerly plucked at the edge the curtain, pulling it aside with the crooked tip of her index finger.

Wrecker was sitting in one of the flight chairs across from Tech who sat hunched on the very edge of his seat. Echo stood facing Hunter whose arms were folded stiffly across his chest. Hunter's head was bent in thought and he stared intently at the ground. His eyes were dark gray.

"He's sad..." Omega whispered to herself.

Hunter sighed through his nose and looked up at Echo. "For now, let's just take a break. Crosshair's stuck with us for at least five days. I don't understand why those injuries haven't at least closed fully, but he needs more time. I'm not just going to dump him out somewhere."

"And what if he wants to be dumped somewhere?" Echo hissed. "Hunter! You can't drag him around like this! He's going to snap or something. He betrayed us!"

Wrecker rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yeah, but...didn't we betray him, too?"

Echo shot him a look, then turned back to Hunter. "He doesn't want this, Hunter."

Hunter pursed his lips. "I... Once he's healed...we'll let him go."

Echo looked closely at Hunter, then closed his eyes. "Hunter? If this is what you're deciding on, I'm not going to cause a problem. But I've got a bad feeling about this. People like Crosshair don't just...turn around overnight and come back. He's got some ulterior motives in mind - and he's going to go after his goals."

"He said he didn't want us dead," Hunter snapped.

"His chip was removed," Tech put in.

"Tech!" Hunter clamped his mouth shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tech, we don't know that for sure. Look, I know you don't want to trust him, Echo. He hurt all of us by what he did. But...Wrecker's right. We hurt him, too. I broke a promise we all made at the beginning. I'm going to live by that promise now, even if Crosshair doesn't live up his end of it."

"I will as well," said Tech.

"Me too!" Wrecker waved his hand enthusiastically, only to be stared down by the other three.

"Shhh! You'll wake Omega!" Echo warned.

"Ooh, sorry." Wrecker clapped a hand to his mouth before resting his elbows on his knees. "Hey, Hunter?"

"Hmm?"

"What if Crosshair doesn't...want to keep it anymore?"

Hunter didn't reply for a long moment.

Finally, Tech raised a finger and smiled slightly at Wrecker. "I believe he does, Wrecker. He just may not...know how..." His smile faltered, and he tapped his foot anxiously.

Hunter laughed. "Huh, yeah... Look, Echo, I'll talk to him. For now, let's just...take a break. Speaking of which... How'd it go with Cid?"

"Aw, it went fine." Wrecker grinned. "She wasn't too happy about those thousand credits upfront, but we got it from her easily enough."

"A little too easily," Echo frowned.

Tech cocked his head inquiringly, and Wrecker went on.

"So after the supplies, we got enough fuel to...uh..." he glanced at Echo who frowned again.

"It's too easy, Hunter. It's almost like Cid wants us to go. She's a real haggler about pricing and deals, but this time she gave in with barely her customary complaint! And she refused to give us the fuel."

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "But it's part of the deal - we finish the mission, the Marauder gets a full tank."

"I know, I told her that," Echo growled. "She just said if we were walking out with a thousand credits upfront, she'd need assurance we'd come back to Ord Mantell at all."

Hunter scrubbed his forehead. "Isn't she ever going to let us out of her grip?"

"I guess she wants to keep us on her list of potential employees," said Echo.

"So what does that mean?" Hunter looked at Tech.

Tech pushed his goggles up the bridge of his nose and blinked. "It means we have enough fuel to reach Pantora and back - with enough left over for 1.376 trips to and from Verdacca."

"And that's another thing," Echo snapped. "Why Verdacca? What's there that she's so eager for us to run into?"

"Nothing that I can see," said Tech. "In this case, I believe Cid was being honest."

"So there's no danger in going there?" Hunter asked.

"No," said Tech. "I have done extensive research of the planet in the past - the climate is extremely similar to that of Naboo with the exception of the planetary rotation time and seasonal fluctuations since the planet was first discovered in -"

"Anything else, Tech?" Hunter sighed.

Tech blinked twice. "The population is comprised of over one hundred species - one hundred and thirteen, although there were some minor discrepancies between a few of the articles I found. I tapped into the communications between Ord Mantell and Verdacca, isolating the data transfers to pathways directed to and from the most...isolated terminals in the capital."

"He means the trashy places," Wrecker whispered loudly.

Tech coughed delicately and continued on. "It seems Cid was right. The influence of the Empire is almost nonexistent there. Negotiations have only just begun in the capital. Verdacca remained neutral during the war. And their exports are not valuable enough to interest the Empire - yet. They can all be easily acquired from other planets in the Coruscant sector. Verdacca mainly supplies Ord Mantell, and -"

"Yeah, we figured," Wrecker yawned. "So we goin' there, Hunter?"

Hunter chuckled softly and nodded. "We'll go to Verdacca then. Thank you, Tech."

Wrecker stood, and he and Echo went into the cockpit.

Omega was just about to release the curtain when Hunter caught Tech by the elbow as the pilot stood.

"Tech, is there any way to know for sure whether or not Crosshair's chip is removed?"

Tech frowned thoughtfully and gave Hunter a strange look. "When we were treating him after we left Kamino, I did attempt to use the scanner Omega and I built."

Omega was too focused on what Tech would say next to really notice that he had mentioned her helping him build the chip scanner.

"There...there was something Crosshair appeared to be fighting," said Tech. "But I am not certain. I cannot be certain. It may have been his inhibitor chip, or it may be the effects of the scanner working on...nothing... But that does not make sense."

"No it doesn't," Hunter agreed. "Look...can you try it again?"

Tech nodded slowly, then shook his head. "I do not want to risk something happening," he said. "If it's not Crosshair's inhibitor chip, it is something else. I would not advise using the first scanner - but we could use the AZ unit."

"The droid?"

"Yes. I came across something peculiar while working on its central processing unit. It seems this droid has performed the scan before. We may have to go to a medical facility to acquire the proper equipment, but -"

"Okay," said Hunter. He clapped Tech on the shoulder. "We'll work with what we have for now - maybe Crosshair will tell us something in the next few days that'll make it easier to help him."

"Does he...require help?" said Tech.

"Yes," said Hunter. "Our squad doesn't just...do things like that - I need to know exactly when he got out from under the chip's influence, if at all. Or if it was ever active in the first place."

He patted Tech once more, and wandered into the cockpit.

Tech remained staring at the floor for a long moment. "Be careful, Hunter," he sighed.

Omega watched him, worried by how confusing everything was when Tech looked up at her and sighed again.

She hastily jerked the curtain closed, burrowing into her covers and trying to act sleepy when Tech climbed up the ladder and pulled the curtain aside.

"Omega?"

"Hmmm...?"

"Do not pretend - you were listening, weren't you?"

Omega swallowed and nodded against her pillow.

Tech watched her with slightly narrowed eyes - Omega hoped it was because he was tired.

"We will be leaving Ord Mantell in the morning." he said. And without another word, he climbed down the ladder and went into the cockpit.

Crosshair pressed his cheek against the cool metal of the door and listened as Hunter's footsteps retreated to the cockpit. His chest felt tight - something he had experienced only a few times before. He didn't like things that were unfamiliar and strange. Being afraid made him angry.

He heaved a breath and froze, straining to hear the soft words that floated through the barrier. So Tech was still there.

Crosshair's hand hovered over the door lock. He was inches away from beginning what he hoped would fix the mess with Hunter and the others, and seconds away from deciding against the risk of making it worse.

Not making it worse, his head whispered. You're afraid of being on the wrong side of the line. Something Hunter will never forgive you for.

"I don't need forgiveness," he muttered. The room offered no reply. Silence rang in his ears like the echo of a far away scream.

Crosshair shuddered and limped back to his bunk. His leg throbbed uncomfortably, and he hissed, pressing a hand to his stinging side. The stim shot had done a good job, and the injuries were not life-threatening. He could have avoided the others noticing anything wrong if he hadn't been delayed by the karking trandoshan.

But perhaps he should be thanking the kid's persistance - he didn't want to leave yet, but he would be unable to avoid the problem of having to make a choice once he was healed. Her enthusiasm and Hunter's obvious and leadership-stunting affection for her had certainly helped things for Crosshair. Hunter hadn't been paying attention.

He rolled onto his side. What good was delaying the cure? Even if it had been unintentional. The others had already decided what he was about, and had already condemned him as a traitor. He hadn't spent the previous day and night in mental distress, pacing back and forth and around the bunkroom until his injuries tore, for no reason.

What did it matter? They couldn't be convinced. And he would not let himself be pushed into making a decision he'd regret the rest of his life.

Leaving the squad had not been his intention. They had left him behind. And now they expected him to apologize for it.

"They're all fools," he sighed.

Tucking one knee against his chest, Crosshair closed his eyes. Maybe tonight he would see something other than the pale faces of Saw Gerrara's refugees and the burning hole through Taa's brain.

Hunter might want to believe the inhibitor chip had forced Crosshair to defy his leadership and do things Hunter obviously found unacceptable. And for now, that suited Crosshair well enough. Tech's nosy tendencies had cost him an accidental blessing of delayed healing, although someone would have noticed eventually.

But even a day longer - a day to explain. They hadn't given him that chance. And from what he had heard, they wouldn't ever give him the chance if they found out about what had occurred shortly after his trip to Bora Vio.

It was pointless, really. It had seemed so clear when he had first approached them again. Was Hunter so dense he couldn't see beyond his own selfish goals? How could he honestly believe that what he had decided to pursue was good for the squad? And the kid?

Crosshair twisted onto his back and slid off the bunk. He limped around the room twice, again...then again. It hurt, but it was better than the intangible pain in his head. Desperation made a man do things he might laugh at with a clearer mind. But Crosshair didn't have a clear mind right now. Because if he did, Hunter had gone crazy. And that didn't seem likely. The others would all be dead by now were that the case.

There was one thing Crosshair could try, however. He had to prove somehow that he only wanted the best for Clone Force 99 - and the girl. And maybe, just maybe they would believe him if they knew that he had risked everything for them - even before they had met again in the training arena on Kamino.

Why removing the threat of the elite troopers hadn't convinced them, Crosshair wasn't sure. And they didn't know that he hadn't tried to come back to them... He had tried to get them back multiple times - on Bracca, he had tried to catch up to them, to stop them. And he had risked ever helping them again by deterring to Bora Vio with the elite troops in tow.

They could have easily turned him in to Rampart. But he had been successful. And it was only because he had properly wielded his authority from the very beginning.

Crosshair had tried to listen to Hunter, but Hunter's actions had nearly gotten the squad killed. Crosshair didn't mind so much for himself, but he could not stand by and let the others die for nothing.

He shook his head, massaging his temples.

Why couldn't he see what Hunter and the others so clearly understood? They knew something they weren't telling him. They had something he didn't.

Or maybe, he thought, they never cared...

But he cared. That was why he had been willing to risk the most important things for their sakes, even to fighting his sergeant. His own brother...

The room suddenly felt too small. Crosshair stumbled to the door and held his breath, listening carefully for any sounds outside.

All was silent.

Crosshair gingerly pulled on the fatigues again and opened the door.

The ship was dark - the cockpit was sealed. No doubt the others had been discussing him further in there.

Crosshair could hear Wrecker's unmistakable snoring, then someone stretched - from the sound of things, it was Echo - and Wrecker grunted as he was undoubtedly clipped on the jaw by the reg's scomp.

Crosshair smirked. So things hadn't changed...

And yet they had changed. This was something he was no longer a part of. And he didn't know how to become part of it again.

His smile faded, and he looked towards the hatch, then hesitated. It would be too loud.

Crosshair made his way towards the rear of the ship, feeling his way along the wall. He could get outside through the gunner's mount. It would be chilly and damp, but at least there would be air and open space.

His boot struck something that clattered. If Hunter didn't come out to investigate, it was only because of Wrecker's snoring, Crosshair thought, crouching slowly to find what he had struck.

His fingers closed around an elongated object - and then brushed against a flat metal disc. Crosshair retrieved them both.

"Leaving your tools out, Tech?" he muttered. "You are sloppy..."

He bent over the navicomputer's dully glowing control panel to see what he held. A holotransmitter, and...a doll?

It must be the kid's. So now Hunter was letting a child throw her toys around the ship without consequence? Hunter had gone soft indeed. Soft and stupid.

Slipping the transmitter into his pocket, Crosshair started forward once more. The doll rattled softly in his hand, and he briefly considered hiding it. It would be amusing to see how long Hunter would shirk his duties as sergeant in order to hunt for the brat's doll.

The mental image of a crying Omega flickered through his mind, and he dismissed the half-hearted notion without a second thought. It was always a challenge to test people's limits, but the effects of such an action would produce unwanted tension and noise. Although if a missing doll would cause the girl to throw a fit, she probably deserved to have her toy hidden.

Crosshair pulled himself slowly up the ladder to the gunner's mount and frowned. His previous thoughts hadn't afforded him as much amusement as scheming against his brother's usually did.

His brothers...

But the kid wasn't one of them. She was not someone to be cautious of, for whatever reason, Crosshair didn't know. Perhaps because she wasn't one of them. An outsider...like Crosshair was now.

Something soft brushed Crosshair's nose and he swatted briefly with his hand. A curtain hung down above the ladder. He pushed it aside and pulled himself up the last step. Was Hunter letting the kid decorate the ship now?

He crawled forward and froze as his hand brushed something on its way to the floor. It was too late to pull back.

"Oh, no," he breathed, and hung his head in exasperation, waiting for the inevitable.

There was a soft, sleepy hum, and then Omega was looking up at him, her silhouette visible in the faint gray light outside.

"Crosshair?"

"What are you doing here?" Crosshair snapped.

Omega blinked in confusion. "This is my room."

Crosshair froze, caught halfway between two responses. Omega sat up and he slipped around her and headed for the gun controls.

"Where are you going?"

"Out." Why was he responding to her? It was none of her business what he did.

Omega hopped into a crouch. "Can I come with you?"

Crosshair ignored her and opened the gun hatch.

"Crosshair!"

"What?" he snarled, glancing back just long enough to glimpse her pale face and wide eyes upturned towards him.

"Is that...Trooper?"

Crosshair shrugged, suddenly realizing he was still holding the kid's doll. He tossed the toy to the padded floor and slipped through the open hatch. He had to squirm a bit to make it past the gun, but he was able to fit. Unfortunately, so was Omega.

Crosshair lurched to the left side of the ship and started up, just as Omega's boots hit the cobbled pavement with a damp thud.

Well, he could still climb. She, most likely, could not.

Crosshair heaved himself onto the nose of the ship, then up the viewport to the side wing. The cool morning mist made the ship's exterior slippery, but that had never posed a problem before, and it felt good on his flushed cheeks. His forehead was clammy, and he pressed a hand to his ribs and sank back against the dorsal stabilizer at the top of the Marauder.

There was a soft squeak of metal followed by another like to a womprat's. So now she was trying to follow him? Wonderful.

Her efforts were futile and each attempt unrewarded despite her determination. But after the third pair of squeaks, Crosshair sighed and looked down.

Omega was looking around the ship's frame, the pathway Crosshair had taken too difficult for her to traverse on her own. She was too short.

Of course. She was a kid. And a noisy one at that. Those constant squeaks would wake the others, and it had been hard enough getting out of the ship to risk that now.

Crosshair shook his head - it wasn't defeat, it was tact - and slipped down to the ground, caught Omega by the elbows, and hoisted her up onto the front of the ship. He clambered back up himself, then reached out, allowing his hand to be used like a grappling hook and his arm like a tow cable.

His side was burning by the time he settled down again with the kid next to him. He shouldn't have to add shifting cargo to his list of activities, and the kid's persistance was irksome.

She was either an intentional gnat or stupid. Probably both.

He turned to say so and started.

The girl was looking at where his hand gripped his side, her disapproval as clear as a sunny day on Naboo. Without the sunshine.

"You're still hurt," she said.

Crosshair snorted.

"You shouldn't have climbed up here like that."

Oh, she was a persistant little fly.

"A little late to start worrying about that, don't you think?" Crosshair growled.

She frowned and sat back, mimicking his position exactly.

Crosshair shifted and she did, too. Seemingly unconscious of either change, she did it again when Crosshair's altered a third time.

"Thank you."

Crosshair grunted again, not really wanting her to expound that statement.

"Thank you for helping me up."

Crosshair ignored her - and quickly found that was a mistake.

Omega took his silence as an open invitation to continue, and started talking.

Omega wished Crosshair would speak; but he didn't. He sat stiffly, shoulders slumped and back rigid against the wing, his eyes as cold as the morning mist that brushed against their faces.

Omega patted her bangs, wiggling her eyebrows a bit as some of the moisture squeezed from her hair and tickled down her forehead.

"Do you like it up here?"

A snort.

Omega giggled. She was nervous. "I don't really understand what that means."

Crosshair fished a toothpick from one sleeve and stuck it between his teeth. "Guess".

"Yes?"

Omega frowned as Crosshair turned away with a sneer. She tried again.

"Do you come up here a lot?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"The noise of the general surroundings."

Omega froze, then clamped her lips together. She felt Crosshair glance at her, but eventually she forgot the strain of being quiet and started to take in the view surrounding them.

Ord Mantell looked different from higher up. More of the pavement could be seen at once, and the street stones glimmered dully on their edges. There was a heavy fog on level with the rooftops, and a thinner mist hovered about the first floor windows and the nose of the Havoc Marauder.

Omega waved her hand up and down in front of her face, trying to catch the droplets on her fingers. They slipped through and disappeared, but she could see them! They should be staying.

She tried following one misty particle with her eyes, but she soon lost it in the swirling mass of its fellows. The dancing cloud in front of her eyes confused her vision. It seemed a wall of muted static was rushing about her head, and try as she might, she couldn't catch it.

Crosshair huffed lightly. "Your eyes are crossing. Try focusing on something more distant."

Omega looked out across the buildings and blinked. Her vision split, then everything merged in a clash of blurred images and she squinted hard and blinked again.

Her vision adjusted, and she pushed back against the hard wing which felt cozy despite the unusual sensation of cold metal against her back. But a moment later, something pricked her memory and it didn't feel cozy anymore.

She shifted forward, crossed her legs and stuffed her clasped hands into her lap.

A fuzzy line floated near her right eye, then slid in front of it.

Omega pulled back, eyes crossing as she tried to see what the object was.

"You might occasionally try reverting your gaze to something nearer home," said Crosshair and handed her the toothpick.

Omega took it and twisted her mouth in confusion. "Uh, thank you...?"

Crosshair glanced sidelong at her and shifted his own toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. "That will hopefully make you stop fidgeting," he said.

"Oh..." Omega studied the bit of wood pinched between her fingers and hesitantly placed it in her mouth.

She caught it between her teeth and chewed experimentally. That didn't feel so good. The wood was hard, and it irritated her. She pushed the toothpick further back and bit it with her molars instead. The wood split with a soft crack and slid, scraping her gums.

Omega bit the end of it hard. It hurt and made her whole middle feel hot. She yanked the wood from her mouth and glared at it. "Ugh, that hurts! Is this why you're so grumpy all the time?"

The soreness faded from her mouth and she sighed. She knew she shouldn't have said what she did. But when she brought her guilty gaze upwards, Crosshair was smirking.

"Try balancing it instead," he told her. "You'll get the hang of it."

Omega settled back again and tried rolling the toothpick like she'd seen Crosshair do it. But a minute later, it dropped from her mouth as she gaped and flapped her hand wordlessly towards the structure-studded horizon. She jumped to her feet for a better view

"A-ah-C-Crosshair! Look! What is it doing?"

Sunlight was glowing more brightly above the fog now; daylight had come so gradually, Omega hadn't noticed. And now the mist was rising, curling from the rooftops in bands of steaming white. It was magnificent and a sight Omega had never seen. She danced about in excitement waving towards the buildings.

"Look! Look!"

A hand grasped her belt and pulled her back.

"Quit squawking like a rooster, and sit down before you fall!" snapped Crosshair.

Omega sat, coerced into obedience by Crosshair's tugging. She wriggled where she sat, unable to pry her gaze away from the dancing mist.

"But what is it doing?"

"Evaporating."

Omega repeated the word. She knew that word, but it felt even more real and mysterious all at once now that she had this sight to compare it to. "It's amazing," she breathed.

"Yes, very pretty." Crosshair flicked his toothpick to the street below and pulled himself to his feet. "Time to get inside."

"But why?" Omega hopped up to stand alongside him as he rose. "Please, I want to see it finish!"

"Tech's warming up the ship," said Crosshair.

As if on cue, a steady thrumming rippled across the surface of their perch. The vibrations swarmed beneath Omega's boots, and she sighed and gazed longingly out to where the delicate tendrils of mist rose softly into the morning air.

Crosshair growled. "I knew I shouldn't have let you come up here."

Omega slumped. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I got excited."

Crosshair stepped lightly across the top of the Marauder and looked down towards the nose of the ship.

"Ordinarily, I take a different route. But since you're with me, we'll slide down," he said.

Omega wished he would stop talking. His words were making her feel more guilty, and then a thought occurred to her that made things even more serious.

"Oh... Crosshair? I didn't tell Hunter I was going outside..."

"Relax. He knows," said Crosshair. "Here."

He caught her arms and pulled her against him, and then walked her towards the top of the ship's front.

"Sit."

She sat. "Does Hunter really know?" she asked.

"If he doesn't, this squad is in worse shape than I thought," said Crosshair and lowered himself beside her.

He pushed off, and they started down. Omega couldn't help the laugh that burst from her throat. She caught a faceful of lingering mist and distinctly heard Echo's startled yelp as they shot down the viewport.

Then Crosshair twisted, caught Omega under the arms and dropped. He landed unsteadily and Omega's smile faded as he dropped her with a labored grunt.

"Are you okay?" she blurted.

Crosshair straightened and clapped a hand grimly to his side. "Lose some weight," he hissed.

Omega sighed and trotted after him as he headed for the hatch.

The ramp lowered and Wrecker grinned down at them. "Good morning!" he bellowed.

Crosshair shoved past him and stalked towards the rear of the ship, but Wrecker didn't seem to notice. He picked Omega up and swung her into the air.

"Off we go!" he cried.

"To Verdacca!" Omega cheered.

"How about Pantora first?"

Omega tried to smile at Hunter when Wrecker put her down, and she was able to after a moment of looking at his face. Apparently, Crosshair had been right. Hunter did know where she'd been.

"Have fun?" he asked.

Omega nodded.

"Well, get settled then. We're takin' off."

Omega hurried to strap herself in and waved cheerfully to Tech as he tripped past her on his way back to the cockpit. He quirked a smile down at her and settled at the helm with Echo. She would tell them all about the mist later.

A soft pressure bounced into Omega's lap and she stared at the toothpick in confusion, then looked up at Crosshair.

He watched her for a minute, then lowered himself stiffly into the flight chair furthest from the cockpit to Omega's right.

She held up the toothpick and Crosshair disdainfully tipped his head in her direction.

"You lost yours when you got excited. Remember?"

Omega smiled and slipped the toothpick into her pocket.

"Doing what?" said Crosshair.

Tech balanced a red wire in between his fingers, tilting his head about like a bird as he studied it and the ports in his hands. "He is attempting to power up the AZ unit that we brought from Kamino. It appears there are more variables than just a loss of power which has made it impossible for us to activate it. And it would be ideal to have full access to its memory banks."

"Why?"

"So it can help us get yer chip out!" Wrecker barked.

Tech rolled his eyes, Hunter rose from his seat, and near Gonky, Omega hesitated in her work of attempted GNK unit maintenance.

Crosshair frowned his deepest, unsettled. "You are not going to perform more of your filthy scans on me," he snarled. "I already told you. The chip. Is gone."

"Yeah, well, we don't believe that," said Hunter.

Tech sniffed.

"I don't believe that," Hunter corrected. "Neither does Echo. We found something in AZ's files that suggests another clone had his chip removed well before we figured it out. AZ did the surgery."

"What clone?" said Crosshair.

Crosshair rose when he arrived, only because the man was his key to survival right now. But the loathing had begun earlier. When Crosshair had said things. Done things he knew were necessary to say and do, but afterwards left him empty and sick inside. He hadn't realized he could be so ruthless.

He had killed sentients before, but always in self defense. This time...

No. The orders mattered... Why had they mattered so much? Didn't the others matter more? Not enough. And he didn't matter enough to them.

Rampart smiled benignly about the room as the other troopers stood at attention. The Admiral stepped to the floor and addressed Crosshair who looked him directly in the eye.

"Excellent work, Commander. The insurgents have been successfully routed. It seems you and I have a similar mindset." His dead-fish eyes roved the barrack's occupants and he tutted gently. Crosshair's stomach seethed.

"In what way, sir?" he hissed.

Rampart's eyebrows traveled a smidgen up his brow, and he tipped his head in a manner that suggested a calculating vulture. "In that if examples are needed - and I assure you, they are with such a lack of discipline -, examples will be made. You have done well, Commander."

Crosshair said nothing, but he could feel the three remaining EC troopers staring at him in a mixture of anger and fear.

So there were four of them again. He'd cut down the moral voice of the squad. Crosshair stepped forward until he was mere inches from Rampart's nose.

The Admiral looked up at him from under hooded lids, the in trigued attention of a man studying his most valued possesion all that was apparent in Rampart's eyes.

Crosshair hid none of the disdain in his own. He allowed the ire and confusion to pour from his mouth in tones of the most bitter resentment. "Have I, sir? Have I done well...?"

Rampart appraised him in silence, then caught his elbow and guided him towards the door. Crosshair followed, suddenly wearied.

"The need you feel to question your descisions concerns me, Commander," he said, voice low and stern as if he were scolding a child. "Do you harbor any feelings of remorse?"

The question caught Crosshair off guard and made discomfort squirm in his stomach.

"I want honesty, Commander. Not a show of bravado," said Rampart.

Crosshair considered his options, and spoke...

Aged metal creaked above and beneath him. He'd been right in anticipating the sergeant's next move. Their position on the artillery deck had the traitors securely cornered.

Hunter stood in front of him, DC-17 pointed at his helmet. But CT 9904 felt nothing but contempt for this man. A solid plan for survival and continued existence if one could rise in the ranks... Hunter had thrown it back in his face.