A/N: So, this was something that my sister's boyfriend and I thought of. We thought it would've been cool for the second Bad Batch episode to focus more on Cut and how he feels as a deserter. This is also my first time combining different tenses in one piece, so I hope I haven't caused utter confusion. Enjoy!

T/W: Executions

As much as he loves and misses his brothers, Cut finds it hard when they visit. Well, harder than usual.

He's enough of a soldier when it's just Suu and the kids around- always hitting the deck at any loud sound and sleeping with a weapon under his pillow- when he does sleep, that is. His family have grown used to his moments of panic or dissociation, but when he's around the few clones who know of his existence, his behaviours seem to amplify.

A few weeks after Rex returns to his Legion, Cut still can't sleep without lying awake for hours- just thinking about what might happen if the Captain breathes a number of his designation to his superior.

He would wake in the dead of night- likely from a nightmare or just from sensing that something isn't right- and hear the stealthy patter of footsteps outside. Lifting the bottom right corner of the rag used as a curtain in his and Suu's room, Cut will see the white helmets in the distance. They'll attack in a triangular formation; two squads on the east and west- one on the south who hold back whilst the others create a distraction.

He can imagine the chatter against the commlinks- the buzzing excitement of finding a soldier who betrayed them.

"Can we have confirmation this is the deserter's location?"

"Affirmative. Begin your attack; we'll be right behind you."

He'll grab his gun- dusty from months of disuse- and then wake Suu with a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Cut," blinking, he's torn from his vivid imagination. Suu's looking at him across the table, a frown laced in her forehead, "Are you alright?"

Cut swallows hard- following the curve of Suu's lek to distract himself. "I'm fine-" he's not, "Here, Jek, let me get you some more juice."

He feels his wife watch him as he walks back to the small kitchen. The juice is kept in the small fridge that uses a large portion of the generator's power every month. Suu says they don't need the power for much else, and food is more important than any piece of fancy farming equipment.

Cut doesn't mind the extra labour- it keeps him fit, and that could be the difference between life and death for his family if soldiers came to deliver the consequences of his actions.

Suu's eyes would shoot open in the darkness to find her husband lurking over her- keeping her quiet with his hand covering her mouth. He'll only do that as a precaution, then raise a finger to his lips before letting go. They trust each other, after all.

"There's Republic forces here. Take the kids into town. I'll call for you when it's safe."

"What about you?"

"I'll stay." He would touch her cheek, maybe press a kiss to her lips if he feels like he has enough time, "I'll do everything I can to protect this family- until my dying breath."

Then, he would hurry her and the kids out of the back door- telling them to stay low and quiet. After all, the Republic doesn't want them; they're not the traitors. Although they consider themselves married and exchanged some hastily put together vows, there are no official ties between him and Suu.

"If anyone asks, say I kept you hostage."

That's what he would tell Suu right before letting go of her hand and only watching long enough to see her purple lekku disappear into the vegetation. Then, it'll be time to fight.

"Cut!"

He startles, nearly jumping a foot in the air. He's still pouring the juice- now overflowing in the glass and dripping onto the floor. Still partially trapped in his own thoughts, Cut whirls around with raised fists, not missing the look of terror that passes over Suu's face before she replaces it with one of sympathy.

"What's on your mind?" She asks, using a rag to clean up the spilt juice. Jek and Shaeeah have already put themselves to bed. They're only young, and yet they know when it's best to give Cut some extra space.

Cut tries to hide his shaking hands behind his back. "Nothing."

She glances at him over her shoulder, "It's not nothing."

It's nothing she could ever hope to understand.

He leaves their bed in the middle of the night, checking outside and brushing the dirt from the cracks and cervices of his rifle- just in case. He works all day and worries all night- it's no wonder he's exhausted.

"Do you think you'll ever be able to put the war behind you?" He remembered asking the Marine Doctor who worked at Coruscant Medical when she stitched up a knife wound in his thigh- only a week after the war broke out.

She scoffed, her eyes glazed as she recounted her decades worth of military experience, "I tried once, and now I work here." She looked him in the eye, "Wars may end, but soldiers can never fully move on, no matter how much they want to live another life."

"Dad?"

Cut tenses, turning around to his adopted son, "Why are you still up, Jek?"

"I thought I heard someone crying," the boy admits, scuffing the floor with his slipper. Cut holds his breath and sinks deeper into the shadows- hoping the glistening on his cheeks isn't visible.

"Nobody's crying," he says- maybe too bluntly, "You should go back to bed."

"Dad!"

Cut will look up from where he's ducking from blaster fire- terrified to see Shaeeah running through the bushes towards him, hands outstretched as if she could just grab his hand and pull him away from the white-armoured soldiers trying to shoot him down.

"Shaeeah, get back!"

He would scream at her to go back to her mother, not hesitating from killing the two clones closest to his little girl.

Shaeeah would squeal as a Captain grabs her shoulders and holds her in the air. Cut would feel his heart skip a beat when a gun is raised to her head, and the clone's voice is gruffly low.

"Surrender yourself to the Republic, or the girl dies."

He would drop his gun as if it were on fire, staggering backwards with hands raised above his head. Shaeeah would cry and scream that they were monsters for hunting down her dad like some type of savage beast.

"Put her down." He'll order as he's forced his knees and cufflinks are tightened around his wrists. "She's not the deserter- I am."

There will be the tell-tale sound of a pistol being cocked at his head, and the Captain will lower Shaeeah to the ground- keeping both hands on her shoulders- and chuckle.

"Want to see what happens to deserters, kid?"

Shaeeah's screams following the gunshot are what rouses Cut. He comes to on the kitchen floor, Suu hovering over him worriedly and Jek's soft tears in the background.

"What happened?" He murmurs, pushing himself into a sitting position. He feels dizzy and nauseous- seeing Shaeeah's wide, horrified eyes wherever he looks.

"You passed out," Suu says, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead, "I came down when I heard Jek shouting for you to open your eyes." Although her tone is teasing, he can hear the worry in her words, "I thought you were dead."

"Mom? Dad?" The girl appears at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing her tired eyes. "What's going on?"

Before Suu can answer or even try to stop him, Cut lurches forward and wraps his daughter in his arms. Shaeeah freezes- caught off guard as he's never too touchy with the children for fear of his exceeding strength, but then she's tucking her face into his chest and two skinny arms are around his middle.

Cut doesn't let Shaeeah out of his sight for a month. The waking nightmare doesn't stop, but Cut doesn't make the mistake of staying in the house. He goes to the barn- the same place he first met Rex- when it gets to the point in the vision where he tells Suu to leave.

In the barn, his family can't hear his strangling sobs when Shaeeah is forced to watch the man she calls a father face the consequences of his actions.

Years pass by, and for the most part, Cut focuses on his family more than anything else- his found family, that is. He helps Jek learn how to read, teaches Shaeeah to ride eopies and finds himself cooking more and more for Suu- having learnt how to prepare a variety of dishes from watching her so intently since they first met.

He's in town when he sees the Republic forces for the first time.

The red insignia on their armour can only mean they're the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps, which makes CC-8826, Neyo, their Commander. Knowing his reputation as being one of the coldest and most loyal officers in the GAR, Cut keeps a lower profile than usual- only going into town when strictly necessary and always alone.

It's more convincing if Suu or one of the kids is with him, but he can't put them at risk like that. After all, he was a part of the 91st before he dismissed himself from that life.

A consequence of going out alone, is that when these… attacks happen, he doesn't have anyone around to ground him.

He's a bit surprised to see the Commander of Steel and Thorns- as he's known as on the HoloNet- walking closely beside a Morganian woman through the streets one evening. He starts packing up his cart of harvest as they near- pulling down his hat to further conceal his face.

"I've never seen those before," a slim finger is pointed at one of the remaining bowls on his vendor, "What are they?"

Cut pauses, not looking at the woman directly but not turning away either, "Pallies, ma'am."

"Pallies," she repeats, trying the pronunciation with her Coruscanti accent. "Are they sweet?"

"Quite," he pushes the bowl towards her, hoping to wrap up the conversation, "Try one."

"Really? Thanks-"

Just as she picks up one of the fruits, a gloved hand touches her elbow and Cut inwardly shudders at the gruff voice of Commander Neyo, "Don't take fruit from the locals, Alex."

The clone would demand he raise the lip of his hat to see his face, one hand already on his blaster- on alert for trouble.

Shakily, Cut would remove the garment and try to avoid his brother's eyes, but it would be impossible for the experienced Commander to not put the pieces together.

"Cut." He would say, already knowing his name from briefly being under Ponds' command at the same time, "I thought you were dead."

The next moment, a blaster would be lifted, and Cut would step back- hands lifting to the surrender position.

"What are you doing?" The woman would question Neyo, shocked by him threatening a local.

"Can't you see that he's a clone?" Neyo would snarl, pushing the muzzle of the gun against his forehead to tilt his head back, "He's a hut'unn- a coward."

"Then I'll buy some," the woman announces, giving Neyo an annoyed look before fishing some credits out of her jacket pocket. Cut accepts the payment, only because he wants them to move along.

Suu would come looking for him when he doesn't come home. She'd call the local authorities, then reach out to the local clone Battalion to ask if they'd seen or heard about her farmer husband who looked suspiciously like them.

"You need to come with us, ma'am," They would lock binders around her wrists, throw her into a cell and ignore her pleas that she could call someone to look after her children.

They would take them to Coruscant- a planet that would severely overwhelm the untravelled, rural woman. Cut would be forced to face a court-martial and then a trial whilst she would be expected to testify against him.

"He kept me and my children hostage," she would say- the words tasting bitter in her mouth although she and Cut agreed it was the only way she would not be seen as a criminal and could stay with the children.

He wouldn't see Suu again before being put onto the next shuttle for Kamino.

Shaking his head, Cut wishes he could turn off the thought process that his mind took him through. He knows it's only a result of his training- where all clones are taught how to imagine how something could go, and they should always be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

It doesn't matter though. In every vision, Cut always ends up either dead or on the front lines with a blank personality and no memory of Suu or the kids.

He can feel blood rushing through his ears as he approaches the spaceport- closely following Hunter.

Life on Saluecami has always been safe, but not anymore. He needs to do what's best for his family and go somewhere else- anywhere that isn't infested with white-armoured soldiers who are no longer fighting for the good of the people.

"Tech, we're in the spaceport," Hunter says into his commlink- quietly but still too loud for Cut's comfort, "What is your status?"

Tech's answer goes unheard by Cut as he wearily eyes his surroundings. Beside him, Suu flashes a confident smile, although her grip on the kids' hands tightens slightly. Cut really doesn't like this.

They carry on walking and Cut feels his heart in his throat as they pass a trooper. He remains calm- focused on keeping his eyes ahead and posture relaxed. Having the same military training as these men means he knows how they think, how they identify threats, and how they deal with them.

One lesson turns circles in his brain- the one about what happens to deserters.

"Identification."

He would pause, put a hand on Hunter's shoulder to silently say that he would handle it. The Bad Batch Sergeant will keep a close eye as Suu takes out her ID, accidentally dropping her purse onto the floor to stall them.

Cut will take the kids- tuck Shaeeah under one arm and squeeze Jek's hand in reassurance as their mother pretends she can't speak Basic and mutters gibberish in Ryl. Meanwhile, Hunter's fingers rest on the gun hidden underneath the back of his shirt.

"Mom, I don't like this," Jek admits, clutching onto Suu's hand tighter as he notices the troopers surrounding them.

"Everything will be okay," Suu tells him in a calm voice that makes Cut want to believe her too, but he isn't a child. He's a grown man- a former soldier- who already knows what the consequences will be if he gets caught.

"Hurry up," Hunter tells Tech- panic that only Cut can sense seeping through his tone, "We need those chain codes to get them on the shuttle or we're gonna have to blast our way out of here!"

"Move aside, tailhead."

The soldiers- growing impatient- will push Suu aside without bothering to see her identification. Their eyes would lock with Cut's.

"Hey, you, Basic-speaker! Do you have your identification?"

Without a word, Cut will pass Shaeeah and Jek to Suu who hurries towards the port- only casting a single glance over her shoulder before Hunter ushers them along. Wrecker will stay with Cut- being his backup if things go south.

"I'm only a farmer- a simple man."

It's not ideal to start arguing with clone troopers but Cut will see no other way of getting around them. All he would need to do is take up enough of their time that they don't bother Suu as she gets the kids onboard. He could find a way off-world later- even if that means going with the Bad Batch.

The clone would scoff, "Even the slaves of Tatooine have numbers. What's your name?"

Cut will have to resist the urge to regurgitate his CT number that he's never been able to forget, and instead will choose the truth, "Lawquane. Cut Lawquane."

"Run it through your database." The trooper will tell his brother, and Cut will exchange a worried look with Wrecker as they wait.

"Don't overthink this."

Cut blinks, looking at Suu who lifts her eyebrows. "Omega's on her way with the chain codes."

He must've dissociated for a moment, but Hunter's too worried about his charge to notice. It's irresponsible- falling apart like this when he needs to keep his head in the present- but Cut can't help the panic clawing up his throat.

"Why do I feel like we've met before?"

The younger of the two clones interrogating him will ask, to which Cut will force a cocky smile- an illusion to contrast his speeding heart rate.

"Maybe we have; the 91st has been on this planet for several months now."

"You're right- I feel like I know him too," the other clone will nod in agreement with their vod, and at that moment, Cut will sense the incoming question. "Let me see your wrist."

Without an ounce of hesitance, Cut will extend his right arm.

"The other one."

"You alright?"

It's Hunter this time- eyeing Cut with the same look that he used to wear for injured brothers.

"I'm okay," his voice comes out weak, and Cut clears his throat when Hunter and Suu level him with disbelieving looks, "Just… a bit anxious."

Hunter nods, "I'm worried about Omega too, but she'll get here. We'll get you guys on that shuttle."

Truthfully, Omega is the last thing on Cut's mind.

The scanner will beep when it comes across the chip in his wrist, and before his eyes, Cut will see his entire military career flicker in blue light. At the bottom, it will state MIA, and the older clone will touch his rifle.

"You're a deserter."

Then, two guns will be raised to his chest.

"Freeze! Put your hands above your head!"

Wrecker would start to raise a fist, only for Cut to put a hand on his arm- his soldier senses tingling that something worse than being exposed is about to happen.

"Daddy!"

Jek would hurdle himself over the barrier that he just crossed with the others- pure terror across his face as he sees soldiers starting to surround his father.

"We're running out of time, Hunter," Cut says, even though the words taste like cotton wool in his mouth. His hands are clenched into fists, and he already feels attacked even though the troopers have let him be until now.

"Omega's on her way," his friend reassures, but the words fly over Cut's head.

His eyes accidentally meet the visor of a nearby trooper, and Cut takes a step backwards, "No, something's wrong. She should've been here by now."

Hunter puts a forceful hand on his shoulder, "Stick to the plan, Cut."

A fist will collide with his jaw, sending Cut to the ground from the unexpected impact. Pain would bloom across his face- the same one worn by his attacker.

"Stop! You're hurting him!"

Jek would stop before the clone who just punched him and start clawing at his armour, growling the way Suu does when something threatens the safety of her children.

"Wrecker," Cut will rasp, struggling to get to his knees, "Get Jek back to his mom."

The strongman will drop the second clone to the ground- unmoving and unbreathing- to grab the screaming child and start sprinting towards the port. It'll be too late for Suu to get onto the shuttle without any trouble now the commotion has started, but knowing how this scene will play out, Cut doesn't want his children to be close enough to watch.

Hands will grab his shoulders, hauling him upright only to be slumped against a streetlight. He would want to fight but knows it will all be in vain. He's hugely outnumbered, and these clones are acting according to someone else's orders instead of their own free will.

They won't let him live in pity.

A blaster will be lined up between his eyes.

"Cut!" Suu will scream, struggling in Hunter's hold as she desperately tries to break free and come to his aid. "That's my husband!"

"A married deserter, huh?" The clones will laugh as their Commander breaks through the crowd to see what all the excitement is about. "Check this out, sir."

Cut would wipe the blood from his chin before looking up at Neyo. Funnily, since this Order 66-thing, he hasn't seen the woman at the Commander's side. "Gonna arrest me for deserting a war that's now over, Commander?"

The Commander will only scoff, "We aren't going to arrest you." Then, he'll turn away, "Execute the hut'unn."

Cut will close his eyes, prepared to accept his fate. Actions have consequences, and a shot through his brain won't mean anything to him as long as Suu and the kids have been able to get on the shuttle. He knows Hunter will make sure they get off Saluecami safely.

Instead of facing the firing squad, Cut will feel a rope being snuggly tightened around his neck, and then two clones will hoist him upwards.

The old-fashioned way, then.

A crate would be put underneath his feet whilst the end of the rope is hooked over the streetlight. The clones will watch in silence, whilst the Commander continues to walk away- uncaring. Why should he care? Cut left years ago- when he was needed- and has lived a life of comfort ever since.

To the clones, this would be justice for all the brothers they'd lost since he deserted. It would be fair.

Near the shuttle, Suu will thrash in Hunter's arms, screaming for the Bad Batch to help him whilst Wrecker holds one kid under each arm.

He'll think about his family in his last moments- his brothers who he left and his wife and children who he found. He'll refuse to regret any of his choices, even as the troopers start to chant.

"Hut'unn! Hut'unn! Hut'unn!"

Cut would try to not notice that Suu clenches her eyes shut, and Hunter visibly turns away, when the crate is suddenly pulled out from under his feet, and his body drops.

The nightmares… they'll finally be over.

"My love."

He gasps like his head just broke the surface during a flood. Cut breathes heavily, trying to shift through his messy thoughts whilst leaning all of his weight on Suu. It's dark in the shuttle- Jek and Shaeeah already falling asleep on their mother's other side.

"It's alright; we made it," Suu says quietly, and Cut notices that his cheeks are wet with tears, "You're okay- it's over now."

"We made it?" He croaks, ignoring the part of him that demands he be strong and in control. He doesn't feel like a soldier right now.

"Yes, Cut, we did."

The nightmares are finally over.