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.

It didn't stop 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.

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 Crosshairwhile 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.