Preface

Snippets from episodes fourteen and sixteen of season one of the Bad Batch. Modified versions of some of the scenes of said episodes plus an altered ending to chapter sixteen.

Captured at Daro

"You had better play along." Crosshair's final words before he left the brig where Hunter was kept after getting captured by the imps on Daro soon after their rescue mission of one, Gregor, yet another clone rebelling against the Empire.

Hunter remained seated on the cold floor, not sure why Crosshair had needed to tell him that. It wasn't as Hunter was going to join the Empire now was he. Not that Crosshair had suggested any such thing, not now at least. It was more likely that Hunter was the bait for his squad. And when they would arrive to his rescue, they would get caught as well. All of them. And then? Hunter shivered and not from the icy coldness of his surroundings either. But the thought of what would happen to his family after the Empire got their hands of them. Death or something much worse.

Hunter remained rooted in the one spot, unmoving. His mind filled with thoughts of anger, self loathing and reliving the one big mistake over and over again. They should have not left Crosshair in the hands of the Empire all those months ago. It was a mistake he regretted then and had done so ever since. It was because of that single error in judgement that they were all now hunted and getting captured, finally. Because Hunter knew Crosshair. And he was relentless in his pursuit of his former squad. The traitors, as he so kept of reminding them all. But also, because Crosshair clearly hated them all because they had left him behind. Because they had.

En route to Kamino

Hunter was sitting on the bunk in the imperial shuttle on its way to Kamino. The two guards were there with him. With their weapons ready to shoot him at the slightest false move. Or so it seemed to Hunter. These were not clones rather TK troopers. The same conscripted soldiers they were starting to place his brothers with. Fading out clones, as Gregor had warned them. But also, they were part of Crosshair's new elite squad. And he was their commander. Something which Crosshair had clearly wanted to be. A leader of the team.

It had not even occurred to Hunter before, but ever since the chip had activated, he had started to challenge Hunter's decisions and leadership skills. Snipping back at Hunter of his failures at every turn they had gotten. Hunter had not been sure if it was the chip causing this, whatever change of mind was happening with Crosshair. Or then it had been there all along. Crosshair seemed to have also taken the attitude of blaming Hunter for everything which had gone wrong since Kaller. He could easily understand the rage as the chip's doing. But the hatred for him and his brethren was something he could not fathom at all.

Hunter was deep in his own mind, thoughts running rampant. Glaring at the space in front of him, not really seeing rather letting the bad thoughts rise up again. He knew the Batch was on their way to rescue him. Most likely trying to get to Daro, where he was no longer at. Just then, the doors hissed open and Crosshair stepped inside. He stepped close to Hunter and without a word picked something from his armour's compartment. As he held it in his hand Hunter could see it was the comms device. Glaring right into Hunter he activated the homing signal of it. Hunter glared at him, seeing the somewhat devious and victorious expression on his face.

"They won't be fooled by that." Hunter tried. "They will know it's a trap."

"I know." Crosshair quipped. "But, they will come for you anyway." He snidely remarked and turned to leave. "They never leave their own behind." He glared at his new squad members. "Most of the time."

He then turned back to Hunter, glaring at him with narrowed eyes for a moment longer. Hunter returned the glare, not wanting Crosshair to have his moment. But, then he did something unexpected. He leaned down and closed the gap between him and Hunter. Then spoke in a low voice close to Hunter's ear for him to hear only.

"You'd better play along Hunter."

It did not sound like a warning, rather a simple statement. Leaving Hunter in surprise as this was the second time Crosshair had repeated the same words. And without anything further to say, Crosshair straightened his stance and left. Leaving Hunter with a stunned look on his face.

The stand-off

"And here we all are, together again." Crosshair voice had the same venom in it which it had had during all their encounters. "Drop your weapons." Crosshair ordered the other three who had lifted themselves up only a moment ago from the below cargo hold.

Tech, Echo and Wrecker looked stunned as clearly, this had been a trap after all. Crosshair truly knew all their tricks and moves. There was no denying that. Which in the past had made them a great team. Having the same mindset when out there, battling common enemies. But now, they had ended up on the opposite sides. And so, trying to break their old habits was hard. And so, they had failed once again to counter Crosshair. There was simply too much history between them to do so.

Hunter turned to the other three behind him and nodded. The trio dropped their armaments on the floor. After all, they were surrounded by Crosshair's new imperial squad with Crosshair pointing a blaster at Hunter.

"Crosshair, this isn't you. It's your inhibitor chip making you do these things." Hunter tried again.

"Wrong." Crosshair simply stated. "I had my chip removed." He did not specify anything further, only staring at Hunter and his old team mates.

"When?" Hunter had to ask as this was not making any sense to him. Crosshairs erratic behaviour, his relentless pursuit to capture them, the venomous hatred he was showing towards his brethren.

"Does it matter?" Crosshair asked wryly. He then narrowed his eyes and glared right into Hunter, eyes fixed on the other's as if trying to relay some kind of message to him? Hunter was not sure but this was even weirder than his anger and the rest of the snide remarks along the way.

"Yes." Hunter simply replied.

The moments ticked by while none of them uttered a word and Crosshair was not giving Hunter the answer he wanted so badly to know.

Then the noise of the communicator crackled on one of the imp troopers behind the rest of them. They responded and the others could hear the hushed tones in which the trooper spoke over the comms channel. Not really making out the words spoken. Hunter peered sideways and tried to hone in but he could only sense the static of the device not actually hear the words. When Hunter looked back up at Crosshair, he could see the sudden strain appearing onto his face. He seemed to be keeping a keen eye on his underling.

Echo, Wrecker and Tech stood perfectly still. Only waiting for Hunter's move, if any was forthcoming. Which they had to believe was. It was Tech's eye which then caught the glimmer on his left peripheral vision. He quickly glanced and was greeted with a familiar sight. He then slightly nudged at Wrecker with his arm and motioned with his head for Wrecker to follow his gaze. Wrecker looked and could now see what Tech was on about.

Hunter was still standing in the aim of Crosshair's weapon. But Crosshair had his gaze fixed on this troopers. He then turned to Hunter, their eyes connecting briefly. "You need to play along, Hunter." He then stated, his voice low as the now too familiar phrase exited his lips. And with that he turned to glare at this squad again.

"Understood." The trooper said in a somewhat louder tone.

They all heard it. The weapons being prepared and taking heir aim again. Not that they most likely had not been ready to take the Batch down so far at any given moment. But it was a thing a soldier did, when not sure of the orders. Not until it was time to execute them.

Hunter knew what was coming. Hit team mates had thrown their weapons away and Hunter was unarmed. There was no way they would walk away from this with their lives. Not from such close proximity of being shot. He looked at Crosshair, holding his gaze again with his brother.

"Play along, Hunter." Crosshair repeated again his voice so low only Hunter heard the words. The repetition of the phrase making Hunter doubt whether Crosshair had lost it all together. As clearly this was not going to be the recruitment speech he had half expected once again. But with the troopers ready to fire at them, he did not want to make any wrong moves at this time. The slight hope of survival still in his mind.

Crosshair suddenly looked past him and at his squad. "Stand down." He ordered them suddenly, even if his own blaster was still aiming at Hunter.

"Negative, Commander." One of the troopers said snidely and then nodded to his comrades.

Hunter sensed something was off. He once again connected with Crosshair. Looking straight at him, eyes locked. And then into the barrel of the blaster once again.

It took only a split second when Crosshair aimed and fired his blaster. The zapping sound of the blaster fire ricocheting from one mirror to the next and the next. It wasn't Hunter or his Batch mates he had targeted. As the soft thumps echoed in the large space, the imperial troopers falling down one by one, never knowing what hit them as their lifeless bodies lay where they dropped.

Crosshair then picked Hunter's knife from his belt where he had placed it after taking it away from Hunter and undid the shackles. Hunter glared at him in disbelief as did the others.

"Why?" Was all Hunter could ask.

"I told you, to play along. Didn't I?" Crosshair asked.

But clearly, Hunter had not understood the meaning of the words. Crosshair was not surprised. The rift between him and his former squad was too wide now and it might not even be possible to parse it back together again.

Hunter and the other three simply picked up their weapons from the floor. But remained standing there, looking at Crosshair not sure what was going on right now.

"I guess this is were we part ways." It wasn't a question really.

As Crosshair had not really expected the others to ask for him to join them. Then again, he had committed treason now and killed his own squad, so, there was that. So, the only option really remained was to go at it alone. Leave the Empire, his brothers and the rest of it all behind him.

Hunter stepped closer to Crosshair who had not moved from his spot yet. "You can come with us." Hunter softly suggested. Simple as that. At least for now it was.

Crosshair looked at him and then at the others, who all nodded in agreement. Before he could respond, they all heard and felt it. The volley of weapons fire hitting the facility.

Tech's comms device crackled. "Tech, they are firing at us." Omega's panicked voice came over the airways. "We need to leave."

"We'll be right down there." Tech acknowledged to the kid still waiting at the downstairs in the droid cargo hold.

"Hunter?" Echo asked then and waited for his repose.

Hunter nodded at him and then turned to Crosshair again. "Come with us." Hunter pleaded and decided to try something,. "We can bring you to safety and then you can decide where you want to go."

Knowing that Crosshair most likely did not want to stay with them, even if he clearly was an enemy of the Empire now. A deserter and a traitor like the rest of them. As there was no way he would be welcomed back after the stint he had pulled just now. Besides, Hunter was pretty sure there was more going on between Crosshair and his imperial squad than what they had witnessed just now.

Crosshair seemed to be contemplating his options. And then, as the second volley hit and shook the whole place, causing some alarms to go off somewhere in the distance. All of them almost loosing their footing in the process, as the room started tilting.

Crosshair placed his helmet on and flatly stated. "Fine." And started to move. "Come on." He said to the others as he passed them on his way to the lift platform.

Something lost, something found

They were all in the Marauder now. It was just like before, but not really. After some near missed actions to make their way across the sinking City of Tipoca. Such as fighting fire, water and even sea monsters, not to mention a near death situation almost loosing Omega in the process. But with thanks to Crosshair's sharpshooting skills and enhanced vision, they had prevailed and all of them were now safely onboard. Echo and Tech were at the helm while Wrecker and Omega had resided to the bunk room, trying to catch up with some sleep after the nerve wrecking adventure, if one could call it that.

After all, they had all witnessed the destruction of their former home with teary eyes while standing on the remote landing pad. But, they had each other still, even if they might not have a future together. As far as their escape had been, it seemed that the imperials had not noticed their ship leaving Kamino. Tech had managed to scramble their signal and fly under the radar off of the planet. It seemed that the imperial ships were long gone after bombarding the city to smithereens.

Crosshair was hunched on the corner seat in the small galley compartment of the Marauder when Hunter stepped to the space. Without a word he took the seat next to Crosshair who looked up at him. Their gazes meeting. Hunter's whole face was a big question mark, leaving no doubt for the other man as to why he was there. This was the time to talk, if there ever was going to be one.

"What?" Crosshair snipped, but the venom was gone from his tone.

"Why?" Hunter asked, repeating the same question again.

He was pretty sure her understood now, what Crosshair's demands of playing along had been all about. Or at least he thought he did.

Crosshair did not respond immediately. He kept on staring at the table top, clearly finding something interesting there to see, other than Hunter. So Hunter decided to push some more as the other man was not forthcoming. And he needed to know.

"You were trying to warn me all along weren't you?" He asked then. "You wanted to escape and capturing me and the others presented an option."

Crosshair nodded and looked up at Hunter after a moment. "I lied to Rampart. Telling him I would try to recruit you. He hates the clones. But, he saw potential in us. He told me he was impressed with our, well exploits. And he knew if he caught you all, he could easily mould you to his needs."

"Like he did you?" Hunter knew he needed to thread lightly as they were finally talking and he knew it was precious, having Crosshair here, right now, even if he would not stay.

"Yes." Was all Hunter got.

"So, the chip is gone then?" Hunter could not be sure. But it seemed like Crosshair had been earnest about that at least and playing the long game with his superiors after the removal.

"Yes, it was damaged in Bracca and I was able to bribe a medical assistant to remove it. For good." He revealed his gaze returning to the table top again.

It was clearly a touchy subject still for him, and it was no wonder, as being controlled by something could not have been a proud moment for anyone. Holding back the emotions and tears threatening to fall, he did not want Hunter to see.

Hunter believed him. As now, after having escaped the clutches of the Empire, Crosshair seemed almost, serene but also sad at the same time. Gone were the vile remarks and the roughness of his demeanour. Something inherit of Crosshair's but never so constant as it had been while under the influence of the chip. The mode now was something which Hunter had not seen him to be for a long, long while.

He then looked up again, his eyes somewhat watery, but it seemed that Crosshair did not care about it any more. "I was never trying to kill you. Not really." He revealed as much. "I fought the chip. The constant pressure, the ever present pain." His voice breaking as a tear fell down his cheek. "And you know I never miss my target." He reminded Hunter.

It was all becoming quite clear for Hunter as well. The pieces of the puzzle forming the bigger picture. While thinking Crosshair was their enemy, the one who tried to hurt them. He had been so wrong. Because as it kind of turned out, it was him and his Batch, mostly Hunter, who was the villain of the story after all.

As it turned out, Crosshair had been right. They had left him behind. And then he was the one, who had clawed his way back. At least until this point, leaving the Empire and coming with them. Even if their future together was still open. And the realisation that it was Hunter, who had been in the wrong, hit him hard. His own eyes now filled with tears, his voice coarse, he could only utter out the words.

"I am so sorry."

Crosshair looked at him, nodding. It wasn't an acceptance, only acknowledgement.

"Why did you leave the Empire?" Hunter asked softly then.

Because it had seemed that Crosshair had enjoyed, at least on some level what who he had become while serving there and he had even said as much. But then again, the chip had also played its part in that, most likely a big part.

Crosshair looked at Hunter, for a long while before he responded. "I left because of you, Hunter." His voice was a whisper now. His eyes darting, looking for something in Hunter's eyes.

Crosshair gulped audibly and Hunter realising he had a difficult time in talking about it. Placing his arms around Crosshair. Hunter drew the other man into his embrace. Feeling the shuddering body in his grip. Crosshair was crying now. It took a long while for the tears to fall and then for the silent sobbing to subside. But Hunter remained there. Holding on to Crosshair until he had no more tears to spill.

Hunter brushed the last remaining tear away from Crosshair's cheek. "Are you alright?" It was a stupid question of course, but he needed to ask it anyway.

"No." Crosshair shook his head. "But I will be." He knew he would be. at some point. Even if the path ahead for him hung open in the air.

Hunter nodded. The response still on his mind. But he wanted to know, for certain if Crosshair had meant what Hunter had suspected the words had meant. He could only hope they had.

"About earlier. About what you said." He looked intently into Crosshair's eyes. "That you left because of me." He was probing still. "Did you mean it?"

Crosshair could not move away from the intense gaze and he did not even want to anymore. Despite all the bad blood, the betrayal, all of it. Even the future being wide open, he knew one thing. The single one thing which had made his resolve while back in the Empire still. He knew what or rather who he needed in his life. And so, here he was, right in the arms of the person he wanted to be in.

"Yes." Crosshair was not about to backup now, even if his feelings were not reciprocated. "I realised soon enough, after I left you and the Batch. But it was confirmed after the chip was removed that there was only one place I belonged to." As despite his earlier statement of parting ways with the others, he really did not want to leave. "And that was with you Hunter."

Hunter did not need to ask again, as the implication of the words were quite clear to him. It wasn't that Crosshair did not want to remain with the others. But that he, Hunter was the driving force behind Crosshair's decision to leave the Empire. As he stared deep into the depths of Crosshair's eyes, he could see and feel the love emanating from there, despite everything they had gone through. And it was aimed at him. Hunter did not need further assurance or words as he leaned into the other man. Their lips meeting softly for the first time. Locking the two lost and found souls into a bond deeper than anything else in the galaxy and something not even the Empire could break.