Crosshair could recall the moment. When he'd been informed his brothers were on Daro. The location of a secret military base, at first he'd been curious why they were there, but after that the anger, frustration and betrayal once again set in. They left him yet had been so willing to risk everything for another they'd never even met. The feelings had only gotten stronger when he stood at Hunter's cell, Hunter seemingly already know he would come, so the normal tone of his brother as his wordsescaping his lips. Yet in the same moment his thoughts returned to (Y/N), he questioned if his brothers had rescued her, in the split second Crosshairallowed himself to hope they had finally gotten her and now come for him.
Yet the moment he looked into Hunter's eyes he felt the hope die again. Instead he opted to draw his brothers to him. Ignoringthe questions running through his head. All the self doubt running through his mind, yet wished only for (Y/N), hoping she'd come back to him. He hoped she was with his brothers and come with them, yet also found the possibility to be unlikely. By now the sniper had long since concluded if he was going to be reunited with his love, then he would have to find her himself rather than hoping those he'd once trusted so much would help him.
The flight to Kamino was quiet, Hunter sat on the cold metal floor, his hands cuffed, not a single word escaping him towards the troopers standing guard. Crosshair in the cockpit, finding his feelings had become overwhelming since the small reunion. His only thoughts being on controlling himself and regaining his composure, he knew he needed to stay balanced if he was to see his own self given mission through to the end. Yet the silence allowed the past to come flooding back. The thought of reuniting his brothers scared him, they'd been in the same place twice since Kamino, the first time he'd been under the effects of the Inhibitor chip, the second time he was closer to himself. Yet both time's he'd been left behind and parted from (Y/N) even longer than his heart could bare.
He never allowed himself to wonder about (Y/N) for too long, his mind always finding its way to the negative things. Thoughts that always managed to break him a little more than in a way far worse than anything the empire had thrust far thrown at him. Crosshair had figured Rampart and likely Tarkin were using (Y/N) against him. After all she was the only weapon they truly had against him. The only one whom had broken and silenced the grip of the inhibitor chip, she was a threat to them in more than one way.
"We'll start a new together (Y/N). When we're reunited again" whispered Crosshair, pulling her spare lightsaber from his pack, the place he always kept it since being parted from her. A photo of the pair of them together always kept with her lightsaber, as if to remind him of what he had truly lost the day the war ended, another photo of his brothers also in his pack, signalling the hope he once had for how different things could have been, had they just stayed or taken him with them when they had the chance. If they had stayed he knew they would have been assigned as (Y/N)'s security now she had the royal title as princess, they would have been kept together in a peaceful place. Had they just taken him with them, they could have found and rescued (Y/N) together and he could have helped project Omega too. Yet neither had happened although a reunion was fast approaching between the brothers.
Crosshair still held some hope for his brothers, that they would see some sort of light and reunite with him, trust him even. Although he knew work on both sides would have to be done to be rebuild the fractured brotherhood. With little thought he walked to the back of the imperial ship, to the place where Hunter was being held, surrounded by an awkward silence. Reaching for his older brother's comm knowing the others would follow the signal, they would come to rescue Hunter, a courtesy they hadn't extended to him nor (Y/N), despite both of them once being part of the little family unit.
"Using my comm won't work. They'll know it's a trap" uttered Hunter, his smokey voice sounding loud compared to the deafening silence to have been broken. Crosshair turned away moments later, heading back to the cockpit, finding his anger rising again, to the point he struggled to contain it. Yet still he felt some conflict within himself, curiosity even. He was onboard an imperial ship surrounded by members of his new squad, yet still he felt like he was the odd one out. He wasn't a prisoner like Hunter, but he also knew the TK Troopers apart of the squad he commanded didn't respect him or even consider him worth anything, let alone an equal.
"They'll still come for you" remarked Crosshair, facing Hunter briefly before walking off. Waiting for the doors to close behind him. "Unlikethey did for me" added the commander, feeling the betrayal rise again. Despite his task of hunting down his brothers, despite his anger and hurt feelings, he still couldn't bring himself to hate his brothers. They were his kin after all. They and (Y/N) were all he truly had left now. Even now he dared not let himself hope his little plan would work in some way, even if he did sway them to his side, his days with the empire were likely numbered. The Empire were making a point out of phasing his clone brothers out. Plus even the smallest thing a clone did could render them being labelled a traitor.
Crosshair could almost sense Hunter's confusion and concern over being back on Kamino again, after all, their home world had essentially become a distant memory to those whom had left it without looking back. Yet to the sniper it had become a prison, one that had trapped him with memories of happier times, one that had given him a promise of a better future. Hunter could only look around the empty halls as they passed through them, clearly rememberinga time where those very halls had been filled with troopers of different ages and Kaminoans ensuring they got to the scheduled places.
The small group soon reached their destination. The command center. Several members of the Elite Squad already waiting there, neither wasting any time in updating Crosshair on what was going on. How a ship had been detected bus lost sight of after reaching the surface. Hunter looked around seeing how different things had become, for the first time seeing how different Crosshair had become, what the empire had done to him, what the Inhibitor chip had helped turn him into.
"I'll notify the scouts" spoke one of the elite squad members, responding to Crosshair's comment to the other to inform the group of three about the arrival of the others. The unknown trooper reaching to her helmet in order to use to the built in com-link. Only to be stopped by Crosshair's quick words.
"Don't bother. They'll come to us. They don't leave their own behind, most of the time" stated the commander, removing his helmet, barely taking notice of Hunter, as his sharp edged words caught him off guard, as the realization finally hit him. It wasn't just the empire and the inhibitor chip to have molded Crosshair into the man he was now, but being left behind by those he trusted too. Only now did Hunter begin to wonder where (Y/N) was, especially after he'd believed all this time she'd been with Crosshair, yet when he looked closer to his younger brother, he could see the unspoken pain glimmering just as bright as the lights of the facility. Only now did Hunter truly realize how wrong his assumptions were and the fate he had sentenced not only his brother too, but (Y/N) too.
"You tried to kill us. We didn't have a choice" spoke Hunter, feeling the guilt begin to become overwhelming, the shame of the decision he had made. Yet still he had to think about Omega now too. He knew if the rest of his brothers were there on Kamino then so was she, thrust the promise he had once made would have been broken. Crosshair's only response was to look to his older brother, waiting for the rest of the explanation, waiting for the reason for leaving (Y/N) and not trying to rescue her.
"Hm. And I did" replied Crosshair, dropping hints, he knew about the inhibitor chip and that the rest had been removed, a luxury he had yet to receive himself. Despite being told the chip had been removed he knew it hadn't. The moments he thought about leaving to find (Y/N) were met with pounding headaches and a searing pain to the right temple, the same internal voice before still screamed those same four words as if it was a broken record stuck on repeat. Several times he felt as if someone else was in control and he was just an unwilling passenger forced to watch the terrible acts committed.
When the reunion finally happened in the training facility, the place he and his brothers had spent many of hours together. Crosshair could see the distrust, from both his brothers and new squad members. His speech hitting something with both Tech and Echo, the pair looking down as if guilt had gotten them. Wrecker on the other hand looking ahead as if he was hiding a secret, few others knew off. He knew what it was like to be controlled by the inhibitor chip, through it he had almost killed, Omega, Tech, Echo, Hunter and Rex. It wasn't long before chaos ensued, the new training droids being unleashed. Crosshair had engaged in a small battle with Hunter, all while Wrecker made a comment to Tech about the droids being activated.
The scenario forcing the five of them to team up again, something that had become a distant memory to most. Omega helping from her position on one of the towers. In those moments, Crosshair almost felt as if he belonged with his brothers again, yet that feeling vanished when the battle ended. The pain to his temple returned with a vengeance as did the voice uttering those words.Good Soldiers Follow Orders.
"Crosshair, forget the empire. This isn't you. Its your inhibitor chip" spoke Hunter, a gun pointing to his brother, as if prepared to defend himself if the need arose. Crosshair too holding on to his rifle, a sign he hadn't forgotten whom he had been with his brothers, a sign he had still held on to hope, despite being abandoned and forgotten about. "We can help you" added the former Sargent as if pleading with his brother. Omega stood behind, clearly hoping for the best of the situation, just as Tech, Echo and Wrecker stood close by, although each looked unsure what they were to do now, all unaware of the planned destruction of the city.
"Wrong. I had my chip removed. A long time ago" responded Crosshair, knowing his words were a lie. He felt the chip was still there. Instead he uttered the same words the imperials had told him. If only to see if they would realize otherwise and if they would accept him for whom he was now. Yet there was some truth to his words. The part of him whom they were clearly hoping to see was gone, that side of him had disappeared the moment the empire had taken (Y/N) from him and refused to allow him to contact her, let alone see her. The man before them now, was the broken mess left behind and controlled by the same people whom had broken him in so many ways. The one who was seeking revenge against those whom had wronged him and a reunion with his beloved. The one who planned to leave the empire, even if that meant finding his own way, a scenario looking likely at the moment.
"Since when?" asked Hunter, clearly shocked by the revelation, or at least the words Crosshair had spoken. "Does it matter?" asked Crosshair, suspecting the empire would begin their reign of fire on the city soon, just as he knew his chance at escape had passed, although he had hope someone would come before it was too late. "Yes" replied Hunter, almost in disbelief, deep down he didn't want to believe Crosshair had done everything by choice, that he'd willingly chosen to be loyal to the empire, despite everything they had done to him. "This is who I am" responded the sniper, not saying the final word of now. Although he thought about saying something else.This is who I am with (Y/N) and my brothers. He soon made a point out of moving to ready his rifle, giving Hunter the chance to defend himself, a chance he took when Hunter stunned him. Watching as he fell to his knees then forward to the floor. Hunter had unknowingly given Crosshair something that had denied him since the war ended. Peace.