Hello, and welcome to Restoration of An Exceptional Mind!

Like many others, I need Tech to be alive. And I firmly believe that he was supposed to be CX-2. So, as with the end of Clone Wars, I need to 'fix' it.

Here are some house rules, for lack of a better word:

1. This is M for violence and heavy themes, such as experimentation and trauma. I will try to keep up with trigger warnings. I'm trying something new and the TWs will be at the end notes, just to see if that can help with spoilers. This also means no smut, it's just not something I write.

2. I update every two weeks on Thursday. The inbetween weeks are for my other fic. If there is a delay or hiatus, I will update the summary.

3. I try my best to respond to comments. If it's on an early chapter, it might fall through the cracks. I respond in my beginning ANs when I update.

4. Please, no canon or character bashing in the comments. I know that a lot of us were deeply hurt and disappointed by this specific aspect of the end of the Bad Batch, none more than me. However, I find no joy or catharsis in bashing.

5. There will be sporadic Mando'a in the fic, and I'll translate that in the end notes when it shows up. However, I headcanon the Batch as not speaking it, save Echo.

6. I do long author's notes, but I try to keep them centered around the fic or whatever Star Wars project I'm watching at the moment. I treat them as behind the scenes for the chapter.

7. If you see a typo or grammatical error, please, please, please tell me!

I think that's everything!

Let's get started!

CHAPTER 1: Needs of the Squad

"We are in agreement?" Tech asked.

His brothers, sitting with him on the floor of their new ship, nodded.

"Then it is decided." He said and began typing on his data pad. "Plan 98 is Wrecker, or whoever has the ordnance, making a seemingly poorly aimed throw with said ordnance, and Crosshair shooting to detonate it at an opportune position."

"Aw man!" Wrecker said. He'd flopped onto his back and was watching them upside down. "How are we supposed to remember all of these?"

"I have them uploaded to the ship's computer." Tech said. "I suggest taking the time to study them."

Wrecker groaned and let his head fall to the floor of the ship.

"Just one more, Wrecker." Hunter said, patting Wrecker's shoulder.

"Then can we name the ship?" Wrecker asked.

Hunter nodded.

"This will be plan 99." Tech said. He paused, then went on. "I suggest that we make it one of utmost importance."

Wrecker, Crosshair, and Hunter had all gone solemn.

"Yeah." Wrecker said in a creaky voice. "So we can remember 'im."

Tech nodded. It had only been a week since 99 had died, and three days since they had been deployed. It was- tragic that the death of the brother who always believed in them would be the thing that propelled them off of Kamino.

"It could be our retreat." Crosshair suggested. He held his brand new firepuncher in his arms in a manner that was not unlike the way that Wrecker held Lula. "We don't really have a plan for that yet."

"No, that's dumb!" Wrecker said. Crosshair glared at him. "I don't want to remember 99 by running away!"

"A retreat is not 'running away.'" Tech said. He pushed at his goggles, now outfitted with a real recording device instead of the half broken hardware he'd scavenged from old security droids. "Regardless, we hardly need a plan to retreat."

"How about a common, but useful formation?" Hunter said. "He'd like to be helpful."

"We've already got all the common and useful formations." Crosshair said with a roll of his eyes. "What do you think plans 1 through 67 are?"

"It could be our call to meals!" Wrecker said. "Cause then we'd use it all the time, and it'd make us happy!"

"That's ridiculous." Crosshair said.

"You're ridiculous!" Wrecker shot back.

"I think it should be our last resort." Tech said quietly. His brothers all stared at him, but did not ridicule him, so he continued. "Only to be used in situations that requires one of us to put the needs of the squad before our own safety- or life."

His brothers kept looking at him and he began to feel uncomfortable.

"Like 99 did." Wrecker finally said.

Tech smiled slightly, relieved that they had understood his meaning.

"Yes." He said.

"I like it." Hunter said.

"But that means we'd never get to use it!" Wrecker protested.

"Ideally, we would not use it." Tech said. "But 'never' is hyperbole. Even the best soldiers get trapped."

"Nope." Wrecker said with an upside down grin. "I mean never. We're the best of the best!"

"We are pretty good." Crosshair said. "But- it makes sense. He was important. He should be the most important plan."

"That's three out of four." Hunter said. "Wrecker?"

"Okay." Wrecker said. "But no more plans!"

"Very well." Tech said. "Our final plan, plan 99, is when one member of the squad decides it is absolutely necessary to put the needs of the squad over themselves."

The others nodded. They looked at each other and Tech found that though he himself would be willing to use plan 99, he hoped that the others would never have to.

"Okay, ship names!" Wrecker broke the silence. "I still think-"

"We are not naming the ship Lula II!" Crosshair snapped.

"But why not?"

Tech smiled as Wrecker and Crosshair bickered with Hunter watching fondly. Yes, he decided, he must do everything in his power to prevent his brothers from using plan 99.

CX-2 clawed himself from the dream, the weakness. He found himself upright in the pilot's seat of his ship. He had allowed himself to sleep, as it took eight point four hours to reach Teth. But unlike the blank, clean rest that being in stasis brought, natural sleep came with the distracting nightmares of things and individuals that he did not care about.

Fortunately this dream, like all the others, faded seconds after he woke up, leaving only a feeling of annoyance. He checked his navigation computer and found he was minutes from reaching Teth.

The mission pushed everything from his mind. Eliminate the captured CX trooper. He would not fail.

Something was wrong. Omega watched Batcher carefully as the Lurca hound whined and growled. Batcher was glaring towards a corner. Omega got up and under the pretense of checking Batcher's food, she scanned the large room of Rex's base.

Her heartbeat quickened. There. A dark figure crouched behind stacked crates. It seemed to be staring at her. Omega took a deep breath and turned back to her own bowl.

"It's okay, Batcher, you can have mine." She said loudly and at the same time signaled Wrecker.

Wrecker, who had been scarfing down the spicy food, became alert. Omega gestured with her head, a tiny movement.

Wrecker's eyes narrowed, though he kept his relaxed posture.

"Can't I have it, Omega?" He said, standing up to peer into her bowl.

As he did, he bumped into the nearby tower of crates.

As they tumbled down, banging hard into each other and the ground, Omega whipped around with her crossbow.

She only had a heartbeat to aim as the shadow's attention was drawn by the commotion. It was enough. Her crossbow bolt flew true, piercing the shadow's shoulder and throwing him backwards.

"Nice shot, 'Mega!" Wrecker shouted as he charged forward.

Before he could do more, the shadow was up. He dodged past Wrecker as if he'd been doing it his entire life. He brought his rifle up.

"Rex!" Omega shouted. "Hunter!"

Through the doorway, She caught a glimpse of their shocked faces lit by the red blaster bolt. The shadow fired again, hitting the door panel. The door to the room slammed shut. He ducked under a shot from Wrecker and jerked around to aim at him.

"No!" Omega screamed.

The shadow shot Wrecker, the blaster bolt piercing his unarmored bicep. Wrecker bellowed with pain, faltering. Batcher dove in front of Wrecker with a snarl. The shadow aimed again.

"Hey!" Omega yelled. "You're looking for me, right?"

The shadow's blank gaze turned to her and she shuddered. She also ran. A stun bolt fluttered past her ear as she sprinted. She kept going. Echo had mentioned that this monastery had a maze of catacombs. Maybe Omega could lose him there.

Their footsteps seemed to clatter all around her as she bolted through long corridors. She heard a yell and a blaster shot, but the blood pounding in her ears made it seem far away.

The sounds of the shadow's footsteps faded. Omega ran for a minute more, but then slowed. Had he turned back to finish Wrecker off?

A flurry of footsteps overwhelmed her and Omega turned too late. The shadow loomed over her. He raised his hand and cracked it across Omega's face. She stumbled with the flash of pain and the shadow snatched her hand in a vice-like grip. He started to squeeze. Omega clung to her crossbow as he twisted her wrist. She couldn't lose it-

SNAP

Omega screamed at the blinding pain in her wrist.

"OMEGA!"

She could hear her brothers' enraged shouts as if through a haze. She still tried desperately to get away as the shadow forced her arms behind her back. She twisted and turned and writhed and he increased the pressure until-

A sickening pop filled Omega's ears. She screamed again.

"OMEGA!"

Was it just her pained imagination or was Crosshair's voice louder than the others? She couldn't think. The shrieking in her dislocated shoulder grew louder as the shadow kept her arms pinned behind her back. She could feel the muscles tearing as her arm was forced into unnatural positions. She vaguely felt him put binders on her wrists.

"You're- you're a clone." Omega choked out. "You're one of us!"

The shadow yanked her forward and she cried out again. His mask was thrown into sharp relief as a blaster bolt burst into fragments of light on the wall next to his head. He turned and three stun bolts spattered his back from the opposite direction.

He teetered- and fell. Omega collapsed to her knees.

"Omega!"

Omega heard the clatter of a blaster being dropped and Crosshair came sprinting from the darkness. He kicked the shadow out of the way before kneeling.

"What did he do?" He demanded. "Where are you hurt?"

"My- my shoulder." Omega croaked. "And my wrist."

She shifted so he could see her hands.

Crosshair looked down and his face contorted with rage as he saw the binders. In contrast to his murderous expression, his hands were so careful as he released the cuffs. He was gentle as he lifted her wrist, but she still winced.

"Broken." He muttered.

"My-my shoulder." Omega said. "I heard it pop."

Crosshair turned to look at the slumped shadow. He pulled out his pistol.

"Don't!"

Rex, Howzer, and Fireball had come from the opposite corridor.

"He's putting us all in danger!" Crosshair snapped. "He just killed his own ally! What do you think he'll do to us?"

"Maybe he's right, Rex." Fireball said. "He- he killed Greer."

"You of all people should know, Crosshair." Rex said. "There are some things you cannot control."

"And I would have wanted the others to kill me rather than let me kill them!" Crosshair said. "This clone would feel the same!"

"We'll, it's not up to him." Rex said evenly.

Wrecker and Hunter had come now, collapsing to their knees on either side of Omega.

"Broken wrist and dislocated shoulder." Crosshair said before Hunter could ask.

Hunter looked at Omega with a furrowed brow, his hands hovering over her shoulders.

"We need bacta." He said, his eyes lingering on Omega's cheek.

"We have some back at base." Rex said. "We'll need it for both of them."

As Rex, Howzer, and Fireball lifted the shadow, Crosshair gently put his hand on Omega's shoulder. Even that hurt.

"Do you want us to relocate it here or wait-"

He jerked Omega's shoulder back into place. A pain as terrible as the original injury shot through her body. She repressed a shriek into a yelp. Then the relief was instant.

"Sorry." Crosshair said. "It's better that way."

Omega nodded. She knew that. Her heart was still pounding, her wrist throbbing in time.

"Breathe." Hunter said. He touched her uninjured shoulder. "It's all right. He won't take you."

Omega shifted closer to him, glancing at the retreating forms of Rex and the others carrying the shadow.

He'd been so relentless. It terrified her.

"The second Echo gets back, we're leaving." Hunter promised.

Omega just hoped it would be before the shadow woke up.

Omega and her brothers reached the large room of the base before Rex and his group. Crosshair sat Omega down on a crate while Hunter went to find the bacta. Wrecker hovered nearby, vibrating with worry.

It reminded Omega of something, soon after she'd joined the Bad Batch. Right after she'd escaped Cad Bane, she remembered Tech sitting her down on Gonky and telling her that she must stay still for a full medical scan.

The thought brought another confusing emotion into her swirl of fear and stress.

"I'm- sorry."

She looked up at Crosshair, who was studying her wrist.

"For what?" Omega asked.

"I missed."

Omega touched his hand with her uninjured one. Crosshair didn't move away.

"It's okay." Omega said.

"Hey, you better take that apology." Wrecker said. "He never says sorry."

Crosshair shot Wrecker a look.

"Oh!" Omega said. "Wrecker, you're hurt!"

Crosshair glared at Wrecker, who shrugged.

"It's nothin'. It happens all the time." He said.

Hunter returned with the bacta right as Rex, Howzer, and Fireball carried the shadow in. Omega shrank back at the sight. There was something wrong with that trooper.

"Get the implant out." Rex said as they set the shadow down. "We managed not to kill him and I want it to stay that way."

Crosshair stood as Hunter wrapped Omega's wrist.

"What, so another one can come and kill him?" He said.

Rex, Howzer, and a few other clones had gathered around the shadow so Omega couldn't see.

"This is pointless." Crosshair said. There was the hiss of a helmet releasing. "They'll keep-"

He froze. Rex had gone stiff. Omega glanced at Wrecker, whose eyes had gone so wide they looked like they would fall out.

"Get the implant out." Crosshair rasped.

Omega's heart pounded uncomfortably. What was going on?

"How-" Rex started.

"You heard him!" Wrecker bellowed. "Get the implant out!"

Omega tried to stand to see what was happening. A hand grasped her uninjured shoulder. She looked up to see Hunter's ashen face.

"No, Omega." He said. "Don't look. Not- not yet."

"Who is it?" Omega demanded, pain forgotten.

She could only think of one person who could cause this reaction in them. But- she couldn't dare hope.

She let Hunter keep wrapping her wrist. Batcher was keening in a strange way. Omega clung to the hound with one hand. She felt sick.

It couldn't be. It couldn't be.

Could it?

"There." One of the clones said. "Hand me those binders."

Rex stood and Omega saw the face of the shadow.

More scars than she remembered, paler than she remembered, hair shorter than she remembered, but-

"Tech." Omega breathed.

A torrent of raging emotions ruptured inside of her. Tears filled her eyes.

"Tech!" She cried. "Tech!"

Her body moved without her thinking and she pushed past Hunter. She only made it a few steps before stuttering to a stop. That was Tech. The shadow was Tech.

Tech had hurt her. Tech had tried to take her.

No. No, no, no!

Tech loved them! Tech would never hurt them! Tech had died for them!

It was hard to breathe. A part of her wanted so desperately to run to Tech, to know for sure that it was him. The other part remembered the grip on her wrist and the uncaring harshness he'd used on her.

Hunter had come to her now and tried to turn her away.

"Don't look." He said again. "He- he was here to infiltrate. It might not be him. It could be a trick."

Omega resisted him at first. She watched Wrecker tenderly move Tech to lean against the wall. Crosshair began removing Tech's armor and snapped at the other clones who reached to help.

"Check for the chip scar." Rex said. "And any other scars you can remember. Fireball, contact Echo. Let him know that we need to abandon the base. Nemec, get the others and prep to evac."

Crosshair had taken the top of Tech's blacks off. Omega could see the hole where she had shot Tech.

She felt sick. If she had aimed for his head, or if Crosshair hadn't missed-

Hunter tugged at her again, but Omega just buried her face in his chest. She choked back tears. It felt like her emotions were going to rip her up from the insides.

"I know-" Hunter started. He put his arms around her. It hurt her shoulder, but she didn't care. "I know it looks like him, but it's possible that it's not."

He was trying to comfort her, but it just made the chaos inside her worse.

"What do we do with him?" Omega heard Howzer ask. "The Empire can track us through him."

"Tech will know how they're doing it." Crosshair said.

"You think he'll just tell us?" Howzer asked. "We just caught him infiltrating our base. You said yourself that they erase the shadows' identities."

Omega clung tighter to Hunter.

"What do you want us to do?" Crosshair hissed. "Kill him? You'd murder my brother?"

"No." Howzer said. "Of course not. But we do need a plan to keep the Empire from tracking us."

"Hyperspace." Rex said. "They can't track us there. We should be able to stay ahead for a week or two and see- what we can do."

A spark of hope flared inside of Omega. She took a deep breath and let go of Hunter.

"Let's go, then!" She said.

If they got the tracking device out, then they had time, time to help him.

"No." Hunter said. "Not you. You and Wrecker will go back to Pabu."

Omega stared at Hunter. He couldn't be serious.

"I'm coming with you!" She said.

"It's not safe, Omega." Hunter said. "That operative-"

"Tech." Crosshair said without looking up.

"What?"

"Not an operative." Crosshair said. "It's Tech."

Hunter frowned.

"That's a debate for-"

"It's not a debate!" Wrecker said. "It's Tech!"

Omega's stomach twisted again at his tone.

"Even if it is him," Hunter said. Crosshair jerked his head up to glare at him. "He wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger."

"I don't care!" Omega spat. "I'm not going to Pabu!"

"Me neither." Wrecker said, to Omega's surprise. "I'm not leaving him. Not again."

"This isn't up for debate!" Hunter said. "He just nearly got away with Omega. If he escapes and goes after her again-"

He trailed off and his expression changed. What was happening seemed to hit him. And Omega knew what he was thinking.

Tech had just nearly captured her. If he got ahold of Omega again, she didn't know if her other brothers could bring themselves to do what they'd need to to protect her.

And she didn't want to make them.

She nodded but tears filled her eyes.

"I don't understand why this is happening." She choked out. "He's our brother! What did they do to him?"

"I don't know." Hunter said. "Crosshair will know more."

"I just want my brother back." Omega whispered.

Hunter's eyes softened.

"I know." He said. "For now, let's focus on getting you patched up."

Omega nodded. Hunter seemed relieved as he guided her to sit down. They were far closer to Tech than they'd been before. Omega glanced at him. She didn't know how she felt about it.

Crosshair was placing a bacta patch on the scorched skin and hole in Tech's shoulder. He glanced at Omega.

"It was a good shot." He said.

Omega couldn't help but smile at Crosshair's praise. But then-

"I hurt him." She said.

Crosshair snorted and looked away.

"He has the chip scar." He said to Hunter. "And a few I recognize from the war. And our tattoo."

Omega wondered which ones. There were dozens of new scars on Tech's skin and- were those cybernetics clinging to his back? His face looked so naked without his goggles, though there were round scars around his eyes.

Hunter, who had been tying a sling around Omega's neck, paused.

"Couldn't- couldn't Hemlock have replicated them?" He asked.

"Not the ones from explosions." Crosshair said. "He's got the one on his shoulder from Wrecker's accident."

Hunter closed his eyes. He opened them and slipped Omega's arm through the sling. His gaze seemed blank, like he was trying not to think about the situation.

"Come here, Wrecker." He said. "Let me see your arm."

Wrecker obediently came and knelt so that Hunter could look at his injury. Omega felt herself edging closer to Tech. Despite her unease, she couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

She caught her breath as he stirred. Crosshair tensed.

"Omega." Hunter warned.

Omega didn't move. She couldn't breathe as Tech opened his eyes. One- one was the silvery white of a cybernetic now. His gaze flicked over Omega's face, and then past her to Crosshair.

"Weak." Tech hissed. His voice scared Omega. "Traitor. You could have been one of us."

Then- he tried to bite down. Omega cried out and reached for him, but Tech's eyes widened when nothing happened.

Hunter jerked Omega back and away from Tech.

"Stay with Wrecker." He ordered.

Omega sucked in a shaky breath as what Tech had just tried to do fully hit her. Her entire body began to tremble. She stumbled towards Wrecker and he steadied her.

"It's- it's okay." Wrecker muttered. "He doesn't know what he's doing."

Omega clung to that thought as tightly as she did to Wrecker as she heard Tech speak again in a voice as cold as ice.

"You cannot escape." He said. "You will never outrun the Empire."

It was Tech's voice but it wasn't. Tech had never sounded so mocking, so full of hate.

"You cannot protect-"

Omega turned around at the sound of several stun bolts being fired. Both Hunter and Crosshair had their pistols pointed at Tech. Crosshair's hand was shaking worse than ever.

"Rex, you don't happen to have seds, do you?" Hunter asked in a too steady voice. "Keeping him stunned won't be good for him."

Rex looked up from speaking to Nemec.

"Yeah." He said. "I'll grab them."

Rex hurried off, leaving the chamber silent except for Batcher's snuffles and whines.

Crosshair still stood in front of Tech. He pressed the shaking fingers of his hand into the side of his face. Hunter went to him and reached for Crosshair's arm. Crosshair jerked away from him.

"Crosshair-"

"He was there, Hunter!" Crosshair snapped. "He was on Tantiss! He could have been in the pod next to me when they-"

Crosshair took a shuddering breath.

Omega choked back a sob. She had visited Crosshair every day on Tantiss. She'd seen the aftermath of what Hemlock had done to him. Sometimes he wouldn't speak, staring blankly as Omega talked. Other times he would angrily shout at her that she needed to get out.

He had been broken.

And Tech had been going through the same thing. He had needed Omega. She hadn't been there for him.

Did he know? Did he know that she hadn't helped him even though she was there? Was that why he hated her now?

Did he hate them for leaving him behind?

She was feeling numb now and that let Wrecker eventually coax her outside the base to wait for Echo. She watched the night sky, leaning against Batcher. She thought of the times Tech had insisted on her learning star maps.

Wrecker let out a sudden roar and Omega jumped. She watched as Wrecker heaved up a piece of rubble and smashed it against a large rock. It shattered and Wrecker stood, shoulders heaving.

"Wrecker?" Omega whispered.

"Sorry." Wrecker panted. "Sorry. I'm just- I just hate it."

His head dipped, defeated. Omega got up and hugged him. He pressed his face to her head.

"You're a good kid, Omega." He croaked.

They stayed together until the sound of a ship broke them apart. Omega felt a spike of fear until she recognized Echo's ship. He came jogging down the ramp after it landed.

"Omega!" He called. "Wrecker! What's going on? Fireball just said there was another operative and that we've been compromised."

Omega couldn't talk around the lump in her throat. Echo's eyes widened and looked between Wrecker and Omega.

"The others-" He said. "Any casualties?"

"No!" Omega choked out. "But- it's Tech."

Echo stared at her.

"Show me." He said.

Omega hesitated.

"It's him," She said. "But it's not him."

They were the only words she could find for what was happening. To her surprise, Echo nodded.

"But he's alive?" He asked. Omega nodded. "We can work with that."

Omega could see the strain in his face.

"Tech?" Omega jumped at Gregor's voice. "He's that insane pilot, right?"

"Yeah." Wrecker creaked. "He is."

Echo stared at Tech's unconscious form for a long time. Then he closed his eyes for even longer. Omega put her hand on his arm.

"He has cybernetics?" Echo asked Hunter.

"One eye and extensive ones on his spine. Both legs are, too." Hunter said.

"Kriff." Echo breathed.

Omega had never heard him sound so shaky. Echo was always strong, always stoic. He drew his hand over his face before squaring his shoulders.

"What's the plan?" He asked.

"Hunter, Crosshair, Howzer, and myself are taking him into hyperspace." Rex said. "Hemlock has a way to track him and we need to find out how. Hopefully, we'll get some other answers too."

"And the rest of us are staying?" Echo asked.

"No." Hunter said. "You'll be taking the rest in the Remora. We need you to take Omega and Wrecker to Pabu, then you'll rendezvous with us."

Echo frowned.

"We don't have enough ships." He said.

"Samson and Blitz found Tech's ship." Rex said. "And if all goes well, we'll be able to get Tantiss' location from it."

"We can?" Omega asked.

That- that was amazing news. The clones on Tantiss still needed help.

Tech was alive. They could find Tantiss.

Omega should have been elated.

She looked at Tech. Even unconscious, there was something wrong. His jaw was clenched and his brow furrowed. Omega remembered his cold threats and cruel hands.

Omega should have been elated.

She wasn't.

TW: violence, violence against children, attempted suicide

Okay, from the top!

Actually gonna try and do the whole naming of the chapters thing!

Dream sequences are going to feature heavily in this fic and I think it's fun to have NARRATIVE PARALLELS. They also work as lightening the fic up because the present stuff is gonna be pretty heavy.

I'm basing this scene partially on the statement Dave Filoni made that the Bad Batch were deployed after the Battle of Kamino and 99 died, because Cody vouched for them. I love the idea of them sitting around in a circle, trying their best to get to 99 plans, because that's THEIR number. Also I want more about the Batch's relationship with 99. Because they HAD to have known him, right?

Part of the reason I started this fic here was specifically to save most of Rex's brothers on Teth. I can't save as many clones as I usually do, so this will have to be sufficient.

I know a popular headcanon for Crosshair is that if CX-2 is Tech, that Crosshair knew. I thought about it for a minute, but I liked him advocating to kill the CX and then change his tune on a dime. I also think that if Crosshair knew, he'd have little to no hope about the situation, and I wanted him to be a little more hopeful.

Tip: if you're writing Hunter, have him say 'we'll debate this later.' It's the most in character thing for him ever.

That should be everything for now!

Stay safe, remember to review, and I'll see you guys in a few weeks!