Hello everyone!

I'm sorry for the late update; I was holding my new niece.

Gonna get into some different heads this time!

Trigger Warnings:

Intention to harm/kill oneself

Chapter 2: A Good Brother

CX-2 had been sedated. It had happened enough in his short existence that he recognized the feeling immediately.

But this time there was no stim to wake him. He did not know why the Doctor had allowed him to wake naturally. He did not fight to regain consciousness. Perhaps if he took long enough to wake, he would dream.

When he was awake, he detested the dreams. He craved them when asleep.

He was on the verge of dreaming, mind drifting again to places he no longer remembered. The last vestiges of his resistance failed and he sank into the memories.

"He sounds like quite the character." Phee said.

She and Tech walked down the length of the beach. It was sunset, colors flooding the sky. Tech wore his boots, but Phee was barefoot. His datapad hung limply from his fingers as they walked.

"That is one way to quantify him." Tech said. "But insufficient, I find. I fear I have focused too much on his defects. He was- is a good brother."

Phee didn't say anything. Tech eyed her.

"You do not believe me."

"He had a chance to go back with you, Browneyes." Phee said. "Even after the chip was out, right?"

"Yes, but that does not mean he was no longer affected." Tech said. "We have no research on what prolonged exposure to the inhibitor chip can do to one's brain. It is entirely possible that it left remnants of its influence even after removal."

Phee reached down to examine a shell. Tech paused to wait for her.

"That sounds like one of your dissertations to justify what you're feeling." Phee said, examining the violet tinged shell. Tech bit back an explanation on what animal it came from. She would likely ask later. "How about we skip the data and get straight to the conclusion?"

Tech hesitated. As usual, she seemed to cut straight into the heart of him. He struggled to find the words for the root of his feelings.

"He was not himself." He finally said. "Even after the chip was removed. I thought I understood at the time that he was being severe and unyielding as he always was. But I do not know if that explains everything."

He fell silent, but he knew that was not everything. Phee seemed to know it too, as she did not speak.

"I miss him."

Phee put her hand on his arm. It was not unpleasant.

"I'm sorry, Tech."

"I do not know if I will ever see him again." Tech said. "I- do not even know if he is alive."

He stared at the gulls swooping in the sparkling sea, thoughts of his brother surging like the waves. Phee did not say anything, but Tech knew she was listening. She always listened.

"I- think he would like Pabu." Tech said. "He would enjoy the views here. He has always liked birds as well. There are many interesting avians here that he would find fascinating."

Phee took her hand from his arm.

"Well, when he wises up, he's welcome to come stay." She said.

Tech glanced at her.

"You speak as if it is inevitable."

"Tech, if he has any sense in his brain, he misses you." Phee said. "And one day, he'll realize he misses you more than anything the Empire could give him."

Tech took his datapad in both hands and looked down.

"Thank you." He paused. "You are sincere in your invitation to him? If he leaves the Empire, he can come here?"

"Well, that depends on if I like him."

Tech looked back up at her. The sun was shining warm in her coils of hair and she was smiling at him. He liked it when she smiled like that.

"You will like him." Tech decided. "He is as clever as you."

Phee's smile broadened.

"You flatterer." She nudged him.

"You know I am no such thing."

Phee laughed and Tech thought, rather illogically, that he would not mind if this time never ended.

To his relief and dismay, CX-2 felt himself be pulled away.

The first sensation that he registered was pain. So the Doctor had not deemed it necessary to administer the usual pain inhibitors. Had CX-2 failed in some way?

There was another pain that he did not recognize. The burning around his spinal implants was to be expected. But his shoulder-

He had been injured while on a mission.

No wonder the Doctor was displeased with him.

The memories began to return. The target was here- the clone known as Omega. He had been preparing to return and report when there had been a commotion. The child had shot him.

He had still eliminated the compromised trooper and had nearly captured the target.

And then-

The traitor, 9904. He was here too.

And CX-2 was captured. His security implant had been removed.

This was not ideal.

CX-2 heard voices around him, low mutters.

"Shouldn't he be awake by now?" A gruff voice asked. "We cut the sedatives an hour ago."

"His vitals are steady." A higher voice said. "Keep a close eye on him. He may be pretending to still be out."

CX-2 assessed his physical condition. It seemed that his injured shoulder had been treated. He could feel a patch over the wound. His hands were bound behind his back and they had removed his cybernetic legs.

"He's awake." The gruff voice said. "His breathing's changed."

"Tech." The higher voice said. His tone was odd, unlike any that CX-2 had heard. "We know you're awake."

CX-2 opened his left eye. It would be pointless to open both without the vision correcting lens of his helmet.

He was on his own ship. Two clones stood before him. He recognized them. He had been briefed on Clone Force 99, as they were likely to be accompanied by the target. 9901 and 9904. The Doctor had told CX-2 that 9902 was dead and 9903- he must be with the target.

Past these two clones CX-2 could see two more watching him. He did not recognize these.

9901 and 9904 stared at him. CX-2 had never seen expressions like theirs before. He mainly interacted with the Doctor and occasionally the other CX troopers. Their faces had never looked like this.

CX-2 cursed his inability to read human expressions. If he knew what these two were feeling, he could perhaps gain an advantage. The Doctor had said it was a defect from before he had become a CX. CX-2 found that he disliked the creature he had been before.

"How are you feeling?" 9901 asked.

CX-2 blinked. It seemed that the clone had been addressing him.

He did not know why they would ask the question. The Doctor had asked it many times, but it had a purpose. The Doctor needed the information to determine if the procedures or other processes had worked.

Had Clone Force 99 done something to him while he had been sedated?

The two looked at each other.

"Do you know who we are?" 9901 asked.

CX-2 said nothing, though there was a tiny part of him that strained at the fact that he had to withhold information. He had studied their files in preparation for searching for the target.

"Do you know who we are?" 9901 repeated.

CX-2 merely stared at him. 9901 sighed.

"He- might not." 9904 said. "Memory modification was the final step of the program. But I don't know to what extent."

CX-2 glared at 9904. That was incorrect. The memory modification happened far before the final step. Otherwise CX-2 would not remember as much of the process as he did.

"In that case, my name is Hunter." 9901 said.

Incorrect again. Clones did not have names. The development of adopting nicknames within clone culture was an aberration that should have been eradicated. Clones were identified by numbers.

"I'm- Crosshair." 9904 said.

CX-2 sneered at 9904. Coward. He had had a chance to become one of them.

"You chose the wrong side." CX-2 hissed.

9904 flinched. Interesting.

9901 put a hand on 9904's shoulder.

"Tech, we need you to tell us how Hemlock tracks you." He said.

CX-2 once again stared at him, this time with confusion. 9901's voice was calm and low. This was not the interrogation CX-2 had been trained to expect.

Just as confusing was the way 9901 had addressed CX-2. Was it not clear that he was not a technician?

"We want to help you." 9901 said. "We just need to know how you're being tracked."

This was tedious already.

"You may proceed with the torture." CX-2 said. "It is inevitable, though it will be ineffective."

He doubted he could convince them to terminate him. They needed information that he possessed. Clone Force 99's files made it very clear that they would go to extremes to protect the target. At least, 9901 and 9903 would. 9904's file was ambiguous on the matter.

"We're not going to hurt you!" 9904 spat.

There was a tone that CX-2 recognized. Anger. The Doctor was a calm man most of the time, but the CX units did not always perform to his satisfaction.

But why was 9904 angry? Perhaps because CX-2 had insinuated their interrogation techniques would not be enough?

He looked at the two clones and was filled with a feeling of revulsion. Traitors. Especially 9904. 9904 had been given the chance to become something greater. Something nearly perfect. The Doctor had given him so many chances, more chances than many other clones had gotten. He had still rejected the gift.

9901 sighed and drew a hand down his face.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. "Or thirsty?"

CX-2 was once again confused. He had information that they desired. They would need to break him in order to get it. Providing him with food and water was detrimental to these goals.

Perhaps it was no wonder that 9904 had failed the CX program.

The answer to 9901's question was yes, but CX-2 was far too disciplined to ever acknowledge that need to the enemy. He hardly voiced his needs to his allies.

As if sensing that, 9901 crouched down and held a canteen to CX-2's lips. CX-2 turned his head away. Escape was unlikely. There was a far better chance of CX-2 getting himself killed than successfully eluding them. That was his mission now. CX-2 was to terminate himself, or have his captors terminate him, by any means necessary.

Denying himself sustenance was a start.

9901 sat for several minutes, holding the canteen so that CX-2 could drink if he wished. Eventually he swapped the canteen for a ration bar. CX-2 did not accept it.

"Please, Tech." 9901 said. "I can hear your stomach growling."

Why did they continue to call him that?

"Hunter, he hates that type." 9904 said.

9901 blinked and looked down at the ration bar.

"You're right." He said. "I-I forgot."

How had they known this? CX-2 did indeed detest the type of ration bar 9901 was holding. Its texture was repulsive.

"Let's see if we can't find another one." 9901 said.

He got up and turned to the other two clones in the ship. While he and 9904 were distracted, CX-2 reached under the back of his blacks and felt at his cybernetics. With a harsh tug and repressed hiss, he tore his skin away from the metal. Then, he used his fingernail to break a slight tear into one of the coolant tubes on the device. The coolant burned as it dripped into the small wound.

It would be a potent toxin if it entered his bloodstream.

9901 and 9904 returned shortly.

"Looks like this is what we're stuck with for now." 9901 said with a shake of his head.

The two looked at CX-2 for a long time.

"We need that information, Tech." 9901 said. "We want to help you."

"Hunter," 9904 said. "He won't know that name. It might help if he had a reminder of who he was."

9901 let out a long breath. He knelt, looking CX-2 in the eye. CX-2 held his gaze, though it was deeply uncomfortable.

"Your name is Tech." 9901 said. "CT-9902. You're a member of Clone Force 99. We call ourselves the Bad Batch."

He paused, as if waiting for CX-2's reaction. CX-2 did not have one. It was more than likely a lie. Even if it was not, what did it matter? CX-2 was no longer this 'Tech.' He had no desire to be 'Tech.'

9901 reached towards CX-2. CX-2 tensed, but 9901 placed his hand on CX-2's shoulder. The feeling was alien.

"You're our brother." 9901 said. "And nothing could ever change that."

CX-2 would beg to differ.

Crosshair watched Tech. The shell of his brother stared back. He hadn't done more than that for the last four hours, besides the occasional barb. Crosshair had never heard such hatred from Tech.

Four hours of asking the same questions and getting venom in return had been exhausting. No wonder Hunter had started getting one of his migraines. Crosshair volunteered to watch their brother while Hunter rested. Tech seemed more inclined to speak to him anyway, even if it was just insults.

Crosshair heard a step behind him. He glanced back to see Howzer. It was odd; the reg's demeanor towards him had changed. Crosshair still tensed as Howzer came close.

"Hanging in there?" The reg asked.

Crosshair shrugged.

"It's slow going, interrogating when you don't want to hurt them." He said.

"Don't have much of a choice right now." Howzer said. "Me and Rex would step in, but you're likely to make progress sooner than us. You know him better than anyone."

Crosshair didn't reply. It might be harder in that case. Tech knew Crosshair and hated him.

Crosshair didn't blame him.

"You all right?" Howzer asked.

Crosshair glanced at him, surprised. He was even more surprised when he decided to respond.

"I did this." He said.

He nodded towards Tech.

Howzer frowned.

"You- didn't turn him in, did you?"

"No." Crosshair said. "He- fell on a mission to rescue me. They all thought he was dead."

Howzer was quiet.

"Was this before or after you turned on the Empire?" He asked.

"After." Crosshair said. "He wanted me back, according to Omega. Despite- everything. The others were hesitant. They were right to be. I wasn't worth going after."

Howzer raised his hand as if to touch Crosshair's shoulder, but seemed to think better of it.

"He thought you were." The reg said.

"And look where it got him." Crosshair said bitterly. "I know what he went through. I deserved it. He didn't."

He paused.

"You and your squad didn't deserve what happened to you. I'm- sorry."

Silence.

"I- appreciate the apology." Howzer finally said. "Hang in there. He's in there somewhere."

He left Crosshair alone, at least as alone as he could be in such a tiny ship. Crosshair realized that Tech's stare had turned into an angry glower.

"What?" He asked.

"Only the worthy survived the reeducation process." Tech rasped. "You did not deserve that gift."

Anger bubbled inside Crosshair. Not at Tech, of course.

"That bastard tortured you until there was nothing left!" He hissed. "He broke you! You never deserved that!"

Tech only sneered at him.

It seemed that Tech truly believed that what happened to him was a gift.

And it hit Crosshair that the brother who would have died to save him would now kill him without a second thought. In fact, he'd probably enjoy it.

"I still don't know why you want it." The nasally Quarren merchant said. "They're rare, yes, but you can find better armor or materials elsewhere."

"I thought you didn't ask questions as long as you got the credits, Cevi." Phee said as she leaned against the counter. "Have you got it or not?"

"Well, people normally get things that make at least a bit of sense." Cevi said. She turned to the piles of dusty boxes filling her store. "Yeah, I've got it."

Phee folded her arms as she watched Cevi root around in the crates.

"I thought you didn't like clones." The shopkeeper said. "At least, you were whining about them the last time I saw you. Something about how they made your job harder."

"They did." Phee said, drumming her fingers against the counter. "And your job is to get me that helmet without interrogating me."

Many of Phee's contacts didn't know about her true mission and Cevi was no different.

"Here we go." Cevi said. She pulled a white helmet from a box near the back. "Clone standard issue helmet, phase I."

Phee couldn't help but take the helmet with a bit of reverence. From what she'd learned from the Batch and her own research, this helmet had belonged to a shiny. She wondered if the clone had merely lost the helmet or had been killed.

It seemed so different from the helmets of her friends. Was that a phase difference?

What did your first helmet look like, Browneyes?

She found she talked to Tech in her head more and more. Probably wasn't very healthy. But there was so much that reminded her of him and his insatiable curiosity.

"2k, Phee." Cevi said. "And please don't start snogging that thing in my shop."

Phee pulled out the credits and dropped them on the counter.

"What makes you think I will?" She asked.

"You were looking at that helmet like you used to look at Bryn." Cevi said.

Phee grimaced.

"Please. I like this helmet a lot more than I like Bryn."

"If helmets are your thing now, I hear Luthen Rael on Coruscant has a bunch of real beskar Mando buckets." Cevi said.

"Never said a thing about Mando helmets." Phee said. "And Coruscant? Really? You want me dead?"

Cevi shrugged.

"Keep me updated on if you find more of these." Phee went on. "See you."

She tucked the helmet under her arm; one more artifact for the Archium. Pabu had one more culture to represent.

Phee leaned back in her chair and sighed. Her mind drifted along with her ship in orbit around Corellia.

She should go home to Pabu. She had at least five new artifacts, including this new helmet. But she found herself making more and more excuses to not go.

If she was honest with herself, and Phee tried to be honest with people she liked, it was because Tech haunted the island now. She saw him in the sunsets, the food, the walks on the beach.

She'd loved and lost before, and she was pretty good at moving on, but kriff this one hurt. She didn't know if she'd loved him, but it had been damn close. He'd been so brilliant, so brave, so caring in his own wonderful way.

Why'd you have to be so noble?

Phee stared out into the stars and tried to bring him to mind. It was hard. Those brown eyes were starting to fade.

She'd have to ask Omega if they had any pictures.

Phee's comm array pinged and she looked down.

Speak of a Sith. It was Omega, by the frequency.

"Hey, kiddo." Phee said, clicking the comm on. "What can I do ya for?"

"Phee-"

Phee knew something was wrong just by Omega's tone. The girl sounded like she was going to cry.

"Omega?" Phee said. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Are your brothers okay?"

"They're- they're fine." Omega said. "But- but we need you to come to Pabu as soon as you can."

Phee straightened in her seat and immediately inputted Pabu's coordinates.

"I can be there in less than a rotation." She said. "But what's the emergency?"

"I- need to tell you in person." Omega said.

"All right." Phee said. "I'll see you soon."

She clicked the comm off, mind racing. The only conclusion she could come to was that Pabu was in danger. Even if she wasn't there much anymore, it was still home.

A part of her wondered if Omega wouldn't be more stoic if Pabu was in danger, if maybe this was something worse.

Phee could see the little blonde girl waiting with Wrecker as she brought Providence in. She raised her eyebrow at the large blue mass that lolled after them. Was that a Lurca hound? Where had Omega found one of them?

The second Phee stepped off the ramp, Omega rushed into her arms.

For a second, Phee was staggered by how much Omega had grown. She was taller, leaner, her longer hair tied back instead of flopping about freely like it used to.

Phee's heart broke for Wrecker and Hunter. They'd missed so much of their little girl's life.

And you'll miss it all.

Phee took a deep breath and pushed the thought of Tech away.

"What's going on?" She asked. She looked to Wrecker, who wore an unfamiliar, solemn mask. "Omega, what's happened?"

Omega let go of Phee and looked her in the eyes, only to burst into tears. Wrecker was immediately at her side, gentle as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Phee was shocked to realize that Omega's arm was in a sling, and her wrist was wrapped in bacta. Her face now featured a bruise blooming on her cheek.

Omega continued to sob and Phee realized she was saying something.

"- he's alive-"

There was a spot on Pabu that was riddled with caves. Most of the waters surrounding the island were warm, but the sea inside those caves was frigid. Phee's blood went as cold as that water.

"Browneyes?" She whispered.

Omega just gave a loud sob. But Wrecker- Wrecker nodded.

Oh.

Oh.

Wrecker, like the dear he was, steadied Phee as her legs threatened to give out.

"Let's go sit down." He suggested.

Phee let him guide her to Omega's favorite tree, the weeping maya outside the Archium. She had once stopped Tech from waking his sister and brother as they rested under this tree.

Oh, Tech.

"Where is he?" She managed to demand. "Wrecker, what happened?"

She had to fight back tears. She'd cried when she had first learned of his fall, cried for a month after. But she'd been dry eyed since, even if the ache persisted. Now the lump in her throat came back with a vengeance.

"He's with Hunter an' Crosshair." Wrecker said. "Phee, he's different. We caught him tryin' to spy on us and he tried to take Omega. Cross says Hemlock did something to him, hurt him til he changed."

Change? You don't change, Browneyes. You're the steadiest person I know.

"I want to see him." Phee said aloud.

"Can't right now." Wrecker said. Omega had stopped crying, her head in Wrecker's lap as he absently stroked her hair. She scrunched her face up at Wrecker's declaration. "The Empire's tracking him and til they figure out how, they have to stay in hyperspace."

It was a hard blow, but Phee had endured worse. Not- not much worse though.

"Tell me everything." She said. "Please. I want to help."

How much hope are you giving me, Browneyes?

From the top!

Dreams are going to play a pretty big part in this fic, at least for the first part. Hopefully will help lighten things up.

As much as I wanted more Phee (and you know Tech to be alive) in Season 3, I loved Phee mentioning that Tech told her about Crosshair. 1. That means they had more time than we saw, which they deserved and 2. That means Tech trusted Phee enough to tell her about Crosshair. He doesn't even talk about Crosshair with his brothers. So this scene was born.

I'm in the camp that Crosshair didn't come out of having his chip enhanced unscathed. I headcanon that either it was taken out, but the enhanced chip left some residual effects, or that it wasn't taken out, but its effects were greatly lessened and so he assumed that his chip was out, and then it finally stopped working around the Outpost.

Based solely on the Outpost, I have decided that Crosshair likes birds. I will not be taking criticism at this time.

I got the sense that the CX clones practically worshiped Hemlock and saw what he did to them as a gift.

So I researched if toxins can enter your bloodstream through an open wound and I'm pretty sure they can? I dunno, I had to come up with some way for Tech to try to kill himself without the suicide implant.

Tech one hundred percent has food aversions and there were probably ration bars that he could barely eat. I base this off my own experiences. Especially with beans.

In this timeline, instead of watching Crosshair dote on Omega and correctly assuming that no evil person (except Nala Se) could love her, Mayday sees Crosshair being devastated over Tech and concludes that he can't be that bad.

Anyone want to guess which of Clone Force 99 blames themselves the most for what happened? (The answer is all of them except maybe Echo because Echo knows how to grieve but he still feels pretty bad)

I love the idea of Phee just talking to Tech in her head. Also…did they have any pictures of Tech? I know there's the one on Kamino, but do they have copies? He's the one recording everything, so all of their pictures and recording are probably from his point of view. AND DID THEY HAVE ANY AFTER THE MARAUDER BLEW UP? Great, I've made myself sad.

I love the idea of Phee trying to collect Clone stuff for the Archium. They had a culture and they deserve to be remembered.

Ooh, my first Oh. Oh. in my fanfiction! A staple! Except probably sadder than in many uses of it.

Ugh. I wanted so much more Phee in season 3. I hope she comes back.

Anyway, I think that's everything!

Stay safe, remember to review, and have a good few weeks!