A few minutes beforehand… In the Refresher..
Hunter quickly followed his love, catching the door before it could close fully. Hunter found quite a sight, Crosshair was kneeled over the toilet vomiting blood and anything that was in his stomach. Crosshair looked very vulnerable and fear evident in his features, he was sweating. Hunter ran his hands up Crosshair's back to comfort him. Noticing that Crosshair was paler than normal, he leaned against the wall in a sitting position and pulled Crosshair in. For Crosshair to show weakness was rare but after all that had happened, it felt good that Cross could share this whether he wanted to or not.
“Hunter, there is something I have to tell you” a quiet yet firm voice spoke. Looking down at Cross in his lap, he ran his fingers through Crosshair’s short grey hair. “I am broken, fragile. Admiral Tarkin…he…” “Shh Cross, Howzer told me. You are not broken. You are far from it, you are strong. It was not your fault, you didn’t have a choice…” Crosshair ears felt fuzzy as the few tears slipping down his face turned into sobs. Desperately clinging to Hunter, crying out all of his fears being thankful for the sound-proof room. Hunter tightened his grip on Cross. “I’m sorry, this is pathetic, you could do better. You…” Crosshair’s speech was cut off by Hunter’s lips on his own, pushing Crosshair closer to him.
“Thanks” “Your Welcome Cross!. Just promise me. No more apologising”. “I promise”. “I like the new you”. “Don’t get used to it, Hunt!”. Hunter smiled at Crosshair who looked up with an evil smirk. “Would you join me?” Crosshair asked, Hunter nodded, stepping into the shower in the refresher with Cross once they had removed their armour and clothes.
About 10 minutes later, the two emerged dressed back in their armour and blacks. They really needed to get more clothes. Crosshair had a few bandages beneath his clothes thanks to Hunter. Howzer looked up upon the door opening, nodding at the two before shutting his eyes again. Looking around, Hunter noticed how empty the body of the Havok Marauder looked with everyone probably being in the cockpit. Following Crosshair who made his way over to the door leading to the cockpit. The arguing reached their ears. Crosshair shook his head, clearly not in the mood, allowing Hunter to slip ahead but not before sharing a smile with him.
“Ahem!” Hunter’s commanding voice broke through the argument between the two supposably sensible pilots who looked back at their sergeant. Wrecker sat in his seat allowing Hunter passage. Ash sat on Omega’s knee, but turned his head to see one of his parents making silent grabby hands to Crosshair who smiled down at him. Instantly picking him up and pulling him close. Nodding in thanks to both Omega and Wrecker for watching him.
“What’s going on?” Hunter asked, tying his bandana around his still wet hair. “Hunter. We do not know where we are exactly going. Except for the fact we are hovering in the open for an enemy to certainly fire at us. Echo thinks we should just set the ship down on the sea. I told him, we are not a boat…” “You did not, you called it…” Before the two could continue to argue, Hunter cut them off. Turning his head and catching the clones behind him looking baffled at the behaviour of the pilots. “Cross..” Crosshair moved forward, to Hunter’s side before looking at Echo, “Can I pilot?” the politeness was unusual for Crosshair but seeing the look on Hunter’s face. Echo moved, blocking Crosshair’s features from the others. Crosshair sat in the seat and instantly took control of the Havok Marauder despite hearing protests. Hunter directed the clones to strap in, Gonky awoke moving to the back, allowing the seats in the wall to appear. Echo took one seat while Rex took the other.
Hunter sat in the seat behind Crosshair right next to Omega who smiled up at him, “I’m sorry Omega. I told you we would never come back here” Hunter whispered to her. “It’s alright Hunter. We are doing this for Crosshair”. Omega cuddled into Hunter’s side.
The Havok Marauder hovered above the sea, while Crosshair took apart the console in front of him despite the odd looks from a frustrated Tech which turned his frown into a smile when the ship suddenly became invisible on his scanners. The ship was cloaked. “How?” “How do you think the Empire never found you after Bracca, Tech?” Crosshair smirked at his baffled brother. “You have to teach me!” Hunter laughed at the eagerness in Tech’s voice. Noticing it was just Rex and the bad batch in the cockpit since the others were strapped into the main body of the ship, giving them some privacy.
After a few clicks of a few buttons on the console, a landing pad rose out of the water creating ripples all around the platform. Omega smiled remembering the feeling of Nala’s lab where clone force 99 was created. Crosshair coughed, alerting everyone in the cockpit into his elbow, Tech reached across to rub his back, receiving a nod in thanks.
Carefully landing on the landing pad, but not leaving the co-pilot chair. His actions confused those in the cockpit. Their confusion was quick to disappear until they saw Cross start the engine's backup and start to fly with quite accuracy down a few tunnels. Tech lost track on the amount of turns, watching his youngest brother navigate the tunnels like the back of his hand. Giggling came from Ash who resided in Crosshair's lap, soon the laughter became infectious. Omega and Wrecker caught the giggles. Hunter smirked at their behaviour.
However, the laughing came to a stop when the Havok Marauder entered an underground hangar of some sort. There were a few other ships parked, three of the five ships were ‘Special Forces TIE Fighters’. Crosshair got up abruptly fast, heading out of the cockpit and out of the ship. The bad batch were quick to follow, the others following suit. Howzer taking a minute to wake a groggy Wolffe. Once they all left the ship, they followed Crosshair down a few corridors; the atmosphere was tense for being underwater. It was too quiet and that was something the clones were not used to. Stumbling slightly, Hunter grabbed his arm. Crosshair sent a thankful look while Ash cuddled closer to Crosshair, watching over his dad’s shoulder at Omega who sat on Wrecker's shoulders.
Stopping at a bright green door, Crosshair imputed a code. The door slid open with ease, the lights adjusted for all their eyes. It was a room with a few bacta tubes in and a lab of some sort. A figure appeared in front of the group, cloaked holding a gun pointed at them. Before noticing an individual, “Crosshair you have returned”. Rex recognised that voice, “Ahsoka?” “Rex!”. The two hugged each other. Ahsoka let her hood fall down to reveal her features to the crowd of people.
Rex let go of Ahsoka to turn to the other clones with some pulling immature faces. “Wolffe? How are you alive?” Ahsoka asked out of confusion, but then realised a few familiar faces were standing in the group that were listed as KIA. Her face twisted to turn to Crosshair, “You didn’t?!” Crosshair nodded, avoiding the swipe she took at him. She looked ready to kill him herself but seeing Hunter step in front of Crosshair with a hand near his knife, she stopped. “We will be having words, idiot”. Smiling she left the two, before heading over to the seats to the side of the room where Wolffe and Howzer had made themselves comfortable. “Hey I recognise this place” Thorn thought out loud, Havok nodded simultaneously.
Ash pulled on his dad’s short hair to get his attention, pointing over at the smaller tubes in the corner. The ones Echo and Tech had gone to investigate. “OMG, were the Kamino’s creating more clones, this one looks identical to..”. “Tech, why don’t you open it and find out what it is?” Havok suggested to the two. Crosshair walked in a fit of rage with Hunter narrowly nearby as Havok touched the smaller bacta pod. He soon found himself punched and shoved to the floor. Hunter grabbed Crosshair while Wrecker grabbed Havok as the two struggled for control. Ash sat on the pod which held the small person inside. Crosshair’s eyes had a little of a red tinge to them, which caused Wrecker, Havok, Tech and Echo to back away from him.
Uncertainty in their features. “What the hell Crosshair, you have attacked Havok twice now!” Rex yelled. Hunter frowned at his batch-mate's behaviour. “REX! Stand down now!” Ahsoka rushed forward placing two hands on either side of Crosshair's head. “Focus on me, Crosshair. Focus on my voice, follow it. It’s not him!”. Slowly shaking his head, Crosshair gained control of his actions; he went pale white at the bruise on Havok’s left cheek. Turning his back on the clones staring at him, he lifted an upset Ash into his arms before checking the monitors next to the small pod. Hunter frowned, he was so confused at everything going on and he knew an explanation had to happen at some point. But, he knew Crosshair wasn’t ready to share that information yet. The bad batch looked towards Crosshair and frowned, they didn’t want to admit it but they didn’t recognise Crosshair. Hunter’s sad eyes reflected Ahsoka’s when they shared a similar look, their thoughts revolving around the same person.
Crosshair.
YOU ARE READING
A Sacrafice of the Heart (HunterxCrosshair) Book 1 - COMPLETE!
AdventureA loss of a brother was always hard, it was never easier as time got on, but they had a job to do and if that meant honouring their brother so be it. The Bad Batch recieve an unknown message from a dead source, they go and investigate only to be mi...
