Tale of The Shadow - Complete!

Chapter 2

"Who actually are you?" Echo asked, he thought he had worked out the marksman. Hunter was looking at the man they all loved as well. 

Crosshair sighed, "I'm not a clone, never have been. I just got really good at blending in. My biological mother saved my life by handing me over to a teenage Shaak Ti, she took me in and raised me on Kamino. 99 took me in to keep me hidden from anyone when the general couldn't watch me. Nala Se found out about my origins and in her spite, she turned me into a weapon. She originally was part of the royal council on my birth planet. My mother found out but couldn't do much as she was in the process of taking down my father. So in the end I ended up being put with clone force 99. I was sworn to secrecy but once we were ready to leave and did our missions. I…" Crosshair looked off into the distance as they took a corner, he stopped to stare out into the distance. Tears brimmed his eyes. 

"You remembered who you were and knew you had a purpose other than fighting another war" Hunter whispered, wrapping an arm around Crosshairs waist. The marksman nodded, he leaned into his sergeant a little before he composed himself and they continued towards their beloved ship. 

"Yeah, you could say that and by the time Echo came into the picture. I had spoken to Shaak Ti a few times, she took notice of something on my hand and asked me to wear the glove which I did. Having already had one my entire life, the one she gave me, hid it from force signatures so any Jedi or separatist we came across, would not feel my aura" Crosshair cut himself off as he eagerly took Omega from Wrecker who handed her over while he wore a worried expression.

"Wait, can you…?" Echo questioned, entering the Marauder. Tech and Wrecker had been listening over the commline. Rex too but he hadn't said a thing.

"I can do what you call 'jedi techniques' but where I'm from there's another word for it. I'm not obliged to say. But back to the story, when order 66 came along. Shaak Ti sent me a warning that the Kaminoans would come after me not for who I was more for what I could do and that was to create purity. Clones were said to never be able to produce but for some reason you four can. Which is why Shaak Ti made sure I was around you, not for our growing relationship but because my presence blocked your own aura's. The reasons why the Kaminoans were so interested in the four of you and I include Echo, is because you all have the Kamino aura's around you meaning you are force sensitive" Crosshair stopped himself removing a few layers so he could feed his child. Rex turned away out of respect but was still listening as Omega latched onto her mother's chest. Tech smiled watching the face of their daughter. 

"However when order 66 came along, a silent order came from someone from the darkside for me personally. I never had a chip which was a reason why it never worked on me but I did receive an order from my biological father and that led me to working with Rampart, may he rest in hell. The man knew exactly who I was and used it for his own benefit but when I started resisting and found out I was pregnant with Omega. I worked out she was one of yours, I contacted someone I knew who could help me. So during a mission, I set off to contact an old friend, they got the gist and managed to help me sort out my brain. All that fell was the plan to get in contact with you guys which is where Hunter came into play. I swore to myself that I would keep this to myself as I am wearing a type of disguise. It's probably for the better. Plus when Kamino fell, I knew I could let go and that's one of the reasons why I looked so relieved when you guys came back for Hunter, I knew one thing, I could protect you all even if we didn't work out…" Crosshair stopped himself as he recovered himself back up and burped Omega. He felt all eyes on him. 

"So the question we ask now is: do you want to return home?" Echo said between gritted teeth while Hunter remained silent. Tech had stopped typing as Wrecker swayed with Omega now in his arms. 

"If you don't mind" Crosshair whispered, he blinked his tears back knowing that his secret definitely sent a direct line through their relationship. "But, let's go find Kix first" Crosshair added, he stood up ignoring them all and headed for the cockpit, his eyes scanned over something in his bunk which he picked up and placed in his ear. 

"And I thought we had really just learned who he was" Wrecker grunted out, Rex nodded beside him as Hunter handed over the datasticks to Tech who was quick to download the coordinates. 

It wasn't for another ten minutes until Echo bravely took the steps into the cockpit only to see the one he loves curled up in the co-pilot chair, his knees to his chest and his sobs quietly escaping his vocal cords. 

"Cross?" Echo's whisper had the marksman blinking as he looked through blurred vision. 

"I'm sorry for not telling any of you but for once…I felt like I belonged" Crosshair sobbed, Echo could only shake his head and pull Crosshair into his lap, the marksman sobbed into the neck of the arc trooper. Echo could only hold him and rub his back while his scomplink moved up and down. His hand played with the marksman's hair and neck.

"It's okay, calm down. We aren't really mad. We are just worried that we might lose you and…" 

"Wait what?" Crosshair suddenly sat up, almost knocking himself out. Echo grabbed him to prevent him from injuring himself on the scomp. The older man chuckled, Crosshair smiled softly, "Echo, I'm not leaving…I want to be with you all if you will still have me but I haven't seen my mother in so…mmph" Crosshair was interrupted by soft lips pressing into his own. He gasped when pressure on his hip had him opening his mouth. 

"I've got to say I'm a bit jealous" Wrecker grunted out, coming into the cockpit, Echo and Crosshair looked back at him with tilts of their heads, "Rex, wants a word" he added. 

"Tell him to come here. I'm comfy" Crosshair grunted back, Wrecker grinned turning back to whistle for the others. They all came into the cockpit. Tech took the pilot seat while Wrecker sat in his normal one. Hunter had Omega in his arms as he sat in Crosshairs chair while Rex stood in the doorway. 

"What is it Rex?" Echo questioned, his arms around Crosshairs waist as the marksman adjusted himself to face forward rather than towards Echo's chest. 

"From what you have said about who you are? Is there a chance that you can help us…" 

"Win this stupid war?" Crosshair interrupted, his patience cut thin. Hunter gave him a look of warning which he sent his own back. 

"Yes" Rex looked in between the batch members. Tech glanced Crosshairs way as Omega fussed in Hunter's arms, the baby was given to Wrecker who took her with a smile. 

"Technically if my mother approves of it, I will help…" 

"What about your own opinion?" Rex interrupted.

"Well Captain if you let me finish. There's a reason why I haven't used my techniques and that is mainly because I need my necklace to control it otherwise if I lose control I can't imagine what will happen. The necklace grounds me and…" 

Omega screamed in Wrecker's arms, the demolition expert panicked, Crosshair sighed, taking his daughter who clung to his neck, he hummed a tune, and she instantly fell asleep. Wrecker grinned accepting her back, Crosshair winked back.

"So, first we need to get you back home and…Cross?...Cross!" Hunter's frightening tone had all heads turning to the marksman who's eyes glowed white before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. 

Omega cried out at the same time as her mother's collapse. The batch were stumped, Rex gasped when the ship's controls all lit up an aura of blue and within a blink of an eye they were knocked out of hyperspace and flying towards a planet. 

"Tech! Grab the controls!" 

"I can't! Something is preventing me!" Tech yelled back at Hunter who strapped in, Rex did the same while Omega wailed in Wreckers arms. Echo held tightly to Crosshair who remained unconscious. Just as they crashed through the planet's atmosphere, all of them succumbed to darkness.

Let's keeping this going....