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marvel-starwarsfangirl · 1 month

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Why Crosshair Will Live

(aka an essay by a Crosshair girlie who loves her clone husband too much)

So, I've been thinking long and hard about the final season and how it could end. Obviously, it's gonna be an emotional rollercoaster and all that. However, there's always going to be discourse about who's gonna bite it, especially since our main characters don't have plot armor and this show is allowed to go way darker than Rebels. Crosshair is my favorite character and I don't hide that at all. He's all over my page. But looking at his character, there's a part of me that believes he actually might make it out in one piece. Let's get started!

"Redemption Equals Death"- Out of all the tropes, this is the one Crosshair embodies the most. He was the villain for a season, but now he's changing his ways. In past seasons, I would've said this is how his story ends. His brothers find him and Omega on Tantiss and he goes out protecting them, proving he deep down he still loved them. But after season 3, I don't think that's the case anymore. I think he's passed the point. Crosshair in season 3 is actively redeeming himself through his actions and words with his family and the other clones. We don't need to see him go out in some big self-sacrifice because we already see the person he truly is inside. More importantly, his family sees the person he's become. He's already proven it in so many ways. Crosshair openly admitted his mistakes, saved Hunter from the wyrm, is very protective of Omega, and saved his brothers, Omega, and Rex + Howzer from CX-2. At this point, Crosshair has passed the "redemption equals death" marker. His redemption is playing out and the people around him are seeing the changes.

His Character Arc- Crosshair's character arc has always been about loyalty and identity. Go all the way back to season 1 with the infamous "this is who I am" line and his whole spiel about the Batch not being loyal to him. "Aftermath" shows us this poor man already beginning to struggle. In season 2, Crosshair is going through every hurt no comfort fic trope in the book. This man was pushed to the brink, with every sense of his being questioned. And he almost didn't make it. Crosshair in "The Outpost" was so close to dying after trekking through the blizzard and shooting Nolan. He's suffered through so much already from being severely burnt to freezing, and now almost drowning. Pretty much half way through season 3 and Crosshair's trials aren't over. His hand is still bothering him and he's still trying to find himself.

Although Crosshair has made peace with his family, I believe he still needs to make peace with himself. He's been humbled sure, but there's more to go. Who is he if he isn't a soldier or sharpshooter? Crosshair's arc will probably finish with him realizing being a soldier isn't entirely who he is. His hand tremor still could be related to his internal conflict, we don't know. So far, he's doing a great job. We've seen Crosshair begin to find peace on Pabu and comfort with Omega. It would be so satisfying to see him make it out of this mess alive. My best BB ending would be him (and his brothers) alongside Omega retired somewhere. They have each other and that is enough.

His Poster and Theme- Crosshair is the only character as of right now in the Batch who has a separate poster for season 3. Not even Omega has a separate one (although I can see her getting one later). In fact, Omega shares her with Crosshair. Both are wearing their prison outfits, showing their shared situation and stand against a white/grey backdrop. We also see Cross gripping his right hand, referring to the issue he's having with it. However, he also has one of himself in the same golden lighting as his brothers. Crosshair stares at his helmet with a calm look on his face and appears to be contemplating. That has to mean something. From my POV, I get the sense he's wondering about who he is. Wouldn't it be a great ending if Cross finds himself and lives to see that self be happy?

He is also the only member of the Batch (Omega aside) to have his own theme/leitmotif. He has two actually: his Imperial one and his heroic one. His heroic theme aka the "Mayday" theme is stunning and highlights his struggle perfectly. You can actually hear it in season 1 fun fact but it's faint. The fact that he does have a separate poster and theme from the others does give me hope that he will make it. Not to say that the others aren't important, but something about Crosshair and his journey is very meaningful to have warranted this. You can argue that he shares the title of "heart of the show" to some degree because his arc is the most dynamic of all the Batch. His struggles and fight back towards the light truly raise this show to greatness.

Crosshair is also season 3's "Batcher of Year" award and so far, they're doing everything we wanted and more. For two whole seasons, his character has been building and building towards this season. And they better give us a great payoff. Crosshair's character going to continue to soar as the season progresses. I can definitely see him making it through to the end because of the focus on him.

Omega- how can we forget about the kid who never gave up on our grumpy sniper? Omega (and we can argue Cross to a lesser degree) is the heart of the show. She gives the Batch a new outlook on life and it is through her that they grow and change. Omega brings out the paternal and softer side in each of her brothers. Crosshair, however, takes a bit longer to get there. He's the only character whose main development happens away from Omega. When he finally gets home, he becomes Crossdad. But Omega is still a kid, despite her capabilities. If the other Batchers die, who will take care of her? Omega being on her own just doesn't feel right. We also know going off with Rex wouldn't feel satisfying either even though he would take really good care of her.

Now that Crosshair is back, it feels like the show is propping him up to take over Hunter's role. Hunter parented for 2 whole seasons. As the mentor figure, he might bite it. But wait! Crosshair is still here. There is no way the writers would just let Omega finish alone or get killed off. She will have someone with her. Crosshair, having spent the majority of the show away, will probably be the best candidate narratively speaking. As mentioned above, he gets two posters showing just how integral he is this season. He's also been getting a lot of screen time with Omega. So, I can definitely see the show ending with just the two of them left. It would be bittersweet, but still satisfying.

Disney- let's ask the question: would Disney kill off an entire family aside from their child? My best guess is no (this isn't a Disney movie with a prince to save the day). Tying into my last point, I can't see this family-friendly company letting a literal child lose her entire family and end up all alone in the end. We all saw Rogue One and we know that this is a plausible option. However, I'm beginning to think that they aren't gonna do that because again, Omega is a child. She's gonna hopefully have one, if not all, her brothers alongside her. And I swear, if they give her to someone else not named Crosshair, Hunter, Wrecker, or Echo, I will blow a gasket. She needs her family. Disney and Star Wars is all about hope and it's not very hopeful to me if all of the BB but Omega dies.

Rebuttal- let's get this out of the way: if Cross dies, it will be with his brothers, protecting Omega, and defeating Hemlock. There is literally no other way he could go out that would be satisfying. He's redeemed and fought the Ghost of Crosshair's Future (aka CX-2). Backpedaling on his character arc would suck. If he dies, it will be as a Bad Batcher, a loving brother, and the best sniper the galaxy has ever seen.

But I don't think that will happen. I do genuinely think Crosshair has a chance to survive. But what do you guys think? Obviously, I'll still be nervous about the whole thing, but I'm trying here.

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb crosshair #please guys just let me have this #crosshair will live #im manifesting this right now #he will be ok #he and omega will be together #and all will be well #jennifer do you hear me #let's get our prayer circle and hold hands #tbb omega #tbb meta #tbb analysis

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shadestepping · 3 months

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The Bad Batch- Trespass: “Crossroads”, pt. 2

Word Count: 3,179 Characters: Crosshair, Trinn Kryze (Original), Captain Mal Kryze (Original), Commander Reina Darr (Original) Date: 9 rotations after “Kamino Lost” Themes: NO romance, NO smut, simply a “what if” AU with OC’s- My purpose(s) for writing this specific fic were simple: I wanted to get a better picture of what was going through Crosshair’s mind in Season 1, and I wanted to write a fic that told the story of what could and would have happened if he had deviated from the canon path, and gotten out from under the Empire’s control sooner rather than later. This starts with the decision to get off Kamino rather than sit and wait for the Empire to come looking for him. One crossroad leads to another, and each decision made steers him toward a better future- one of redemption and a life of his own making.

Synopsis: Crosshair is found by the crew of the Trespass, and offered a lift off of Kamino.

Archive link: [ Crossroads ] [ Part 1 ]

Mandalorians? Was he having a fever dream?

Well, this was certainly a surprise.

Crosshair stopped in his tracks and took a suspicious step back from the approaching craft. Of all the wayward ships he’d theorized might have picked up his distress beacon, the Night Watch—who had been busy staging their own uprising against the Empire on Mandalore, at least twelve thousand parsecs from Kamino—wasn’t even an honorable mention.

There was no reason for them to be out this far on the opposite side of the outer rim. And even if they were already within range, the reasons why the rogue warriors of House Vizsla would respond to an Imperial distress beacon were few- most of which did not bode well for his survival.

An Imperial Commander ranked high on the rebellion’s list of targets, not only as a necessary piece to remove from the board, but as a valuable source of intel. Fortunately for him, all commandos had been rigorously trained to resist interrogation; unfortunately , he’d just spent nine days exposed to constant battering rain, on minimal nutrition and little-to-no sleep. He was starving, sick, weak and paranoid, and high on his last stims. Even the most hardened ARC’s would crack if their Jedi General was to get her hands on them in this state.

Suddenly his ticket off Big Stormy didn’t look so appealing.

Cross squinted, shakily slipped a toothpick into the corner of his mouth, and kept a safe distance from the edge. “You’re a long way from Mandalore,” he drawled with pointed apprehension.

“And you look mighty miserable, standin’ there all by your lonesome.” She grinned with such familiarity it made his stomach churn. “Why don’tcha come in outta the cold and we’ll take you to the nearest starport?”

Hunger pains nipped at his resolve but he didn’t bite. He shifted the pick from one corner of his mouth to the other and further narrowed his eyes as she moved between the support pistons.

“Somethin’ wrong, trooper?”

“You could say that,” he answered with a crooked nod. “Why are you here?”

The Mandalorian furrowed her brow. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“ Humor me .”

“We were passin’ through and picked up your distress beacon,” she explained as the freighter lowered just enough for him to hop onto the ramp, if he chose. “Ain’t seen hide nor hair of anyone else for at least ten parsecs… nonna whom were rushin’ to Kamino to respond to an Imperial in distress, anyway.”

And there it was, the hook: no ships in range that would consider braving the Kaminoan storms to rescue one lone Imperial. If the Night Watch were convinced enough that they were safe risking a stop, then the Empire really must have abandoned the system.

One arm trembled as he crossed and tucked it under the other, a tell that he needed food and rest soon. “And why did the Night Watch decide to rush to my aid?” he sneered. “Are you really doing this out of the goodness of your hearts? Or are you just hoping for a hostage?”

She was taken aback by the heat in his assumption, but he wasn’t wrong to be skeptical of their intentions. The Night Watch was about as friendly to the Empire as the Republic had been to the Confederacy during the Clone Wars, and it was unheard of for Mandalorians to offer help to their enemies.

“We heard comm chatter about Tipoca’s destruction, so when we saw where your beacon was comin’ from, we didn’t really think twice. The clones helped us once, and we wanted to return the favor.”

He was almost inclined to believe her. These do-gooder rebels were known to have taken in clone deserters and sympathetic parties. If they weren’t looking for a hostage, they were probably hoping to convert one more disillusioned soldier to their cause, the irony of which wasn’t lost on him. They would have had better luck recruiting Clone Force 99 into their ranks, had they come across his brothers rather than him. Swearing allegiance to the Night Watch would have been an easy transition for men in their position- aside from fulfilling their need to ‘do the right thing’, they’d have the security of the clan to protect Omega, stable sources of food and work, and clarity of purpose-

All of which he could have provided, had they just returned to the Empire.

The Empire that had just destroyed their home? The Empire that turned their noses up at the very soldiers who had single-handedly eradicated the Jedi and seized control of the entire Galaxy with one order? The Empire that had made it very clear that the future of their service, their very survival, was not guaranteed…?

Why in the nine hells had he chosen this over his family? For purpose, for stability, for influence ? Fat lot of good that had done him.

Crosshair grimaced, reached up and pressed the heel of his hand into the piercing headache as it shot through his temporal lobe. He hadn’t had a single independent thought that went unpunished, nor a moment of painless clarity, since his chip had activated.

“... hey- you okay?”

“Do I look okay ?”

He caught the way her face lit up in recognition out of the corner of his eye but didn’t acknowledge it. He didn’t need her sympathy—it wouldn’t have helped him anyway—and he didn’t want her empathy.

A deeper feminine voice boomed from inside the cargo hold, beckoning Trinn to get inside and close the hatch so they could leave. After gesturing back to them to ‘Give me a minute’, she turned her attention back to him and tried again.

“Look- I can only imagine the week you’ve had, but I’d hope you’d still have enough sense t’not look a gift-fathier in the mouth.”

“I’ll take my chances,” he replied before he could change his mind. Leaving now—after all that time spent gaining ground with Rampart—would be a waste, and he wasn’t about to concede.

“You sure? Maker knows when your next chance will be. Do you really want to sit here for another…” Her voice trailed off and she rolled a shrug to illustrate.

Fierfek , she was right. Not even pirates or scrappers would have bothered withstanding Kamino’s hazards for the promise of a mediocre payday. Crosshair’s throat bobbed at the thought of being stuck on Kamino any longer. Due to his accelerated metabolism, he was already running dangerously low on rations, despite his best efforts to make them last. He could stretch them maybe another week if he bit off just enough to keep himself from starving to death, but he could already feel the weakness creeping into his bones. He was losing muscle density, ketosis was setting in. At this rate, it was either stay and risk an unpleasant death, or leave and possibly be taken prisoner. Had he been at full strength, he had no doubt he would be able to fight back in the case of the latter, but the number of soldiers aboard the craft was an unknown variable.

And who knew if the Empire would really be back.

His voice cracked as he forced the question. “You’ll take me to the closest starport, no strings attached…?”

“So long as you don’t rat us out.”

The lines in his forehead crinkled, arms dropped and balled his fingers into fists at his sides. He’d have plenty of time to rehearse the conversation with Admiral Rampart about how he had gotten his team killed and survived an orbital bombardment on a city that was now completely underwater. Lying about Clone Force 99’s survival wasn’t an issue, but crawling back empty-handed yet again wouldn’t earn him any favor. At the rate his failures were piling up, he’d be lucky to get an early retirement.

Don’t fool yourself- all you'll ever be to them is a number.

Trinn’s boots scraped as they shifted against the durasteel and turned away. “Fine, I’ll just tell my pilot to turn around-”

“ No ,” he finally conceded with a low, snarling growl. If the objective was survival, the strategy was obvious: control what you can. Even if he ended up in a cell, he’d have food and shelter. His odds of survival were better if he took the gamble of leaving with sympathetic enemies.

So long as he gave them no reason to distrust him, and nothing to work with.

Vertigo hit him as he lunged onto the swaying ship. One leg staggered and buckled, and he hit the deck hard as Trinn reacted and reached for his forearm. It slipped out of her grasp until her hand caught at the neck of his wrist and tightly gripped the plating over his hand. His body lurched with all of his weight pulling at his shoulder socket, and whipped his head around to bring him face-to-face with the Kaminoan deep. Sickness rose in his gut as the swell crashed beneath him, and just as he started to black out, he was yanked back into the safety of the cluttered cargo hold with incredible ease. Crosshair groaned as he hit the ground and pressed his fingers into his eyes, writhing on the vibrating floor beneath him.

Another heavier pair of boots approached him from across the room and came to a stop inches from his face, and he looked up into the face of a behemoth of a Mandalorian woman—as thick as he was tall, yet dwarfed him in presence alone—staring down at him with a steely blue, unyielding gaze. Impervious didn’t even begin to describe her.

“Weapons off, Comms and beacons out the ship,” she demanded with a curt nod over his shoulder.

Crosshair sat back on his heels. “Is that really necessary ?”

“Not dealing with you reneging on our agreement, or having your Imperial friends tag us mid-flight.”

He couldn’t fault them for being thorough, but he still hesitated and grimaced in protest as he pushed himself to his feet. He reached for the backup deecee pistol first, then Hunter’s knife which he’d tucked into the plate over his calf, and set them down on the fold-out lockup bench to the left of him. As he reached for his Firepuncher, he leaned forward to give it enough room to swing over his head without hitting the bulkhead, and set it down next to the others with a more reverent touch.

“Commpad and distress beacon.”

Crosshair grit his teeth and held her gaze with a curled upper lip, unclipped the comm-pad from his vambrace and thrust it out the ship behind him into the raging sea. “Beacon’s wired to the power in my kit.”

“I’ll handle it.” Trinn stepped up behind him and unseated the pack from the mag-plate in his cuirass, then motioned him forward and raised the loading ramp as the muscly woman reached for the vibro-blade and let out a low whistle of approval.

“I want that back,” he muttered under his breath as he pushed past her into the staging area of the cargo bay and smothered the urge to share that it held sentimental value.

The redhead gripped the hilt and flipped it around and over between her fingers with practiced ease, testing the balance with marveled interest. “Who wouldn’t ?”

Trinn set his pack down at the workbench against the wall to the right and raised her commpad to signal to their pilot.

“Sentry-one, we’re clear.”

“ Copy .”

The miniscule shift of directional force as the ship departed the platform disrupted his equilibrium mid-step. One hand instinctively reached for the bulkhead handrail but he instead caught himself on the cargo webbing strung along the walls. His shaky legs wobbled as he pulled himself over onto the bench in the corner beside the interrior blast doors and dropped with all of his weight onto the bare durasteel. Crosshair’s tired eyes fell shut as he drew in a deep breath and released it with a relieved grunt. Circumstances aside, this was already infinitely better than sitting on that platform in the rain.

The female officer folded the bench containing all of his weapons into the wall and secured it for hyperspace, then cast him a skeptical glance before she passed through the doors. Her heavy footsteps receded deeper into the ship until the vibration could be heard no more, and she greeted someone with a curt “ Commander .”

“ Captain ,” an androgynous voice replied, equally as curt. “ Report .”

“ Found one Imperial, right where they said he’d be. ”

They…? Someone had sent them here for him…? The only people that even knew he was still alive was Clone Force 99, who—as far as he knew—had no affiliation with the Night Watch. If they had friends like that, they wouldn’t have been scurrying from job to job like rats. So who would they have told…? Rebels? The clone underground made the most sense. So they did have contacts somewhere out there looking out for them.

And he did as well, it seemed. Despite leaving him behind, his brothers hadn’t given up on him after all. They were still giving him chances he didn’t deserve.

“ So he’s not a clone? ”

“ Doesn’t look like any clone I’ve ever seen… ”

“ Then why are we taking him with us? ”

“ We’re already here, the chakaar looks like he hasn’t eaten in days. You really gonna leave him here to die? ”

“ He’s an Imperial , we gain nothing by helping him, bringin’ him on board the ship is a huge security risk to us. ”

“ Trinn’s disabling his beacon, he has no comms. We’ll be fine. ”

Trinn kicked at the toe of his boot to get his attention and snapped him out of his focus.

“Plates off.”

“Buy me dinner first,” he sneered back without looking up.

She puffed out a low chuckle. “Savin’ your sorry shebs wasn’t enough?”

“I know what I’m worth.”

“C’mon,” she persisted, dropping his pack next to him on the floor. “You wanna stay on the ship? I need to disable that beacon. Then you can sleep as long as you want.”

Crosshair grimaced and turned away from her in protest. His entire life, his plates had been the only thing between him and an untimely death. It didn’t feel right being out of them, much less in the presence of his enemies.

“What’s the matter, you shy?”

“Forgive me for not trusting that you won’t shoot me in the back the moment I do.”

“We could still shove you out the airlock at any time.”

He stiffened and bristled instinctively before realizing it was a joke. She was joking with him.

“I’ll give you a minute to yourself,” she said as she double-checked that the weapon stores were locked up tight on her way to the door, then turned on heel and pointed back his way. “But don’t try anything, or you’ll have my sister t’answer to.”

Crosshair rolled his eyes and gave her a sarcastic two-fingered salute as the door shut behind her before reaching up to unclip his breastplate. He’d lost track of the conversation between the Captain and Commander once Trinn interrupted him, but without the distraction he could hear them again clear as day.

“ I don’t get why they’d send us out here for one stormtrooper. ”

“ Well, maybe we’ve got it wrong. Maybe he is a clone. ”

“ Oh, for sure he is., ” Trinn proclaimed without hesitation, drawing a snort from the Captain.

“ What makes you so sure? ”

“ Well, for one thing- I don’t think a teekay trooper would have survived that mess on their own.”

Crosshair set his chestplate down on the floor and almost laughed at the thought. The TK’s had been trained by Clone Commandos for infantry combat and security. They hadn’t undergone the rigorous survival training that had killed many clones before they had even deployed.

“They’re not exactly bright, I’ll give you that.”

“ Exactly, and this one’s too smart- gehatyc, ramikadyc.”

“A Commando? You think so?”

“Yeah, they all have the look in their eye- resentment, guilt, instant distrust of anyone that ain’t a brother... ”

“Could be the shell-shock.”

“Or, it’s ‘cause he’s still chipped.”

“And you left him alone!?”

“Relax, Reina. Mal can handle him.”

He wasn’t the only one that was smart. Trinn was observant ( too observant for his liking ), the Captain was cautious. If he’d learned anything about Mandalorians from Skirata and Vau, it’s that they were not to be underestimated. Each was a Commando by their own right, their entire culture had evolved around survival. Mandalore’s heritage had made the Clone army, without their training he and his brothers would have been long dead.

And this crew was well-trained. If the rest of the Night Watch was half as competent—and he was certain they were—it was no wonder they were giving the Empire a run for their credits. Though their rebellion against the Imperial occupation of Mandalore had just begun, their notoriety had already spread to the farthest reaches of the Galaxy, inspiring other Separatist-allied planets like Raxus to follow suit.

It was dangerous for him to linger for too long.

“We should have Noei take a look at him.”

“No way. We’re not taking a chipped Commando back to base.”

“Just drop me off at the nearest starport and I’ll find my way,” he cut in from the doorway behind them.

All three heads snapped around in unison. Trinn’s hand flexed over the blaster on her thigh, Captain Mal braced herself for a fight, the Pilot fixed an intense gaze on him from behind their goggles. His vision blurred, he swayed on his feet. For a brief moment of confusion, in the dimly lit hallway, he saw the faces of his brothers staring back at him in cautious apprehension…

Then Trinn straightened up and shoved Mal back onto her heels with a muttered udesii as she passed. Their pilot-Commander exchanged a glance with Captain Mal, grunted and finally ceded.

“We’ll drop you off at Capital City on Uyter. It’s about a day’s flight out, but you shouldn’t have a problem gettin’ in touch with your friends there.”

“Works for me.”

Trinn motioned him back into the cargo bay, stooped to pick up his armor as he carefully lowered himself back onto the bench, then sat down at the workbench and popped open the backing that protected the circuitry. The distress beacon in his kit exhaled a low, digitized squeal as it powered down minutes later. He was truly on his own now, no one else was coming for him.

And yet, part of him couldn’t help but feel like he should be making better use of the situation he’d found himself in.

“I knew you’d change your mind,” Trinn offered in the silence that followed.

“You did, did you…?” Stars, this one was as irritating as she was cute. He was starting to wish he was alone again. The sooner the better.

Crosshair sank down into his seat until he was laying flat on the bench with his legs stretched out long, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. He couldn’t see her face, but the silence was telling. He knew she was grinning.

Worldbuilding

The Night Watch: The name for the Mandalorian Resistance against the Empire, following the Imperial Reformation of Mandalore, which consisted of Bo-Katan Kryze and her Night Owls, the Protectors, what would eventually become known as “the Clan”, and most of House Viszla. This Resistance was led by a former Jedi Padawan named Fae-Rao Viszla—the first Mandalorian to enter the order since Tarre Viszla—and was aided by a group of mixed non-Mandalorians and clone deserters, who sympathized with the plight of Mandalore.

#tbb:t #the bad batch trespass #tbb fanfiction #bad batch fanfiction #tbb crosshair #bad batch crosshair #ct-9904 #trinn kryze #commander reina darr #captain mal kryze #tbb #the bad batch #sw tbb #star wars the bad batch

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katargeoem · 11 months

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Floor plan of the Instigator from Sanru’s epic-length Crosshair redemption and clone fix-it fic To Be Reinstated. Highly recommend if you haven’t read it!

Click the image/open in a new tab to zoom in on details and text.

#to be reinstated #fanart of fanfiction #star wars #the bad batch #clone wars #floor plan #architecture #tbb #bad batch #tcw

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autumnwoodsdreamer · 4 months

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For the Ask Game: number 22 for each member of The Bad Batch including Omega ^_^ Thank you!

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

Hunter: I love the dozens of headcanons fic writers use for him, especially the one that he often gets sensory overload and suffers frequent migraines (probably because I deal with that myself and so many of the writers do too so there’s a sense of camaraderie).

I am a bit on the fence about that whole “the bandana has technology in it that dampens his senses” headcanon, and I reeeeaaaalllly don’t like it when people write him in any way that makes it out as if he doesn’t care about his brothers or his little sister.

Tech: I love it when writers treat him as the complex individual he is and explore the developing relationship between him and Phee (they are so sweet and lovely together).

Gotta say, I don’t like seeing him written as cold or robotic or constantly calling absolutely everyone around him dumb for no reason.

Echo: Everyone decided he’s the Mom FriendTM and I wholeheartedly agree. Love seeing him be the calm voice of reason who takes care of everyone and reminds everyone to drink water. Also: I love it when stories explore his recovery and show how he’s still getting used to his disabilities as well as having the Batch help him (especially Tech).

Don’t like it when fics disregard him as a member of the Batch.

Wrecker: I love it when stories give him the chance to be soft, especially with Omega or when one of his brothers are injured. I get the read that he’s the most emotionally mature Batcher, so I love seeing that in fics.

Don’t like it when he’s reduced to Big Dumb Idiot Who Punches Things, or when he’s given uncontrolled anger issues.

Crosshair: I like the stories that make him work for his redemption (but, of course, let him ultimately have it.)

I don’t like the headcanon that he’s the youngest Batcher (I know it doesn’t mean much, but it just doesn’t sit with me). Also not fond of the “he never had a choice; the Batch didn’t even try to help him” takes.

Omega: Fics that let her be a kid, let her be young and curious and new to everything are my favourite; ones that portray her as stupid or weak for that are not. I never like when child characters are just labelled “brat” and left at that, especially when that is the last word I would ever use to describe her.

Character Ask Game

#thanks for the ask!#the bad batch #tbb #character ask game #ask game #ask autumn

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maxylovesfic · 2 months

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Fic Rec: To Serve The Gods

Author: Mikaiyawa (@mikaiyawa)

Location: Ao3 (but you need to be a member! It's locked!)

Things I have learned this week: You cannot link directly to a members-only fic on Ao3, no matter what device you use.

Bad Batch is in it's final season! And it's started off with the Crosshair redemption arc we've all been waiting for!! To celebrate, I've got a Friday fic rec from one of the hottest Crosshair writers I've read. This story in particular has really, really fantastic porn, featuring the Batch all sharing a female OC who is absolutely up to that challenge. It also contains a hefty dose of ancient Meso-American culture, including food prep, that I found truly fascinating. A really nice blending of Star Wars universe and cultural beats from our world.

And did I mention the porn?!

#fic rec #star wars #the bad batch #mikaiyawa

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llau-ren-ti-a · 1 year

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tbb s2ep12 spoilers below

so you know, this man is the personification of whump to me and oh my do I love to see him suffer and commit crimes and painfully learn his lesson and I hope that behind those tormented eyes Hunter's voice echoes through the empty cavern where his brain is supposed to be saying something like "I told you so."

On the other hand I'm on my knees begging whoever is in charge to give my poor little meow meow the second best redemption arc of all time (nothing will ever raise above Prince Zuko, he IS the standard) no matter the cost - tear this man apart piece by piece and put him back together with a gluestick and a strong prayer urgh I'm so excited what more trauma awaits him but I'm quite sure they're gonna make us wait some more. In the meantime I'll either read or write copious amounts of crosshair fics bc fanon crossi is my favourite and for canon crosshair to be my fave he needs his ass handed to him a couple more times.

#the bad batch #the bad batch crosshair #tbb #tbb crosshair #tbb s2ep12 #tbb s2e12

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sleepingsun501 · 1 year

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Your clearly a Fox stan and writer so of course you’d defend him like people are defending Crosshair but you depiction of him is toxic and violent because he uses his rage in your story to solve a problem. So maybe stop being hypocritical and don’t pretend to be all high and mighty when it comes to judging these characters.

First things first:

You’re = you are.

Your = belonging to or associated with the person or people that the speaker is addressing.

Secondly, did you even bother to read chapters 2 & 3 of Sweet True Lies? I’m also not anywhere near done with that story, so there is a lot of character development that hasn’t happened yet. His actions in my story this early on have a purpose. It's also not meant to be a super warm and fuzzy fic all the time either. It will have its moments.

Thirdly, Fox is mainly a fanon character. He barely got 5 minutes of screen time in TCW. I developed my own headcanons for him and write accordingly. Crosshair is a main character currently developing in canon, so you can’t compare him to Fox to make your arguments stick. I already elaborated on this in another post, but I’ll say it again:

Fox saw Fives as an armed and dangerous fugitive based on the information he was given, and the fact that Fives picked up a gun and pointed it at him and the Corries. Fox did also warn Fives not to shoot, giving him an opportunity to resolve the situation, but Fives picked up the gun anyway. At that point, it was a matter of self-defense for Fox while trying to do his job. Based on those circumstances and his position in the Coruscant Guard, Fox didn’t have any other options.

So, anon, maybe instead of coming after my writing, you should stop trying to take away the agency of these characters. It’s fine to like Crosshair as a character, and it's also fine to hope for his redemption. Just don’t make excuses for or outright dismiss his shitty choices to stay with the Empire, hunt down his own brothers, and commit the cold-blooded murder of civilians.

#sleepingsun501 answers #i love fox and would defend him with my life #can we put this to bed now?#jeez #so sick of having to explain this

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wild-karrde · 1 year

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Hello! I am recommending @eclec-tech / AmberOwl24's 'A Crosshair Carol!' https://archiveofourown.org/works/43617000/chapters/109672320

It is a little sad, it is clever, it is heartwarming, and even though it is based on Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol,' it is just as well to read on its own as a non-holiday story. I can't give it enough kudos! :D

Oooooh another rec for this fic! You absolutely love to see it (particularly since it's holiday-themed). I know I said it earlier, but I LOVE this concept and am super excited to check it out. As someone that's highly invested in Crosshair getting a good redemption arc and going through some self-reflection as that happens, I love the idea of having him go through something similar to A Christmas Carol. It's just such a cool thought! Thank you so much for the rec!

Participate in Fandom Friday to show your favorite creators from this week some love! :)

#FANDOM FRIDAY #creator appreciation #fic rec #fanfiction #fan fic #star wars #the bad batch #tbb #the clone wars #tcw #crosshair #omega #echo #tech #hunter #wrecker #clone OCs #a christmas carol #christmas

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writingforfun0714 · 2 years

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Here’s my first Star Wars fanfic, a Bad Batch fic. It’s an AU (alternate universe) of the finale, specifically the last scene where they leave Crosshair behind. Now in my story he still doesn’t join the Batch, but they don’t just leave him on that platform. They offer him a ride to a neutral(ish)planet—Florum (idk if that’s close to Kamino—I’m not that knowledgeable on Star Wars planets). A little convo between Omega and Cross because I loved their interactions. He’s harsh and severe but not outright hostile towards her and she’s bubbly, curious, typical sheltered child that wants to learn about everything. Hoping for more of them in S2 and Cross’s redemption arc.

Warnings—none

*The clone ages are my own head cannon-y ages and might (probably don’t line up with canon)

Gen1-Omega/Echo-11

Gen2-Hunter/Wrecker/Tech/Crosshair-about 5 or so (chronologically-biologically probably close to late 20’s or early 30’s? Also the accelerated age rate is a little over 2x in my head-canon)

Left Behind—Bad Batch finale AU

The sun shines on Kamino, which seems like forever ago, as Omega turns to face Crosshair, who’s looking out at the vast ocean that covers the water planet.

“You’re still their brother Crosshair. You’re my brother too,” Omega says, tears glistening in her eyes. Crosshair glances back at her, shuts his eyes and sighs. What he had told Omega earlier wasn’t true. She was one of the Batch because they need her as much as she needs them. All of them. Including Crosshair.

“Fine,” Crosshair sighs before glaring at Hunter, who’s standing at the ship’s open doorway. “But I’m not going with you. Florum. Drop me off on Florum,” Crosshair enunciates the word ‘not’ to Omega’s disappointment.

“Fine. It’s on our way out anyways,” Hunter says, motioning for the two to come aboard. Omega glances at Crosshair, still with a small smile on her face as he follows her on board.

Tech, Echo and Wrecker look and see their older brother with their eldest brother and the young girl who is technically their older sister, the eldest, aside from Echo, who is the same age.

“You’re..coming with us?” Wrecker asks hopefully. Crosshair doesn’t look at him, glancing away, not even answering the larger clone.

“We’re dropping him off on Florum. He’ll go his way..we’ll go ours,” Hunter explains. Both Wrecker and Omega visibly sadden at Hunter’s words, since his word is final.

“Tech, chart our course. We have to get out of here before the Empire shows up,” Hunter orders and the Tech, the pilot nods. The ship powers up and starts taking off.

Crosshair takes a seat and sighs, rubbing his scarred temple. Echo goes to help Tech. Being the reg of the group, it wasn’t that he didn’t get along with Crosshair, but they had their arguments. Wrecker and Hunter share a look while Omega is the one to approach Crosshair.

He glances at her and sees the concern in her eyes. The same brown eyes as Hunter’s. As so many clones.

“What is it with you?” Crosshair asks, irritated. Omega tilts her head in confusion at his question.

“Your attachment to them? To him?” Crosshair asks bluntly.

“I told you, they’re my brothers…just like you are. I remember seeing you and the others when you were too young to remember. I vowed to find you all again after Nala Se sent you to be with the rest of the cadets—after we were separated,” Omega explains while Crosshair takes in what she tells him.

“But..why?” Crosshair asks once she’s finished.

“You didn’t treat me like the other clones. I know you might not remember this, but we used to play together. I helped teach you the alphabet, how to walk, all the firsts. I was with Nala Se every step of the way,” Omega explains. Crosshair’s eyes widen and when he looks at the little blonde girl, he knows she’s being truthful. The clones didn’t really know much of their ‘childhood’.

“Do you…really not like me?” Omega asks in a timid voice, forcing Crosshair to look at her. The look on her face is almost too much for the sniper and he looks away.

“You’re…not…horrible,” Crosshair says rather awkwardly, but you wouldn’t know it by how big Omega smiled, causing the sniper to sigh.

“Unless you do that-“ Crosshair sneers.

“What? Smile?” Omega asks innocently, but Crosshair merely rolls his eyes.

“Well, I’m glad you don’t think I’m horrible. That’s a start,” Omega says, taking a seat next to the sniper, who shakes his head slightly.

“I know you want to go your own way…but we’ll miss you. I’ll miss you, it’s not the same without you,” Omega tells the gray-haired clone. She pulls out the comlink information she gave to Hera and hands it to Crosshair. He blinks and looks at it.

“What’s this?” He asks, taking the small metal chip.

“Our comlink channel. Contact us any time you’re ready to come home,” Omega tells him. He looks at her as the word ‘home’ rings in his head. He looks and sees the girl is completely serious.

“We’ll be waiting for you,” she assures him so wholeheartedly, it makes him freeze for a moment as his brain comprehends what’s happening. He hadn’t even realized they entered hyperspace.

The Havoc Marauder exits hyperspace.

“We made it,” Echo announces. They enter the atmosphere and come to a small outpost. Tech lands the ship easily as Crosshair gathers what he needs from his weapons kit still stashed on the ship, slipping the data chip Omega gave him in one of his utility belt pockets.

“Crosshair..what I said on Kamino,” Hunter says, getting the sniper’s attention.

“About wanting different things…Omega’s right. We want you back. But if you feel you have to go off on your own…we won’t force you to stay. But the kid’s right. Your place is with us. No matter what. And whenever you’re ready, give us a call,” Hunter says, clearly having overheard their conversation earlier. Crosshair sneers, though it’s all playful, just like they used to.

“Couldn’t help but listen in huh sarge?” Crosshair asks.

“You’re off your game as loud as you were,” Hunter counters back playfully. Crosshair smirks.

“I…have your contact info,” Crosshair assures them, patting the utility pouch he slipped the chip in. Hunter nods.

“We’re gonna miss you Cross. Don’t forget about us,” Wrecker tells the skinnier, gray-haired clone with a loving shove that is a bit too forceful.

“How could I when you give me a bruise to look at?” Cross asks, again, no real malice in his naturally harsh or curt tone. Tech was right. Severe and unyielding defines Crosshair. It is his nature.

“Good luck Crosshair..I hope you get what you want,” Echo tells Crosshair. He nods silently, hoping for the same, because, at the moment, Crosshair’s not sure what he wants. That’s when Omega walks up.

“We’ll be waiting for you. Be safe brother,” Omega says and wraps her small arms around the Crosshair’s waist, which is slimmer and leaner than his brothers, easier for Omega to wrap around. He flinches slightly at the contact, never one for it, even from his own brothers, but he he learned to tolerate and eventually even…sometimes…like it. Though the hug from Omega, a kid no less, throws him, but the encouraging nod from Hunter causes him to awkwardly pat her back.

“Don’t get into too much trouble kid,” Crosshair replies to Omega and she pulls away to look up and smile at him.

“And for kriffing’s sake stop looking at me like that-“ Crosshair complains, though the glint in his eye and the smirk on his lips suggests he doesn’t really mean it. Omega giggles and nods as he walks down the steps, off the ship.

He turns back and sees his brother…and his sister, looking at him from the open doorway.

“Our paths will meet again,” Crosshair tells Hunter, who nods with a smile.

“Like I said Cross. We’ll be waiting,” he says and Crosshair nods once before walking off with the rest of the Bad Batch making sure he gets to the outpost ok.

“You really think he’ll call us?” Wrecker asks Hunter, causing the others to look at their sergeant as the door of the ship shuts.

“When he’s ready Wrecker. You know Crosshair as well I as do. It’s gotta be on his terms,” Hunter tells Wrecker, before looking down at Omega.

“Nice work kid…I think you really got through to him,” Hunter says, placing a strong, loving hand on Omega’s shoulder as she looks up at him.

“Not just me. All of us. What we all said. I think it may have helped,” Omega tells Hunter as Tech preps the ship for take off back to Ord Mantell, unsure of where else to go. Hunter turns and sees Tech plotting the course.

“Ord Mantell?” Hunter asks.

“Cid is the most reliable source of income we have at the moment,” Tech explains and Hunter nods.

“Right then, back to Cid’s,” Hunter says and Omega smiles and nods, liking the Trandoshan bar owner.

“Back to Cid’s,” Omega repeats with a nod as the ship rises and flies off into the sky.

#Star Wars fanfiction #Star Wars #Star Wars bad batch #bad batch #bad batch fanfic #au fanfiction #omega #crosshair #bad batch crosshair fanfic #bad batch crosshair #bad batch omega

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nimata-beroya · 2 years

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Thanks for your answer (it was well worth the wait)! First of all, yippie for continuing Rough Awakening - I've reread it a few times and still love your take. In regard to the SWR parallels: Though I like fics that reunite Cross with TBB, I think a long redemption arc is much more meaningful and - if well executed - would illuminate the struggles that weren't shown by Kallus' redemption arc. There's a lot of potential for powerful story-telling (1/2)

Aww! 😊🥰 I´m glad that I didn't lose you as a follower during my absence. And yes!! Long, well-crafted redemption arcs are the best! I also wish we had had that for Kallus but we might have it someday. There's a post in my queue for today or tomorrow that says that since Andor and Ahsoka are having their own shows, Kallus needs his. That way all known Fulcrum agents have a show. I wholeheartedly agree!!! Can you imagine? They could show everything we didn't get to see in Rebels. Anyway, sorry, I went off the topic.

You're right, my confidence in the TBB writers to pull that kind of storyline off is not the best. There are some issues that irk me with what they've done so far. It could improve in season 2 tho. I'm hoping for the better, but I'm preparing myself for being disappointed, just in case.

Crosshair is such a complex character that I could go on and on about each of his layers. Again, you're right. Part of his motivation is to prove to everyone that he's the best. Many can see it as arrogance, and certainly, there's some of that. But I think it goes much deeper than that. To me, that implies self-esteem issues as in If I'm not the best then I'm nothing. And he's not the only one with similar thoughts, I might add. Both Rex and Echo had said a similar thing ("We're soldiers, what else is there?"). Isn't it ironic that, out of everyone in the BB, Crosshair who despises the regs is the most similar to them?

Anyway, Echo and Rex don't take that sentiment as far as Cross does, but we can only imagine how his cadet days were like. Just as any clone, not meeting the Kaminoans' expectations meant death at best and reconditioning at worst, and even when the batch had "desirable" mutations, they were not exempt from that threat. The trauma of that has Crosshair in survival mode 24/7. Even now. It's that so, that he says it to Hunter in 1x15, that they'd be safe with the Empire. He wants them all safe.

As for which scene confirmed to me that Cross has still the chip in, nothing major. Just a voice-over of him saying YET AGAIN "Good soldiers follow orders". Granted, it could be a voice-over from season 1, but why use it on the trailer? Why do they insist on that, a phrase that means that the clones are controlled if Cross isn't being controlled anymore? It doesn't make sense! the only explanation I can find is that Cross in fact still has the chip. I will die on this hill until I get 100% confirmation, via scan done by Azi3 or Tech. And even then, I might ignore it 🤣. In the GFFA everything is possible, so if Palpatine somehow returned, Crosshair can still have the chip.

And just for you, a tiny teeny bitsy sneak peek from my fic below the cut. It's a bit angsty. Don't kill me! 😅

"What if something is wrong?" Omega asks no one in particular, stopping halfway through her path. "They should be done by now."

Hunter approaches her and goes on one knee to get to her eyes' level. "Nothing is going wrong, ‘Mega. Dr. Kinall and Azi are taking care of Crosshair. He'll be fine."

"But they're taking too long. It was faster when we were on Bracca."

"Probably because there's no surgical pod here like in the cruiser's medbay. The doctor and Azi have to go by hand and hence why it’s taking longer."

"Echo is right. They're going slow because they're being careful. We just have to be patient, okay?"

Omega looks at them in turn and huffs sadly. "Fine!" Then, she returns to her pacing. Hunter and Echo share a worried glance. Even when their arguments to pacify Omega are true, it's hard to ignore her concerns. Same concerns have crossed Echo's mind as well.

#mare replies #tbb crosshair #the bad batch #tbb

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oftincturedwords · 2 years

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mea culpa pt 1 for the wip ask meme?

WIP MEME ( accepting ! )

WIP list

thank you friend for taking the time to send one of the wips in !! <3 i greatly appreciate it ! i love every excuse i am able to get my hands on to talk of my wips agsjfkglg

mea culpa is another star wars wip i have ! it is a four chapter story ( thus far agdkflf ) that is set post star wars : the bad batch series , it's rather an au actually because i have rewritten the ending a bit & then since the series two trailers have been released , it definitely deviates from canon events then & likely won't match up with anything in series two since this fic of mine is rather a bit of a redemption arc for crosshair. it's my take on how he gets brought back into the fold of the batch & leaves his siding with the empire.

again this one is a bit dark in some places due to perceived betrayal / order 66 & all that badness that comprises the empire , but it is more hopeful & works through a lot of issues the entire batch has whilst building stronger bonds between each of them , as well allowing crosshair & omega to get to know each other as siblings since we were rather robbed of that dynamic in the series except for brief scenes. so i worked to rectify that in this as well as create a plausible story for crosshair acting as he did , how he comes to be with the batch again , & how they all begin to heal from everything they have gone through as best they are able to. it's lots of botherhood & heavy angst with hurt / comfort & family type feels. ends on a happy note though !!

#garbria #answered ask #answered #wip updates #bayze writes

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jedi-valjean · 2 years

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7, 17, 22, 23!

I'm going to do Star Wars and the DuckTales reboot for these

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

Star Wars: I would say The Force Awakens and The Mandalorian. The Force Awakens had some fundamental flaws that I ignored because the movie was fun and I assumed the other two would make up for them. Boy was I wrong. The Mandalorian had an excellent first season, but the second season was too cameo-heavy and I objected to Luke getting involved. But the second season didn't ruin it for me. The Book of Boba Fett did. Grogu had no business appearing in a Boba Fett standalone, and I felt that it was way too early to end his Jedi training and reunite him with Din Djarin. Plus, now people will have to watch TBOBF to understand Mando S3, and I don't like that at all. TBOBF should have been able to stand on its own. It's clear they only cared about teasing Mando S3. The fact that they frontloaded what should have been the beginning of S3 killed my hype and I'm probably not even going to bother with it.

DuckTales: Della. It's not even that she's a jerk and a bad parent, it's that the writers make excuses for it. They should've had someone with actual trauma write this show, because pretty much none of these characters' issues are addressed properly. They tried to make us like Della as a person rather than as a character. If she has a redemption arc, I must have missed it, because they did not put in the work to make her as sympathetic as they want her to be. I would have loved to have seen her held way more accountable than she was, and then maybe she could have grown into a sympathetic character naturally instead of just having the writers insist that she deserves the benefit of the doubt 99% of the time.

17. Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen…

Aw, geez, just one? Alright then...

Star Wars: I would just revamp the entire Bad Batch. There are infinite ways I could do this. If I had to make just one change, I would make the Batch and the regs not hate each other. As is, The Bad Batch completely undermines the themes of brotherhood among the clones.

DuckTales: Don't make Webby a clone. The last thing her character needed was to be related to Scrooge McDuck by blood. She should have learned to grow beyond her obsession with him in her quest for family. Instead, she literally is him. I prefer my friend Cassie's take on Webby's parentage, where Bentina's daughter was in love with Donald but married someone else before dying in a tragic car accident. This ties her to the Duck family in a compelling way that isn't by blood, and also gives more depth to Donald's character. Losing the love of his life to another man and then to death is one of the juiciest Donald backstories you could come up with. It just adds so many layers, especially to his relationship with Webby and Mrs. Beakley. I may as well plug Cassie's fic here while I'm at it. Go read it. Seeing these characters actually take the time to process their trauma is so cathartic. Also, Cassie's version of Della is even more awful than in the show, and her character is all the better for it. It's just so much more honest of a take on the type of person Della is.

22. Popular character you hate?

Star Wars: Crosshair. He's the new Kylo Ren. Stop thirsting over these pasty, fugly fascist types. Giving Kylo a redemption was a huge mistake and giving Crosshair one will only make The Bad Batch an even more terrible show than it already is.

DuckTales: I was going to say Della, but honestly I don't completely hate her, I just prefer the version of her that's stuck on the moon. Now Goldie on the other hand... I mean, I just don't get her. She's just not executed all that well at all and honestly, I'm more confused about the appeal of her character than anything. She doesn't have enough chemistry with Scrooge to get me invested in their whole "exes to rivals with lingering romantic tension" thing. As far as trickster characters go she doesn't seem like anything special. I do kinda like her dynamic with Louie, but she just didn't hook me like a lot of the other characters. I mean the whole "betraying Scrooge at the end of every episode she's in" thing got pretty old fast. The tension between them falls flat for me when I don't see why they should still want each other.

23. Unpopular character you love?

Star Wars: FINN. But I don't think about Finn much anymore because the way they butchered his potential is too sad for me to dwell on.

DuckTales: Oh gosh. I'm both new and late to the DT17 fandom. I have no idea who's unpopular and whatnot. Can I say Donald? IDK if the fandom hates him but the writers sure did.

Thanks for submitting questions!

#star wars #dt17 #ask game

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shadestepping · 2 years

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The Bad Batch- Trespass: “Crossroads”, pt. 1

Word Count: 4,217 Characters: Crosshair Date: 9 rotations after “Kamino Lost” Themes: NO romance, NO smut, simply a "what if" AU with OC's- My purpose(s) for writing this specific fic were simple: I wanted to get a better picture of what was going through Crosshair's mind in Season 1, and I wanted to write a fic that told the story of what could and would have happened if he had deviated from the canon path, and gotten out from under the Empire's control sooner rather than later. This starts with the decision to get off Kamino rather than sit and wait for the Empire to come looking for him. One crossroad leads to another, and each decision made steers him toward a better future- one of redemption and a life of his own making.

Synopsis: Following his decision to remain behind on Kamino, Crosshair recounts his struggle against his inhibitor chip, and rationalizes his choice to return to the Empire. But when the Night Watch arrives and offers him a ride off-planet, Crosshair is presented with a decision that could drastically alter his fate.

Archive link: [ Crossroads ] [ Part 2 ]

What a crock of bantha shit he’d stepped in this time.

It had been about nine rotations since he watched the Marauder depart the platform and fade into the atmosphere. By then Kamino was a little over halfway through its current day cycle, the sun just beginning its descent toward the horizon, and off in the distance he could sense the next storm moving in on its heels.

Crosshair shifted on the ground to turn his back to the wind, hunched over his thighs with his head between his knees, and folded his hands over the back of his head and neck. The sea spray and wind battered him with unrelenting force and chilled his unprotected head to the bone. If not for his thermo-regulated blacks, he’d have long been hypothermic and halfway to a chilly death; he couldn’t remember missing his bucket so much in all his life.

When they’d resurfaced on the last untouched structure of what used to be Tipoca city, the Empire was nowhere in sight. He’d activated a distress beacon shortly after the batch’s departure, expecting to be retrieved, but after several rotations with no sign of ships breaking the atmosphere, Crosshair resigned himself to the reality that they had abandoned him, just like Hunter said they would. It didn’t surprise him as much as it angered him that he had been lied to and discarded again by people who claimed loyalty meant more than duty, which seemed to be a recurring theme since the war’s end. That they had fired upon Tipoca city while he was still inside said enough for him to understand that in Rampart’s eyes, he was as disposable as the rest of the regs, superior or not.

Crosshair bristled at the thought of that smug osik’sheb gloating at his failure. He’d been on thin ice since he returned from Bracca empty-handed, but when they’d brought Hunter in from Daro he could feel the Admiral’s patience wearing thin by the way he whispered behind his back. His decommissioning had been a long time coming, no matter how hard he fought it, he just wished the coward had told him to his face (instead of firing from orbit) so he could spit in it. Nothing worse than a leader without spine.

Still, it could have been worse- they could have stationed him on some backwater dirtball where his skills would have rotted along with his dignity. A quick death would have been preferable to his current trajectory of freezing to death, starving and alone, in the last place he ever wanted to see again, with no way off of Big Stormy. Maker only knew if he’d even make it off Kamino alive at this rate.

A wave capped over the platform, dousing him in cold water, and his lip curled as a heated flurry of curses castigated his decision to stay behind for at least the tenth time in the last day. He shot to his feet as he shook the water from his arms and wiped it off the back of his head, and paced the platform in an attempt to burn off some of his angry energy.

Why hadn’t he just gone with them…? Why in the Nine Corellian Hells had he allowed himself to be marooned where he was unlikely to be discovered by anyone other than the Empire? Had he really been sure the Empire would come back for him? Or was he just so ashamed of everything he’d done in their name, against his better judgment, that he couldn’t stand the way his brothers looked at-

Crosshair paused mid-step, snarled and grimaced as a familiar stabbing pain pierced straight through his brow into the back of his eyes, derailing his train of thought before he could finish. He wasn’t sour about being left behind- at least, not like he was before. They had saved his life when Tipoca was attacked, and twice more during their escape. Hell, they’d even offered to take him with them, despite their glaring reservations, but in the end —this time— it had been his decision to stay behind, not some overclocked chip’s.

At least, that’s what he’d been told.

After the accident on Bracca during his recovery, Nala Se diagnosed that his inhibitor chip had been damaged beyond repair by the radiation from the ion engine, and allegedly removed before it could cause irreparable harm to his cognitive function. Based on the report from an isolated instance where another clone’s malfunctioning chip had degraded and left him in a catatonic state, he had no reason to doubt the validity of her claim, but the way her pupils contracted when she relayed the information told him she wasn’t being entirely forthright.

Crosshair never had been the introspective type, but once he suspected she was lying, suspicion turned to paranoia overnight. Every thought he scrutinized against every action, searching for inconsistencies in his conduct, until he found traces of warped words. Despite the reclaimed autonomy and the Kaminoan’s thinly-veiled lie about his inhibitor chip being removed, it just wasn’t adding up. He knew himself well enough to know that something was still influencing his behavior, like the day he lost himself on Kaller.

The memory of Order 66, and how violently the inhibitor chip had wrestled for control over his conscious mind, was still a gaping wound on his psyche not easily ignored. It had devoured his free will like a bad fever dream and imprisoned him within his waking mind while an imposter puppeteered actions that weren’t his own. Communicating with anyone was like processing language through a filter that dictated what he could or could not say, and spit out predetermined responses when his thoughts conflicted with orders. He didn’t even recognize himself when he spoke.

Cross remembered the duality of expressing displeasure at Hunter for disobeying orders while asking himself over and over why it mattered so karking much. He’d never questioned the Sergeant’s judgment before, he’d always followed his lead even if it was contrary to Command, because they were above regulation and reported to no one. If something about the assignment didn’t smell right, they had the authority to change the mission parameters or investigate and pursue methods that would produce more favorable results. Never in his life had he given a damn about protocol or insubordination, so for him to suddenly start questioning every decision he made with the insistence that ‘Good soldiers follow Orders’…?

The way the mantra defensively snapped out of him like an arc flash when he tried to voice his approval made his skin crawl, and it had only gotten worse after the Kaminoans enhanced his inhibitor chip.

How he’d remained lucid enough to consciously fight back while fully under its control was a matter of sheer willpower and spite for being robbed of his autonomy, one of the only things a clone could truly consider their own. He’d learned the hard way when he resisted the initial enhancement of the chip, that it was too exhausting to spend the mental energy thwarting every programmed impulse. The harder he struggled against the chip’s influence, the more it hurt, and the more it hurt, the more draining it was on his resolve to resist.

By the time he’d armed himself in the Empire’s digs and confronted his brothers, he was too enervated to stop himself from turning his weapon against them. Cross watched with trepidation as Wrecker —the strongest among them— crumpled to the ground, helmet rolling across the floor, and felt the ire and distress evaporate into a deeply unsettling state of impassive restraint. It was clear if he was going to beat the chip, he’d need a better strategy.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out its game, but learning how to work around it was the tricky part. Holding onto his motivation in the form of riotous fury helped him to bide his time and pick his battles more tactically, which meant letting Imperial Slave Crosshair follow orders when it didn’t involve his brothers, no matter how heinous his crimes.

He bridled his tongue as he killed one of his own men and ordered his team to terminate civilians. He’d allowed himself to rat out his brothers’ location and accept the kill order on Bracca. He’d listened as he spun his tale of deception over comms he knew Tech was listening in on and led them into a trap, and beamed with pride when his brothers thwarted his best-laid plans-

But when he saw Tech and Hunter on the other end of his scope, Crosshair lashed out against the inhibitor chip’s control and unleashed every ounce of reserved strength he had, to make sure he botched his shot and hesitated on the follow-up. It was all he could really do to ensure they’d live to escape the hunt. There was no doubt in his mind that they’d outwit and survive whatever came next, but even in his wildest expectations, Crosshair couldn’t have predicted the spectacular disaster that followed the ignition of the ion engines.

As the thermal-plated cone crashed to the ground, he stared into the exhaust and breathed a sigh of relief for a brief moment before he was knocked off his feet. Ironically, in spite of the severe burns he’d suffered, the accident had done him more good than harm. Helping them survive in-turn helped him regain some semblance of control over himself by damaging his inhibitor chip, and though branded by an unsightly scar, he proudly bore it as a tangible reminder of his successful rebellion. Because Empire and overclocked inhibitor chip be damned, he’d saved what was important to him under the worst of circumstances. How many could say that of their fortitude?

Although most of his actions on Ryloth had been deliberate to alleviate Admiral Rampart’s growing doubt that he was still loyal, there were moments where what he said or did didn’t match up to what he’d had in mind. Between that and the occasional splitting headaches following breakthrough moments of vivid clarity, he could tell he was still fighting the chip’s influence. Why else would he be so ready to give up on his family to serve an Empire that made him work so hard to prove his worth when it was so well-documented? For stability? For purpose? He didn’t remember caring for any of that before, but then again he’d never had to consider what hardships lay ahead of a defector.

He could only imagine Clone Force 99’s struggle since leaving the security of active duty. Without a direct line to the Republic or the Empire for rations, supplies, fuel, and spare parts, they’d have been running on fumes after a dozen rotations. Factor in having to conceal their identities, scavenge for work, and ditch the bounty hunters on their tail that were after Omega… none of it added up to a pretty life on the run, especially not for the kid. But, at the very least, they still had each other and they had their loyalties, which was more than he could say of the spineless shebbies on his squad. And after seeing how the Empire truly operated, he couldn’t really blame them for choosing to leave, even if the chip in his head cried otherwise.

When they’d brought Hunter back from Daro, he tried explaining that to him the only way he knew he could: through out-of-character displays of carefully coded self-awareness and emotional expression. Working within the lines of ‘things he’d never say’ and ‘things that wouldn’t be considered the chip’s influence’ was critical to conveying his hidden meaning, and he spoke in sober, downtrodden tones. Crosshair was flat-out tired of fighting- his chip, his brothers, the Empire… one way or another, he needed it to end, and he could only hope Hunter would be smart enough to decode the message behind the chip’s censoring.

They don’t leave their own behind… most of the time.

You tried to kill us. We didn’t have a choice.

Hmm… and I did?

It was just so damn hard to get anything through that di’kut’s thick skull sometimes. For being the one with enhanced senses, he had a lot of trouble sensing when something was amiss, but at least that time he seemed to be looking for it.

It’s that inhibitor chip in your head.

No shit, you karking bantha-brained nerfherder, he’d snapped back sarcastically, though it didn’t make it past the filter before it was time to move.

Crosshair had meticulously planned every last detail of the confrontation right down to the placement of each soldier and reflective disc in the room. Telling them they wouldn’t need their weapons was an assurance rather than a statement, because he’d never intended to hurt them or let them be hurt by his squad.

So this was your grand plan…? Bring us here and kill us?

He softly winced as the fear that he may not succeed at getting through to them shook the foundation of his resolve, and the chip’s programming seeped through the cracks.

If I wanted you dead you would be, not that it wouldn’t be justified. You betrayed everything we stood for- and for what? The Republic?

We’re loyal to each other, not some Empire.

You weren’t loyal, to ME.

The words growled out with overwhelming urgency and snatched the Sergeant by the throat. He was one of them once- and in all his time spent with the Empire among soldiers and commanding officers who questioned him at every turn, he hadn’t forgotten the feeling of true camaraderie. Every time he’d returned to their sterilized barracks, he’d been made devastatingly aware of how badly he wanted to be back with the people he trusted most and who trusted him in return to have their backs. All he’d wanted was the opportunity to talk to them, to give them what they hadn’t given him: the chance to choose him, to help free him, because he could not free himself. Not without their help.

Sir, I’ve found the girl.

He’d almost forgotten about Omega.

Crosshair hadn’t spent enough time with the kid to form an attachment, but neither did he want her to fall into the Empire’s hands. When his brothers were clueless to his struggle with his inhibitor chip, she had shown him compassion and understanding, something he had never known he needed or wanted until it was offered. If there was one thing both he and the chip agreed on, it was protecting her at all costs.

Send her on a shuttle off-world.

Crosshair- DON’T.

It’s for her own good, and yours.

Omega belongs with US.

He understood his attachment well enough, but he couldn’t agree with that sentiment. Omega deserved stability, which wasn’t something they’d ever be able to afford her, Empire or no. She wasn’t a soldier, she was a child- the further away from them she was, the safer she’d be.

Living among fugitives where she’s in constant danger? You want to protect the kid, then let her go! Stop pretending to be something you’re not, Hunter. We’re not like the Regs… we never have been.

For a moment his thoughts drifted to Cut Lawquane and his family, and he wondered if Hunter had considered domestic life, if he even had a plan at all. It would have been more suitable for a child than Mercenary work, but it wasn’t something they’d ever be able to settle into and stick with. The itch to fight would always draw them back into the heart of conflict one day.

We’re superior. The Empire can’t protect the Galaxy without strength.

It wasn’t a lie, but he wasn’t so naive as to believe that the Empire wanted to protect the Galaxy, after seeing how Ryloth had reacted to their occupation. What they were doing was wrong, and he knew it, but…

This is what we were made for. Think of all we could do, together. We were brothers once, we can be again.

For a brief moment when he cut him loose, Crosshair saw a familiar flicker of recognition flash behind Hunter’s eyes as he listened to his words and analyzed the mismatched expressions on his face. He was so close to understanding, Cross almost lost his composure. It was right there, screaming in his face.

Please just see it.

Why should we trust you…?

Crosshair grit his teeth as he gave the order for his ES Troopers to stand down, but when they refused, he took them out with a single premeditated shot, leaving himself in a position of four-on-one with men he knew damn well he wouldn’t be able to overpower on his own. It had only been a contingency plan in the event that he had to choose between his squad and his blood, but he wanted his loyalties to be clear. He was desperate to regain their trust, and if that wasn’t enough to convince them of his intentions, he wasn’t sure what would be.

Does that answer your question?

The look of alarm that painted Hunter’s face as Cross stepped toward him wasn’t promising, nor was the silence that followed. Killing his entire squad probably hadn’t been the best way to demonstrate his alignment, but he was out of options and short on precious time.

You are all meant for more than drifting through the galaxy, it’s time to stop running. Join the Empire, and you will have purpose again.

The stress had loosened his control over the chip. If that hadn’t sounded like a conscripted recruitment advert straight from the Admiral’s mouth, his follow-up didn’t help.

Don’t make the same mistake twice. Don’t become my enemy.

It was meant more as a plea than a threat. Hunter would have known how furiously he was trying to choose family over duty if he’d just paid attention to the anguish in his tone. If they left again he wouldn’t be able to protect them, from himself or from the Empire.

Crosshair was surprised when Hunter jumped him first, and he fought back expecting the worst; but after several failed attempts to get the upper hand and one hard toss that slammed him into the ground, he looked up and realized he was trying to save his life.

He fell back into sync with the squad as if they’d never left, and for a few minutes, it felt like old times: Wrecker leading the charge, Echo and Tech watching his flanks, and Crosshair and Hunter watching their backs. He’d saved Hunter’s life twice already that day, and again two times more throughout the short-lived fight, but when the last droid fell and that splitting headache screamed at him to take back control, they still turned their guns on him.

They had to be kidding, he thought. There was just no way that after everything, they still couldn’t see what was right in front of them, written all over his face, holding his rifle close to his chest.

But there he was, blaster raised and lip curled, still trying to convince him of what he already knew.

Crosshair… forget the Empire! This isn’t you… it’s your inhibitor chip. We can help you.

Just what did he think he’d been doing all this time? Why did he think he’d lured them all to Kamino, murdered his squad, and saved their lives? Because he wanted them to join the Empire? Was that what they really wanted to believe…? And if they knew he was under the chip’s control, how did they expect him to accept their help? How was he supposed to even ask?

Crosshair’s resolve calcified as he realized he’d been chasing his tail for a pipe dream long dead, and that unless he could address his struggle directly they’d never see the nuance. Having his efforts to rebel thrown back in his face as if he hadn’t even tried to resist the chip fractured the foundation of his motivation with every passing denial, until it could no longer suffer the weight of his transgressions in the name of defiance.

It had been too easy to give in to the chip’s impulses then and let them think it had all been his decision, just to put an end to the way they looked at him with patronizing pity, but he was just so karking tired- of fighting the chip, of trying to fix what had broken... He’d always been the trenchant mir’sheb, after all, what was one last jump to become the monster they saw?

Wrong, he’d lied, as naturally as he breathed, I had my chip removed… a long time ago.

Pushing them away before they could reject him again was a last-ditch effort at self-preservation, however toxic the habit. Hunter’s anger was palpable, and Cross saw the way Tech glared at him from behind his goggles, but the lie had left him feeling too numb to be bothered.

… Since when?

Does it matter?

YES.

This is who I am.

Part of him had hoped they’d leave him to die in that training room, but when he awoke to Omega trying desperately to save his life, moments from drowning, he realized how stupid it would have been to let himself go out like that after everything. Perhaps all he’d needed was a nap, a hard fall, and one person risking their life to prove his meant something to them to knock some sense into him, but when Hunter confessed they weren’t going to leave him behind ‘again’, regret began to gnarl in his gut.

Like the stubborn di’kut he was, however, instead of thanking him in his own way, he’d doubled down hard on the condescension, picking and poking until one by one, each one of them gave up on saving him from himself. But when even Omega —despite being the only one who still had faith that he’d overcome the chip’s influence— finally admitted that she had been wrong about him, he knew he’d made a mistake. She had been his beacon of hope since the beginning of this waking nightmare, and her rejection was easily the most emotionally devastating blow he’d suffered all day.

But, it also made him desperate enough to wrestle back full control over his chip, because if that was the last she ever saw of him, it wasn’t how he wanted her to remember him.

He still cared for his former squad, his aliit, and their survival had and always would be his top priority. So despite his reservations about intentionally destroying the one room keeping them alive, he’d chimed in to help solve the problem of navigating the debris field.

The droid- he can do it.

And do it he did, even to the detriment of his continued functionality. He wouldn’t have spared a second thought to his loss had Omega not recklessly opened her tube and gone after him, but when Hunter started to panic and Crosshair saw her sinking beneath the murk, he took the only shot at her he ever would, without a second thought.

And hit his mark.

He’d looked up as Hunter hoisted them both into the tube to find four guns staring back at him, and at that moment he lost all hope for reconciliation.

That was the reason why he couldn’t bring himself to go with them in the end. Not just because the inhibitor chip wouldn’t allow him to consciously make the decision to leave or tell them he wanted help getting rid of it, but because the scorn in their eyes expressed that they’d never be able to trust him again. That ship had jumped when he lied about his inhibitor chip. As much as it hurt to let them go —especially after Omega had said her piece— he had to let it be.

So he did.

And there he was- helpless and alone, with the storms closing in, and no shelter to welcome him home.

A deep sigh emptied his lungs as he sat down, sank over his knees and leaned his chest against his thighs. To hell with all this emotional bantha fodder, he sneered as another headache split his skull in two. If he was going to die that day, it would have been easier if they’d just left him in the training grounds.

The boom of a starship breaking the atmosphere drew his attention as it cracked above him, and Crosshair’s golden-eyed gaze turned up to see a modified Darvro-class light freighter headed straight for him. FINALLY, someone had picked up his distress call, even if it wasn’t the Empire. A ride was a ride, and all he wanted at the moment was to leave Kamino and never look back.

He picked himself up off the ground and wobbled on his feet, hoisted the pack up onto his back, then slotted his rifle into the nook behind his shoulder. By the time he’d collected himself, the ship had come around and hovered near the edge of the platform with its cargo ramp open and one raven-haired Night Watch soldier flashing him a grin as she hung from one of the loading ramp support pistons.

“Hey there, Trooper…!” her voice cracked over the roar of the engine. “Need a lift?”

Worldbuilding

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