No. I still haven't recovered from Episode 12 and I refuse to acknowledge the S2 finale. I'm in a state of denial okay?

Things have been tense since their reunion. Crosshair still has no idea how his brothers managed to break into that prison cell on Mount Tantiss. He was so drugged up on whatever Dr. Hemlock had been injecting him with that he could hardly follow along when they first explained their appearance. All he knows currently is that Echo had been the one to discover his imprisonment there and had contacted his brothers to decipher the information.

Echo apparently told them that either they had to band together to save him, or he would be going in with Rex without them. They had to make up their minds fast because they weren't going to leave a man behind.

Even one that had left on his own accord months earlier.

After safely securing him in the Marauder, Crosshair asked the two troopers before they left why they did it. They had no reason to risk their lives for him, really. He and Rex were on neutral terms after Echo's rescue and acceptance into their squad, but that didn't warrant a liberation for him. And Echo had been there when he refused their offer on that Kaminoan platform, so he should have just shrugged off the imprisonment as collateral damage for going back to the Empire.

Instead, Echo simply slapped a firm hand on his shoulder and said, "You're my brother, Crosshair. I couldn't just leave you behind." And with a sad smile, he added, "Even if you might not see it that way right now, I wasn't going to sit around and do nothing while they hurt you."

And that was it.

Since then, he's been working to find his place. His brothers take up occasional missions to aid the citizens of Pabu. While they aren't anything as dangerous as the ones they were tasked with under the Republic, and certainly not his own under the Empire, they are full of excitement.

He's slowly making those connections back with his brothers. After being apart for so long, things that were once like second nature now have to be discussed and considered before he can act.

But, they're getting there.

At least, he tries to tell himself that when he feels out of place. When he doesn't understand the inside jokes said at the table or over the comms, he reminds himself that soon he'll be laughing right along with them. He sends them a tentative half-smile when one of them pulls him aside afterward, and he quickly assures them that he's fine.

Eventually, they'll stop doing that when he finally is.

Currently, they've been tasked with retrieving supplies from Kijimi. They touched down on the planet's surface moments ago, and while the others have been prepping for the frigid weather, he's been trying to gather his wits and courage.

He's been on edge since finding out their location, and now that they're really here he's worried about losing his lunch. Nausea paired with their rocky landing has had him entering the refresher a few times just to reassure himself that he's totally fine.

He decides to keep his helmet tucked under his arm during their briefing, still unsure about placing it on his head quite yet.

"Alright, everyone knows the plan?" Hunter asks as he adjusts his wrist armor.

"Yeah!" Wrecker cheers loudly behind Crosshair, causing him to flinch. As if wanting to make up for it, he wraps a strong arm around his brother's chest and pulls him close. "Let's get going already." He says softer as he encouragingly raps his knuckles on his armor.

Tech slams his fist against the wall in response, opening the ramp with a steady groan. He and Omega bound out into the new world with tenacity. Hunter follows right behind them and Crosshair finds himself sucking in deep, controlled breaths as he walks closer to the exit with Wrecker trailing him.

But once Hunter steps off the ship and Crosshair walks into the doorway, he flinches back with a hiss. He brings the crook of his elbow up to cover his face, falling back into Wrecker as he attempts to get away from the exit.

Quick steps enter the Marauder again. "What's wrong, Crosshair?" Hunter asks, worry laced in his tone. His hand falls on his shoulder and Crosshair finds himself being carted back into the ship, around the corner, and out of the doorway. "Is it your eyes? Is it too bright?"

The planet is painfully bright. Walking into the open doorway of falling snow, combined with the colorless sky and solid white ground was like a flash-bang going off without any warning. With his enhanced eyesight, he's especially sensitive to these terrains.

But he shakes his head in response.

"What's wrong?" Hunter presses, his voice low. Crosshair has yet to pull back his arm from his face, but he already knows that his brothers and Omega are back on the ship and crowding around him.

The intense scenery isn't what has been bugging him the entire way here. The blinding exposure to the harsh elements of winter isn't the cause of his struggle to catch his breath. They are merely just painful parts of memories he wishes he could forget.

"It's the cold, right?" Wrecker offers, his voice sounding so full of pity that Crosshair wishes he could just disappear into thin air. "He doesn't like it, remember?"

"Is it the cold, Crosshair?" Hunter repeats.

Crosshair hates the cold. He's hated it since they were small cadets. His lean build made it difficult to retain body heat and he often relied on one of his brothers for warmth. But that's not what's keeping him from going outside of the ship.

He shakes his head.

"Are you okay?" Hunter finally asks. His grip tightens on his arm, subtly letting him know that he's still beside him.

And for once, Crosshair chooses to answer this question honestly.

He shakes his head.

A pause settles between them, yet Crosshair still doesn't remove his arm from his face.

"Wrecker, you and Omega head outside to check the perimeter." Hunter suddenly commands, his hand never leaving Crosshair's shoulder.

"Alright." Wrecker nonchalantly says as Omega lets out a disappointed sigh but willingly follows him out of the ship.

"Tech, check the back for more gear. I'd hate for us to get frostbite because we didn't have extra protection packed." He adds, his tone leaving no room for arguing.

"Not a problem," Tech replies. Crosshair is immensely grateful for their easy responses to the obvious order to clear the room. "We should have spare gloves and bodysuits stored in the back somewhere."

The sound of his footsteps leaving their presence helps relieve some of the pressure in Crosshair's chest. He finds it easier to breathe and collect himself now that he doesn't have four pairs of eyes on him.

"Alright, they're gone, Cross," Hunter says as he gently pulls Crosshair's arm away from his face. Blinking a few times to adjust to the new lighting on the ship, their eyes meet. "What's going on?"

"I can't go out there." He says, attempting to steady his breathing and heart rate. He looks at the ground, almost unable to add, "I have to sit this one out."

"Why?" Hunter asks. He tilts his head, confusion furrowed in his heavy eyebrows. "Are your eyes too sensitive?"

They are, but he's sure if he was wearing his helmet the exposure wouldn't be so strong.

Crosshair sighs and shrugs his shoulder. There's no point of lying to him. He'll just dig until he finds the actual source of the problem. "It's not my eyes keeping me back." He confesses. "Just bad memories." He softly says, looking anywhere but at Hunter.

Hunter takes in a deep breath. Since Crosshair's rescue, any talk of the Empire and his time spent under its regime has been completely ignored and avoided by all members. He knew one day they'd have to talk about it, but he wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.

Today's not a good time. They have an objective to complete and he'd rather have everyone stick together to help get things done swiftly.

But he isn't going to force Crosshair out of that door. As cadets, the sniper tended to be closed off when dealing with emotions, but these past few weeks have been hell trying to get him to even consider letting one of them know how he's actually handling things. That, and once Crosshair puts his mind to something you'd have better luck getting a stubborn bantha to follow your orders.

This may be Hunter's one and only chance at getting a glimpse of the turmoil happening with his younger brother, and he refuses to brush it aside because of the timing.

"Perimeter is secure!" Omega declares as she and Wrecker renter the ship. "Are we ready to head out?" She asks, glancing up at the two brothers.

Crosshair shares a look with Hunter before shaking his head at the little girl. "I'm not going this time."

Wrecker cringes and a look of sympathy appears on his face. "Your eyes?" He asks.

Crosshair doesn't answer, but he didn't really get a chance.

"I'll stay behind with you," Omega cuts in. Her hands grab Crosshair's with ease and she steps backward to have her back rest against his waist. "I'll keep Crosshair company. I don't mind." She says, looking up at Hunter for approval as she lightly wraps Crosshair's long arms to hang over her chest.

She rubs her thumbs over the back of his hands, trying to soothe him. Crosshair has to admit, she has accepted him back easier than he expected. Out of everyone, he finds it almost natural to be in her presence and converse. She doesn't pretend like everything's okay. She's just. . . herself around him. And he appreciates it.

But, he can't have her stay with him now.

Not when he feels so close to breaking.

She can't witness that.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'll be fine on my own, Omega." He says. He gives her hands a squeeze of reassurance. "You guys go on without me. It'll be okay."

"You can't stay here alone." She frowns, tipping her head back to look up at him.

"He won't be alone," Hunter says as he places a hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her out of Crosshair's grasp. "You three are going to handle this mission without me. I'll be staying behind."

"What?" She scoffs. "But you're in charge. How will that work?"

"I might not always be here." Hunter shrugs, earning an eerily familiar scowl from the girl. "Think of this as a chance to complete a mission without me. But if you run into any trouble, comm me and I'll be on my way."

She pouts and crosses her arms. She doesn't like anyone being left behind, but she'd rather have Hunter remain with Crosshair than leave him totally alone. Besides, the mission doesn't seem too dangerous this time. "Fine." She begrudgingly agrees.

"It'll be fun!" Wrecker cheers, trying to lift her spirits. "We won't have a schedule to maintain for once."

"Not true. I'll be there to keep you two in line." Tech says, reappearing from the back of the ship. He quickly begins stuffing the spare gear into Omega's and Wrecker's backpacks. "Let's see if we can beat the estimated timeframe Hunter gave us."

"With two less people to worry about, we'll demolish it easily!" Wrecker madly laughs as he punches his fist into his hand.

"Doubt it," Hunter says, giving them a half smile. "But I'd like to see you try."

"You're on!" Wrecker grins as he points at Hunter. He then takes a step forward to lightly hit Crosshair's shoulder. "When we get back, I'm expecting a round of dejarik."

"I hope you're ready to lose again." He softly says, but the light smirk on his face doesn't carry the same enthusiasm it once did over a year ago.

"Okay. Get a move on you three." Hunter sighs as he shoves Wrecker out the door. The other two obediently follow behind him, landing in the soft drifts of snow. "You've already five minutes behind my estimated timeframe."

"Technically, we're seven minutes and forty-three seconds behind your--"

The sound of the ramp to the Marauder closing cuts Tech off before he has a chance to finish his sentence. Crosshair finds that he wants to laugh, the moment bringing back fond memories of silencing his brother's comms or playfully holding a hand over his mouth until he shut up.

But no sound escapes him as he leans back against the counter to watch Hunter pace.

"Alright, take off your armor," Hunter suddenly says, gesturing to Crosshair before walking towards the cockpit. "You are headed straight for your bunk. Sergeant's orders!"

"I'm fine, Hunter." He counters, surprising himself with how calm his voice is.

"And I don't care." He snaps back. "Your armor should be off and your body better be tucked in your bunk by the time I get back there."

"I'm fine. Really." Crosshair argues, digging his heels in. "I just can't go out there." He quietly says before swallowing.

But Hunter lets the argument end there, leaving Crosshair with no choice but to head back toward their bunk room. He strips himself from his armor, leaving him in only his blacks. A chill settles in his bones, so he goes into his bunk willingly.

When Hunter reappears, a large pile of blankets is in his arms. Playfully, he drops them onto his head, chuckling as Crosshair scrambles to uncover himself. "Omega found these on Ord Mantell a while back. Figured we could use them to make you nice and comfortable in your bunk." He explains as he kneels down beside him.

He begins draping the large, colorful blanket on his body, but Crosshair reaches out and grabs his wrist. "I can take care of myself." He sneers, but his voice doesn't hold the venom it once did. Rather, it made him sound sort of. . . afraid. And a little sad.

"I know you can." Hunter quietly replies, freezing to meet his brother's gaze.

"Then leave me alone." He says. "Go out there and keep them from getting into trouble."

Hunter swallows, unsure what tactic Crosshair is using. After being apart for so long, the cues he used to be able to pick up are now foreign. They need to be remapped in his brain and right now it's like he's trying to understand a stranger.

"They'll be alright," Hunter says, but it doesn't seem to ease his brother like he hoped it would. This means that he isn't really concerned with their safety as much as he claims. He was hoping to use them as an excuse to get him to leave him alone.

But Hunter has no plans of leaving his side.

"Let me take care of you, Crosshair," He says. "Please? I just want to help."

Crosshair mulls over it, but lays down without another word, allowing Hunter to tuck their heaviest blanket around him. He lets him shove their softest pillow under his head, its familiar sensation reminding him of how Wrecker would always hand it off whenever one of them had a particularly bad day.

He even lets Hunter set Lula beside him.

Crosshair knows he looks stupid. He's like a giant swaddled baby and he hates how much better he feels already. The cold air can't deep diver into his bones when he's wrapped so protectively up to his neck.

He lays on his stomach, resting his head to look out towards the rest of the bunk room. He doesn't feel tired, but he doesn't want to leave his bed now that he's in it. He almost despises how right Hunter was about this decision.

Once he deems him taken care of, Hunter pulls up a crate, He slides it right next to his head. Letting out a long sigh, he makes himself comfortable on it and scrolls through a data pad. He relaxes and acts as if this is a typical occurrence on the Marauder.

After a long stretch of silence, he breaks the ice by asking, "Will you tell me what's wrong, Crosshair?"

The sniper frowns, keeping his steady eyes away from Hunter's. "Nothing's wrong." He says. "Just bad memories. Nothing more."

Hunter hums, but doesn't seem put off by the answer. Instead, he simply makes himself more comfortable on the crate and continues scrolling. Either he knows that Crosshair is refusing to answer honestly, or he actually believes him and is willing to let it go.

Crosshair knows better than to believe it's the latter.

After another break of neither one speaking, Hunter sets his data pad aside. He rests both feet on the ground and places his elbows on his knees. He leans forward, making sure to be in Crosshair's line of sight.

"I know you don't want to talk about what's bothering you." He begins, his voice slow and uncertain. "But will you answer just one question for me?"

Crosshair's steady eyes meet his, and after a short pause, he gives a single nod.

"How long did you have to wait on that platform until the Empire came for you?"

"Thirty-two rotations," Crosshair states, his voice completely void of emotion as if that is a normal amount of time to spend alone in the elements.

Yet Hunter feels like someone just sucker-punched him right in his gut. Tech claimed at the time that it might take a couple of hours to a few days before the Empire would begin making its rounds. Wrecker almost talked them into going back after two weeks just to make sure that he was really gone, but Echo was certain that he would have been picked up by then.

So to hear that he was there another 18 days past that makes him nearly buckle over.

"Crosshair, I'm so sorry."

"For what?" His brother asks, his head tilting slightly. "I made that choice. It was my own doing."

"Still. I feel awful. I should have never left you there."

Crosshair shakes his head, his gaze no longer on his. "You couldn't have gotten me on the Marauder that day unless you stunned me and dragged my limp body aboard. None of it is your fault, Hunter. Stop thinking that it is."

Hunter wants to argue that it is his fault, and he will always believe it is his fault. But he knows better than to start that endless circle with Crosshair. It won't solve anything, especially at this time. Those days on Kamino most likely aren't the cause of his little brother's sudden unease today anyway.

So he lets Crosshair have the final say before leaning back on his crate. Rather than subject himself to mindless scrolling on the data pad, he begins sharpening his knives and tidying up things in the bunkroom within his reach.

The quiet stretches on for some time, longer than Hunter cares to be comfortable with. Normally, Crosshair himself would be fed up with this silence and would be trying to aggravate one of them into a fight. Whether that would be pointless bickering or playful roughhousing depends on the sibling.

"Kaller was cold. Like this." He suddenly says, his voice far away. Hunter immediately stops sharpening his knife, his attention fully on his brother tucked in bed. "Mayday and I froze in weather like this."

"Mayday?" He quietly repeats.

"A clone I met working under the Empire." He simply says. "A reg. One of the good ones."

The comment brings a smile to his face, which thankfully, Crosshair doesn't miss. A noise like a chuckle escapes him as he adds, "He reminded me of you. Only a little bit though. And it was just because he had gross, long hair."

Hunter shakes his head, reaching out to touch Crosshair's. "Speaking off, yours is starting to grow back. Do you want Tech to buzz it off again when we get back to Pabu?"

Crosshair shakes his head, and Hunter surprisingly finds himself pleased with the decision. "I'm not going back to that karking look the Empire gave me." He snaps, and Hunter has to hold back a laugh as he pulls his hand back from the familiar gray locks.

He crosses his hands over his chest. "How'd you meet Mayday?"

"We were sent on a suicide mission to find some crates," Crosshair says, his eyes looking towards the distance as if he can see through the walls of the ship. "We traveled through all kinds of ice and snow. I hated every single second of it. I'm always cold, but I was frozen out there."

"Crates?"

"Crates," Crosshair repeats, his voice gaining that familiar, angry growl Hunter hasn't heard in over a year. "Crates filled with stormtrooper armor. Only we didn't know it until we retrieved them from an unfair firefight."

Hunter hums as he rubs his knuckles on his jaw.

"He saved me," Crosshair confesses, his eyes trained on the wall again. "He pushed me out of the way when the avalanche hit us. But in doing that, he took the hit for me and was slammed against the rocks."

Hunter swallows, unsure what to say, so he doesn't say anything.

"When I woke up, I was buried in the snow. I had to crawl through it to get to Mayday, and he was injured. Badly. But I wasn't going to let him die out there."

Crosshair takes in a deep breath. "He couldn't walk on his own, so I had to carry him. Basically had to drag him toward the end. It helped with the cold, I guess. Kept me moving and thinking about not freezing to death."

A single tear appears in his eyes, and Hunter finds himself leaning forward as if to catch it from falling. "We had to huddle to keep warm." He says, his voice beginning to go out on him.

Then suddenly, as if someone flipped a switch, his eyes narrow and his voice gains a deep growl. "They let him die. After all he had done. After everything we went through, they let him die on that tarmac when we returned."

Hunter feels his stomach drop and he moves to reach out but hesitates.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Crosshair confesses. "I suppose I wasn't. Seeing Mayday laying there dead. Even after I begged for them to save him. I just did the only thing I thought I would give him justice."

"What was that, Cross?" Hunter says, almost afraid to ask.

His gaze finally meets his. "I shot the lieutenant." He says. "Point blank. Right in the chest. For everyone to see."

Then Crosshair closes his eyes, his face contouring as if he's in pain. "None of his squad made it off of that base. The last two members died during an attack and Mayday. . ." He breathes. A ragged cough covers his cry but Hunter doesn't miss it.

He falls to his knees beside him, placing his hand between his brother's shoulder blades as a faint whimper now escapes from Crosshair. "I could have saved him."

Pain and sadness twist around Hunter's heart and he wants nothing more than to wrap Crosshair in his arms and never let him go. The grief of his brother's loss makes his own eyes gain pressure and he wishes he could protect Crosshair from ever feeling this way again.

"I killed Mayday." He softly cries.

"No, Cross. No, you didn't." Hunter quietly comforts. He lets out a deep sigh, leaning one of his arms and part of his chest onto his brother's back. He presses his forehead to the side of his head, resisting the stiff shudders of sadness underneath him.

Crosshair doesn't like touch. But when he's not himself, physical pressure grounds him. Whether that's a strong grasp on the shoulder or a tight hug depends on the day and person.

Today though, Hunter is doing more than he has in over a year, but it seems like it still isn't enough to ease his younger brother.

"But I did." Crosshair hoarsely continues. His eyes are still pinched tight, only now tears cover his cheeks. "I shot the mines. I created the avalanche. I made him walk back to the outpost."

"You couldn't have known, Crosshair," Hunter says. He uses his free hand to soothingly dry his face. "You did everything you could to protect yourself and Mayday. You did everything right. It's not your fault." He assures, his concern rising as Crosshair mourns underneath him.

His little brother doesn't cry. At least, he never did as a cadet or as a soldier for the Republic. Sharp remarks and fist fights were how he expressed the emotions he liked to keep buried underneath. There are very few moments that Hunter can recall of him actually shedding tears, and two-thirds of those were from the trainers on Kamino and injuries he could have avoided if he kept his mouth shut.

"Why did you let me come back?" He asks, his voice filled with so much pain that Hunter can't help but squeeze him tight. "I'm a horrible person. I killed so people."

"You're not a horrible person, Crosshair," Hunter says, shaking his head against his. "Don't say that."

"I tried to kill the padawan." He gasps, his breath hitching. "I killed Mayday. What if I end up killing you too?"

"You will never kill me. Or any of us for that matter." Hunter replies, trying his best to remain cool and collected in this moment of rapid, heavy stress. "You couldn't do it when they activated your chip, so you and I both know that it will never happen now."

"You'd be better off leaving me here to freeze to death like I should have on Barton-4."

Marker, if only he could have been there to protect Crosshair so that he would never think this way about himself. Hunter presses his forehead harder against Crosshair's, words failing to come to him as his brother sobs underneath him. All he can think to say is, "Please, don't say that, Crosshair. I don't want you to die, Crosshair. I missed you so much, Crosshair. Please, don't leave us again, Crosshair."

No other words are said between them. As Crosshair lets out his emotions, Hunter remains by his side to offer all the support he needs. He mumbles whatever comes to his mind to comfort him, but even Hunter is sure most of it just sounds like sad, soothing gibberish. He wipes his face free of tears as he rubs circles between his shoulder blades.

He does all of this until he's sure Crosshair is asleep. His breathing has slowed down immensely, yet Hunter doesn't move until he hears the steady beating of his heart remain at a constant pace. He rises from the floor, his knees creaking as he stands back up. Gently, he pats the familiar gray hair like he does when Omega is injured, as he's found it always comforts whoever's on the receiving end.

When the others return, he keeps them quiet and away from the bunk room. They don't seem bothered in the slightest, content to share the cockpit space until Crosshair returns, looking as calm and collected as he normally does.

Omega gives him a tight hug around his waist, then rushes off to her room. Tech greets him with a passing wave as Wrecker hands him a plate of snacks he packed from Pabu. Picking up one from the tray, he holds it out for his brother. "This one is the best to have after a good nap." He declares, giving it to Crosshair.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just makes me feel more awake." Wrecker shrugs, tossing back a few as Crosshair tries the food. "Now," He says, draping an arm over his brother's slender shoulders. "Time for that game of dejarik!"

"It won't take very long the way you play. Best two out of three?" Crosshair smirks, allowing himself to be led away.

"You're on!" Wrecker loudly laughs.

Hunter watches with a smile, happy to see that his brother is okay again. For the briefest moment, his eyes meet Crosshair's over the dejarik table, and he sends him a nod of thanks. Hunter nods back as Omega suddenly plows into Crosshair's side and settles under his arm, pointing at the table to tell him what Wrecker's next move is going to be. Tech joins them by sitting on the crate behind Wrecker. He facepalms as the larger brother makes a bad play, further proved by Omega's and Crosshair's snickers.

It'll take some time, but they'll all be alright.

And that night, once everyone is settled down for bed, the first person Hunter thanks is Mayday. For without him, his brother would not be with them and alive. Which is a debt he will never be able to repay.

~~~~~~~~~~

lol. Can you tell I started writing this before episode 14???

(I just want them to all be together again and happy is that too much to ask??!!)