A/N: tried to make this flow sort of like a real episode of the bad batch! it was supposed to be a quick drabble but the pining was too powerful. also sowwy if crosshair is ooc. there's supposed to be like a week of character development in here somewhere, however i am succumbing to the Horrors and didn't feel like writing all that

i'm not sure exactly when this is set, but it's some time before order 66. the bad batch is sent on a mission to a planet in the outer rim. this planet is mostly mountainous, covered in forests and jungles that make navigating it... difficult, to say the least. the trees are too tall and thick to land in most areas, the planet is riddled with poisonous plants and venomous animals, it's hot and humid during the day and freezing at night, that kinda thing. tbb were dispatched because sending in a large group is a logistical nightmare and they're skilled enough to get the job done on their own.

this planet is populated with falcon-like bird people (i have a lot to say about them as a species and culture but i'll save it for now) who are struggling to defend themselves from a separatist siege. the first of these bird people to spot the Squad™ is a scout named lin. he's silly and can be airheaded, but he's a very genuine and well-meaning person who wears his heart on his sleeve. also he acts super competitive much of the time–it's all in good fun, though, and he switches gears if he notices someone is getting genuinely upset over it. fun fact: he's like 7 feet tall and very fluffy :D

anyway–lin is doing his regular patrols when he spots them. he hangs out in the treetops, watching carefully and quietly alerting the other scouts. once he realizes they're not droids, he flies down to greet them. he asks them who they are and why they're here, and after hunter's explanation, he agrees to take them back to his home so they can get set up.

on the way, they chat a bit. lin explains the situation with the separatists and mentions that they haven't gotten any aid from the republic since the start of the war, so he's glad the batch is here. they also encounter a big ol constrictor laying on the path; crosshair is the one to spot it, and lin very carefully reroutes them around it.

then they reach the village. at first, the other birdfolk are a bit wary of the bad batch. some of them think that they'll probably die in the jungle before they can even get to the droids, while others are suspicious that such a small squad has been sent to help them. however lin advocates for them, describing how crosshair saved them in very flattering terms (unintentionally putting him on the spot a bit, oops) and assuring the people that they're very much capable. the leaders of the community decide to let them stay and work with their own warriors.

tbh i haven't thought too much about the seppies, oops. why are they here?? maybe because this planet is super resource-rich if you can get past all the death traps. in tbb's first battle with them, crosshair has a Bad Time. basically zero clear sightlines + trees that are poisonous or are covered in poisonous things + very few perches that he can actually set up on... well, he spends most of the fight in close range, his most detested style of combat. despite this, it isn't as bad as it could have been. someone is trying to protect him; any time a droid gets too close or sneaks up on him, a well-placed arrow will fall from above and take it out. he resents the idea that he can't take care of himself, but he has to admit that it's kind of nice, having someone looking out for him. together, the batch, the birdfolk, and crosshair's mysterious ally manage to push the droids back and force them to retreat.

afterwards, lin approaches crosshair. surprise surprise, he's also a long-distance fighter! he offers to show him some tips, including a place that he likes to use when he's defending the village. crosshair says something like "do what you want," which is basically the closest you're gonna get to a yes from him.

there's something i haven't mentioned up until now. the bird people actually have six limbs–two arms, two legs, and two wings attached to their shoulderblades. does it make sense? no. is it cool? hell yeah. lin is also quite strong, he's almost a foot taller than crosshair, and being a beanpole, crosshair is pretty light.

you've probably realized where i'm going with this by now, right? lin picks crosshair up and flies him to a wooden perch high in the trees, devoid of dangerous insects or plants and placed perfectly to see as much as possible. when they get there, lin explains his workflow. he points out all the areas with bogs, carnivorous plants, and other hazards that are basically impossible to get through, meaning he can narrow down his defense. he shows crosshair the plants that react when they're touched and describes how to use them to gauge the enemy's movement. that kind of stuff.

although crosshair has recovered by now from being carried through the air by a giant bird man, lin realizes after a few minutes that he still doesn't have the sniper's full attention. his excited explanations fade into puzzled silence.

crosshair isn't looking at him. he's staring at the bow and the quiver leaning against the tree. then he shifts his gaze back down–down to the village, and then further down to where they had been fighting just a few hours ago. lin frowns. "is something wrong?"

crosshair looks back at him. "you were the one who was watching my back." it's a statement, not a question; there's not a hint of doubt in his voice.

lin's feathers rustle slightly, and he glances away. (crosshair will later learn that this is equivalent to blushing among the birdfolk.) "yeah. i thought..." he hesitates, and crosshair watches him curiously. lin doesn't seem to be the type to stumble over his words or second-guess himself, so why now? he visibly rethinks whatever he was going to say, instead whispering, "i wanted to help you."

that, crosshair thinks, is hard to believe. but lin is looking at him with such undisguised warmth that he can't bring himself to doubt it. "i don't need help," he replies derisively, standing and grabbing his rifle.

as he approaches the ladder that leads to the village, lin extends a wing, flight feathers brushing against crosshair's back. "crosshair," he calls in a soft voice. "sleep well."

crosshair glances over his shoulder, and any words that he might have said die on his tongue. lin's feathers are mostly dark, but flowing down his neck and chest is a patch of fiery orange. the setting sun highlights these brighter feathers and the shining undertones of the rest of them, dying him in molten gold.

he looks like a phoenix rising from the ashes. crosshair is suddenly thankful for the shadow of the leaves across his face; it's too dark for lin to see his expression or the heat that spreads across his cheeks.

he climbs down the ladder without another word, hurrying back to the hut that the leaders offered to his squad.

lin's words linger in crosshair's mind as he tries to fall asleep. there's nothing special about the falcon. he's just... a good teammate. yes, that's it. lin is helpful and apparently very skilled, and he's got local knowledge as well as the trust of the villagers. he's an asset to the team.

and of course, their areas of expertise are quite similar. it only makes sense that crosshair seeks him out the next day, and naturally they go on a scouting trip together. it's perfectly normal that, over the course of the mission, they get to know each other better. being teammates, they fall into an easy, comfortable dynamic, shooting playful remarks at each other over comms (much to the other batchers' chagrin) and competing to see who can shut down the most droids.

when their roles are reversed and lin is forced into close quarters, crosshair simply returns the favor. that's the only reason why he shoots down anything that so much as aims in lin's direction. (he staunchly ignores the way his stomach does flips every time lin hisses out a thank-you or glances up at his perch with sparkling eyes.) the only emotions he feels when lin tears a battle droid apart with his bare hands are shock and admiration. nothing more, nothing less.

by the time they finish their mission and fully root out the seppies, crosshair is willing to admit to himself that he enjoys being on this planet. it's grown on him. although he'd never say it out loud, he almost doesn't want to leave.

the rest of the bad batch seems to agree. the birdfolk do, too; they seem to have fully gotten over their reservations, seeing as they've gifted the batch far more food and shiny objects than they could ever hope to take with them. they all stall for as long as they can, but eventually, their other duties call. they have no choice but to leave this place behind.

on the night of their departure, lin approaches crosshair for the last time. he's clearly trying to act cheerful, but there's a note of melancholy in his voice as he says, "we really did it. you should be proud."

"yes." i'm proud of you, too, crosshair doesn't add.

lin seems to hear it anyways. he looks up at the stars peeking through the canopy above, and a shadow crosses his face. "that's the life of a soldier, isn't it? once one mission's done, you have to move on to the next."

he almost sounds... bitter, as he says that. crosshair peers over at him curiously. despite the amount of interactions that they've had, and despite how open he is about everything else, lin has always been cagey about his past. he's not from this village; that's the extent of what he's shared.

he doesn't seem interested in explaining what he meant, and crosshair doesn't ask. they stand for a long, quiet moment, gazing up at the stars.

lin is the one to break the silence. "i have something for you," he says, turning back to crosshair. "to remember me by."

the sniper blinks up at him. "how could i forget how much you annoy me?" how could i forget you?

lin snorts as he starts to rummage through his pockets. "where is it? it should be... ah! there," he exclaims, pulling out his gift.

it's a simple necklace–just a single orange feather hanging from a black string. and yet he recognizes that feather as one of lin's own, taken straight from the ruff around his neck.

he reaches out to take it, but lin shakes his head and takes a step towards crosshair. then another, and another, until they're almost touching. with slow, gentle movements, lin carefully unclasps the necklace. he loops it around crosshair's neck, fingers brushing against its nape.

even after the necklace is secure, neither of them move. crosshair stares up at lin with wide eyes; he hardly dares to breath for fear of shattering... whatever's happening right now. lin is looking at him the same way he did on the perch after their first battle together, but now there's sadness spilling into it, and maybe a bit of regret too.

"thank you," lin says, allowing his hands to rest lightly on crosshair's shoulders. and, maker, his voice–

crosshair's breath catches in his throat. this is too much. he steps away, and the atmosphere vanishes. he doesn't quite run, but he might as well be, saying a hurried goodbye and making a bee-line for the marauder.

when he gets to the ship, the rest of the bad batch is already there waiting for him. as they take off, the birdfolk they've come to know are there to see them off... but lin is noticeably absent.

later, crosshair and tech are alone on the ship; everyone else has gone to bed. normally crosshair would be cleaning his rifle or replenishing his toothpick supply right now, but all he could do was stare at the feather necklace lin had given him.

"congratulations," tech told him.

crosshair jumped and looked up at his brother. "...what?"

"on the engagement," he elaborated. "to lin, i assume?"

"what are you talking about?"

tech blinked. "when birdfolk offer you something made with one of their feathers, it means they are proposing to you. i... assumed you knew that."

after a long moment of contemplation, going over every interaction they'd had and everything that lin had said to him, crosshair could only come to one conclusion. "i'm going to kriffing kill him," he hissed.

the corner of tech's lip curled into a smirk. "you know, we technically don't have an objective right now. we could still turn around and have a cerem-"

"just shut up."