My Episode 15-16 Reaction Without Spoilers

and I am drowning

Denial is a river in Egypt-

NOOO! As a retired band kid, Crosshair plays marching quads (Because he Is cool like that) or marching Mello (Because honestly he's just a king like that, he can play multiple instruments). Hunter defiantly is a trumpet player. You know the trumpet players that is the band directors favorite and always gets the solos and always practicing the screamer notes, He may be the band directors favorite, but everyone else thinks he is annoying.

Calling all Bad Batch/Clone Wars/Rebels fans who are into their orchestral music: in a Mordern AU where the characters played orchestral instruments, what instruments would they play? I’m intrigued. 😂😂😂

Me up at 430am because the episode has me too full of life

You know you've been up late when you misread crosshair as croissant

I'm literally obsessed

Cold is the Night (Crosshair x F!Reader) ★ Ch. 3

⠀ Chapter 3: The Cave | AO3 Chapter Masterlist | Ongoing Chapter Summary: In the dark of the cave, you and the Commander wait out the storm. Notes: ★ tysm for all the positive responses to this fic! ★ realized I didn’t point it out before, so: the title of this fic is a reference to the song of the same name by The Oh Hellos! ★ we’ve got a rough final chapter count: around 7! ★ I’ve roughly plotted out this whole story in advance, but I’m writing & publishing it alongside the airing of season 2, so there might end up being incongruencies with canon plot developments. but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ★ enjoy ❄️

“There… That should be good,” you huff, leaning back after you finish the final pat of snow surrounding the Commander’s knee. “Is the pain starting to die down?”

9904 responds only with a nod… But after spending the better part of an hour alone together, you’ve already come to expect this.

You back off without another word, returning instead to your place across the fire from him. You feel his visor follow the movement, but opt to say nothing.

What, after all, are you supposed to do with CT-9904?

If you’re continuing forward with your actual mission objective, the answer is obvious: find a way up the mountainside to the transport that brought you here, get off this frozen rock, and return to base. Carry on as you have been, bunking alongside the enemy and feeding snippets of vital info back home when you can.

Hell, you could probably even get away with killing the Commander and saying he died in the avalanche just like the rest of your squad.

You try not to flick your alarmed gaze toward him at the very thought.

All that sounds well and good, except…

You were never meant to die in this post.

Sure, your infiltration of Imperial forces has never had a set exit strategy—but it’s also never occurred to you whether or not your espionage was meant to simply continue on until you got killed… Or worse, exposed.

And in recent weeks, it’s certainly been a close thing.

There have been a few close calls, rebel escapes that seem a bit too convenient—you’ve seen it in the clench of Vice Admiral Rampart’s jaw at each new “failure.”

The enemy is wising up—or perhaps you’re just getting sloppy.

Either way…

If ever you were looking for an out, a way back to Segomo IV, this would certainly be an excellent opportunity.

You could make it back to the transport, but then proceed to send an encrypted signal back to your camp… Get picked up and flown home with the Empire none the wiser; it would simply look like you had perished alongside your squadmates, body likely disposed of by Karthrexia’s hostile fauna.

You could be out of this damned armor and back with your people before the Imps had any real chance to investigate a possible information leak—

Across from you, the Commander shifts position…

And just where would that leave him?

Could you bring him in as a POW? You know as well as the rest of the death troopers that Rampart has been stingy with offering details to the Commander, so interrogations might prove unfruitful… And with clones being cycled out of use, CT-9904 is unlikely to serve as a very valuable bargaining chip either.

But he’s a person, a small voice in the back of your head chides. He has brothers out there. A family.

You grit your teeth—

So do countless people the Imps have mowed down. And what of them?

With some effort, you force the cold chill of indifference into your thoughts.

I’ll do what I need to do to survive—with or without CT-9904.

“Why did you save me?”

And just like that, the Commander’s sandpaper voice interrupts your self-discipline. You look up at him.

“Excuse me?” Your faux-clueless tone sounds unfamiliar as it leaves your helmet’s modulator. In reality, you know as well as he does that it’s a fair enough question; your chances of escape diminish significantly with an injured companion in tow. He’ll slow you down, at best.

“Don’t play coy, 2653. It doesn’t suit you.” The Commander’s accented drawl sounds bored, almost disinterested, but you know better—your answer here could make or break the next several hours of your shared survival.

The best lies have something of the truth in them, you remind yourself.

“I don’t necessarily share the prejudices of my fallen comrades, Commander,” you begin hesitantly, watching the way his helmet shifts ever-so-slightly at your admission. You continue: “Clone or no, a soldier is a soldier… And I’m not gonna leave a man to die if I can help it.”

It’s not like the other death troopers had made any real effort to disguise their disdain for being given orders by a clone… And though 9904 plays his cards close to his chest, you’re sure his subordinates’ resentment has irked him all the same.

A clone is a sentient being, the same as you. It’s an increasingly unpopular stance to take, even amongst your true allies back on Segomo IV—but if your conscience is what brought you into this fight, it’s your conscience that muddies the waters, as well.

You know yourself, though, and in truth, it’s not just your respect for life that urged you to pull 9904 from the snow—

It’s the knowledge that’s excited you about this entire mission since the beginning. The passing suggestion made by a fellow rebel, one that has been nurtured and blossomed in your thoughts into a greater idea:

With the right, push, CT-9904 could be on your side.

Across from you, the Commander scoffs.

“You should have left me,” he states matter-of-factly; but there’s something else in his tone, something almost like… Disappointment? “Prioritized yourself.”

…And is that not the same vicious thought you had been toying with mere minutes ago? Swallowing thickly, you mumble your response:

“Negative, sir.”

Silence overtakes you both once more as you sit on opposite ends of your meager fire. Brutal winds are howling outside, even bringing the occasional flurry into the dim light of the cave where you’re currently sheltering.

After some indeterminate amount of time, anywhere from several minutes to a couple hours later, you can feel yourself starting to fade.

Turning to your pack pressed against your side for warmth, you pull out a couple ration bars.

“We should eat, keep our energy up,” you explain, voice slightly scratchy from disuse in the cold. Gently, you toss the Commander one of the packages—which he of course catches with eerie precision.

You hesitate only momentarily before removing your helmet, shaking your stiffened hair free from your face in the process. The frigid air nips at your nose and cheeks with a pinprick sting.

The visor of CT-9904’s helmet lifts to meet your gaze.

“...Sir?”

His gloved grip on the ration bar tightens; you can hear it in the crinkling of the wrapper. He’s… Deliberating something, though what, you’re unsure.

At last, with a hissing sigh—he moves to remove his own helmet.

You’ve made a concerted effort throughout this past year to not grow attached to any of your “comrades,” which in the most part has been a breeze thanks to their grating personalities… But perhaps that is why, upon seeing 9904’s face now, you feel like you’re truly looking at him for the very first time.

The regular features of the clones’ faces have been refined, somehow sharpened, on him. The harsh line of his stubbled jaw is limmed in the flickering orange light of the fire, which in turn gives the normally-silver hue of his close-shaven hair a warm glow. A sharp tattoo cuts across his right eye, reminding you in striking clarity of his true name:

Crosshair.

To the Empire, though, he’s just a number—you all are.

But I am not the Empire, you think to yourself. Not really.

At length, he quirks one dark eyebrow—you’ve been staring at each other, you realize. Cheeks flushing a bit more in the chilly air, you look down to your ration and begin unwrapping it. He does the same.

“I think we’ll be able to make it out of this.”

You’re not sure what compels you to say it; perhaps it’s a reassurance as much to yourself as it is to him, you realize bitterly.

You have to make it out of this.

The alternative is, right now, unthinkable.

Crosshair responds with a thoughtful hum, low and tentative like the growl of an animal. Then:

“...You will.”

You.

Not we.

You eye his leg skeptically where the snow is half-melted around his knee.

The two of you eat in silence; the sound of your own chewing barely audible in your ears over the roar of the blizzard raging outside.

The fire is starting to dwindle, and you have nothing to fuel it. You frown.

This is all nothing but a waiting game, now, just as Crosshair had posited earlier—we wait out the storm, he’d said. Regardless of what internal decision you come to, of what you choose to do next, that’s all this is right now: the two of you, alone together, waiting for nature to calm itself beyond the walls of this cave.

As the fire continues to gradually shrink, so too does your only light source in the dark.

“We should sleep,” you mumble, long after you’ve both finished eating in not-altogether-uneasy quiet.

Crosshair’s dark eyes dart upward to meet your own; he nods slightly, before donning the protective warmth of his helmet once more. Reluctantly, you follow suit.

Okay, this… Might be a hard sell.

But you trudge on.

“Commander,” you begin—and you think you notice his posture already stiffening, bracing himself for whatever comes next in your precariously hesitant voice. “The fire is dying. We should, um… Sleep side-by-side, conserve heat. Back-to-back, if you’d like.”

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the man seated across from you to be a statue, the way his visor snaps to pin you with its inscrutable green plane—and stays there.

Shit shit shit, what are you doing? You’re pushing your—

“Alright.”

Beneath your own visor, you blink.

Alright.

“...Okay, then.”

Gingerly, you move forward to his side of the fire.

It’s a painfully awkward thing, making your limbs work the way you need them to—and not just because of the cold air making your joints feel stiff. Not in at least a year have you shared your personal space with somebody so intimately, and you’re suddenly grateful for the discomfort of the helmet if it manages to obscure your blushing wince.

If Crosshair feels the embarrassment of it all, though, he does well to hide it. Brushing the remaining snow away from his bad knee, he lithely curls into himself in one easy movement, laying on the cave floor with his broad back facing you. Through some maneuvering, you manage to accomplish the same—determined to throw shame out the window, you press the length of your spine to his, quietly reveling in the warmth even his armored body provides.

“Do not hesitate to wake me,” Crosshair mumbles through his modulator; and aligned to him as you are, you’re able to feel the shaky exhale that punctuates his words. Try as he might to conceal it, the man is exhausted.

You nod in affirmation.

“Yes, sir.”

« Previous Chapter | Next Chapter »

Final Notes: ★ the huddling-for-warmth trope can, and will, always kick my ass. ty for reading ★ I’m currently looking for fic requests, so come say hi! Join the taglist! Tags: @2clones-1kamino @tsedeshgishnii @badbatch-simp24 @lightning-wolffe @ladykatakuri @redheadgirl @heyitsaloy @stardust9905 @arctrooper69 @kaitou2417 @fangirl-goes-nova @ttzamara @taylahk109 @merkitty49

Therapy isn’t enough I need to fist fight Dave Filoni

Tech – Thank You For Loving Me 31 – I'm Gonna Be A Sniper!

Warning: Angst / Tension / Fluff

________________

The situation is actually tense. But Tech's and your daughter has other worries and thoughts. Lying in wait with her favorite uncle Crosshair, she already seems to be making big plans for the future.

_________________

What Happened Before:

Nervous Flutter

Part 2 - Help Me To Let Go

Part 3 - Asking For Advice

Part 4 - Devotion

Part 5 - The Explorer

Part 6 - You’re The Best

Part 7 - Experimental (½)

Part 8 - Experimental (2/2) - Not Fully Functional

Part 9 - Not Alone

Part 10 - Cared For

Part 11 - Don’t You Worry

Part 12 - A White Lie

Part 13 - Hope

Part 14 - Games To Play

Part 15 - Work Work Work

Part 16 - Trouble

Part 17 - In Loving Domination (½)

Part 18 - The Game Changer

Part 19 - Wild Animal

Part 20 - Embarrassing Vulnerabilities

Part 21 - Between Hangover And Love

Part 22 - The Future Ahead Of Us

Part 23 - About Making A Baby

Part 24 - It’s Going To Be Okay

Part 25 - Returning A Favor

Part 26 - Baby Fever

Part 27 - A New Life

Part 28 - Daddy Tech

Part 29 – Back Home

Part 30 - Pleasant And Unpleasant Surprises

Part 31 - I'm Gonna Be A Sniper

You had just returned a few minutes ago, Tech had told you that Rex was busy with Amy and you were about to follow Crosshair to the playground when you saw the shuttle coming. With a critical frown, you watched it land. You glanced over your shoulder where Wrecker was standing, looking just as critically.

"Are we expecting visitors?" he asked.

"Not that I know of," grumbled Hunter, who came up behind him on the ramp.

Hunter murmured to Wrecker, "Go get your gear, we might get in trouble."

Nervously, you looked around and discovered that Rex was coming your way, but Amy was not with him. At first, you wanted to panic, automatically, but then you remembered that Crosshair had gone to check on them. He was probably with Amy, so she was safe and protected.

Your heart still beat in your throat as Hunter hurriedly waved you into the shuttle.

"Go tell Tech," he grumbled, stopping on the ramp.

With a nod, you hurried past him to comply with his request. You found Tech in the engine room, of course, along with Echo. The two of them looked at you and both frowned. It was obvious to them that something was wrong.

"We have an uninvited visitor."

Tech tossed the tool aside and immediately asked, "Where's Amy?"

" With Crosshair" Rex said coming up behind you, "The two of them are hiding out until the coast is clear."

Tech nodded, tense yet relieved. He reached for your hand and squeezed it gently.

"You stay in here," he said seriously to you.

"But-"

"No discussions, you wait here in the engine room," he said urgently, "I want you to be safe."

You sighed, much preferring to help, to keep an eye on Tech. You didn't want to wait here in the dark. Tech was rarely stern or stubborn, but you could tell he would not tolerate any dissent here and now.

Reluctantly, you said, "Okay. I'll wait here."

Tech gave you a kiss and said, "I'll come get you when the coast is clear."

Crosshair had climbed the nearby hill with Amy, there he now lay in wait with his rifle, watching the shuttle and the people getting out of it, when he got distracted.

"Uncle Cross, I have to pee."

He frowned, turned his head and looked at the little girl.

"Do you need my help to do that?"

"No, just wanted to let you know"

Crosshair nods in relief.

"Good."

Amy wobbled off, and Crosshair watched her go.

"Don't go too far away, stay within earshot, Amy"

Amy stopped and said, "Mommy says to make sure no one ever watches me pee, especially grown men"

Crosshair raised his eyebrows, but finally nodded.

"Your mama is right, but I'm not a stranger and right now we're in a tense situation. I need to keep an eye on you. I'm definitely not looking, but talk to me while you pee, so I'm sure you're around."

Amy shrugged her shoulders and said, "Alright."

Shortly after, she begins to babble happily to herself as well as Crosshair. She tells about her stuffed animal and how she fell down in the Marauder and got a lollipop from Tech for being so brave. Crosshair listens with amusement, mutters something confirming occasionally and watches again what's happening down at the shuttle.

Meanwhile, Amy goes into an explanatory mode, much like her father, telling Crosshair all the details, down to the smallest thing, of what her stuffed animal is made of, how it was made, and why her stuffed animal is friends with Lula.

"Very interesting, little bean," murmurs Crosshair, who is only half listening as he is focused on the scene in the valley.

Finally, Amy comes back and lies down next to him on the forest floor, a stick in her small hands. She mimics his pose and posture, pretending the stick is a rifle.

With conviction, she says, "I'm going to be a sniper, too."

Crosshair looks over at her from his scope, only now seeing that she is mimicking him. Warmth spreads through his chest, a very strange feeling. He smiles warmly. Amy looks cute lying there in wait with her stick as a substitute for a rifle. Amy admires her uncle so much that she wants to be like him.

Amused, he says, "Your mother and father won't be too thrilled about this".

Amy looks at him questioningly.

"Why?"

Crosshair looks through his scope again and says, "We'll talk about that later, shorty, okay? Your uncle needs to focus a bit right now, we want to have your mom and dad's back after all".

Amy nods resolutely and also gets back into pose. But then she asks, “Would you like it if I get to be a sniper?”

He blinks, thinks for a short moment.

"I would be proud of you and very honored that you would want to be like me. But maybe you will change your mind again when you are older".

Amy shakes her head with conviction.

"I definitely want to be a sniper."

Crosshair chuckles, "Don't worry, as soon as you are old enough, I will be happy to teach you".

"When will I be old enough? I'll be three soon"

Crosshair blinks and says quietly, "Three... hard to believe. Sometimes I forget how young you are, you talk as much as your father did at that age"

"That's not an answer"

Crosshair laughs softly, "You're as smart as him too", after a pause he adds, "In a few years if your parents allow it"

Amy sighs, "Years are long"

He says softly, "Years are a lot shorter than you think, and they eventually go by faster than you'd like"

" When I am a sniper, then I can go with you when you go on missions! I'll work with you and Daddy!"

Crosshair sighs softly and says, "We'll see. One thing at a time."

"I don't want to wait!" complains Amy.

"No patience," Crosshair mutters, "You definitely get that from your mother. Now hush and focus"

Finally, Crosshair can see the uninvited visitors. He recognizes one of them.

He growls, "You've got to be kidding me."

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@ben-is-a-hoe

@kaminocasey

@nunanuggets

@hypnoash

@brynhildrmimi

@livi-s

@ttzamara

@thebadbatchscyare

@rexandechosandwich

@mybigfatspoonielife

@clone-whore-99 @chxpsi

@the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond

@andyoufollowyourheart

@kaliel2310

@misogirl828

@tech-deck

@loverofclones

@thebahdbitch

@meshla-madalene

@stardusthuntress

@ladykatakuri

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@agenteliix

@puppetswithteeth

@greaser-wolf

@hated-by-me

@malicemercy

"you can't just lmao your way out of everything" watch me

HEEE VANILLA EXTRACT

(mini bad batch freak out regarding the newest episode, but no spoilers of course <3)

OKAY MR FILONI, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FUCKING TALK.

THIS LITTLE RANT WILL NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS DONT WORRY GUYS, I JUST NEED TO GET THIS OUTTA MY SYSTEM CAUSE I HAVE ENERGY. THAT EPISODE WAS SO GOOD, GENUINELY HAD ME ON EDGE THE ENTIRE TIME. NOW I AM SPINNING IN MY CHAIR, I AM FLAPPING MY HANDS, I AM ANXIOUS AND EXILLERATED, AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, I AM SO HYPED FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF SEASON 2.

THE ENDING LEFT ME GAPING LIKE A DAMN FISH, AND THE ENTIRE EPISODE ITSELF?? OH LAWDY, THE PACING, THE STORY, THE CHARACTERS, THE CONFLICT, THE EMOTIONS-

IT HAD SUCH A SATISFYING MOMENT NEAR THE END THAT GENUINELY HAD ME YELLING IN GLEE. THERE WERE MANY SEGMENTS DURING THAT HAD ME ANXIOUSLY FIDDLING WITH MY FINGERS AND MUTTERING CURSES UNDER MY BREATH.

MY FULL RESPECT AND LOVE TO DAVE FILONI, YOU ARE AN ABSOLOUTE MAD MAN AND I AM GOING TO START THROWING THINGS. /POS

No this post did it for me, I will not be sleeping anytime soon. midway reading this post I realized my ring was gone. found it... but not before having a heart attack and falling off my bed.

As for the commotion, there are LOTS of the girl and the gays that absolutely love crosshair. Welcome to the fandom side of the holonet, please enjoy.

The fact that I was asleep when @superiorsniper had his ask box open not one, but TWICE. I actually am never going to sleep again, tell me your secrets @exceptionally-minded I've heard you're good at not sleeping. I will make it's everyone's problem until I atleast get one snarky thing from Crosshair.