#tbb 3x04 a different approach

[nimata-beroya]

Delay The Inevitable (TBB One-Shot)

Inspired by @nahoney22's and @moonstrider9904's comments (as well as my own) to this post from @sharazadee. A companion scene/ Crosshair POV of the last scene of episode 3x04.

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The moment the Imperial freighter jumps out of Hyperspace, Crosshair feels anxiety creeping up on him, making his heart race. His gaze lands on the Marauder, settled on Ryloth's moon, and his throat goes dry. Despite his doubts, he must admit Omega was right about Hunter and Wrecker showing up.

Another point for the kid.

He underestimated her intelligence and resourcefulness, but she has proven him wrong. Crosshair now sees why Hunter and the others took up with her so fast. No matter how hard he tried to resist, she’s grown on him. During those five months they were imprisoned on Tantiss together, her relentless optimism became a constant annoyance. He didn’t want her to talk to him. He wanted her to leave him alone, but she never did. She kept coming back at every chance she got.

She refused to give up, mounting a relentless siege on his impregnable defenses until they eventually crumbled. He has reached a point where he is going against all his instincts and following her since they escaped. Protecting her. The sole impulse that kept him going during the last rotation. She’s proven that he’s not as heartless as he wants others to believe.

Omega leaves the pilot's seat as the ship lands, not waiting for the engines to fully stop. Crosshair’s cautionary words die on his lips as she darts out of the cockpit, disappearing into the lift before he can react. With a tired sigh, he looks out the viewport and watches as she stands still in the pool of light, her silhouette bathed in a warm glow. From the Marauder's open hatch on the opposite side, a hulking figure comes into view.

“Now, there’s a sight!”

The sound of Wrecker's booming voice reaches Crosshair's ears, filled with clear relief, while Omega's excited cries for him ring out with pure joy. A lump clenches his stomach, a sickening mix of envy and dread, as he watches them running towards each other. Wrecker embraces Omega, a gesture that Crosshair secretly yearns for, knowing it's something he'll never experience again.

Then Hunter emerges from the Marauder, and Omega runs to hug him. Crosshair turns his head away, his jaw clenched as he battles a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Crosshair slumps against the seat and, with a furrowed brow, he rakes a hand across his bald head, deciding his next move.

Now that the kid is safe, he should make a swift getaway to evade the Empire. He should take the ship, but hesitates. He knows that his previous squad will not give him a warm reception. After everything he did, why would they? Is he considering returning to them when they turned their backs on him? How could they run away together when there’s no trust among them?

But he has nowhere safe to go. With the Empire hot on his heels, going alone is a dead sentence for him.

A sudden whine and a wet bump startles him out of his churning thoughts. Batcher, the hound, presses her cold nose against his hand.

"Go with Omega," he says, his voice dripping with disdain as he points towards the exit.

Like her owner, the animal cannot grasp his not-so-subtle cues that her presence is unwelcomed. With a pleading whimper, she nips at the sleeve of his shirt, tugging on it with careful determination.

“No, stop! What are you doing?”

As Batcher whined once more, she yanked on his sleeve, the fabric tearing and nearly causing him to fall off the chair, leaving no doubt about her intentions. With a sigh of resignation, Crosshair relents and gives in.

“Ugh, fine! I’m going, but you stay here.”

Crosshair narrows his eyes in irritation at her smug expression, cheerful bounce, and wide smile with her tongue sticking out. As he steps out of the lift, his irritation fades away and is replaced by a weighty sense of dread.

This won’t end well, but he’s not a coward. He can’t delay the inevitable. With each step down the ship's stairs, Crosshair felt the heaviness on his shoulders of uncertainty, fear, and regret. He braces himself for the reactions of Hunter and Wrecker when they lay eyes on him. The intense heat of their anger and distrust travels like a scorching wave between the two islands of light, striking him with deadly precision.

Crosshair inhales deeply, preparing himself for the impending judgement. There’s nothing else he can do.

[snow-dragon-rider]

Love that Omega sat down and promptly won like 45,000 credits in, essentially, a game of Space Phase 10. That’s my girl.