Star Wars The Bad Batch: The Runaway

Chapter 50 - Forgiveness and a Promotion

Hope ya'll like this chapter!! The beginning and ending are kinda sad, but there's some happy moments in between and funny moments as well!

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When Tech, Hunter, and Wrecker got back, they didn't expect to find Crosshair brooding in the cockpit, waiting impatiently for his brothers to come back and Callista nowhere in sight. Hunter didn't bother hiding his exasperation.

"How on earth did you get out?" Hunter demanded, flabbergasted that his master plan had failed. It was foolproof, he'd been sure of it. Now the Sergeant was embarrassed. But if Crosshair thought Hunter was an idiot, it wasn't for the half-baked plan of his, it was for what being locked in a dark room did to Calli and despite being frustrated with the teen, he was more furious with his brothers for putting her through that. He hated seeing his siblings suffer and had an especially soft spot for Calli (though if anyone said as much, he'd deny it).

Standing up, Crosshair took two large steps that put him right in front of Hunter and Crosshair was thankful he had a few inches on his brother which allowed him to slightly tower ober the Sergeant, who's shoulder he shoved harshly while half yelling "You're all di'kuts!". Hunter sighed and nodded, expecting a reaction like this from his brother, and also still being annoyed that it didn't work.

"Yeah, I guess it was too much to hope that locking you two in a room would solve everything." He said and Crosshair snarled.

"That's not what I'm angry about." Crosshair said, visibly shaking with rage. Hunter noticed this, along with Tech and Wrecker, and the atmosphere changed instantly as they took Crosshair's behavior more seriously. This wasn't the normal cranky Crosshair; something was obviously wrong. The Sergeant's eyes did a quick search of the room before landing back on his brother, his expression serious.

"Where's Calli?" For a brief moment Hunter feared that his brother had actually committed homicide. Crosshair wasn't capable of killing someone in cold blood, was he? At least not one of their own? Crosshair jabbed his thumb in the direction of the bunks.

"In the room, recovering from the anxiety attack you caused by locking us in the dark and then leaving!" Recognition dawned on Tech's features, his quick and brilliant mind able to put two and two together about what Crosshair said, and then guilt was quick to follow as he looked away in shame, while Hunter and Wrecker remained confused. The former was also relieved to know that his brother hadn't murdered Calli - honestly, he felt that Calli would have a better chance at murdering the sniper as opposed to the other way around. But he'd of course never say that to Crosshair. Still, it didn't quite register what the sniper was saying.

"I don't... I don't understand how that could have made Calli panic." Hunter said flatly and Crosshair folded his arms and gave Hunter a cryptic look.

"Think. Think real hard, Hunter." Crosshair watched as the cogs turned in the Sergeant's head, but after a few tense seconds his brother merely shook his head, not coming up with anything. Crosshair was merciful enough to give him a hint to jog his memory, "Where did we rescue Calli - the second time?" Eyebrows drawing together, Hunter still didn't understand... at first. But when it hit him, his face then mirrored Tech's reaction only a minute before that, then his eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, becoming guilt-ridden.

"Kriff." He swore under his breath, yet everyone heard, and Crosshair let out a harsh scoff, also nodding.

"Kriff is right! How could it not have occurred to you -" Crosshair chastised, then his heated gaze was directed to Tech, who stood behind the Sergeant, on his right. "-or you! You're supposed to be the smartest one here!" Tech tried to defend himself.