Chapter Text
While everyone expected the war to end someday, no one was prepared for how it ended or how swiftly.
CT-5555, better known as Fives revealed Chancellor Palpatine’s deception and overnight the war ended as the Separatists realised, they had been duped just as much as the Republic had. Within a week the Confederacy had reformed with the Republic, reuniting the galaxy under one government and while the old wounds would take a long time to heal, the galaxy was suddenly at peace, but not everyone was prepared for such peace.
Almost two million clones suddenly found themselves facing retirement, something many of them never thought they would see and as such hadn’t prepared for. They were bred for the battle, trained for warfare. Granted for the first twelve months the clone army was used as the workforce to rebuild areas of the galaxy they had helped destroy, but with each month more were being released from their duties, thanked for their services and sent out into the world to find civilian work. The senate provided the clones with a meagre salary aimed to help them get on their feet and the promise of a pension once they hit a certain age with the expectation was that they would find work and join society. Among those were Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker and Crosshair who now found themselves at a loose end in Coruscant.
Tech and Echo found work almost instantly, anyone who specialised in data, splicing and computer systems like they did were in hot demand after the war to rebuild networks that had been destroyed or to build new ones. A local gym took one look at Wrecker and hired him on the spot as a part time trainer and he did a couple nights a week as a bouncer at a night club up the road from the apartment they shared. Hunter tried to do bouncer work as well but the loud music gave him migraines, so like many clones he got absorbed into private security roles protecting celebrities, prominent figures and politicians on Coruscant. They found a cheap apartment in one of Coruscant dingier, more industrial suburbs and set about creating a life for themselves they never expected to have.
Crosshair meanwhile struggled.
The skillset for a sniper didn’t translate into civilian roles, he didn’t like people enough to do too much with the public, not that he didn’t try. A couple of short-lived roles as a barista and food delivery driver made it clear that Crosshair was not cut out for public facing roles. For a few months he floated around the apartment, making it look more like a home than a hovel, cooking them dinner and listening to their stories about their respective jobs while going stir crazy at home by himself. Finally, he stumbled on an advertisement for a doorman for an expensive block of units near the Senate building and decided it was better than sitting at home all day.
To his surprise, Crosshair found himself enjoying it.
He wasn’t expected to speak to anyone, hell most of the wealthy clients preferred he didn’t. He wasn’t expected to smile, thank the maker and most of his days were spent scanning the surrounding environment for issues like he did on the battlefield. On particularly slow days he would imagine scenarios where the reprogrammed B1 droids who now swept the streets of Coruscant or did other menial work suddenly reverted to their old programming and Crosshair had to take them out with just the small blaster he carried under the crisp suit coat he now wore. He sorted their mail, managed the cleaners schedule, monitored security and kept tabs on the comings and goings. He became known as the silent doorman who seemed to notice residents’ vehicles long before they pulled up to the landing pad and had their packages ready before they exited the lift which is how he met her.
Its well past dark, one more hour before Crosshair closed the lobby for the night and any residents still out had to use the keypad to let themselves in. There was only one still out tonight anyways, Miss Charise, a pretty Twi who worked in the Senate building for the Senator of Corellia. Crosshair looks up into the sky lanes weaving through the artificial galaxy of glittering skyscrapers and sees a cab pull away from the traffic towards him. Crosshair strides for the door and has it open by the time it lands, staring straight ahead, ramrod straight like he was on the parade ground again.
The cab pulls to a stop on the landing pad as Miss Charise gets out followed by a human male. She’s giggling, her lekku bouncing joyfully as he gets out, before she pulls her date into a kiss. Crosshair watched them out of the corner of his eye, fighting his annoyance. He didn’t care that she had been out on a date after work, what bothered Crosshair was that this was the fourth one he had seen since he had worked at her building. She pulls away, beaming up into his face and while her date smiles down at her, the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
Crosshair looked away from them and sighed quietly to himself in frustration. Across the galaxy, Twi women had gained the reputation for being… easy but Crosshair knew Miss Charise wasn’t like the dancers on Nar Shaddah or who worked 79’s during the war. She was smart and driven with a keen head for economics under those lekku but she was also just too nice for her own good. And like the three before him, this young man seemed to think he was getting an exotic dancer, not someone with a Bachelors in Economics and a Masters in Social Science specialising in population management in urban areas. Crosshair could see his disappointment from here.
“Hang on how do you know all this about her?” Hunter said looking over his takeaway container.
“I conducted extensive research into all the residents,” Crosshair replies digging around his noodles for a stray prawn.
“Cross this isn’t the battlefield you don’t need-“ Hunter begins.
“If I am expected to care for these rich idiots, I need to know who’s the most likely to get in trouble,” Crosshair snaps.
“One would argue your responsibilities don’t extend beyond opening and closing doors and ensuring they get their packages,” Tech points out pragmatically.
“There’s a lot more to it than that,” Crosshair sneers.
“I think he just likes her,” Wrecker whispers to Echo, except Wrecker cant whisper.
“I do not! She is a client and out of my league,” Crosshair snaps.
“Oh he definitely likes her,” Wrecker giggles.
Crosshair snaps his gaze away from Miss Charise as she hangs around her dates neck with an ear-to-ear grin. “I had fun tonight. When will I see you again?”
“Uhh soon. I gotta go, before traffic gets too bad you know,” he says untangling himself.
“Sure, of course. Have a safe trip back,” she beams stepping away. “Call me when you get home.”
Miss Charise backed away from the landing pad and waved cheerfully as the speeder rose into the sky before turning on the pointe of one foot and practically dancing past Crosshair with a happy ‘night Crosshair.’ She had asked his name, one of only two clients in a hundred and twenty-two residents who did. Later that night in bed, Crosshair would use that as his justification for what happened next.
“You won’t hear from him.”
Miss Charise stops dead and turns, bathed in the warm lights of the lobby. “What?”
“Your date. He won’t call you back.”
“You… you don’t know that,” she falters.
“I can read people. Its my job.”
“As a doorman?” she scoffs, staring up at him.
Crosshair finally looked down at her, taking in her annoyed expression. “No as a sniper. You watch a man through your scopes long enough to figure out their next move before they do.”
She falters, her eyes widening. “You… you’re a clone.”
Crosshair stares impassively back into her blue face, the deep sapphire eyes that are wide with shock as he realised, she really didn’t twig that he was a clone. Crosshair knew he didn’t look very clone-like but surely she must have had some clue? Despite the war being over for a year, clones being employed across the galaxy in a variety of roles, not including Senator Fives who now represented them in the Galactic Senate, many galactic residents still had mixed feelings about clones that ranged from indifference to suspicion to outright prejudice.
“Yes ma’am.”
She straightens up clearly trying to look braver than she felt. “You can’t possibly know anything about men, you are barely one yourself.”
“And yet I am still more than him.”
Do you want to get fired di’kut? He yelled at himself as she stormed into the lobby and furiously stabbed the lift button. The lift doors finally opened and as she turned to face the door, their eyes met for a moment. One didn’t have to be a sniper with enhanced vision to see the fat tear roll down her cheek. Oh well done Crosshair, made a client cry, he thought as the lift doors closed hiding her from view. Crosshair turned back to the nights sky and sighed loudly in frustration, questioning why he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He didn’t have to say anything, her love life was none of his business and yet he couldn’t help it somehow.
For the next couple of weeks, she doesn’t meet his eye or greet him as she leaves the building but late one evening she emerges from the darkness having walked home from the Senate building. Crosshair reached for the door, his eyes straight ahead as she stepped through the doorway before stopping to look up at him.
“I’m sorry Crosshair,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
Crosshair startled, not expecting an apology from client and despite himself looked down at her with a jolt. “None taken Ma’am,” he managed quietly.
“No, it was wrong of me. I voted for the Clone Rights bill, it was hypocritical of me to say what I did.”
Crosshair managed a small smile. “I have heard worse.”
She fiddles with the handle of her purse for a few moments, her lekku drooping sadly. “You were right too. About him.”
I know, Crosshair thought dryly. “I’m sorry.”
She looks up at him, a wan smile on her lips. “You might be able to read people, but you’re a terrible liar. Goodnight, Crosshair.”
Crosshair pulled the door closed and watched her walk towards the lift and step into it. Like that night, their eyes meet before the doors close, a small smile on her face that makes Crosshair heart burn in his chest unexpectedly. Crosshair looked away, sucking in a gasp of cold nights air forcing himself to get a grip. She was a client and an employee of the Galactic Senate. He needed to get a grip.
Its nearly midnight when Crosshair let himself into the tiny two-bedroom apartment he shared with his brothers, not surprised to find Tech at the kitchen table with a project in several pieces while he munched away at some takeaway. It was Taunsday so Wrecker would be out until 6am working the door of nightclub, Hunter was off world on a security detail and Echo was asleep judging by the snoring from behind a closed door. Crosshair shrugged out of his jacket before reaching for the half warm takeaway container.
“You should be in bed,” Crosshair muttered.
“I have almost completed this repair and then I will retire,” Tech replied.
Crosshair said nothing knowing that if he had walked through the door at 2am, Tech would still be here. Some things never changed, and Tech’s obsessive need to finish projects ahead of sleeping and eating was one of them. Crosshair rummaged around in the takeaway container restlessly, Miss Charise’s apology knocking around his head.
“She apologised.”
Tech looks up from what he’s soldering. “Your Twi client? Thats a pleasant surprise. There is hope for the galaxy yet.”
Crosshair shrugged. “Said she felt like a hypocrite because she voted for the clone rights bill.”
Tech scoffs quietly before soldering a part of his project. “Voting on the bill was a popular move as it was a clone who ended the war and the relentless press, it had very little to do with it being the morally right thing to do. Had it been a Jedi we would still protesting our rights.”
“Or fighting.”
Tech looked up and shrugged. “That is also possible. Despite the war being over its not as though the entire galaxy is at peace. It is reasonable to conclude that the Jedi could have easily used us to sort out a few of their differences away from the prying eyes of the senate.”
“He’s a di’kut but we have a lot to thank Senator Fives for,” Crosshair stated, drawling the word senator.
It stood to reason that someone had to represent the clones in the senate but did it have to be that idiot? Crosshair looked in the direction of Echo’s snores, knowing that he couldn’t get away with that statement around Echo who thought the sun shone out of his batch twin’s sheebs. Fives came around occasionally and Crosshair personally couldn’t stand the cocky idiot who now swanned around the Senate pretending he knew a damn about politics and advocating for them. Crosshair could advocate for himself thank you very much.
“Careful,” Tech warned with a sly grin. “Echo is a light sleeper.”
Crosshair scoffed in annoyance. He could handle their part droid brother any day. Getting up, Crosshair collected their empty containers before depositing them in the bin knowing he wanted to say more about Miss Charise to Tech but not sure what.
Instead, he sighed thunderously. “You better be going to bed when I get out of the shower.”
“Yes mum,” Tech muttered dryly, soldering away diligently.
The next couple of weeks pass as normal, Miss Charise greeting Crosshair cheerfully of a morning and sometimes lingering for a chat when she picked up her packages from the desk. She began to ask questions, about clones and how they were assimilating into society. Crosshair pointed out she had a clone senator she could direct her questions to, but she didn’t seem interested in asking Senator Fives. She also asked about Crosshair’s brothers, how they were coping with the change of direction in their lives and what work they were doing. Crosshair answered the questions politely, aware of other residents’ accusatory stares as they walked past and also careful not to give too much away. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, sharing too much just felt… personal. If they became personal, they could become friends and if they could become friends they could-
Crosshair shook his head slightly, forcing himself to focus on her words. That was out of the question, for many reasons.
“You don’t say much do you?” she smiled, holding the package to her chest.
“If you want a conversation, you should try my brother Tech,” Crosshair answered.
“I’d like to meet your brothers one day.”
Crosshair cocked an eyebrow. “You would regret it immediately.”
Miss Charise bursts out laughing, a sound that made the hot coal in Crosshair’s chest burn brighter. “You love your brothers, I can tell. Night Crosshair.”
“Night Ma’am.”
“Its Charise,” she turns back halfway to the lift, her pretty face creasing in a small frown. “I’ve asked you to please call me Charise.”
“Ma’am,” Crosshair states flatly. He couldn’t use her name, he just couldn’t…
Miss Charise sighs thunderously before shaking her lekku and heading for the lift. Crosshair forces himself to keep his eyes trained on the rubbish collection schedule on his desk and not meet her gaze as she steps into the lift. He had to call her Ma’am. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down because as it was he was already in trouble and he knew it. She had begun to creep into his thoughts, appearing in his dreams. He couldn’t let himself be distracted and yet he already was.
And then she started dating Tyriel.
He was also a Twi, worked in banking, almost as tall as Crosshair with deep green skin pulled over rippling muscles. Miss Charise made a point of introducing them the first night she brought him home and Crosshair could tell he thought nothing of the clone on the door. Crosshair bit the inside of his lip as they entered the lift together and spent the last hour of his shift forcing himself to think of anything but what was going on several floors up. It was his own fault. He shouldn’t have let himself get attached, develop feelings.
Crosshair dumped his jacket furiously on the kitchen table and began rummaging for a late-night snack. He wasn’t hungry, he just needed the distraction. In the bottom of the fridge sat some beers nearing their best-before date that Wrecker brought home from the club. Crosshair snatched one up and unscrewed the lid, eagerly chugging into the fizzy hops flavour as Hunter emerged from the darkness of the hallway.
“You mind keeping it down,” Hunter rumbles in annoyance.
“Apologies for existing,” Crosshair snapped.
“Your existing is loud for being past midnight is all,” Hunter states. He eyes the beer for a moment then looks at Crosshair in concern. “Everything ok?”
“Just peachy.”
Hunter folded his arms and leant against the alcove as Crosshair chugged some more beer and reached for some cold meat. Tech won the meat tray at a Trivia Night at a local bar- an unfair competition if ever there was one but it kept the boys in meat for a fortnight. When Crosshair finishes his beer and chewing through a cold Taun-Taun sausage, Hunter is still there.
“This isn’t about that Twi by any chance,” Hunter offers.
“Mind your own business,” Crosshair snarls, pushing past Hunter.
“You talk about her in your sleep and I have enhanced hearing.”
Crosshair is halfway across the darkened living room when he stops, his shoulders slumping. “She’s dating one of her own kind.”
“A senator?”
“A Twi!” Crosshair rages, his copper eyes glittering in the darkness. “Brought him home… its stupid… I should know better.”
Hunter stared with raised eyebrows as Crosshair was almost in tears, almost being the operative word. Hunter crossed the minefield of a living room to cautiously pat his brother on the shoulder. The fact Crosshair doesn’t shrug his hand off tells Hunter just how much his younger brother is hurting.
“That’s rough Cross, I’m sorry. But the heart wants what the heart wants.”
“I should have known better,” Crosshair repeats, unable to look Hunter in the eye.
“Why? Because she’s a Twi and you’re a clone? Never stopped Cut or half our vod. Or do you mean that she works at the senate building because we have one of ours there too. It’s a new world Cross, the old rules don’t apply. Don’t beat yourself up for that. Maybe it wont last.”
Crosshair finally shrugs his brothers hand off, not roughly and vanishes into the darkness towards the room he shared with Echo and Tech. Hunter, despite having enhanced hearing always shared a room or sleep shifts with Wrecker as the rumbling snores were almost like a white noise machine, drowning out the rest of the galaxy including distant artillery fire on a couple of occasions. Hunter watched the door close and sighed, telling himself it was inevitable one of his brothers would come home with a broken heart though he was surprised Crosshair was the first.
Any hopes Crosshair had for the relationship being short lived went up in smoke as less than a month later Crosshair found himself organizing the Twi’s belongings to be moved upstairs via the maintenance lift so as not to disrupt other residents. Tyriel was at work as Crosshair found himself pushing the trolley of belongings up the hall to Miss Charise’s apartment on the seventh floor. Truthfully he wanted to push the trolley over the balcony railing but that would take too much explaining.
The conversations had stopped, she no longer lingered when picking up her packages or by the doors to ask Crosshair about his brothers. She still greeted him and thanked him for holding the door but she had stopped meeting his gaze. Crosshair forced himself to push it aside, she was after all just a client and he was just a clone. Hunter could fool himself that the old rules didn’t matter but he didn’t get the talking to on his first day that Crosshair received from the building manager that made it abundantly clear that he wouldn’t tolerate any shenanigans.
It was past lunch time and while Crosshair hadn’t seen Miss Charise leave for work, he had no reason to think she wasnt as he swiped open her door with the master key he had access to. The apartment is a shambles, boxes piled high and belongings strewn everywhere as Crosshair pushed the cart in the room, careful not to run over anything. Satisfied with it parked in the middle of the living room with its view of the senate building poking out from behind the adjacent skyscraper, Crosshair turned to leave just as the bathroom door opened.
“Crosshair!” Miss Charise startles.
Crosshair makes a noise that began in his brain as a shocked ‘ma’am’ but got stuck in his throat and ended up sounding like an embarrassed squark at the sight of her fresh from the fresher in nothing but a towel. Crosshair’s mouth drops open uselessly, his eyes roaming her damp blue skin and the dainty hand holding the towel over her chest before snapping back to her eyes that are staring at him wide eyed.
“I… I’m sorry. I dropped off his, sorry Mr. So’s belongings,” Crosshair stammers diving past her for the door.
He’s part way through the door when her hand clamps on his arm, Crosshair freezing on the spot. Crosshair turned his head and looked down at her hand before following it to her eyes as she gently pulls him back through the door and closes it. Crosshair swallows hard, feeling cornered against the door and refusing to entertain the idea of the Twi boyfriend coming home early to find her in a towel with Crosshair. She is overwhelming up close, the droplets of water running down her lekku and the scent of floral soap she used as Crosshair found himself almost unable to breath.
“How are you Crosshair?” she says barely above a whisper.
“Right now or…?”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been very friendly, its nothing you have done I promise. Its Tyriel. He, well,” she pauses to laugh nervously. “He doesn’t like clones and I made the mistake of-“
She pauses to gesture uselessly so Crosshair fills in the blanks. “You told him I was a clone.”
She gestures with her free hand. “I thought he wouldn’t care. He says they, sorry you, are a waste of resources when the Senate is deep in the red. I told him the clones were helping rebuild the economy after the war but he dosnt care. He just sees numbers. You know these banking types.”
Crosshair regards her with a cocked eyebrow wondering if she was being deliberately naïve. It wasn’t that Tyriel was in finances that formed that opinion though it probably didn’t help. Crosshair was about to assure her he didn’t care for Tyriel’s opinion when he spotted it.
“Is that a bruise?”
Her free hand snaps to her arm where the bruise, lighter than her otherwise ocean blue skin due to how Twi bruised, hurriedly covering it up. “I ran into a door, stupid mistake.”
“Is he hurting you?” Crosshair could hear the venom in his tone but he couldn’t stop it if he wanted to.
“No! Its an accident just-“
“Charise, answer me.”
She startles, the hand hiding the bruiser slips a little as she stares up at him. “You used my name.”
“Is he hurting you?” Crosshair states, gentler this time.
“I… we argue sometimes… please don’t worry about me Crosshair. I can handle this. You better go, I’m sorry I’m holding you up from your job,” she’s suddenly flustered reaching past him for the door.
Crosshair obediently steps out into the hallway and looks back at her as she closes the door in his face. Crosshair stares at the closed door for a long pause before reaching in his breast pocket for a pen and a scrap of paper before scribbling his personal holo-code and slipping it under the door, knowing full well he had just broken at least a few rules about fraternising with residents but he didn’t care. This was beyond his personal feelings at this point.
The building manager, a gruff Devorian looks up at Crosshair whose stood in front of his desk, hands folded behind his back with a frown. “I appreciate your bringing this to me Crosshair, however there is little I can do.”
Crosshair’s stiff, at-attention pose broke for a moment in shock. “What? He is clearly hurting her.”
“I understand and for what its worth I believe you. I have been around the streets long enough to know that Twi women unfortunately get taken advantage of more than any other race, however he is now on her lease and unless she formally makes a complaint, I can’t intervene in the private affairs of residents,” he splays his hands apologetically.
“He is physically abusing her! This isn’t like when Mrs. Sy was having an affair with the Senator for Praxlis while her husband was at work and we all looked the other way!” Crosshair demands.
“I understand Crosshair and I am concerned as well and by all means if you see him lay a hand on her you have my permission to alert the authorities NOT deal with it as a clone, but until then we cant interfere. We clear?”
Crosshair bit back a sigh because he knew exactly how he would like to deal with this and it would only take one blaster-bolt. “Yes sir,” Crosshair mumbled.
“Are we clear? No vigilante justice?” the building manager glares.
“Yes, Sir,” Crosshair replied between gritted teeth.
“Thank you. That will be all.”
Crosshair nodded and strode out of his office to return to the lobby desk, aware of his heart pounding in his chest in anger. Sitting at his desk, Crosshair tried to force himself to focus on the upcoming Life Day holiday arrangements but his brain wouldn’t focus. He couldn’t just sit here trying to resolve the decorations and party schedules knowing that he was hurting her.
Later that evening, Crosshair stepped off the train a couple blocks from home and for the first time spotted the Coruscant Police Department building sat on the corner opposite the station. The lobby is small with just a booth and a few seats but there’s a young woman sat at the desk who looks up as Crosshair pushes open the door. Crosshair notes the blaster on her hip and the heavy-duty blaster-proof vest she wore which didn’t match her sweet, incredibly young face.
“Evening sir, how may I help?” she smiled, definitely not picking that he was a clone.
Crosshair sunk into the seat opposite the plexiglass wall. “A friend of mine is being abused by her boyfriend,” he said simply.
“Right,” her eyebrows raise. “You have seen this happen?”
“Yes, well no. I have seen the bruises.”
“I see. And she told you this was happening?” the officer has her data-pad out.
“Well no not exactly but you don’t get a bruise like a handprint on your arm here-“ Crosshair paused to point halfway along his bicep. “From running into a door.”
“No, you typically don’t,” the officer concedes. “Do you believe your friend is in danger?”
“Yes.”
“And where does your friend live?”
“Apartment 44, Riser Building, on the corner of West and Raxus street, Suburb 357,” Crosshair answers but slows as she looks up and stops typing.
“That’s in the judicial district.”
“Yes.”
“I’m afraid that’s out of our jurisdiction.”
“You’re the CPD, the whole planet is your jurisdiction!” Crosshair exclaims.
“Yes, it is, however this kind of claim would have to be reported to the CPD department in that suburb for them to handle. I’m sorry,” she states.
Crosshair stared at her. “Cant you write a report and send it to them?”
“I’m afraid this kind of thing is best coming directly from you, better yet her. Ask your friend to accompany you to the station and make a formal complaint that way a restraining order-“ the officer begins.
“They live together.”
“Ah… Well either way your friend is the best person to make the complaint, which I know isn’t always easy to do but it’s the best way of handling this. I am sorry,” she states as Crosshair gets up silently.
“If you want there’s some pamphlets over there about-“ she yells after Crosshair but he closes the door forcefully, making his point clear.
Crosshair says nothing and slinks out, questioning why he thought the police force would be any use in this situation. All they wanted to do was write speeding tickets and stand on street corners looking important. Crosshair sulks the couple of blocks home, letting himself in to find Echo, Wrecker and Hunter playing sabacc at the kitchen table. They greet him which Crosshair barely acknowledges slinking into the living room and flopping on the puffy couch they scored from a charity shop like every other piece of furniture they owned.
“Everything ok Cross?” Echo calls over.
“He’s hurting her.”
All three clones heads snap up in Crosshair’s direction. “The Twi you like? Kriff are you sure?” Hunter startles.
“Her boyfriend is hurting her?” Wrecker states. Echo nods and immediately Wrecker’s face darkens furiously.
“Bruise on her arm like a handprint. Tried to tell the CPD but its not their jurisdiction apparently,” Crosshair states.
“Its their jurisdiction if they catch you breaking the speed limit on the other side of town though,” Echo grumbles.
“Ah yes but this situation refers to domestic violence laws which are severely lacking on Coruscant,” Tech, hearing the conversation emerges from his room. “Have you attempted to get Miss Charise to report the incident herself?”
“That’s what the CPD said to do,” Crosshair scowls. “When I saw the bruise she basically pushed me out the door, said she would handle it.”
Hunter leans back in his seat regarding his brother sat forlornly in the darkness as he rubbed his stubble thoughtfully. Common sense said to leave it to the pretty Twi his brother was sweet on to report it herself but Hunter also knew how many women in this city went missing or turned up dead.
“Have you reported it to the Dev?” Hunter asked, referring to the building manager.
“He told me he couldn’t do anything about something that happened behind closed doors.”
Hunter heard the pinging of Tech’s data-pad as the clone began tapping away and felt his stomach sink. “What is the name of this Twi-lek boyfriend?” Tech enquired not looking up from his data-pad.
“Tech…” Hunter began with a pained expression.
Crosshair turned in his seat to look at Tech in surprise. “Tyriel So, works in banking.”
“Tech. I understand you have been going bored repairing data-relay points and feeling like you’re teaching Moon-yo’s basic splicing but-“ Hunter begins warily.
“Banking hey?” Echo grins. “I bet he’s got a few skeletons in his closet.”
“Echo don’t encourage him,” Hunter says tiredly. Normally Echo was the voice of reason backing Hunter up but not on this occasion it seemed.
“Tyriel So, works for a subsidiary of the banking clan,” Tech reads off his screen as Crosshair hops up eagerly to look at his screen. “Real up and comer by the looks of it, has only been on Coruscant a few months.”
“Wait… Green skin, works out?” Wrecker says suddenly. “I know that prick. He comes to the gym where I work.”
Everyone looks at Wrecker in surprise who shrugs. “What? He is a prick.”
“You know him?” Echo stares at him.
“No, I don’t know him, he wont talk to me. Knows I’m a clone,” Wrecker shrugs.
“That’s the prick alright,” Crosshair snarls.
“He’s beating up Crosshair’s girl and he hates clones?” Echo states. “I think you’ve pulled the trigger for less Cross. You going soft or something?”
“I need to keep my job,” Crosshair glares at him.
“I know. I’m kidding,” Echo holds up his droid hand apologetically before he returns to his screen. “I hold to what I say, I bet this Twi has done some shady banking in his time.”
“So?” Crosshair states, honestly wanting to lure him down a dark alley not get him done for tax fraud.
“What Echo means is that if his shady dealings were to be made public, it would likely bring an end to their relationship,” Tech states.
“Or he would take it out on her.”
Everyone looks around at Hunter who shrugs. “Ive learnt some things working in private security that I wish I didn’t and Tech’s right. The laws around domestic violence on this planet, kriff most of the galaxy are pathetic.”
Crosshair runs a hand through his silver hair with a frustrated sigh. “What do I do then?”
“Let me beat him up at the gym?” Wrecker offers helpfully.
“No!” Hunter snaps. “You randomly beating one of your own clients to a pulp is a fantastic way to get all of us clones in everyone’s bad books. I think for now, you do what you do best- sit and watch.”
“And allow me to run an extensive background check,” Tech adds.
Hunter gestures in annoyance. “Its not like I could stop you anyways.”
“Indeed you couldn’t. If I find anything of interest I will advise you Crosshair,” Tech nods.
“Cheers,” Crosshair shakes his head. Its not that he didn’t believe that Tech could find every instance of that Twi scratching himself if he really wanted to, Crosshair just wasn’t sure how useful any of it would actually be.
The next few weeks pass with Crosshair almost obsessively looking out for Miss Charise and her Twi boyfriend and any opportunity to prove what he saw, but none comes. They typically leave separately for work, annoyingly the boyfriend would typically leave before Crosshair began his shift, going to the gym where Wrecker worked for an early morning workout. Wrecker would typically message Crosshair once the boyfriend arrived at the gym usually with questions like ‘can I at least steal his gym bag?’ or ‘how about I piss in his protein shake’ and other unhelpful suggestions. If Miss Charise went to work, she left an hour after Crosshair started, head down hurrying quickly across the lobby with jus a fleeting smile thrown in Crosshair’s direction. There were days though where she either left before Crosshair began his shift or didn’t leave at all. While Crosshair didn’t seen any more evidence of abuse, her sudden absenteeism from work concerned him as it wasn’t like her.
It was an unusual weekend that all the members of the Bad Batch were home without responsibilities but the weekend before Life Day proved to be such an occasion due to one of Hunter’s off-world jobs falling through. The last thing Crosshair wanted to do was following his brothers around Coruscant on a bender but somehow found himself as the designated speeder driver as his brothers piled in the back after pre-gaming at home. Crosshair sighed as he pulled into the speeder lane, Tech tapping away at his data-pad beside him.
“You couldn’t leave that at home?” Crosshair sighed, ignoring the laughing behind him.
“Absolutely not,” Tech states. “I may receive a critical request from my employment.”
“From a Mon Cala who cant strip wires without cutting himself?”
Tech looks up from his data-pad and scowls out the windscreen before putting the data-pad down. “Don’t remind me.”
“Then turn it off. Enjoy the evening.”
“Like you intend to?” Tech enquires far too sweetly.
Crosshair glances at him sideways with a scowl before changing lanes. “You find anything? About the Twi?”
Tech gestures. “Yes and no. Echo is right, he is hardly squeaky clean but what can be down with such information is the question.”
“How questionable?” Echo leans over the divider, clearly hearing his name.
Tech rolls down the window, the cool nights air blasting in. “How he gained employment is what interests me as I cant find evidence of his employment on Ryloth or on Scipio as he alleges.”
“So he lied on his resume? Great! Tell his boss then,” Echo states.
Tech shakes his head. “I am inclined not to as his supervisor now is from Scipio and appears as his supervisor from his time there, meaning if Tyriel So is lying about his employment history-“
“Then his boss knows and dosnt care,” Crosshair finishes with a sigh.
“Correct. Outside of dubious employment history his actual banking practices seem fairly clean cut,” Tech answers. “Take a left here to-“
“I know where I’m going,” Crosshair mutters banking hard left making Wrecker scream in the back.
Crosshair pulls the speeder into a multi-story parking facility that was central to the party suburb of 67B better known as The Valley. During the war the clones were restricted from entering the ringed off suburb that was comprised of bars, strip clubs, brothels, adult shops, casinos, gambling dens and other dubious forms of entertainment- not that such restrictions ever stopped the Bad Batch. Out of armour and on a neon lit street they barely passed for clones and during the war they had the run of the place. Now, much to Crosshairs chagrin it was crawling with clones though as more clones moved off world to find work, the number of identical faces had dropped.
Comprised of wide boulevards bathed in neon with strict no vehicle laws, the foot traffic ebbed and flowed out of the different venues and up dark alleys that weaved between the buildings. The Bad Batch started at one bar before moving on to an adults restaurant with topless waitresses and an unlimited buffet- Wrecker’s personal idea of heaven. His brothers notice the staff had begun to glare at Wrecker as he walked in, the big clone oblivious as a pretty Mirialan waitress bounced over, in every sense of the word with a cheerful grin.
“Wrecker! How you going big fella! You must have known it was Seafood Bonanza Night!” she beams.
“Is it?! Oh boy!” Wrecker hurries past her to snatch up a plate and immediately begins digging in.
She turns back to the rest of the Bad Batch and grins. “You must be Wrecker’s brothers he keeps talking about. Beers?”
“Please,” Hunter answers, unable to look directly at her.
“Apologies, Wrecker comes here unattended?” Tech asks, seemingly oblivious to the naked, tattooed breasts directly under his nose.
“Yeah every Benduday for Hook and Horn night,” she grins.
“Hook and… Horn?” Tech tilts his head.
“All you can eat Shaak Steaks with Shrimp from Mon Cala. I’ll get those beers for you boys,” she grins before heading off.
Hunter finally looks up from the point on the table he was staring at to find Wrecker whose piling his plate high. “I know its kind of the point, but if he gets us banned from here I wont be sorry.”
“Don’t be a prude,” Crosshair purrs.
“It’s the cheapest buffet in The Valley and the food happens to be excellent,” Echo replies.
“Right because that’s why we’re here,” Crosshair grins.
“Wrecker more so than the rest of us it seems,” Tech answers. “However I am not sure the nudity is high on Wrecker’s priorities when there’s unlimited Shaak Steaks on offer.”
“Are you sure about that?” Echo laughs pointing over at the buffet where Wrecker is chatting to two more of the waitresses including a Twi whose flirtatiously playing with her lekku.
Crosshair follows Echo’s gaze, watching the Twi but not actually watching her. Like Miss Charise, her skin was the colour of the ocean with white tattoos down her lekku but she wasn’t as pretty in Crosshair’s opinion. Crosshair sighed, hating the ache that suddenly returned to his chest whenever he thought about her. It hurt to think about her, to see her and to know what was happening behind closed doors but-
“Coruscant to Crosshair,” Echo snapped his fingers. “Beers are here.”
Crosshair jolted back to life as the Mirialan arrived bearing five enormous pints of beer at the same time Wrecker returned with his plate stacked high with food. Crosshair and Hunter slid out of the booth to let Wrecker slide all the way in, Hunter awkwardly slipping past the Mirialan as they headed for the buffet, Wrecker enthusing loudly about the food. Topless waitresses aside, the buffet here really was fantastic as Crosshair helped himself to the assortment of seafood from a number of different worlds. Returning to the table, Crosshair slid into the booth opposite Wrecker against the window as Tech slid in beside him followed by Hunter.
“’tis that all you’re getting,” Wrecker points at Crosshair’s plate that’s primarily crab claws from Mon-Cala with their deep green shells and deep-sea oysters from Naboo harvested by Gungan.
“These are a delicacy,” Crosshair mutters tipping the raw oyster down his throat.
“They’re not even cooked,” Wrecker complains over his plate.
“That’s the point.”
“They look like boogers,” Wrecker adds.
“Eat your own plate and let Crosshair have his boogers,” Hunter intervenes. “Do you really come here every Benduday.”
“Uh-huh. I get paid then and they have Hook and Horn night,” Wrecker grins.
Hunter crunches through something that had been deep fried. “You don’t find it… I don’t know… weird?”
Wrecker pauses crunching. “What? Because the girls are topless? Would you rather the servers were all males without pants on?”
Echo is partway through chewing on something and inhales it unexpectedly, clearly picturing the same thing they all did and begins choking. Wrecker slaps Echo hard on the back, dislodging whatever he was choking on but also readjusted several ribs at the same time. It took a few moments for Crosshair to shake the mental image from his mind as Echo frantically drank some beer to stop coughing.
“No one inform Gregor of that, he may decide to diversify Power Grinders,” Tech states looking equally squeamish referring to Gregor’s popular strip-club that was a couple of blocks away where a number of clones worked at. Gregor had begged Hunter to give it a go until Hunter threatened to gut Gregor with his vibro-knife.
“I cant unsee that,” Echo complains.
“Well its true?” Wrecker states. “They’re just body parts. I mean I know which I would prefer.”
“What Hunter is trying and failing to ask is do you find it disconcerting that the business model for this establishment revolves around objectifying women,” Tech states.
“Is what?”
“Objectifying!” Tech states in frustration. “Portraying the female sex as nothing more than objects for nothing more than your lustful gaze.”
“But I aint gazing lustfully at em?” Wrecker says plaintively.
Crosshair buried his head in his hands and tuned out, staring out the window as the argument continued as Wrecker continued to assert that he came here for nothing more than the buffet and Tech asserted that the business model revealed a real flaw in the galaxy. Outside the buffet the crowds continued to ebb and flow, all manner of species under the neon lights in various states of intoxication. A group of clones gathered near a fountain depicting nearly naked Gungans are laughing as one of the buddies has fallen in and is pulling himself out like a sodden rat. Beyond them a group comprised of several different species who all appear to be friends are sprawled on the grassy area laughing their heads off and having a good time. Nearby a Twi couple are having an argument as a rolling vendor selling drinks and snacks rolls past-
Crosshair’s gaze snaps back to the arguing Twi couple and he realises who he’s looking at as he didn’t initially recognise either of them as they were dressed for a night on the town. He’s towering over her, gesturing furiously about something as she has both hands held up. Distantly, Crosshair hears Hunter say his name but Crosshair is watching the argument spiral with a pit of fury in his chest. She is clearly trying to placate him as he grabs her arm and-
In a frantic tangle of limbs with his brothers yelling after him Crosshair is scrambling over the booths and launching himself for the door. Tech and Hunter make it out after him, yelling as Crosshair barrels out the door, launching himself over the railing around the steps past security and sprinting across the plaza. By now Tyriel has her by the arm and is dragging her in the direction of the parking garage as Crosshair launches himself at the Twi who barely even side steps as the skinny clone slams into him but does drop Charise’s arm in shock as she tumbles over landing on the cobbles.
“What the kriff?” Tyriel startles as Crosshair pulls away. “You!”
Crosshair suddenly realising he had bit off more than he could chew as the Twi took a swing at him that he barely missed. “Leave her alone!” Crosshair managed to yell as he dropped to the cobbles to avoid the blow.
“I’ll teach you lab rats to intervene!” the Twi raged, recovering the swing and diving for Crosshair.
By the time Hunter, Tech and Echo make it on the scene Charise is on her feet screaming at Tyriel to let go of Crosshair who he has in a head lock alone. Tech side steps the fray to ensure that Charise is ok as blood had began to seep down her legs from the scrapes on her knees where she landed on the cobbles, as Hunter and Echo wader into the fray trying to beat the Twi off Crosshair. A crowd had begun to form, some yelling for the clones and others for the Twi as Wrecker finally appears, pushing his way through the crowd. Wrecker assess the situation for a split second before wading in, pulling Crosshair free of Tyriel, who drops to the cobbles with a gasp, rubbing his neck as he stares up at the brawl as Hunter and Echo pull away in time for Wrecker to swing the kind of punch that could knock down a bantha. The Twi staggers as the punch lands directly on his jaw, likely seeing stars before going down in a heap just as the Coruscant Guard show up to split up the fight.
It takes several minutes for the Coruscant Guard to calm the situation down and disperse the crowd and in that time Crosshair has replaced Tech, Charise huddled in Crosshair’s coat with his arm around her. At some point the Coruscant Ambulance arrives on the scene to take Tyriel away as he finally comes around, groggily threatening to press charges for assault as the Coruscant Guard take the reports of everyone involved. Crosshair vaguely remembers giving his statement but honestly all he’s aware of is Charise’s tiny frame in his arms shivering presumably from the cold and adrenalin.
“And you say you know this individual from your workplace?” the Corrie Guard trooper pressed.
“Listen can we do this some other time?” Crosshair states, “I’ll come down to the station tomorrow but I have to get Charise indoors and cared for.”
The Corrie guard trooper looks up from his data-pad at Crosshair and then seems to take in Charise looking miserable before nodding. “Very good. We will need a formal statement from you too, ma’am.”
“Understood,” Charise nods quietly.
“Righto lads, time to roll out,” the trooper orders heading back to their speeder.
Crosshair looks down at Charise, the red and blue lights bouncing off her skin, reflecting in the whites of her wide eyes. After a long moment she looks up at him, the expression of relief and gratitude nearly dropping Crosshair to his knees. Instead he reaches up to gently cup her cheek, asking if she was ok. Charise presses her head into his hand, nodding silently as she grasped his wrist with surprising strength. Hunter heads over as he finishes up with the trooper he was speaking with, his faced pulled in a gentle grin.
“Sorry we havent met under nicer circumstances, I’m Hunter, Crosshair’s brother,” he introduces himself.
“Charise,” she says quietly. “Crosshair has told me about you all.”
Crosshair digs his hands in his pocket to find the keys for the speeder which he hands to Tech. “I have to get Charise back to her apartment, I’ll meet you back at home.”
“Of course,” Hunter nods seriously, knowing full well they wouldn’t be seeing Crosshair anytime soon.
“I can provide medical assistance as I am-“ Tech begins obliviously but is jabbed hard in the ribs by Echo as Crosshair leads Charise towards a rental speeder. “Oww what I am?”
“Leave it Tech,” Echo grins watching the pair disappear into the speeder. “Crosshair can handle this.”
****
The Devorian looks up as Crosshair enters his office, an hour before his shift started on Maunsday morning and not dressed in his uniform. The Devorian leans back in his chair, idly wondering if he was about to hear the most ridiculous excuse of why he had the clone and the Twi entering her apartment two nights ago on the cameras or if the clone would do the right thing.
“Sir,” Crosshair began formally. “I am handing in my resignation effective immediately.”
“I see. And what is your reason for this?” the Devorian asks.
“I have begun an intimate relationship with one of our clients which is a breach of my contract so I must resign immediately as stated in the handbook.”
The Devorian regards him with a twitch of a smile. “I see. Thank you for your honesty, but I decline it.”
“Sir?” Crosshair startles.
“I decline it. Of course you are still welcome to leave if you wish which would be disappointing as you are an excellent employee and you are not in a relationship with a client.”
Crosshair stares at him baffled as he tries to understand what was going on. “Sir? Charise and I-“
“I saw you on the cameras but lucky for you she is no longer a resident here. As of yesterday, when you slunk home through the service exit she terminated her lease and left a couple hours later. I understand Tyriel gets released from 48 hour hold today so I imagine she wanted to avoid him. He is still a resident here but I fully intend to ensure he wont be able to extend his lease when it expires in six months, if he dosnt get kicked out sooner for failing to pay the rent or generally pissing me off,” The Devorian explains.
The Devorian watches Crosshair struggle with this for a few moments before grinning wider at him. “Now would you like to retain your employment? No hard feelings if you don’t however I will be sad to see you leave.”
“I… I would like to stay on if that’s alright,” Crosshair says quietly.
“Excellent. Your uniform is in the locker room, I expect to see you at your post by the time we open. That will be all Crosshair.”
“Thank you, sir,” Crosshair answers, cracking a rare smile.
Crosshair hurried to the locker room down the hall, feeling like he was about to start levitating from happiness. Hanging on the door of his locker is his uniform, Crosshair pausing to run his hand of the freshly dry-cleaned jacket with a grin hardly believing his luck. He knew the moment Charise pulled him into the apartment that night he was on cameras and was effectively tearing up his employment contract but he didn’t care as they fell into one another’s arms. As they lay in each other’s arms later that night, the lights from the speeders bouncing around the room Crosshair told her that he would have to resign despite her assertions that she would plead his case to the building manager. By now Crosshair felt confident that he would find other roles as a doorman, anything to keep his relationship with Charise who by then had fallen asleep in the crook of his arm. Crosshair stayed awake for a while, watching her sleep, aware that he was building a life for them in his imagination and allowing all the dreams he had been pushing aside for months to settle around them like freshly fallen snow. But to keep his job and get the girl? Crosshair never saw that coming.
Crosshair quickly pulled out his comms and shot a message to Hunter, telling them he got to keep his job and would tell them about it this evening before opening the channel to Charise. He stared at the keypad for a number of moments, trying to think of the right words before simply typing
Thank you knowing that she would understand immediately before throwing his comms in his locker, eager for another day.