Work Text:
For the sake of the Program
It was completely dark, the room silent. Night cycle.
He was finally alone. Alone with his thoughts. Only the thinking having become rather hard lately. For those of his own thoughts. Them having started to elude the sniper. Not resurfacing during the quiet times like before.
Currently there was something else buzzing in his brain. Something, rather unpleasant. It was like a voice inside of him, not his own, telling him what he should do. What he needed to do to become, the one of many.
It was unpleasant to say the least. Reminiscent of the time when the chip had activated only so much more worse. The headaches never relenting. Despite being used to the aches in his head by now. But this… was different in a bad way.
Having seen a glimpse of what could have been while on Barton-4. The good old times as they had been before… well, everything. The loyalty, the camaraderie and the belonging to something great. A community. Something he had not felt in a long time.
But that was all gone now.
He had shot his commanding officer. No regrets there. Certainly not. But Mayday… his former squad… he had lost it all and for what? For the Empire? There was certainly no loyalty, no anything in return from the high and might regime. They had used him, just like Hunter had warned him.
And so here he was once again, being used by the Empire.
But this was far worse than simply following dubious orders without question. No, this was torture. The worst kind. As he, was becoming something else. Or so, Hemlock had told him. Bragging about how great he could become if he only fell in line willingly.
A superior being in the service of the Empire.
But hadn’t he already tried to be just that only to have failed? Serving the Empire? Even having been enhanced enough to be, special? Only to find out the precious and all mighty Empire failing him. Just like it had the others of his kind.
He tried to close his eyes. To concentrate on the silence around him because all the thinking was only worsening the headache. Trying to catch some sleep was the best course of action. But rest, sleep, kept eluding him. Just like his own thoughts, his memories did. Indeed his was certainly much worse than the chip had ever been. As back then there had at least been some clarity of things, even if some of his thoughts had been all twisted and darkened to a creation level. But the orders given had been loud and clear and followed to the letter.
Then things had changed like they usually do.
The ever so brief light having given some relief, perhaps even the forgiveness he had not realised he had needed until the moment of revelation had struck like lightning on a bright sunny day. The light emerging after a long dark and stormy night. With the dying trooper beside him, the shrieks of the ice vulture above, even the denials of care, the hate filled speech of the imperial lieutenant… it had all been… a revelation.
“Lieutenant…”
The gun had gone off, he had only needed the one shot.
After that, he had felt the weight lifted, feeling free before the very last breath taken. His mind clear, his body giving up but he had felt elated, enlightened… succumbing to his fate… dying there on that icy planet.
And then, he had woken up… here. Dead to the galaxy, resurrected for the Empire.
No…!!!
*
“Cross! Catch!”
And Crosshair did. Easily so. The captured ball flying across the playfield and straight into the goal. The trajectory perfect, as was his shooting.
The announcer declaring the winner team over the loud speaker.
“Winner and game for Clone Force 99!”
The crowd was cheering. It was a fun filled event for the clones, regs and specials forces alike. Hostilities and animosity all forgotten. The only goal of having a good time and playing ball.
“Great job Cross!” Hunter, Wrecker and Tech had hoisted Crosshair up in the air, carrying him in a celebratory fashion as the sniper having been key to their victory on this day.
“Great job Clone Force 99!”
Commander Cody was among the first ones to congratulate the team of special clones. The Commander feeling rather protective of the squad of cadets. Cody having taken them under his wing early on.
“Thanks Commander.” Hunter managed, the trio releasing Crosshair back onto the ground, the lot getting their hands shaken by the Commander.
“I especially liked the last move you made, Crosshair.” Cody told the soon to become sniper of the newly formed squad ready to head to the action. And Crosshair certainly not managing to hide his pleasure of being praised by their superior.
“Thanks.” He managed, but not wanting to take all the credit just the same. They were a unit after all. “But it was a team effort.” It was the polite response even if Crosshair felt so so good even a long time after.
*
He was dreaming. Finally!
The past, the good memories flooding through. It had been a long time since he had had any good thoughts of any kind, never mind something of his own.
Crosshair's memories.
Not this thing he was becoming.
A smile emerged on the sleeping sniper’s face in his ream like state. The sleep continuing uninterrupted. Let all those forgotten memories to flood into his mind. All those sweet, precious memories he had kept locked away for so long.
*
“CT-9904, let’s try that again.”
“No.”
“No?”
The technician was totally surprised. This was certainly a first.
As so far, this particular clone had shown no resistance whatsoever to the plethora of tests and experiments done on him. Lethargic, was the closest description of what this, so called enhanced clone had been like. The re-programming having struck true to some extent, even if there had been clear signs of CT-9904 lagging behind the rest of the group of candidates.
“I said… NO.”
The defiance in CT-9904’s voice could not have been more clear. The glare under the downed eyes present there as he kept on staring at his keepers.
“Well then, I would say the Doctor will certainly not be pleased.”
The Doctor mostly wasn't. Hemlock always demanding more than any of them could deliver. But CT-9904 wasn’t afraid. Not of the Doctor or his minions.
“Not, my problem.”
Where this sudden outburst was coming from was beyond the technician. But there was only one option and that was to up the ante. The dosage needed to be increased for certain, as clearly, something had gone awry.
“Well, then this too will not be of your concern.”
The familiar sound of the hypo being prepped for injection the last thing CT-9904 heard before succumbing to the darkness.
*
“CT-9904. Can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“What is your function?”
“To serve the Empire.”
The technician made some notes on the data pad. Standing in front of said technician was the newly reformed and suited up recruit for the Program.
“Your target mission?”
“To hunt hunt down and eliminate insurgents.”
A few more notes were scribbled before giving CT-9904 one final injection.
“Well then, looks like you are quiet ready. For your first trial run.”
CT-9904 simply picked up his pack, his riffle and then walked out the lab without any further words or snide remarks. Heading to the hangar bay to catch a ride for his first mission op. His trial run as part of the Program.
*
“Welcome, brother.” The one standing I front of the rest of the small group stated. “You’re one of us now.”
The sensation of belonging to this, this elite group, being a part of something supposedly great was so powerful, the pull almost magnetic.
But, CT-9904 would fight this. Crosshair, would fight this. As this was not where he belonged.