Chapter Text
The change necessary for us
Crosshair was perched on a ledge, observing the below.
How he had gotten there? Well, not by climbing, or at least as far as he could recollect as this, was all still quite new to him. This, existence of… well… being something else than what he had been before.
His wings having sprout out soon after he had… guess, died.
Yes, that what had happened, Crosshair was pretty sure of it. Alas, all the details were not really clear yet, the happenings somewhat fuzzy still.
What Crosshair remembered quite clearly though, was hauling Mayday across the frozen tundra, begging for help from the imperial leader. And then, after the denial, something having simply snapped in him or perhaps, fallen into place? Which ever it was.
Crosshair had shot the Lieutenant.
Then, those imperial troopers. The hired help having come for him and Crosshair, had continued firing. He kept on doing so, watching as they all fell into their deaths, one by one. And when the deed was one, he too had fallen. From exhaustion perhaps, or then having been shot too. Crosshair wasn’t sure about that fact either.
But he had indeed, died.
And then, waking up with a bright light shining right into his eyes as he had woken up.
Crosshair then having roamed around the Outpost aimlessly. Flying across the open air just above the area. Just like those Ice Vultures, the birds of prey he too had now become.
The imperials were all but gone, no trace of them remaining.
Crosshair thinking this was the Afterlife. Although he wasn’t really sure if he even believed in such things, but guess this was it. Crosshair about to be spending all eternity all alone on this, icy rock?
Guess, it was his punishment, something he had deserved.
Crosshair had wandered about the place on his feet too, the buildings still there.
The memory of what had happened flashing into his mind on and off, like pieces of a holo-movie he was trying to remember, sometimes blurry, others times more clear. The fallen clones… he remembered some of it now. The memories becoming clearer as time passed.
Those of what happened in the Before.
Wandering about the area some more, something out of place caught Crosshair’s eye. A heap of freshly fallen snow, neatly stacked on top of… something. His heart beating fast, as yes, it was still there. His heart. So not dead?
It was all so confusing, even if Crosshair was beginning to adjust to his new state of existence. Adapting, as he was nothing if not resilient, surviving most worst situations.
So guess alive?
Closing in on the small pile of snow Crosshair knelt down, touching the snow and much to his surprise it felt, warm. He started digging gently at first without thought, then more hurriedly, rashly even and what he found beneath the cold fluffy snow… was…
Mayday!
The one he had thought to be dead was right there, feeling wam to under his touch. Asleep under the newly fallen snow yet… alive! There was something forming over his body though, a soft substance, like a shroud perhaps?
Crosshair made the effort, digging Mayday out of the snow and carrying him into the structure. Laying him onto the cot there, making sure Mayday was as comfortable as possible under the blankets being piled upon the Commander.
Perhaps, Mayday would be okay after all? Because, he was still alive!
Crosshair started looking for something, anything around him, medicine, food, supplies, whatever he could find inside the rooms of the now discarded base. It was then when he entered one of the more distant supply-rooms where he found something, odd.
There were several cocoon like constructs there, in the corner. All seven of them there.
As he moved in to investigate, he could see one of them empty. As if… could it be?
A flush of memories entered Crosshair’s mind again. Something which had happened to…him. The one cocoon now empty. It had been his. He had been inside of it. That much he knew to be true.
Before the change.
Flapping his wide wings, just for the feel of them, to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. And yes, they were still there, now spread out in their full glory. He was still human. Well, sort of, his body much the same, at least as far as he could tell. But the wings, those were new.
A thought crossed his mind just then. The empty cocoon… could it be…???
Crosshair quickly made his way to the other room where Mayday lay. Still asleep.
Picking Mayday up ever so gently, Crosshair carried the unconscious Commander to the room with the other cocoons. Placing him inside of the one Crosshair knew he had been in himself.
Just as Mayday was placed inside, the cocoon closed up again. Crosshair now sure he had done the right thing bringing Mayday in there.
And now, all Crosshair could do, was to wait for the others. To change. Something he knew would happen for what unfathomable reason, he knew to be true.