Work Text:
Remembering you my special reg
Crosshair had been stacking the clone helmets back onto the shelf where they were getting their permanent residence from now on.
Those ones Crosshair had brought back with him to Pabu from Barton-4. Mayday and his team’s headgear, all that remained of the team as a reminder of their sacrifice.
It was also something of a curiosity to the rest of the team. But Crosshair, having been adamant to take them with him as they left Barton-4, had not explained further the reasoning of his actions to the rest of them either. So, speculation went on.
Hunter, having been the most surprised to see Crosshair do this, honouring regs no less. But in time, he too had come to sometimes step by the altar where the helmets were stacked neatly in order, dusted regularly, the Sergeant standing there a moment in perfect silence while honouring the fallen with the rest of them.
While Crosshair had never really came clean about the happenings on Barton-4 fully, not to Hunter anyway, he had always suspected there was more there behind the story than simply Crosshair having made a few friends of the regs while stationed there.
After all, it was the reason Crosshair had landed on Tantiss, betraying the Empire, this being a known fact. And yet, Hunter had never pushed the matter, letting the bygones be just that.
Life went on, the clones on Pabu enjoying their peace and freedom after Tantiss had finally been defeated and with the Clone Rebellion moving along stronger than ever, the Bad Batch sometimes called into action and lots of regs moving on the island.
Mostly though, the team remained retired. Echo having joined back with his family as well.
It was during one evening though, when Crosshair and Echo were both there, at the altar, giving their respects when something odd happened. When things started to change.
A gush of wind moved the helmets from their place ever so gently. Even if it was calm seas and land for the eve. But then, moving them back as if nothing having happened.
A flicker of light playing tricks on their visions perhaps?
“What… was that?” Echo jumped, the ARC never known to be scared of anything, and yet it was Echo who jumped in his boots when he felt the shiver, of something… close by.
“The wind?” But Crosshair too was alerted to the strange sensation following the gust of wind. “It felt more like… something or…”
“Someone… A ghost?” Echo’s voice was shaky all of a sudden as he stood there, not looking at Crosshair but… something else in front of him.
“A ghost? Echo, what on…” Echo touched Crosshair’s arm, guiding the former Sniper to look into the direction he was staring at himself at the moment.
“That one.” Echo’s voice a low whisper as he said it. “The ghost.”
“I… um… yeah.” Crosshair only managed, seeing the glimmer himself clearly now too.
The aberration, the ghost of, someone, stood there close by, shimmering in blue light under the stars.
Echo and Crosshair were both frozen in their steps, not even trying to move even if they could. Not that they really could. Scared being the word.
“Hello, Crosshair.”
The ghost spoke out, the form clearing up soon becoming something, or rather someone quite familiar to Crosshair as it took its proper shape.
“Mayday?” Crosshair’s voice was still low, not really believing what he was seeing. Turning to Echo for support and guidance. “Are you seeing the same thing, Echs?”
“Yeah, I am. A clone, a reg is standing there, only… not there… the ghost.“ Echo’s voice remained but a whisper as he spoke.
“Yeah, only not exactly the same. It’s… someone I know.”
“Heh, sorry to surprise you gents, but, it has taken some effort to get here, to this side of life.” Mayday apologised for scaring the two.
“You… died.” Crosshair managed only.
“Yes, I did. Well, sort of. I became one with the Force. We all will, in the end.” Mayday clarified.
“So, you are really here then?” Crosshair dared to hope, finally being able to move as he stepped closer to the aberration, to… Mayday.
“Yeah, in a manner of speaking I am quite real as you say.” Mayday let out a soft chuckle.
Crosshair tried to touch Mayday and much to his surprise, despite the glimmering light around him, he was rather solid even for a ghost.
“You… I…. Can touch you?”
“Yeah, like said, it took some effort to take this form, but I have been trying to get here for a while now, to show myself to you. I have been here many times before, only this is the first time I’ve managed to fully materialise myself like this.” The form of Mayday becoming more solid, more visible, despite the glimmer still there.
Echo who had been observing the interaction, having picked up on a few things, dared to move closer as all. Closer to the reg… Mayday.
“Hi, I’m Echo.”
“Yeah, I know. Mayday. Glad to meet you, Echo.”
“You too.”
The two shook hands, Mayday certainly surprising Echo with his solid touch.
“So, now that you are here…” Crosshair could only hope but of course as this was nothing like he had even dared to entertain before having mourned Mayday since coming to Pabu, well, before even. “Can you, um, stay?”
“I can, but I have to go back, every now and again that is.” Mayday clarified, leaving it at that.
“So, you are solid and guess…” Crosshair felt, well, overwhelmed mostly, but giddy and hopeful too.
“You want to kiss me don’t ya, love.”
“Love?”
Echo though, wasn’t really surprised to hear this though, having an inkling for a longest while now, about the odd reg team and their helmets, especially the one, guess since, well hearing Crosshair’s story. Or half story of what happened on Barton-4 before he ended up on Tantiss.
“Yes, Echo, Mayday and I, we are…”
“We are boyfriends.” Mayday clarified with a hint of smirk to Echo.
“Boyfriends huh?” Crosshair though, housed the hugest grin on his face hearing this from Mayday. Of course back on Barton-4, he had hoped the two would be something more than a hookup, but then shit hit the fan and well, here they were, a second chance maybe? Despite being on opposite sides of life? Or death? Whichever!
“Yes, love, that is what I would hope we are.”
“Yes, May, we are that and more.”
Crosshair, without further qualm or doubt even, reached out to the ghostly Mayday. Very solid he was too and then kissed him. If felt a tad different but very acceptable still. After all, the former Sniper had lost his heart too on that icy planet. And now he was getting it back!
Echo could not help but stare, but in a good way. He was glad Mayday was back, not to mention Crosshair having found love and in a reg no less.
And so, Echo had his own hopes raised up suddenly and then only wanting to ask something from Mayday while patiently waiting for the two to break off their rather passionate kiss.
“So, Mayday,”
“Yes, Echo?” Mayday smiled at the ARC after leaving poor Crosshair breathless.
“When you said, we all become one with the Force… you meant all of us clones, right?”
“Indeed, clones; Jedi, all of us have the potential when we want to.”
“So, back there, where you come from, the ghostly plane, I assume… there are others there?”
“That is a good word for it, Echo. And yes, there are.”
Crosshair snorted, Echo elbowing him, but Echo wasn’t wrong either.
“Well, have you seen others of our kind there? Us clones?”
“All of them.”
“All of them?” They both exclaimed in unison.
“Yeah, all of our lot is there. And Echo, I have a message for you.”
“For me?”
“Fives and the others from Domino squad would like to visit you, if that is okay with you. Plus there were other there too whom you know with the same intentions, but the Dominos would like to visit first.”
“I… would like nothing more.”
“Good, then when I get back…” Crosshair already making a face as he heard those dreaded words… “like said, I have to report back during intervals, but I will be back here, Cross. And that is a promise. Always.”
“Good. I will hold you to that!” Crosshair threatened Mayday with a coy expression.
“But yeah, I will tell them they are all more than welcome.”
“Well, then, I am looking forward to their visits, stays, whatever.” Echo simply smiled turning to the couple. “I will leave you too to… whatever.”
“Thanks, Echs!”
“You’re a doll, Echo! Fives said as much.”
“Fives said that?”
“Yeah, Echo and he is really eager to come back here, to see you.”
Echo only nodded, taking his leave, and leaving the lovebirds to get reacquainted. With a new spring in his step, his heart suddenly beating so much faster. As Fives, was coming for a visit!
“So, you will stay then?” Crosshair asked sometime later, the two cuddled in the swing. “I mean for a while?”
“Yeah, love, I will. And I promise you this, I won’t be gone too long when I need to go back.”
“That’s all I can really ask.”
“Then my sweet Cross, we are in an agreement.”
“Boyfriends.”
“Yeah, Cross, that we are.”