"ON APPROACH. Reading minimal life signs, if any," Echo quietly noted as he glanced over the screens, relaying the information he received. "No heat signatures inside of the depots, and nothing on comms. There's no one here."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Droidbait asked.

Echo nearly jumped out of his own skin. His heart caught in his chest with an uneven rhythm of palpitations, but he hid the start well as he simply blinked rather than allowing himself to flinch jarringly. He was well aware of Domino's presence within the cockpit; however, he'd actively been ignoring them while trying to focus on the task at hand... It was a bit difficult when they kept trying to speak with him.

"It's... It's too soon to tell," Echo hesitantly replied, glancing down at his small batchmate through his peripherals. "This could be a trap."

Cutup chuckled, leaning over Droidbait as he tried to read the screens for himself. "So not much has actually changed then."

"Plenty of things have changed..." Echo's eyes drifted toward the trio of cadets who'd claimed to be his batchmates. He quickly shook his head and focused on the flight plan before him. "I just find it concerning because this doesn't line up with the intel we were given."

"Yeah, but you can also be a little paranoid at times," Hunter interjected, leaning against the co-pilot seat.

He probably would have taken a seat if Hevy hadn't already claimed the spot. Hevy had been uncharacteristically quiet during the flight, which Echo found more unnerving than the constant questions Cutup and Droidbait asked. Hevy just silently stared—acting like he didn't completely believe he was their Echo, similar to the way he didn't completely believe they were his Dominoes. His heart and his mind were clashing as the truth didn't logically seem possible, yet here they were standing before him.

Hunter's amused expression grew steely as he glanced down at the screens. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare for the worst. Why don't you three see if Cody needs any help?"

The trio of Dominoes didn't argue; however, they looked less than pleased to leave Echo's side. Hevy frowned, apparently seeing through Hunter's guise enough to know he was just trying to get them out of the cockpit. The second the door swished close behind them, Echo's posture relaxed and slumped.

Hunter slid into the co-pilot's seat while Wrecker stepped closer and leaned against the chair. The team muscle smiled fondly at the door with a chuckle. "I like those little guys."

"You can't ignore them forever, Echo," Hunter jumped straight to the point. "You have to talk to them at some point."

Echo scoffed. "What, like you've done with Crosshair?"

"That's different—"

"It's the exact same karking thing!" Echo snapped. "I lost them! I mourned their deaths..."

"But they're here now," Wrecker countered. He tilted his head with confusion. "Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I am," Echo quickly agreed then shook his head. "I'm overjoyed and shocked and I don't know how to process the information that I've been given. Because it's them, but it's not them. And even if it was them, that would mean I left them behind—"

Wrecker placed a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't leave them behind. You thought they died."

"You never blamed Rex for Skako Minor," Hunter quietly agreed, staring out the viewport as he spoke before turning toward Echo. "So don't blame yourself for this. You didn't know. They're here now, take advantage of it and try to regain some of that lost time."

Echo scoffed and rolled his eyes. He probably would've crossed his arms too if he wasn't so focused on landing the Remora on Barton IV's surface. "If that's not the Quacta calling the Stifling slimy."

"What's a Quacta got to do with this?" Wrecker asked, his brow furrowed with confusion.

However, Hunter understood the implied meaning behind the idiom. "It's different with Crosshair. He made a choice. And that choice cost us a lot. And I can't help but think he only came back because the Empire wouldn't accept him in his condition."

"Does any of that really matter?" Echo asked, pointedly turning his own words against him. "Your lost little brother is back now. Take advantage of it and regain some of that lost time."

Hunter released a deep sigh that bled into a groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, fine. I'm not saying that I trust him... but I'll at least give him a chance."

"It's a start," Echo agreed. He stood from the pilot's chair once the Remora was stationary, leading the way toward the ramp while continuing their conversation. "You know, I might have been able to accept the news that my batchmates were alive if it had either come with a warning or less additional surprises."

Wrecker laughed. "You should have seen your face. I thought for sure you were gonna pass out."

"Well it's not like they told us who they were," Hunter countered. "We were referring to them by their designations for kark's sake. We learned their names the exact moment that you did. Besides, I doubt you would have even believed the truth if we'd spoiled all of the surprises."

"You could have mentioned mandalorian Cody." Echo rolled his eyes, but the tone was more playful than the somber mood which had soured his expression previously.

"Not a mandalorian," Cody disputed, stepping down the ramp beside them while adjusting his durasteel armor. Pimz and Seell followed close behind.

"Well, not yet anyway," Pimz added with a shrug before lightly elbowing Seell with a wink. "But we're wearing him down."

Seell was already wearing his helmet, but the rodian likely rolled his eyes as he sighed. "Pimz—and I mean this with all offense—you wear everyone down."

Pimz feigned insult with a gasp as he placed a hand to his chest. "Ni cuy' te jatnese be te jatnese. Don't dishonor my good name, vod."

"You do that well enough on your own," Seell rebutted half-heartedly with a shrug.

"Where's Rwenn?" Cody interrupted the argument. "And Magan?"

"Probably still with the adike," Seell replied. "We provided a number of options and they might have grown overwhelmed by the variety of choices."

"Provided a number of options for what?" Hunter asked, his brow furrowing with skepticism.

His question was answered as Omega sprinted down the ramp of the Remora wearing bright blue durasteel armor. "Hunter! Look what Rwenn gave me!"

She spun around, showing off with giddy delight before awaiting his approval. The vibrant hue of the armor contrasted the colorless world around them. Diamonds were an apparent theme as the shape was hidden throughout the armor design—like a miniature earlier phase of the armor that Rwenn currently wore.

Batcher barked and bounced around the girl, only encouraging her laughter and beaming smile. Said smile grew brighter the second Hunter nodded and voiced his thoughts. "It suits you."

"You really think so?"

Hunter nodded. "If you weren't already a Bad Batcher, I'd say you might have made a decent mandalorian. You certainly look the part."

"And who says she can't be both?" Rwenn asked, descending the ramp beside Magan with an amused look. "She's definitely mandokarla."

"Rwenn—"

"Relax, Kote," Rwenn rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of taking the ad'ika away from her aliit. Magan on the other hand..."

Magan defensively held up his hands. "I'm just saying, the ram'ser'ika has got spirit."

"Would you quit calling me that?" Crosshair grumbled, tugging at his blacks beneath the chest plate while adjusting the helmet over his head as he stepped out onto the ramp. "I overheard what it meant. I'm a sniper, not just a marksman. It undermines my skill."

"It means both," Rwenn calmly explained while placing her helmet over her head. "We don't have a word for sniper in Mando'a so it can mean either."

"Looks like you found something that fit," Wrecker laughed. It sounded heartfelt like he was genuinely happy and not just making fun. "I think you should wear color more often."

"This is a garish nightmare," Crosshair griped. He cleared his throat, but it did little to conceal the whine that crept into his voice when he complained.

The armor he currently wore looked similar to that of his older one; however, it was also an amalgamation of various armors which had purposefully been chosen to look that way. The helmet was a vibrant lime green, the chest plate along with the majority of the armor was deep violet, while his gauntlets and boots were golden yellow.

"I'm stripping the paint as soon as we get back," he muttered under his breath.

"I kind of like it," Hevy added his own input as the Domino trio were the last to join. They too had a hodgepodge collection of armor, but theirs looked closer to Omega's—one solid color, implying they'd easily found the sizes they needed.

"It's definitely better than the shiny plastoid we died in," Cutup agreed, grinning as he looked himself over. "I think green is my color."

"Could you not make jokes about your deaths?" Echo requested with an edge of annoyance. "I feel guilty enough as it is without the dark reminder."

"Fine, I'll swallow the bit," Cutup snickered. Echo deadpanned.

Droidbait snorted, adjusting his violet gauntlets. "Discouraging him only encourages him more."

"I'm starting to remember that," Echo sighed, now massaging his temples as if fighting off a migraine.

"So, you just had all of this armor lying around?" Wrecker asked, the only one questioning where the mandos stored the excess equipment.

Rwenn shrugged. "The Stargrazer is essentially a mobile home. We keep the most important things with us while anything we can afford to leave behind remains with the clan. The armor was ours from our foundling days. It was intended to pass the armor down to our own kids, but these five can make better use of it now."

"As fun as it is to play catch up," Cody interjected, glancing upward at the ice vultures circling overhead. "We are on a mission."

Hunter nodded, directing his gaze toward Crosshair. "Speaking of which, you said this outpost was remote, not abandoned entirely."

Crosshair bristled. "Well, I didn't get daily intel briefings in my cell."

"I get the feeling there's more to this place than you're saying," Hunter protested, taking a step closer.

Batcher interrupted the conversation with a low growl that shifted into a high pitched whine. Omega tilted her head and her posture tensed with concern. "Batcher, what is it?"

"Uh, what's going on?" Wrecker asked, referring to the way the hound had pressed her head against the snow and tried to cover her ears.

"The sensors are giving off a high-frequency tone," Hunter explained. The noise had been bothersome to him as well, but he'd done a decent job ignoring the building pressure behind his skull. "She must be reacting to it. What are the sensors for?"

"Perimeter detection against local raiders," Crosshair replied matter-of-factly.

Hunter's tone tensed. "You didn't think to warn us
about these raiders before?"

"No," Crosshair's reply was blunt. "They were all dealt with."

"And how do you know that?" Hunter asked.

"Take a guess." Crosshair folded his arms across his chest.

"Just following orders?" Hunter's question sounded more like an accusation as he took a step forward.

Crosshair didn't back down. He matched his brother's step and took a second for good measure. However, it failed to convey much threat as he was forced to crane his neck to look up at Hunter. "If you're scared, why don't you wait on the ship?"

Echo didn't tolerate the banter for long, stepping between them before an actual fight broke loose. "Hey, kill each other later. We're here for a reason. Let's crack into the datapad and get out of here."

"Wayii!" Pimz whistled under his breath. "Te ram'ser'ika cuyir ramikadyc."

Magan nodded his head emphatically. "Remind me not to get on his bad side."

"You di'kute probably already are," Seell retorted. Rwenn snickered in agreement, playfully punching the Zabrak and the Kiffar in the arm as she passed by before stepping into stride beside Cody.

Most of the group had progressed forward, Hunter unsurprisingly taking the lead. Echo was just barely a step behind while the trio of Dominoes trailed after him like a flock of pelikki. Then followed Cody, Rwenn, and Seell. Wrecker drifted toward the back of the pack, starting a conversation on explosives with Magan and Pimz. And Omega and Crosshair lingered back by the Remora for a moment alone.

Omega frowned. "I said talk to him, not argue with him."

Crosshair sighed. "He started it."

Omega elected to ignore the childish retort, rolling her eyes before gesturing toward the group, implying they should catch up. Crosshair grumbled incoherently under his breath, but nodded and followed after her.

Although Echo glanced in Hunter's direction, he didn't bring up the argument. He'd already said his peace and understood that any further amends would need to be initiated between the two of them. He couldn't fix their problems—and not just because they had too many to unpack—they'd have to handle that in their own way. However, that didn't stop him from glaring daggers toward the back of Hunter's helmet as they entered the outpost.

The doors initially had been blocked in by the buildup of snow, but Batcher had easily dug through and cleared the entrance. Omega was the first to the computer, pushing a crate to the front so she could properly reach the controls. She set her helmet on the console ledge, frowning as the system failed to react. "The power to this outpost has been nearly depleted by the sensor beacons."

"Then we need to divert all power to this depot," Echo replied.

Omega nodded. "On it."

Droidbait stepped up, offering his assistance which Omega quickly accepted with a smile. The machines beeped and whirred as the three worked while the others stood back and took in their surroundings.

"So why'd the Empire abandon this place?" Wrecker asked, glancing around at the overturned crates.

"I guess it served its purpose," Crosshair muttered.

"Hmm. Sounds familiar," Echo noted pointedly. Crosshair wasn't the only one to flinch, but Cody did a better job at hiding the gesture. The commander had looked tense when they landed on the planet's surface—and it didn't go completely unnoticed that he'd lifted a hand to his head once or twice as if managing a minor headache—but no one mentioned anything as it had yet to become a problem.

If the small sniper had a biting remark prepared, he didn't verbalize it. Instead, he disappeared around the corner without a word as something else caught his attention. Hunter followed, which was potentially a good sign... that or the tracker simply didn't trust the sniper not to find trouble.

The external sensors powered down and the facility consequently rumbled. However, no one thought anything of the tremor, focusing on the facility powering up around them. Omega beamed triumphantly. "That should do it."

The internal systems beeped and blinked as a few lights flickered on while the primary computer system booted to life. Droidbait perked up, fist bumping Omega with a small victory cheer. "It's working!"

"Nice work, you two," Echo congratulated them. Droidbait straightened at the compliment, holding his head a bit higher as if those simple words meant the world to him. It was adorable, yet Echo's heart wrenched with confliction—still on the fence about how to accept the sudden reappearance of his batchmates in his life. His contemplation was interrupted the second the imperial files were unlocked on the datapad. His jaw tensed and his eyes hardened. "Look at this manifest. There are even more clone prisoners on Tantiss than we thought... and it's not just that one laboratory either. I'm not seeing any information about Project Necromancer, but Project Samsara connects to at least a dozen other locations."

Perhaps they should have grown concerned that the rumbling was still ongoing; however, the revelation of Hemlock's Imperial connections was jarring enough to distract from the tingling sensation of danger. It wasn't until Batcher started whining and Crosshair tried to leave that anyone even questioned the environment.

"Where are you going?" Hunter demanded an explanation.

"To check the perimeter," Crosshair replied without so much as a glance over his shoulder as he began walking back toward the entrance.

"Ram'ser'ika!" Magan called out to the sniper. Crosshair briefly turned back just in time to catch the weapon tossed to him. "You might need this."

Crosshair sounded like he was frowning. "This is a training rifle."

"Stun bolts are better than nothing," Magan insisted. "We'll experiment with the power frequency later."

Crosshair huffed, but he didn't discard the weapon. He kept a tight grip on the rifle as he exited the facility, trudging out into the snow. There was a moment of delay, but Hunter followed after him. Omega attempted to leave as well, but Echo held out a hand and shook his head.

"Uh, let them work it out," he encouraged before gesturing toward the computer before them. "We have to finish this data transfer."

∘₊✧───────────────────────────✧₊∘

THERE WERE TOO MANY THOUGHTS RUNNING RAMPANT THROUGH CROSSHAIR'S MIND. The hostile nostalgia of deja vu was unwelcome but ever present as the ice vultures overhead screeched and constantly circled, eyeing the potential of their next meal. Distant memories and voices flickered to the forefront of his mind. He flinched and blinked them away.

Seeing the helmets carelessly discarded in a forgotten pile had just been the tipping point. The tremor in his hand had returned the second he'd touched the armor which served as the remnants of Mayday and his squad. Out of respect to honor those fallen, he'd carefully lined their helmets beside one another on the nearest crate. It had taken some time as he had to lift each helmet individually, rising onto his toes as he set each one down. Another disparaging reminder of his physical change. He suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. Like the walls were closing in and he'd be buried alongside those helmets, soon to be nothing but a long forgotten relic of Republic property.

His feet acted on his behalf, carrying him away from that smothering feeling where the cold air would hopefully freeze the cracks in his mental walls. He'd fully intended to patrol the perimeter on his own to take a breather from the overwhelming environment and regain his composure. Hunter was making it exceedingly difficult as he trailed close behind.

"Are you going to be my shadow everywhere?" Crosshair seethed, flicking his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other with his tongue while refusing to turn around and face his brother. Instead, he stared at their shadows which inaccurately depicted their current dynamic. His own shadow was elongated and maintained the illusion of being taller than Hunter. It made it easier to ignore the tremor in his hand and believe the lie that everything was fine. That he wasn't small and insignificant. That his voice didn't squeak with every syllable and the he wasn't one breeze away from a complete mental breakdown.

"I know you." Hunter ignored the initial question, berating him with several of his own. "There's more you're not telling us, and I'm done waiting. Start talking, Crosshair. What did you do to finally get on the Empire's bad side? Betray them, like you did with us?"

The ground rumbled. Crosshair slowly turned around, adjusting the helmet at his side as it tried to slip from the grip of his trembling fingers. He swallowed, but masked the discomfort well as he silently stared at Hunter with defiance.

"You thought we'd take you back and not ask questions? I don't think so. Tell me what changed." Hunter didn't stop pressing him for answers. He'd closed what little distance there was between them. "What happened, Crosshair?"

He'd also gotten caught up in the heated moment, forgetting that Crosshair was half his usual size. He forcefully shoved him to carry his point across, and Crosshair immediately lost his balance. The sniper fell back onto the ground, skidding into the snow with a grunt. Hunter's expression softened apologetically, but Crosshair slapped away his brother's hands as he reached out to help him back up. He stood and dusted himself off, barely concealing the rage in his eyes as he glared at Hunter.

"I killed an Imperial officer," Crosshair snarled. He noticed the shocked look in Hunter's eyes and he scoffed. "So, yes, I did betray them after they betrayed me. Oh, don't pretend like this is all about me. I tried to warn you, Hunter. I risked everything to send you that message." Crosshair's voice faltered. He turned his back, clenching his fists while struggling to maintain his composure. He tried to take a breath, the deep-seated rage burned his core and he whipped back around with a string of accusations. "You ignored it. You let Omega be taken to Tantiss. She went through what she did because you failed." Crosshair returned the forceful shove he'd received earlier, fully extending his arm to push against Hunter's legs. "You're angry because she escaped with my help, not yours."

The simmering anger between them steamed in the air; however, Hunter's eyes flickered back toward the bunker as Batcher's barking grew louder and more erratic. The ground rumbled, distorting their balance. Hunter's eyes widened at the sudden snow kick-up while Crosshair was too preoccupied trying to remain on his feet.

"Move!" Hunter ordered. He didn't wait for Crosshair to comply; instead, he lunged forward, snatching Crosshair by wrapping an arm around his small chest. They nearly didn't make it, diving away from the large disturbance just as the wyrm broke through the ice. The creature bellowed and growled before burrowing below the frozen surface of the planet. Hunter was first to his feet, pulling Crosshair up before pushing him to the front. "Hurry!"

They sprinted across the icy terrain as the wyrm closed in from behind. The creature was only briefly distracted by the Remora, dragging the ship beneath the snow before it turned its attention back toward them. It released an ear-shattering bellow which faded to a hostile growl as it resumed the hunt.

"Kriff!" Crosshair hissed under his breath. He was falling behind, gasping for breath and losing energy far quicker than anticipated. He could feel the vibrations of the ground growing stronger as the beast grew closer.

Hunter glanced back over his shoulder. A conflicted look crossed his face, but just long enough to make the split-second decision to slow down his pace so that his stride fell in line with Crosshair's. Without warning, the sergeant scooped up the small sniper with one arm before increasing his pace into a full sprint.

Crosshair yelped. "Hunter—"

"Just hang on!" Hunter interrupted, seeming none too pleased about the situation either. And as much as Crosshair strongly wanted to kick and free himself from his brother's grasp, he understood the alternative was being eaten by the wyrm... and from what he'd heard that wouldn't be a pleasant sensation. So he swallowed his pride for the time being and tried not to throw Hunter off.

All the same, Hunter was struggling. Because he wasn't just carrying Crosshair, but the small snipers gear on top of his own. His breath was labored beneath the helmet and his pace had drastically decreased, but it was still quicker than Crosshair would have run on his own two legs. At the last second, Hunter dove through the opening into the imperial facility and Wrecker slammed the doors closed behind them. The steel walls shuddered and dust fell from the ceiling as the wyrm crashed against the structure.

"Mrm," Crosshair grunted, shoving Hunter off of him as he gasped for breath. He crawled out from beneath his brother, grumbling under his breath. "... crushing me."

Hunter threw off his helmet, rolling his eyes while he kneeled into a seated position and massaged his wrist as he'd apparently landed on it wrong after taking the dive. "You're welcome."

Crosshair bristled, but Omega's wide eyes and fearful tone kept the group focused on the present moment rather than the brewing argument. "I guess we know what the perimeter sensors are meant to keep out."

"Great." Wrecker scoffed, entirely unenthused as he warily glanced back at the doors which shuddered and creaked once more. "What now?"

"No chance of digging out the ship with that thing out there," Hunter noted as he stood and dusted himself off while catching his breath.

"We have to restore power to the sensor beacons," Echo explained. His eyes remained focused on the computer screens before him, scanning the information for anything that might help. "There's a fuse box for the reserve energy grid in the back of this compound."

"One of us needs to get over there and reset the grid manually," Crosshair mused, crossing his arms as he refused to look in Hunter's direction.

"I'll do it," Wrecker didn't hesitate to volunteer.

"By yourself?" Cutup's voice squeaked. The cadet's face was pale. His lip trembled, his chest hitched with every breath, and his eyes were wet on the verge of tears.

Cody quickly shook his head, stepping beside Wrecker while placing a hand on the taller clone's shoulder. "I'll go with him."

"And I can get the defense system reactivated once power's back," Omega suggested, already trying to take Echo's place at the computer.

Hunter nodded, satisfied enough to let Onega participate knowing that she'd be shielded from the danger zones. "We'll have to draw the creature beyond the sensors before they reboot, or we'll be trapped inside the perimeter with that thing."

Crosshair adjusted the scope of the miniature training rifle that Magan had gifted him. "I'll handle it."

Hunter frowned. "Not alone. We'll do it together."

"You sure about that?" Crosshair glowered, challenging the look he received from his brother. It wasn't hard to see that Hunter still distrusted him, but it was more than that too. The sergeant's eyes flickered with doubt. Like he wasn't facing a trained soldier, but a child armed with a toy.

"I'll spot you both from the tower," Echo stepped between them, severing the tension.

"And we'll spot you," Hevy added, pulling Droidbait and Cutup to his side. While Cutup still looked nauseous, the cadet nodded his head as a false show of courage.

Echo's brow furrowed and he immediately shook his head. "The three of you should stay here."

"We're not leaving you," Droidbait protested. His arms were crossed and his posture was rigid.

"It's too—"

"Echo, I swear to the Maker, if you say it's too dangerous I'm going to kick you in the shins or something," Hevy threatened.

Echo hardly looked amused. "I'm pretty sure that would hurt you more than it would me."

"Magan can accompany you," Seell suggested, interrupting the argument just as Echo had done for Hunter and Crosshair. According to the Rodian, they were wasting valuable time—something they did not have much of to begin with. "He's the closest our crew has to a ram'ser and he excels at a higher altitude."

Echo begrudgingly seemed to accept the offer before glancing over at the other mandalorians. "And the rest of you?"

"I believe my services will be beneficial here," Seell replied. "I recommend that Rwenn remain here with Omega and myself while Pimz accompanies Wrecker and Kote."

"Alright." Hunter nodded, placing his helmet back over his head. "Then let's get to it before it tears this place apart."

With a plan to act on, they split up into teams. Wrecker, Cody, and Pimz split off first, sprinting toward the back of the compound. Echo, the Domino cadets, and Magan were next; jogging toward the towers to set up their scouting position. Omega and Seell comfortably situated themselves around the computer while Rwenn posted herself on a nearby crate with a blaster in hand. Crosshair sighed then glanced over at Hunter, signaling that he was ready.

It was easier than he'd expected, to fall back into the rhythmic sync of working alongside his squad. And if it wasn't for the exertion of taking twice as many steps to keep up with Hunter, then maybe he would've forgotten the past and the terrors that haunted his waking moments.

Omega had understood that Hunter was never going to let her take the risk of facing the current dangerous situation head on, so instead she insisted they take Batcher in her place. Although Hunter had been skeptical—believing the hound would just get in their way, Crosshair was silently grateful for the creature's presence as he felt far less vulnerable with her around.

Hunter had jogged ahead, scouting the area while likely trying to utilize his enhanced senses to track the beast. However, Crosshair could easily read the confusion emanating from his brother's posture—meaning the wyrm had evaded them for the time being. How a creature so large could simply disappear was more than alarming, but it was also the last thing he wanted to focus on at the moment.

Danger.

Crosshair glanced over his shoulder, searching for the whisper that had brushed against his ear. His helmet blocked out the chill of the air, but it failed to prevent the formation of goosebumps across his skin. The hair on the back of his neck rose. No sentient being was close enough to be perceived, much less whisper a message into his ear.

Danger. Turn around.

Crosshair whipped his head around. He was the first to notice the cloud of snow surging toward them—and apparently the only one as Hunter had yet to turn toward in that direction while no one from the watchtower offered a warning either. His heart clenched and it felt like his feet were frozen in place. All he could do was call out to his brother who stood in the wyrm's path, oblivious to the danger.

"Three o'clock!" Crosshair hollered, finally finding the strength to move. He lifted the barrel of the training rifle and took a breath to still his breathing as he fired off a pair of blaster bolts. Both shots were wide. But as the training rifle was intended to be used by someone of a smaller stature, at least the kickback was manageable and didn't send him flying off his feet. His balance was slightly questionable, yet he was able to recover and adapt with the knowledge of how to handle the weapon.

Hunter whipped his head to the right. Crosshair could see his posture tense and the pace of his run increased back into a sprint as he continued on his path toward the sensors. The wyrm broke free of the planet's surface; mouth opened wide with the intention to swallow the sergeant whole. Hunter narrowly evaded those jaws of death with a last second lunge and barrel roll.

The wyrm dove back beneath the ice; however, the power with which the creature tunneled its way around them created other instabilities in the ground. The ice below Hunter's feet cracked and fell away. Gravity completed the task of dragging him down into the depths of the wyrm's domain.

His shout of alarm made Crosshair's blood run cold. The small sniper sprinted toward the hole that his brother had fallen through, crying out while the panic clawing at his throat lifted the register of his voice, "Hunter!"

"Why?" Wrecker huffed over the comms. "Why is there always a huge monster? Echo, do you see it?"

"I don't have a visual," Echo admitted, replying back over the comms.

Crosshair ignored most of the conversation. All he could hear was the roar of his own blood rushing to his head as he slid to a stop when arriving at the hole in the ground. Relief flooded his system as Hunter released a soft groan before slowly pulling himself back up onto his feet. The sergeant shook his head, readjusting his helmet before reaching into his utility belt for his torch. He clicked on the light and flashed it down each side of the tunnel, yet only the wyrm's bellow could be heard.

"Can you get outside the perimeter from down there?" Crosshair asked. There was a tension to his tone that he hoped went ignored. He may have been uneasy about the suggestion—and Hunter remaining below in the path of the danger for longer than necessary—but the last thing he wanted anyone to catch was the fear and concern wavering over every syllable.

"I'll follow the tunnel north," Hunter replied. "Find out."

Crosshair nodded his head, gesturing back toward Batcher. "We'll track you from up here."

The continued their run, making a decent distance from the base as they approached the sensors. However, Echo's voice crackled over the comms with a warning. "Target spotted. It's right on your tail. About a hundred meters and closing."

"Got it," Crosshair acknowledged. He slowed his pace and Batcher followed his example. He used the hound for support, gently resting the barrel of the rifle against her back while he gazed through the scope to focus on his target. He took a breath and waited.

There was an itch at the back of his mind, urging him to pull the trigger. He swallowed down the jittery feeling of impatience and continued to wait. There was another lull of silence and then the beast bellowed as it surfaced closer. Crosshair's finger twitched and much to his own surprise, the shot careened against the creatures side. A similar surge of pride—like the feeling he'd experienced when he'd managed to consistently hit the center of the holodart board—quirked the edge of his lips into a small smile. He repeated the action and fired off another round of shots, both nailing the wyrm in the side. However, the stun bolts were hardly effective and the beast growled and bellowed before increasing its pace.

"Kriff this!" Crosshair hissed, throwing the training rifle onto the ground before unholstering the DC-17 that Seell had given him. He held the weapon out in front of him; it was a much shorter and bulkier weapon than he was used to handling, but it proved more effective as the laser bolts steamed against the beast's side. One shot connected directly with the wyrm's mouth. The creature screeched in pain before diving below the surface mere meters away. The ground rumbled and he lost his balance, stumbling while using Batcher as support to keep his footing on the ground.

"I think I just made it angrier," Crosshair sheepishly admitted.

"Fantastic," Hunter's breath was heavy over the comms as he continued his sprint through the caverns below.

Crosshair bent over and retrieved the training rifle. Its firepower may have been useless, but the scope attached was still an advantageous tool. He scouted the area ahead before relaying the observed information over the comms. "You're about 400 meters from the perimeter."

"No sign of that thing," Echo agreed.

Batcher barked and ran ahead. She skidded to a stop beside the perimeter sensors and without warning began to dig as if she'd found something. By the time Crosshair caught up, he understood what the hound was doing. He pressed a hand to his comm to explain their intention. "We found a weak point in the ice. We'll try to dig through."

"You'll try?" Hunter sounded incredulous.

Crosshair rolled his eyes. "Glad you heard me properly."

He walked around the hound to get a better idea what they were working with before firing a few rounds from the DC-17 into the snow. The heat from the blaster bolts aided the hound by melting the surrounding snow. It only increased the pace of their work by seconds, but in situations like this every moment counted.

Danger.

Chills shot down his spine as the breeze infiltrated his mind. He froze, slowly glancing back toward the base with concern. The prolonged silence over the comms channel was unnerving and he couldn't help but get the feeling that something was severely wrong. "What's taking them so long?"

∘₊✧───────────────────────────✧₊∘

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨'𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬|

• ni cuy' te jatnese be te jatnese — i am the best of the best
• mandokarla — the traits / spirit of a true mandalorian
• ad'ika — kid / little one
• aliit — family
• ram'ser'ika — little marksman
• wayii — good grief
• te ram'ser'ika cuyir ramikadyc — the little marksman is a badass
• di'kute — idiots
• ram'ser — marksman

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞| This chapter was going to be a bit longer, but ultimately I decided to end it here since I've got two or three more point of view shifts I want to experiment with during this episode and I didn't want to rush and cram it all into one chapter. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!