Mission to Desix

In 24 BBY, the former Jedi Master Dooku, Count of Serenno, began the Separatist Crisis by leading thousands of star systems to secede from the Galactic Republic and form the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Dooku claimed he was motivated by disgust at widespread corruption within the Republic. In truth, the entire political crisis was a conspiracy by the Sith, an ancient and secretive order of wielders of the dark side of the Force: Dooku, also known as Darth Tyranus, was the Sith apprentice of Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious—publicly Republic Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine—and the two plotted to bring the galaxy under their control. The Separatist Alliance was merely a tool with which to start a war with the Republic from which the oppressive Galactic Empire would rise.

Nevertheless, there were Separatists who truly believed in their cause, such as Senator Mina Bonteri of Onderon and her colleague Tawni Ames, the governor of the remote planet Desix. The political turmoil between the Republic and Confederacy boiled over into open conflict at the First Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY, pitting the Separatist Droid Army built by its corporate sponsors against the Grand Army of the Republic, a clone force created by the cloners of the remote planet Kamino for the Republic in secret, at the request of the long-dead Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. The clone army, too, played a pivotal role in the Sith's secret plans: the Sith had murdered Dyas and hijacked the creation of the clones, instructing the Kaminoans to implant the clone troopers with inhibitor chips which, when activated, forced them into absolute obedience to the Sith and made them see all of their Jedi commanding officers as traitors who needed to be eliminated at all costs.

In 21 BBY, Bonteri, after secret talks with Republic Senator Padmé Amidala, proposed a peace accord between the Republic and Confederacy in the Separatist Senate. Ames was one of many Separatist and Republic Senators who supported the deal. The motion passed the Separatist Senate, but Palpatine rejected the offer. In conjunction with Bonteri's murder by Dooku's thugs, which he blamed on the Republic, and an attack orchestrated by Dooku against the central power distribution grid of Coruscant, the Republic's capital, the peace initiative failed utterly. Ames lost all hope in a peaceful resolution to the conflict as a result.

The Clone Wars raged until 19 BBY. In the final days of the war, the Separatist launched an attack on Coruscant which Palpatine used as an opportunity to dispose of Dooku, whom he no longer needed. General Grievous, the Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies, took over as Head of State, but Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi defeated him during the subsequent Battle of Utapau. Shortly thereafter, Palpatine issued Order 66, the command that activated the inhibitor chips, beginning the Great Jedi Purge as the vast majority of the Jedi Order fell at the hands of their own soldiers. Palpatine reorganized the Republic into the Empire as his new apprentice executed the Executive Separatist Council and shut down the droid armies, bringing the Clone Wars to an end.

The Empire began moving to occupy Separatist worlds, paying particular attention to important ones such as the capital, Raxus Secundus, and Dooku's homeworld of Serenno, claiming it would treat all of them fairly. Desix, being out-of-the-way, was not among them. The Empire made its intent to annex the world clear, informing Ames that she would be replaced by an Imperial appointee, Grotton. Ames declined, and stated her world intended to stay independent. Despite the battle droid shutdown, the governor and her people were able to reactivate a force of droids, including a tactical droid, to serve as a military.

Ames' request was reviewed and rejected, and Grotton came to Desix anyway, accompanied by a squad of the recruited TK stormtroopers the Empire planned to replace the clones with. When his shuttle landed at Desix City, amidst panic as the citizens fled and hid, he was met by Ames. He attempted to order her to stand down and submit to being replaced, but, after giving him a chance to leave peacefully, she entrapped him and his soldiers with her droids and captured them. Ames took Grotton hostage, promising to return him and his men to the Empire if they agreed to respect her world's independence.

When Order 66 was issued, very few clones were immune to it. Among those rare exceptions were the majority of Clone Force 99, an irregular clone commando unit comprised primarily of genetically defective clones. During the war, the "Bad Batch" had worked primarily on their own, largely avoiding the company of "reg" clone troopers. One of the few regs the squad respected was Clone Marshal Commander Cody, the leader of the 212th Attack Battalion alongside General Kenobi.

The only member of the Batch affected by their inhibitor chip was Crosshair, the sniper. A cold man who had a particular dislike for regs and considered himself superior to them, he was left behind by the rest of the Bad Batch during their escape from the Empire days after its formation after his inhibitor chip was enhanced on the orders of Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin to make him totally loyal. Crosshair developed an obsession with hunting down his former unit. The remaining Bad Batch had their chips removed after learning of the danger, and so, eventually, did Crosshair. However, he remained loyal to the Empire, believing it gave him a purpose his former team lacked and that his self-perceived superiority meant he would never be disposed of.

The cat-and-mouse game between the Bad Batch and Crosshair culminated in a confrontation on Kamino after the capture of the Batch's leader, Hunter, on the planet Daro. The Empire had seized Kaminoan scientists and technology for their own purposes, planning to destroy their cities and facilities, but Crosshair had replaced his desire to kill his former squad with the belief he would be able to recruit them back into the Empire. It failed, and when Crosshair lost control of the situation, Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart opened fire on Tipoca City with the clones still inside. The Bad Batch and Crosshair survived after a dangerous underwater journey, but Crosshair was left behind on a remaining landing platform after doubling down on his loyalty to the Empire.

Crosshair was not recovered by the Empire for thirty-two rotations, and was placed on medical leave afterwards. The Bad Batch was officially reported dead. However, Rampart discovered they were still alive after the Batch attempted an unsuccessful heist at Castle Serenno, murdering Clone Captain Wilco to prevent his superiors from hearing the news. Although Crosshair had led an Elite Squad of recruited troopers, when he was cleared for active duty, Rampart did not feel he was ready for command again. He briefed Crosshair on the Desix situation, which would be his next mission, and that his team would be going in posing as a diplomatic envoy. Rampart ordered him to do whatever was necessary to secure the city and ensure Grotton's release, telling him to meet his new commander by the First Battle Memorial at 0900 hours.

When Order 66 was issued, Cody had been brainwashed by his chip into turning on Kenobi, although, unbeknownst to him, the Jedi Master survived and escaped Utapau. In the months since then, the effects of the chip began to wear off, restoring his original personality. Cody continued to serve the Empire and lead a squad, but he started to develop doubts. Other clones began questioning Order 66 and going AWOL, and he began to feel guilty about his betrayal of Kenobi. Nevertheless, Cody convinced himself that the Empire was bringing peace and order to the galaxy. He heard of the Bad Batch's desertion, and, learning that Crosshair was available, requested him for his squad. Before their departure to Desix, he met Crosshair by the war memorial. The two discussed the desertions, and Cody was taken aback when Crosshair insisted that they were traitors just like the Jedi, although he brushed the moment aside. The squad departed Coruscant on Imperial Shuttle 995.

Aboard the Nu-class shuttle, Cody briefed his team on the mission, explaining that Separatist insurgents had taken over the city and captured Grotton. One trooper questioned how the droids had avoided the shutdown order, and Crosshair suggested they had been reprogrammed. Cody stated the plan to catch the insurgents by surprise under the cover of a diplomatic mission, before wiping out the droids and locating Grotton. Ames, however, suspected such an Imperial deception.

When the shuttle exited hyperspace, the pilot requested permission to enter Desix airspace, which was granted by the tactical droid, which cleared the ship to approach. In the city's bell tower, Grotton was being guarded by two B1-series battle droids, which scoffed at his claims to being the legitimate governor. Ames told him that he would have his freedom when her world had its, responding to his shout that the Empire would not agree to her terms by stating she knew the truth about the "peaceful" envoy the Empire had sent. She added that Dooku had been right about the Republic's corruption and had foreseen its transformation into something worse. Grotton retorted that Ames would lose this conflict as the Separatists had lost the war.

As the shuttle descended through the atmosphere, the tactical droid reported to Ames that it was within range. Ames ordered the droid to give it a proper welcome, before telling Grotton the Empire's decision not to negotiate would be unfortunate for him. The tactical droid ordered the air strike team into position, and battle droids with rocket launchers took up stations on the walls while an Armored Assault Tank exited the city gate and positioned itself on the approach bridge. The droids on the walls fired, hitting the shuttle with several missiles. The tank followed suit, with its fire killing the pilot. The shuttle crashed in the farms outside of the city.

Observing the crash site from the bell tower, the tactical droid informed Ames that the shuttle had crashed in Sector Five. Ames ordered that scouts be sent to check for survivors. Several clone troopers were killed in the crash, and some were too injured to continue the mission, but others, including Cody and Crosshair, survived without a scratch. The survivors exited the shuttle and hid amidst the wreckage, leaving the dead inside.

When the scout squad reached the crash site, they opened up the shuttle's main hatch to find only dead clones. Assuming the ship's entire complement had perished, the scouts reported their conclusion to the tactical droid, who ordered them to return to the city. Immediately afterwards, the survivors revealed themselves and destroyed the scouts, Cody and Crosshair leading the charge. The sniper commented they had bought themselves a bit of time, and Cody added the loss of their ship meant they had to infiltrate the city on foot. He lamented that half of the squad was too injured to continue, but Crosshair responded that he had beaten "clankers" with less. Crosshair surveyed the city with his rangefinder and noted the tank guarding the approach.

The squad stealthily approached the city, hiding behind a building as Cody and Crosshair surveyed the obstacles in front of them. Cody noted a lack of cover which would allow the tank to easily pick the clones off. Crosshair replied that Separatist tanks had their droid operators as a universal weakness, and stated he would draw its fire while Cody and his men got into position, reassuring the Commander to trust him. Commenting that Crosshair made things interesting, Cody waved his team forwards, and they took cover by the crops near the foot of the bridge. Crosshair opened fire on the tank, hitting it several times.

Surprised, the tank's spotter quickly identified Crosshair's position, instructing the gunner where to turn. The tank fired, hitting a position close to Crosshair's. He shot at the tank again, waiting until its main cannon was pointed directly at him before destroying it with one shot down the barrel. Cody and his men advanced up the bridge, while more droids were dispatched out of the city gate and took up positions on the walls. Crosshair picked off several of the droids on the wall while advancing to rejoin the squad. Cody's team destroyed the droids on the bridge with grenades before advancing upon the closed gate, using ascension cables to clear it. They cleared out the droids on the other side before opening the gate, allowing Crosshair and the others to join them.

Cody complimented Crosshair on his destruction of the tank. Crosshair responded that, given the strategic waves the battle droids had displayed, there had to be a tactical droid commanding them. As a counter, Cody decided to divide his team so the droid forces would also be split, and ordered Nova and Wyler to accompany him and Crosshair on the north axis while sending team two to the south. Watching from the bell tower, Ames was perturbed the invaders had breached the perimeter, and the tactical droid, noting the clones had split their assault, recommended protocol four be carried out. Ames ordered the droid to see it done before leaving to secure Grotton.

Civilians fled as the clones advanced into the city, destroying any battle droids they encountered. Cody's team entered a small courtyard with a staircase. As Cody and Crosshair inspected the area, a door opened to reveal two civilians, an adult and a child. Cody lowered his blaster and attempted to persuade the two that it was okay and they were there to help, but the adult scowled and sealed the door. Immediately afterwards, a familiar noise heralded the approach of droidekas. One burst into the courtyard on the upper level and opened fire on Nova and Wyler, killing the latter as his comrade jumped down to the lower level.

Battle droids approached from above and opened fire, which Cody and Crosshair returned. Crosshair shouted at Nova to hit the destroyer with a droid popper, but his throw failed and the projectile bounced off its deflector shield before detonating. The droid rolled down the stairs and opened fire on Crosshair and Cody, who were forced to take cover. On the other side of the stairs, Nova shot at the droideka, drawing its attention to him, before taking it out with a popper when it rolled. The clones advanced up the stairs and through an archway into another courtyard, fleeing the fire of two more droidekas. From the tower, Ames and the tactical droid continued to monitor the battle.

Cody, Crosshair, and Nova entered another courtyard where a droideka and three B1s fired at them from above, forcing them to take cover. Asked if he had located the tactical droid, Crosshair stated it was in the bell tower but he lacked a line of sight, and Cody suggested they remedy that. Crosshair destroyed two of the droids before signaling Nova, who threw a magnetic grenade at the third B1. The sniper then shot at and damaged the droid, causing it to fall on and sink through the droideka's shield before the bomb detonated, destroying both droids. Cody led the trio onwards.

Cody, Crosshair, and Nova reached the base of the bell tower. Blasting the door open, Cody cautiously led the way inside, finding Grotton's hat on a chair. Shortly thereafter, the trio was attacked by commando droids which dropped from the ceiling, causing them to retreat towards the doorway of the spiral staircase on the opposite side of the room, Nova bringing up the rear. One commando leapt to a high position and shot Nova, felling him and causing grenades to fall out of his backpack and begin their detonation sequence. Cody reached for him, but Crosshair pulled him back into the staircase just as the bombs went off. The blast shook the entire building, causing Ames, who was at the top of the tower with the tactical droid, to order it secured. The tactical droid activated more commando droids, while Ames hid herself in the shadows with her Imperial hostage.

Cody and Crosshair's ascension of the staircase was slowed as commando droids advanced on them from both directions. Asked if he had any ideas, Crosshair told Cody to try and keep up. The sniper used his mirror pucks to give himself a clear line of fire on the droids, throwing them on the wall as he advanced. The tactical droid's attention was briefly drawn to an explosion caused by team two's battle against other droids in the streets below. Nearing the top of the stairs, Crosshair took cover from two droids guarding the main chamber. He threw another mirror, but a commando droid leapt on him before he could fire, knocking them both down the stairs. Another droid jumped at Cody, the attacks knocking both clones' helmets off.

Crosshair's attacker grabbed him by the neck and held him against the wall, choking him. Cody was disarmed by the droid he faced, but he kicked it away before drawing a vibro-knife and stabbing it until it was destroyed. Crosshair called out for help, and Cody threw his knife, taking out the droid by hitting it in the head. Seeing Crosshair's disorientation, Cody told him to sit tight while he destroyed the tactical droid. Insisting he could still make the shot, Crosshair gave Cody a mirror and told him to get him a line of sight. Nodding, Cody retrieved his helmet and blaster before advancing up the stairs again, where two commando droids still waited. Cody asked Crosshair where he wanted the puck, and Crosshair asked him to simply throw it as far as he could.

Leaning out of cover, Cody destroyed one of the commando droids, causing the tactical droid to send the remaining two it had in reserve with orders to defend Ames at all costs. Seeing Crosshair in position below, Cody emerged again and threw the mirror, before being knocked back by a shot to the shoulder. As the mirror flew through the air, Crosshair waited until he had a reflection of all four droids before firing, taking out the three commandos and the tactical droid in one shot.

The tactical droid's destruction destroyed the remaining battle droids' tactical cohesion. Team two swiftly routed the remaining droids as they attempted to call their commander for reinforcements. Crosshair complimented Cody on his throw and was in turn complimented on his shot. As the two clones entered the dark tower room, Cody was informed by team two that the remaining droids in the city had been neutralized, and he ordered them to scour the city for Grotton. Ames revealed herself and her prisoner, causing Cody and Crosshair to train their blasters on her. She introduced herself as Grotton yelped for the clones to do something, and Cody stated they were operating on official Imperial orders.

Crossing the room with her hostage, Ames stated Desix had left the Republic years before and was an independent system. She reiterated her terms that she would release Grotton and his men if the Empire recognized her planet's independence. Cody responded that he was not there to debate politics, and Ames stated that he would recognize the injustice of his actions if he was. She defended her droids' attacks on Imperial convoys by pointing out that she was defending her people from a hostile occupation, telling Cody that Imperial forces were the only threat to Desix. Cody responded that the Empire was not the enemy and sought to bring peace and order to the galaxy, a claim Ames scoffed at. She stated she had lost all belief in peace once Chancellor Palpatine had rejected the joint peace treaty during the war.

Ames' statements got through to Cody, who lowered his blaster and signalled Crosshair to lower his. Removing his helmet and setting it and his weapon on the floor, he said that peace was now an option. He appealed to Ames that as they had both lived through one war, they did not want to start another, and that there was a way to resolve things without more bloodshed as too many had already died. Cody asked her to do it for her people. Ames considered his offer for a moment, before releasing Grotton, who stumbled towards the clones. Grotton complimented Cody's handling of the situation before ordering him to execute Ames. Cody protested, saying he had offered her a peaceful solution, but Grotton retorted that he had made no such deal. Cody turned to look at Ames, who stated "So much for peace," but did not move.

Grotton began yelling that he had given Cody an order, but as he threatened to punish the commander for disobedience, Crosshair shot and killed Ames, whose blaster pistol fell to the floor before her corpse did. Cody was horrified, turning to stare at Crosshair, who said nothing. Grotton, smugly satisfied, ordered that Ames' body be displayed in the square as a warning before leaving the room. Crosshair followed, but Cody stood there in silence for a while, staring at what was left of Ames.

A Venator-class Star Destroyer arrived at Desix with a complement of TK stormtroopers, which secured the city and began rounding up some of the citizens. Cody watched as the freed troopers were led onto a shuttle for departure, with Crosshair boarding the ship afterwards. He saw Grotton glance at him as another shuttle landed with more soldiers, before boarding the shuttle alongside Crosshair in silence. Upon their return to Coruscant, Cody stopped by the war memorial and asked Crosshair if the Empire was really making the galaxy a better place. Crosshair responded that they were soldiers and they did what needed to be done. Cody stated that what made them different from droids was that they could make their own decisions, and they had to live with them, before walking off in silence. He went AWOL that very night, unable to convince himself the Empire was in the right any longer.

The next morning, Crosshair was again summoned to Rampart's office. The Vice Admiral informed him that he was being sent on another mission after his success on Desix, ordering him to report to CC-1226. Crosshair asked why he was not serving under Cody any longer, finding himself forced to specify Cody's designation number after Rampart professed ignorance of who he was referring to. Rampart stated that Cody had deserted, before opining that clone loyalty did not appear to be what it had once been. He smugly needled Crosshair about how curious it was that clones around him had a tendency to disappear before dismissing him.

Crosshair was later assigned to Barton IV with Lieutenant Nolan. They were sent as the reinforcements for Clone Commander Mayday and his squad to help guard and transport cargo from the Imperial Depot. The depot was later attacked by a group of local raiders, who also stole some cargo. Two men were killed in the attack, Hexx and Veetch. Crosshair and Mayday were sent to retrieve the stolen cargo by Nolan. Mayday asked Nolan for his men to help them retrieve the cargo, but he insisted that the retrieval should be done by the two clones only. This retrieval mission ended up killing Mayday in the process and led to Crosshair's betrayal to the Empire by killing Nolan.

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