Shadows and Shades (#4 Post-Order 66 Series)

Shadows and Shades - Part 1

A/N: HERE IT IS! The long-awaited CrossDen fic I've been itching to write. I've missed these two sarcastic assholes so much. This fic takes place after "Guarded" (where this pairing is introduced), and in parallel to "Reunion." This fic will be rated M (language, canon typical violence, mild sexual content), so please heed any warnings at the beginning of each chapter. As always, thank you to the outstanding Teletraan_1 (AO3 handle) for beta-reading this for me! :)

The jolt of the ship coming out of hyperspace jarred him awake, the blue and white streaks that had lulled him to sleep outside of the transparisteel viewport fading to the familiar silken black of space dotted with white pinpoints. The sniper's hands felt stiff and cold from the time they'd spent on the transport, and he flexed his fingers, rubbing them together to try and warm up his palms. The recirculated air of the transport had started to smell stale hours ago, and he assumed the crew kept it cool to try and make the smell tolerable. Turning to glance out the viewport once more, he could see the planet of Raxus Prime growing larger as they puttered towards its atmosphere, the northern hemisphere glowing blue and gold in its harvest season. He sighed, refocusing his eyes to stare at his faint reflection. The tattoo over his right eye always seemed more prominent when he got less sleep, the dark circles under his eyes somehow enhancing the crossed lines that intersected across his eyelid and eyebrow. He scratched at the beard he'd grown out before reaching down and digging for his toothpick pack.

Iden stirred against his shoulder, her eyelids fluttering open as he rustled under his cloak, trying to shift slightly. "We there?" she asked.

"Just about," Crosshair replied.

As if on cue, a robotic voice echoed throughout the passenger hold. "Approaching Raxus Prime. Atmospheric entry anticipated in approximately five minutes. Please return to your seats and stow any loose luggage at this time. Some atmospheric turbulence may be experienced, and we do not wish you to be harmed. Your patronage is appreciated."

Crosshair huffed, rolling his eyes slightly. He'd wanted to just pilot their own ship here, but Hunter and the others had insisted that would make the pair of travelers too conspicuous, whereas who would notice just another pair of workers stepping off a public transport? It would be much easier to blend into the crowd, but he didn't like that it made any escape dependent on a pick-up from another party.

"We can be there in a rotation if needed," Hunter had reassured him. "If you two get in trouble, I'm confident you can evade capture for that long."

If not, it won't really matter. I'm not exactly in the Empire's good graces. Crosshair shuddered.

"Chilly?" Iden asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"A little," he lied, not meeting her gaze.

"That's a surprise given how cold-blooded you are," she muttered, giving him a teasing nudge with her shoulder. Crosshair rolled his eyes.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't somewhat excited to have been assigned this mission, despite his misgivings about its start. It felt as though his brothers and even members of the rebellion that had been previously wary of his past were beginning to trust him, to see his value. They don't worry I'll betray them any longer. That had been a pleasant realization for him, and the fact that he was going with only Iden wasn't something he'd overlooked as a positive either.

Ever since escaping Naboo together, they'd been camping out at the base on Yavin 4, waiting to be useful. He'd noted her frustration at being sidelined along with her annoyance that they never could seem to find more than a few minutes to be alone together. The base wasn't exactly constructed with comfort or privacy in mind. They'd been sleeping in the barracks, sharing a bunk only meant for one person, but with rows and rows of beds stacked next to them, there hadn't been exactly time for them to explore their relationship much further beyond quiet kisses and the occasional wandering hands under blankets. They'd had to rely on stolen moments in supply closets or the occasional room with a lock on the door, the two of them fumbling with each other's clothes in the dark like a couple of teenagers while they tried desperately to fulfill their needs before either of their absences were noted. The memories warmed Crosshair's cheeks slightly, and he unconsciously allowed his hand to drift down and grip Iden's thigh, his fingers clamping down on the soft flesh covered by her leggings. She sat a little straighter next to him, intercepting his hand with her own and interlacing their fingers.