Phee smiled as the Marauder soared across the pink and orange skies of Pabu. The Batch left for their “secret mission” four rotations ago, and to be completely honest, it was real quiet without them around. Wrecker’s boisterous laughing, Omega’s cheerful personality, and even Tech’s constant rambling were things Phee got used to during their time on the island. In fact, she looked forward to her morning walks to the colonnade, for when she got to the top, the Batch was always there to greet her.
Phee got to the weeping maya tree just as the Marauder’s ramp lowered, revealing three figures: Echo, Wrecker, then Hunter. She approached them, raising her hand in greeting.
“Hey,” Phee started. “How was the mission—”
That was when Phee noticed a very different air about them. Echo avoided eye contact, turning toward the ship and disappearing under the ramp. Wrecker’s face was written with anguish as he rubbed the back of his neck, holding what looked like a cast. He spoke a quiet “Hullo” before lumbering off. Phee’s brows furrowed in confusion. What’s going on?
Finally, she turned to Hunter. “You guys alright?” Phee asked. “Why the long faces?”
Hunter looked up from the spot on the ground he was staring at. He looked tired, worn down by whatever happened while they were away. He gazed long and hard at Phee, and for a split second, she watched the Sergeant lose his composure. His shoulders dropped, his jaw clenched, his brows knitting together. His eyes held a despair Phee had never seen before, but then she blinked, and it was all gone.
“Phee…” Hunter rasped. “We need to talk.”
“About what? What happened?” Phee asked. She looked past him, into the Marauder. “Where’re Tech and Omega? Are they still in the—”
“Phee.” Hunter crossed his arms and let his head hang. He took a deep breath, then looked back up at Phee. “Omega… was taken by the Empire.” Hunter opened his mouth to continue, but no words came out. He hesitated. Hunter never hesitated.
“...And Tech?” Phee asked. Her voice shook more than intended. It surprised her. Hunter steeled himself, and his eyes met hers.
“Tech sacrificed himself to save us. He’s gone.”
Phee’s vision grew dim as she stared at the clone before her. Tech? Gone? What does he mean, gone? As in—
“He’s—” Phee put a hand to her chest to steady herself. Her chest was burning, the world was spinning, and Hunter was still staring at her with that look of hopelessness that did nothing to quell her spiraling. She screwed her eyes shut, forcing her lungs to take in air, then craned her neck to look back up at Hunter.
“I’m— I’m so sorry,” Phee stammered. She wanted to say more, she had to say more. But what?
Hunter beat her to it. “We’re going out to find Omega, but I thought it’d be best to let you know…”
“...Thank you.”
Say something!
Hunter nodded, turned his attention to Wrecker, who was standing off to the side groaning in pain. Hunter excused himself and approached Wrecker, leaving Phee to her thoughts. She shuffled away from the Marauder, the world still spinning, her mind spiraling. Somehow, she made it to a bench a little ways over and slumped into it. Hunter said it; Tech was gone.
“Oh, Brown-Eyes…” Phee muttered, looking up to see the last rays of sunlight beaming over the horizon.
Omega scrambled behind the nearest crate as a barrage of blaster shots narrowly missed her. She clutched her bow to her chest, her chest heaving, as she tried to plan her next move. She heard the heavy footsteps of Imperials rushing by, shouting orders, shooting the crate she used at cover. She winced as a bolt whizzed past her face.
“Omega!” Hunter’s voice blared from her comm unit. “Omega, where are you!?”
Hunter sounds mad, Omega thought, taking a deep breath and keying her comlink on. “I’m in the town square, but there are a bunch of troopers on me. I’m pinned down!”
“Why are you in the town square? I told you to stay on the Marauder!” Hunter shouted.
“I know, but—”
“Don’t worry, Hunter, I see her,” Wrecker cut in. A surge of hope spiked in Omega’s chest, and she looked up to see a burly figure running toward her. Omega smiled broadly as Wrecker took out the incoming Imperials, diving behind the crate next to her.
“Wrecker!” Omega shouted.
“Hey kid,” Wrecker laughed, raising his helmet off his head to look at her. “C’mon, let’s get out of here, yeah?”
Omega nodded. She activated her bow as Wrecker stood, shooting at the troopers who arrived on the scene. Following her brother out of harm’s way, she took down the remaining troopers, her confidence returning rapidly. Wrecker glanced behind his shoulder and stopped in his tracks.
“What is it—?” Omega started, following his gaze to see a small device beeping on the wall.
Wait—
Before Omega could comprehend what was happening, Wrecker threw himself over her with a shout. She hit the ground hard, her bow falling out of her hand, the sand underneath her shaking. The air turned unbearably hot as an explosion burst in her ears. She screwed her eyes shut as she went flying, wrenching away from Wrecker’s grip. She tumbled across the square, the rough sand biting into her skin.
Just as quickly as the explosion started, it went away, leaving her ears ringing and eyes burning with smoke. Omega found herself disoriented, and it was impossible to tell which way was up. She pushed herself off the ground, shaking her head, and looked around. The fountain in the center was destroyed, its fragments littered across the scene. She touched her face to find a thin cut on her cheek, dripping blood.
“Ow…” Omega murmured, rising to her knees and gripping her wrist. Must be broken.
Suddenly, Omega gasped. Wrecker! She frantically searched the scene before her eyes fell upon a figure in the distance.
“Wrecker!” Omega shouted, standing and running toward him. She kneeled at his side and touched his cheek, turning his head to face her.
She bit back a scream.
Blood was smeared across his face, the flesh at his forehead marred and cut open. A lump formed in Omega’s throat, and she covered her mouth in horror.
“C’mon, this way!”
Oh, no. Omega looked to see a pair of Imperials running toward her. She looked around for her bow, but she couldn’t find it anywhere. Her stomach dropped. She glanced back at the Imperials, who raised their blasters—
Until a vibroblade pierced one’s helmet.
Omega turned to see Hunter, Echo, and Tech storming the scene, taking out the final troopers. Tech and Echo hurried toward their siblings, and as Tech helped Omega to her feet, Echo kneeled at Wrecker’s side. Hunter followed close behind.
“What happened?!” Hunter asked. His voice was amplified by his helmet’s modulator, and he didn’t sound happy.
“Wrecker came to get me, and we were trying to escape,” Omega started, her voice trembling. “But then an explosive went off, and—”
“I told you to stay in the Marauder!” Hunter shouted. “What possessed you to go running about and get yourself into trouble? You were never meant to be there!”
Echo and Tech tended to Wrecker’s wounds. Tech glanced over his shoulder with apprehension.
“I’m sorry, Hunter,” Omega said, curling into herself as she grasped at her waist. “I knew I should’ve kept watch—”
“No,” Hunter interrupted, yanking his helmet off with a flourish. “You weren’t meant to be here, with us to begin with.”
Echo whipped around at Hunter’s words, mortified. “Hunter—” he started, but Hunter cut him off. He stepped toward Omega and jabbed a finger at her, making her flinch back.
“You may have managed to slip your way into my squad,, but you will never be a Bad Batcher.”
Omega’s fingernails dug into her skin as she stared up at Hunter. The anger written in his face burned an image in her mind. His heaving chest, knitted brows, the way he looked at her with pure fury…Hunter averted his gaze, instead focusing on Wrecker. He sighed and crossed the scene, tucking his helmet under his arm and kneeling beside his brothers. Omega watched him walk away from her without a second glance. Her vision blurred, her cheeks hot and wet. She touched her face, glancing at her fingers. Tears. She swallowed hard, screwing her eyes shut as she wiped her eyes, her chest hurting at the words that destroyed her heart.
Summary: Echo's cybernetics become a hindrance when escaping Kamino
Word Count: 653
Content: Drowning
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“I can’t see anything,” Wrecker gasped, watching as faint shadows of debris sunk past him. The Batch waited with bated breath as the medical tubes they resided in rose to the ocean’s surface under AZI’s guidance. The fall of Tipoca City left the Batch stuck thousands of leagues under the sea, leaving the resources of Nala Se’s laboratory as a final hope for their escape.
Echo glanced around, shifting uncomfortably in the minimal tube space he shared with Tech. In the faint distance, AZI swam around Wrecker’s tube, diverting a chunk of metal away from the burly clone. Hunter’s and Crosshair’s tube zoomed by, right on track for the surface. Omega pressed her nose against the glass of her tube, looking around for any dangers.
“That—” Tech started before being interrupted by a piece of debris colliding with the tube, cracking the glass. “...Is a good thing.”
“We’re almost to the surface,” Echo said, pointing at the distant light above them. The water’s surface glowed orange from the flames engulfing the Kaminoan remains. Omega’s sharp inhale blared through the comm lines, filled with hope.
AZI’s voice crackled to life. “My reserve power is quickly running out, but everyone seems okay!”
Tech craned his neck, looking up toward the water’s surface. “So long as we stay away from the sinking debris, we should—”
Echo turned to see a marred piece of paristeel cut through the water and slam into his and Tech’s tube, shattering the glass around them.
“ECHO!” Omega’s voice became muffled as water rushed into his ears. He flailed about, trying to get his bearings, and looked around for Tech. Echo found his brother three feet away, swimming toward him.
Echo heard Hunter’s voice blaring through his helmet, but the water and adrenaline made it impossible to make out what he was saying. His limbs grew heavy, and he could feel himself sinking. Tech reached out and grabbed Echo’s scomp link, trying to pull him toward the surface. AZI glanced over at the others, deemed them safe, and hurried to help them.
Echo swam toward Tech and AZI as hard as he could, kicking and thrashing, trying to get to the surface. His lungs were burning from lack of air, his legs feeling like lead. Tech struggled to pull Echo toward him as AZI grabbed his arm and began propelling them to the surface, but it was no use. Bubbles floated up from Tech’s helmet as he strained. His grip on Echo’s scomp link was slipping. His eyes were screwed shut, burning from the oil in the water. His lungs were shot.
“We must hurry!” AZI shouted through the water, forcing his boosters into overdrive. Echo saw Tech’s fingers slipping from his scomp link, holding on to the very edge. He saw Tech’s eyes open, staring at Echo with brows furrowed and eyes filled with suppressed despair, and Echo understood.
His robotic limbs were the reason they weren’t moving. He was too heavy.
“Tech! Echo! Are you guys okay?!” Omega sobbed into Echo’s comm unit. “Hunter, they’re not responding. Please, Echo! You’ve got to be okay!”
Tech’s grip lessened, but he refused to let go. Echo watched as his brother’s eyes fluttered, as he shook his head and kept trying to tow Echo to the surface. AZI’s eyes flickered as he stared at Echo. The lifelessness of the droid’s face brought a new understanding to Echo. Tech was willing to die for Echo. But Echo wouldn’t let it happen.
Echo wrenched his scomp link out of Tech’s hand and immediately felt the surrounding water force him down. Down into the dark depths of the Kaminoan seas. Down, away from the distant light that was the surface, where Omega and the rest of the Batch were hopefully floating in their tubes.
Down, away from Tech’s wide eyes and outstretched hand as AZI pulled him to safety.
Summary: Jaye and Hunter cope (terribly) with Tech's death
Word Count: 761
Original Character: Jaye N’Cante
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Jaye brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, sighing deeply. It had been twelve days since the events of Eriadu, twelve days since Tech and Omega had gone. The Marauder was a complete mess. She had joined Hunter and Wrecker in tearing apart the galaxy trying to find Omega, but now she was more concerned about tearing herself apart in the process. As the two clones sat in the cockpit, Jaye stood in the cargo hold cleaning the ship from top to bottom. She had cleared out the cargo racks that doubled as bunks, completed an inventory, and organized ammunitions before finally sitting down and taking a break.
She ran her fingers through her hair, sighing again. Her eyes drifted across the room to the gunner’s mount where Lula lay limp. A light layer of dust began to gather on the plush, an ear falling to the side. Omega… Jaye sighed, turning to the goggles on the racks.
Tech.
The frame was broken and bent, the audio device sitting on the right side marred and useless. Orange-tinted shards clung to the frame, dirt and grime smudging the lens. Jaye stared at the goggles, grief welling up in her chest. Those goggles were a constant reminder of the hell she and the Batch had endured, of the fate the Empire had condemned them to; Tech’s death, Omega’s kidnapping, and Hunter and Wrecker’s despair.
Damn it, Ashla…
Jaye pinched her wrist, repenting for her curse. Now wasn’t the time to be angry at ancestors, or the Empire for that matter. It was time to act. Jaye stood and took the goggles, opening the nearest crate. She looked down at the lens once more, her face twisted in anguish before moving to lay the goggles out of sight.
“What are you doing?!”
Jaye whipped around to see Hunter in the doorway. His eyes darted between her and the goggles in her hand, a mortified look written on his face. Jaye glanced down at the goggles, saying, “I was just — I didn’t want us to spend all day ruminating over the past. Not when we still have to find Omega.”
Hunter started forward, staring at Jaye. “Are — Are you kidding me?” He reached out, trying to snatch the goggles out of Jaye’s hand. “You just want to move on? You wanna just — just forget about Tech?!”
“Of course not!” Jaye exclaimed, pulling away. “But if we keep sitting around doing nothing we’ll never find Omega!”
Hunter grabbed Jaye’s wrist and pulled her toward him, grabbing the goggles and wrenching them out of her hand. “What makes you think you have the right to take his things and act like he was never here?” Hunter shouted, waving the goggles in front of Jaye. “He left because he didn’t have a choice, unlike you, who left without a word!”
Jaye stopped struggling against Hunter’s grip and glared at him. “Excuse me?” she scoffed.
“You heard me. It took you months to come back to us after ‘grieving’ for your own squad, and now you’re telling us we have to put Tech behind us not two weeks after we lost him?!”
Hunter thrust Jaye’s wrist away to emphasize his point. She stared at Hunter, watched his hands ball into fists around the goggles. Anger and grief clawed at her chest. “Believe me, Hunter,” she choked out, her hand resting on her chest. “I loved Tech as much as you did. He was like a brother to me, too! He was the closest thing I had to having Colell back—”
“Please, don’t compare my brother to yours,” Hunter spat, his body shaking with rage. “You never saw Tech; you only saw Colell.”
Something snapped within Jaye. She stared at Hunter as his brows furrowed, his words registering for the both of them. Tears streamed down Jaye’s face as she whispered, “You don’t mean that.”
Hunter said nothing. His eyes flickered, averting his gaze for a fraction of a second, but he met her gaze once more, too prideful and angry to apologize. Jaye gritted her teeth and stormed past Hunter, slamming the controls to lower the ramp as she raced out of the ship. Hunter stared at the opposite side of the room for a moment, sighing deeply. Why did he say that? He turned toward the cockpit to see the ramp open and Wrecker gazing out the window. He turned and looked at Hunter with confusion written all over his face. Hunter closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Summary: Mayday and his men find it difficult to withstand the harsh conditions of Barton 4.
Word Count: 812
Original Character: Canvas, Checkmate, Flame
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Mayday gritted his teeth as another gust of freezing wind tore through his armor. It was another freezing night on Barton 4, just like the night he and his squad first landed on this planet. The Empire had ordered that they protect a shipment of precious cargo, for the contents of the crates were imperative for the Empire’s growth. Mayday didn’t know whether to fully believe that, considering he didn’t know exactly what he was protecting.
There were many variables to this operation, from the subzero temperatures and hostile creatures to malfunctioning equipment that insurgents used to their advantage to get the upper hand. It seemed like every week rebels were sneaking into the outpost, stealing cargo, and killing clones to the point where Mayday had to set up a schedule determining who would stay at the outpost’s edge on watch and for how long. Shifts were getting longer as he lost more men, and he didn’t know how long before they were all killed off.
“Commander,” Veetch’s voice blared through Mayday’s helmet. “Commander, come in!”
“What is it?” Mayday answered, jamming his finger into the loose comm button at his ear. His voice cracked with lack of use, his mouth dry. He made a mental note to check the water filter back at base.
“It’s Canvas. I think… I think he’s dying.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Mayday’s chest tightened as he sighed, the cold air freezing his lungs. “I’m headed in now.”
Mayday trudged through the snow, the icy ground swallowing his legs with every step. He switched to a public channel and said, “Back to base, men. Something’s up with Canvas.”
A flurry of acknowledgments filled Mayday’s helmet. He looked up to see three other clones tramping toward base, some shaking the snow from their armor. One trooper bounded toward Mayday, asking, “What’s with Canvas? Is he okay?”
Checkmate. Mayday placed a hand on the clone’s shoulder and said “I’m sure he’s fine. Probably just sick again. He’ll push though, he always does.”
Mayday didn’t have to see Checkmate’s face to know the trooper wasn’t so sure. Flame and Hexx caught up to them, and the four clones entered the base together. The stronghold was dark inside, with stacks upon stacks of crates almost reaching the ceilings. A protocol droid walked by, carrying cargo here and there. The four clones found Veetch standing beside Canvas, who was bundled up in a multitude of ponchos and stray cloth.
“I did the best I could, Commander,” Veetch said, his voice strained. “But I don’t think he’s gonna make it.”
Murmurs drifted through the room as Mayday’s men whispered amongst themselves. Checkmate balled his hands into fists, turning to the nearest protocol droid. “You! Come here, he needs a medic!”
The protocol droid froze in his tracks and stared at Checkmate. “I am not a medical droid. It is not part of my programming.”
“Then find someone—!” Mayday cut Checkmate off with a firm hand on his shoulder.
“Check,” Mayday said, locking his gaze on his brother. Checkmate stared at Mayday, then at the protocol droid.
“But—”
“There’s nothing we can do except send him off. We’d be doing more harm keeping him alive.”
Checkmate shuddered from something other than the cold. Mayday gently led him back to the others, who were surrounding the dying clone. “Commander?” Canvas shuttered. He raised his hand an inch from the blanketed mound he lay on, only for it to fall limp at his side. Mayday took Canvas’s arm, squeezing his hand.
“You’re gonna be alright, brother,” Mayday said. “It’s just a cold.”
A weak chuckle escaped Canvas’s lips. “No kidding, Commander. Is… Is backup here?”
“They’re coming,” Mayday answered. He saw Checkmate step forward in his peripheral, moving to grab Canvas’s other hand, but Flame held him back. Hexx placed a hand on Checkmate’s shoulder as the tears streamed down Checkmate’s face. Checkmate had been assigned to Mayday’s squad along with Canvas, and they spent every waking moment looking out for each other. It was always hard for Checkmate when a brother left him, but this one might hit hardest.
“Commander…” Canvas started again, attempting to sit up. His elbow slipped out from beneath him, and he fell back with a grunt. “Commander, I—”
“Easy, soldier,” Mayday said. Checkmate sobbed behind him. He’s so weak. “You’re gonna be alright.”
“My drawings…” Canvas strained. He let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes as a small smile played on his lips. “My drawings… give them to Checkmate, yeah?”
“Sure thing, shiny,” Mayday answered, tears welling up in his eyes. Canvas’s chest fell slowly as Mayday pressed his fingers to Canvas’s wrist. No pulse.
Mayday placed Canvas’s hand on the shiny’s chest before standing. The other five clones watched as he lifted a hand to his face and wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Sure thing.”
Canvas, Checkmate, and Flame are original clone characters I came up with for the sake of the story since we only saw Hexx and Veetch in 2x12 “The Outpost". Feel free to use them in your own stories/art/whatnot, but make sure you credit me :P
Hunter stumbled into his cell, glaring over his shoulder at the clone trooper who pushed him in. Jaye watched with worried eyes before being shoved down the hall and out of sight. Hunter sighed, scanning his surroundings. He and the Batch had stormed Mount Tantiss on the hunt for Omega, but at some point, Jaye had gone off on her own and gotten caught. Hunter tried to get her out of the sticky situation, ordering Crosshair to take the squad back to the Marauder and wait for them, but Hemlock was one step ahead.
The squad was who knows where, having escaped the facility while Hunter and Jaye were in the clutches of the Empire, awaiting the infamous Dr. Hemlock.
Hunter could hear Jaye cursing out the troopers in the next room over, couldn’t help but admire her boldness, considering she could’ve been shot at any moment. He heard a blow hit and her gasp of pain, then the soft clicking of cuffs. Kriff.
Footsteps receded, leaving Hunter in silence. He waited a moment before moving to the wall adjacent to Jaye's cell and tapping a code on the paristeel: Can you move?
A soft tap of a foot answered: In a chair.
Plan 4?
“Fascinating language, Morse Code.”
Hunter looked to see Hemlock standing at the entrance of his cell, a smug look written on his face. “Wouldn’t you agree, Hunter?”
Hunter glared at the doctor. Hemlock descended the steps, approaching Hunter. “I think we both know how this is going to go. I’ll ask where the rest of your squad is, and you’ll refuse to tell me. Does that sound about right?”
Hunter said nothing. Hemlock smiled. “As I thought. Well, not to worry, it’s only a matter of time before they come back to save you. In the meantime, I thought we could engage in a little experiment.”
Hemlock began pacing across the cell, clenching his gloved hand in his other. Hunter heard a scuffle in the next room over. “Experiment?”
“Why yes,” Hemlock answered, his eyes gleaming as he turned to look at the clone. “Your devotion as a father figure to Omega is quite fascinating. I hadn’t realized that clones could care about those other than their brothers.” Hemlock brushed a piece of lint from his shoulder. “I want to see if that devotion extends to romantic partners, as well. You’re aware of Jannie N’Cante in the next room, yes?”
Hunter’s stomach dropped. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“The fact that you tried to single-handedly save her from my forces proves your relations to her,” Hemlock cut him off. He stared at Hunter with a kind of venom that surprised the clone, a kind of stare that threatened horrible possibilities. “You may have noted that you are not bound to a table or other restrictive surface, besides your cuffs. That was on purpose. You need to have full mobility if the results are to be as accurate as possible.”
Hemlock pulled a comlink out from his pocket and keyed it on. “Begin the sequence.”
“Yes, Doctor,” blared an unfamiliar voice from the comlink before crackling off. Hunter’s brows furrowed in confusion as Hemlock grinned. What was he—
“No. Wait—”
Hunter froze, his hearing strained. He could hear Jaye in the other room, her breathing becoming more erratic. Anxiety spiked in his chest as she cried out. He stared at the floor, listening to his heart pounding. What were they doing to her?!
“Please, no. Please—!”
The scream that ripped through the air made Hunter’s ears ring. His chest seized up, the hands of malice and outright rage gripping his heart. His hands clenched into fists as Jaye gasped for air, begging for the pain to stop.
“She’s not being harmed,” Hemlock chirped. “At least, not physically. A colleague of mine is studying different sounds and how the mind reacts to them, but Jannie’s results turned out to be the perfect material to study you.”
Hunter’s mouth went dry as Jaye screamed again. He glared at Hemlock to see the doctor smiling. Smiling! At the sound of a human being’s pain and agony! How could Hunter have let this happen? How could he have allowed this monster to lay a finger on Jaye, or Omega and Crosshair, for that matter? Was this the leader he was trained to be? To let his team fall apart at the hands of Royce Hemlock?
Hunter struggled against his cuffs. Oh, how he would pay. As soon as Hunter got his hands on the scientist, he would make Hemlock pay.
“You’re sick,” Hunter growled, his entire body shaking with rage. Hemlock’s grin only widened as he backed out of the cell and allowed the ray shield to close.
Summary: Hunter, Wrecker, and Echo storm Mount Tantiss to find something unexpected.
Word Count: 862
Content: Tech Lives AU
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“Got it,” Echo said, unplugging the datapad as the door whisked open. Hunter led the trio through the halls, his senses lighting up at the slightest stimuli. Distant patrols, medical equipment, even the dripping of faucets, he heard it all. His hands gripped his blaster as he crept down the halls, his finger tight against the trigger. This was the facility in which Omega had been held for almost six months. They were so close. They couldn’t back down yet.
“Where is she?” Wrecker asked, his voice dripping with venom.
Echo pointed down the hall. “This way.” The three clones hurried along, keeping a lookout for anyone who could block their path to Omega. The facility inside Mount Tantiss seemed like a maze, the twists and turns enough to make anyone lost. Hunter darted around corners, his eyes scanning the scene for any sign of the young clone. Echo stopped him and Wrecker in front of a doorway, saying, “She should be in there.”
Hunter’s breath hitched in his throat. Six months of constant searching, of minimal sleep and food, and Omega was just beyond that door. His stomach churned with anxiety, with the hope he was trying to keep at bay. If he were to get his hopes up, and Echo turned out to be wrong…
He couldn’t bear the thought.
“What are we waiting for?” Wrecker said, gripping his blaster. “Let’s get her out of here!”
Echo nodded, started toward the door, but stopped. He looked back to see Hunter’s hand gripping his shoulder. “What is it?”
Hunter wanted nothing more than to storm that room and find his little sister, to take her away from this horrible place and give her the life she deserved. Yet he couldn't shake the scent emanating from the room. It was familiar, yet twisted. It was not Omega’s but someone else’s.
“I think—” Hunter started, but was cut off. The door opened, revealing a helmeted figure stepping into the hall. He uncrossed his arms as the door behind him closed, staring at the three clones. Without hesitation, Wrecker raised his blaster, but Hunter signaled him to stand down. The scent… it was stronger now, and it was coming from the figure. Hunter slowly stepped toward the figure, his hands outstretched to show he was not a threat. The figure stared at him, his helmet hiding any emotion he may have had. Wrecker and Echo exchanged a confused glance as Hunter removed his helmet, staring at the figure with tears in his eyes.
“...Tech?”
The figure said nothing. Hunter set his helmet on the ground, not breaking his gaze. He stepped closer. “Tech, it’s me, your brother. I… I can’t believe you—”
Without warning, Tech drew his blaster and aimed it at Hunter, but the tattooed clone was faster. He threw himself onto Tech, wrestling the blaster out of his hand as Wrecker and Echo entered the scene. As Echo went to work on the door, Wrecker moved toward Hunter and Tech but was stopped by a blaster bolt shooting past his helmet. He looked back to see a pair of troopers shooting at the burly clone.
“Tech, snap out of it!” Hunter strained. Tech was stronger than he last remembered, assuming the figure was really him. The scent was there, but he didn’t want to believe it was really Tech until he saw his brother’s face. Hunter wrenched the blaster out of Tech’s hand and threw it aside before grabbing his helmet. He tried to pull the helmet away, but Tech threw Hunter off. Wrecker glanced over his shoulder to make sure Hunter was okay, narrowly missing a blaster bolt to the head.
Echo tried to fire off a few shots at Tech but became occupied with more troopers filling in the corridor. “Hunter! We need to move, now!”
“Not without Omega,” Hunter answered, breathing heavily. He scrambled to his feet and was met with a blow to the chest, being pushed into the wall by Tech. He wrestled with the helmeted figure for a moment, taking his knife and cracking the handle into the helmet. Tech stumbled back, his hands shooting up to the broken plastoid. Hunter listened as the blaster bolts died down, looking to see that Wrecker and Echo had taken care of the troopers. For now.
“Hunter—”
He looked to see Tech aiming his blaster at Hunter's chest, his free hand covering the area where the helmet was broken. Hunter watched the figure as his arm tensed, braced himself for the shot that would pierce his armor, but it never came. The figure hesitated, his arm shaking violently. His hand fell to his side, revealing the face beneath. Hunter stared at the face, his stomach dropping to the floor.
He couldn’t help but let out a cry of despair at the realization that it really was Tech under that helmet.
“Please, no—”
Tech groaned, his teeth gritted, his arm shaking ever so violently. He uttered one word before giving in to the blaster, resisting just enough to move his arm an inch to the right before shooting, narrowly missing Hunter as the sergeant scrambled out of the way.
Senator Chuchi watched the traffic speed by above her as her speeder descended upon 79s. She glanced down at her datapad and tapped a few keys, pulling up a short list of questions and notes she had jotted down earlier that day. After the passing of the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill, the need for her project to create an outline for the clones after military service was in as great a need as ever. As the speeder slowed, she heard faint shouting and looked to see some clones fighting outside the cantina.
“Senator, this doesn’t look safe,” a security guard said, turning in the passenger seat to glance back at Chuchi. “We should leave. Come back at a better time.”
“There may not be a better time, Captain,” Chuchi answered. “We don’t know what’s going to happen when the clones are fully decommissioned, and it is my job to figure out what they need to survive. It must be today.”
The captain said nothing, instead exiting the speeder and opening Chuchi’s door for her. She climbed out of the speeder and approached the cantina, where she could hear shouting coming from within, drowning out the music. The door opened with a swish, revealing the warm ambiance of the cantina. Lanterns hung from the ceilings, colorful drinks lined the walls, and holoprojectors blared on with news, sports, and more.
The guests inside, however, were locked in a massacre.
Chuchi froze, watching as clones brawled amongst themselves, fists flying and blood pouring everywhere. Her datapad dropped out of her hands as Security Force officers tried to keep the fighting at bay, only to be tackled and beaten into the ground. Chuchi’s security guard grabbed the senator’s arm, pulling her out of the bar, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the spectacle, no matter how much she tried. Blood was splattered up the walls, clones were collapsing left and right, and the sound of police sirens was fading into the scene. A pool of blood oozed toward her feet, staining the tile flooring. She looked down to see a clone trooper crawling toward the door, his face drenched in red. He groaned in pain, reaching out and clawing for Chuchi’s ankle. She screeched in surprise, pulling away from the clone before another raced up to her, shouting.
“Hey! It’s that senator!” the clone slurred, pointing at her. “What happened to getting us back on the field, eh? What are we supposed to do now that we have no war to fight in? No Republic to fight for?!”
“Senator!” the captain shouted, finally snapping Chuchi out of her trance. She backed away from the clones, allowing her guard to remove her from the cantina and back to the speeder. She slumped against the seat, breathing heavily.
“Are you okay?” the guard asked her, his voice tight with strain. She nodded, her mind still in the cantina. Her hand drifted across the seat, feeling for her datapad.
“My…” Chuchi swallowed hard before looking the captain in the eye. “My datapad. It’s still in…”
The guard glanced over his shoulder at 79s, then back at Chuchi. “You stay here, I’ll go get it.”
The guard left, leaving Chuchi to process what she had just witnessed. The bill was passed; was this the result of the Senate’s actions? Those clones were to be arrested at any moment, and that would result in making a bad name for them. All those poor soldiers were to be reduced to a stereotype: violent and unpredictable.
Chuchi placed two fingers on her wrist, feeling her racing pulse. She didn’t know what to do, how she could possibly hope to create and approve an outline for them now? She closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples, and let out a shaky breath.
