"Get us into contact with Kamino!" General Skywalker shouts immediately. An officer scrambles to pull on a headset and reach for a control panel as the rest of the deck erupts into tense, worried chatter. Hevy stumbles back in shock, but his batchmates are there, forming up around him as a solid foundation amidst the sea of panic that Slick's transmission has left behind.
Slick is dead. Hevy feels faint, suddenly. It hardly makes sense. He'd barely known the man. He'd argued with him during their only meeting, but for some reason he can't get the images out of his head—Slick, eyes boring into Hevy's, spine straight as if he could sense what was coming, the way he hadn't even tried to move away when Ventress' blade had plunged toward his back.
Somehow, Slick had trusted him. It doesn't make sense.
"—evy. Hevy." Echo is in front of him, both hands on Hevy's shoulders. He peers into Hevy's eyes like he's searching for something. "Are you alright? Kriff. Look at me."
Hevy obeys. "I'm—" he starts to say, and nearly recoils when he barely recognizes the small and trembling voice coming from his own mouth. That's not right. He's fine. Slick is dead, but Hevy's fine, he barely even knew the man—
Except his hands are shaking.
"Any response on comms?" General Skywalker demands.
The officer from before looks up from his station, jaw clenched. "Sir, the signal isn't getting through. There's no response!"
General Skywalker bites out a curse violent enough to make the assembled men wince. "Keep trying! Send a call to any other Republic cruisers nearby. Alert them to the situation, see if they can make contact."
"They won't have any better luck," Droidbait whispers, face ashen. "We're not too far from Kamino, and if we can't get through… the Separatists, are they already there? That's not possible. Slick said they were headed there!"
Fives' expression is dark. "How could this happen?" he snarls to no one in particular. He keeps turning in little circles, like he doesn't know what to do with himself. Cutup grabs his wrist to stop him.
In front of them, General Skywalker reaches for his comm. "General Skywalker to Admiral Yularen. Tell the men to prepare for a jump to hyperspace."
"Sir?"
"The Sullust blockade will hold without us, Admiral. We're taking a little detour." General Skywalker pulls up a holomap with a quick flick of his wrist over the holoprojector. He glances over it and narrows his eyes. "Notify Captain Rex, and have navigation plot us a route to Kamino. If they steer us down to the Eriadu sector and then take us up the Triellus trade run past Tatooine, we can be there in under twelve hours."
The comms deck is becoming more chaotic by the second as General Skywalker continues to bark out orders. A group of men rushes past them.
Echo is still holding onto Hevy's shoulders. "We're in the way. We need to move," he orders. Domino squad obeys. Hevy is half-tugged over to the wall, where they're out of the way of any men trying to check the various charts and instruments in the room. Once they're in a more secluded spot, Echo presses his forehead to Hevy's. "I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't realize you and Slick were—"
"We weren't," Hevy interrupts hoarsely. "We weren't close. I don't…"
He has to stop. Now isn't the time or place to talk about this, especially not with General Skywalker and Commander Tano frantically trying to organize the men in the background, but suddenly all of Hevy's batchmates are focusing on him and he can't help but let some of the words loose. "I just… Force. He trusted me enough to die. We only spoke once, Echo. One time. I don't understand why he thought—why he would still come to me after that and then just let her kill him."
Echo's eyes go wide in understanding. He tugs Hevy closer, something sorrowful passing across his face. "Hevy, I'm so sorry. None of us were expecting this responsibility to fall on you."
"What responsibility?" Hevy chokes out. "I didn't want him to die for this. I don't want anyone to die just because I gave a kriffing speech. No one should die for me, I'm not worth it—"
"But you died for us," Fives says, a sudden clarity in his voice despite his earlier distress. His words cut into Hevy's chest like knives. "You made that decision. We definitely didn't."
"It's not the same," Hevy says.
"Isn't it? Why did you blow up the Rishi base, Hevy?"
A stupid question. "I wanted you to live," he answers.
Fives nods. "Wouldn't it make sense for Slick to have a similar motivation?"
"He wanted me to live?"
"Maybe. It could have been for someone else, I guess. He could have still cared for his squadmates, or for the little cadets on Kamino. Or maybe he saw something in you, just as most of the GAR does. They're willing to fight for anything they believe in, and right now they believe in you."
"But I haven't done anything! I gave a speech, that's it! I'm… I'm just a gunner," Hevy protests numbly. "I'm no leader. I didn't ask for this."
"But it's yours anyway," Echo says.
It feels like Hevy's been punched in the gut. The realization of what this means is a durasteel weight over his shoulders. Brothers that he doesn't even know are willing to die for him. A tight knot forms somewhere in his stomach.
"Fives! Echo!" General Skywalker and Commander Tano are hurrying towards them. General Skywalker offers them a look of pity when he notices how they're crowded around Hevy, but he doesn't hesitate to immediately turn to the ARCs. "I want you to go over everything you remember from your previous experience with this attack again." His fingers tighten around the hilt of his lightsaber. "It won't be the same, but maybe you can give us some insights on what we could expect. Other than that, we're going in blind. Anything is better than nothing."
"Sir, a transmission is coming in from the 212th!" a comms officer shouts across the room. General Skywalker turns, but as he moves another clone's hand shoots up.
"General! Transmission from Coruscant, the Council wants to know if we're going to engage—"
"Oh, we'll engage, all right," General Skywalker growls. "Ahsoka, meet up with Rex and start preparing the men. Sergeant, put that call through to the bridge. I'll be there shortly."
"Kamino," Cutup whispers under his breath, like he still can't believe it. Hevy can empathize.
"Echo, Fives," General Skywalker calls again, already striding towards the door.
"We'll be back soon," Fives promises, eyes narrowed. "Go with the Commander."
Echo squeezes Hevy's shoulders again before letting go. "Are you gonna be okay?"
There's just no time. There's no time to be thinking about this, to be distracted by something so ridiculous. Hevy nods even though the knot in his stomach only tightens as his brothers pull away. "I'll be fine," he lies.
Commander Tano fixes him with a look, wide-eyed with worry, but there's nothing she can do, either. "Come on," she urges. "Rex will meet us in the landing bay."
Hevy takes a deep breath and follows. He doesn't really have another choice.
"We had plenty of warning last time. Intelligence intercepted a comm between the Seppie leaders, so we knew they were going to hit Kamino," Fives explains to Beta squad as they stuff tibanna cartridges and thermal detonators into their belts. The atmosphere is grim. The ship hums beneath them as it hurtles through hyperspace. There's no chatter, not right now. Kamino isn't home to Fives, not anymore, but it is where his brothers are, and that makes it home for now. To have it so blatantly threatened is shocking even though they've all known that it was coming. "The clankers were after the remnants of the Fett DNA, apparently. They had Trident-class assault ships."
Nax scowls in distaste. "Those kriffing squid things?"
"Yeah. They dropped them into the sea from the atmosphere, hidden in the debris. They probably caused the most damage, but from what we understood, the men were eventually able to knock most of them off of Tipoca City." Fives doesn't recall how, because he and Echo had been… preoccupied, at the time. In mourning. Ninety-nine hadn't deserved to die. Fives won't let it happen again.
Speaking of Ninety-nine.
"Hevy, you alright?" Fives asks. Hevy glances up at him from where he's seated at the table, a Z-6 half disassembled in front of him. His eyes are dull. Fives' question is partially rhetorical—Hevy is far from alright. That much is obvious.
"I'll be fine," Hevy answers. Fives bites the inside of his cheek.
"Were you dropped down in gunships?" Del asks.
Echo shakes his head. "We were set down and left planetside by a cruiser a few days before the attack. We won't get that luxury now."
"Gunships it is," Jesse mutters. "Great."
"As long as we're with Flak," Droidbait chimes in nervously. That, at least, provokes a tiny grin from Hevy. Fives relaxes a little. As long as Hevy can still do that, Fives is confident that he'll be able to last through this battle without crashing. Once they're out of this, they can focus on helping him figure things out.
Fives is still struggling to comprehend how this battle is happening so soon. It should be months away. Unfortunately, Slick's words had made plenty of sense. An attack on Kamino is a surefire way to cause a drop in morale among the clones. If anything could take away from the excitement of their prospective rights, it's a threat against their home planet.
The little tugging in Fives' gut that he's come to associate with the Force keeps bothering him. Fives can't figure out what it's trying to tell him, save that things are truly changing now. Half of him wants to be excited by the prospect. The other half wants to curl up in his bunk and just let General Skywalker and Captain Rex take care of things from now on.
That's not how it works, though, and it's not how Fives works, either.
The door slides open to admit Coric. The medic has a medpac in his arms. He heads immediately to Kix, who's on the floor with adrenaline shots, painkillers, and bactapatches strewn out around him.
"Here," Coric says. "I thought you might be running low on some things." He passes Kix the medpac, who empties it onto the floor and begins to pick through the supplies.
"Thanks. I'll probably need it. Not just for us. The medic-to-cadet ratio on Kamino is something I'm trying not to think about too much right now."
Fives winces as his thoughts turn to the battalions of tiny defenseless cadets living on Kamino. General Shaak Ti, Rancor Battalion, and the older cadets will do what they can to protect them, but there's only so much they can accomplish on their own.
Coric shuffles his feet in place as he turns his head and turns to take in each member of Beta squad. His expression twists. "We're prepping the medbay to receive the injured. I'll be staying there to help. When you go down… just be safe, alright?"
Del offers him a fond look. "We'll be alright, Coric."
Nax nods in agreement, slinging an arm over Coric's shoulders.
"I know, I know. I just wish I could—" Coric begins, then stops. The fingers on his damaged hand curl weakly.
"I will do everything in my power to keep them alive," Kix reminds him solemnly.
Coric sighs. "I don't doubt that, Kix."
"Hey," Nax tells him, "We'll be fine. We've survived this long, haven't we?"
"Don't jinx it," Cutup says out of the corner of his mouth. The comment makes Hevy grimace and rap his knuckles against the durasteel floor.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep an eye out for Zeer while you're down there. Tipper as well. Those two might be ARCs now, but I think that just means they'll get into even more trouble than before," Coric says.
"Not that Zeer got into that much trouble in the first place, but we know what you mean," Nax says. He grins again when Coric pulls him into a loose hug. The medic reaches out to do the same to Del a moment later.
"You keep yourself safe too, understand?" Del tells him. "Just because you're staying here doesn't mean you should let your guard down."
"Yes, sir," Coric says, just a hint of teasing in his voice. "I'll be fine, Del. All of you, I'll see you soon. Good luck, come back safe. I've gotta head back."
Beta squad calls out farewells as he leaves. When the door slides shut behind him, Hevy gets back to reassembling his Z-6, snapping the pieces deftly into place. The rest of the men continue with their own preparations. Fives takes a deep breath and lets it out slow.
"What could they possibly be going after this time? The Fett DNA again? Or do they just want to slow production? Their first fleet wasn't enough to really do either," he says to Echo.
Echo shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. Too much is different. This isn't like Felucia or Geonosis. The entire premise of this battle has been changed."
"Sithspit." Fives pinches the bridge of his nose. Unease forms a gaping pit in his stomach. "I don't even know how to start planning. Grievous was there last time. And we know that Ventress is on her way. Will they even use the aquatic droids this time? What if—"
Del sets a heavy hand on Fives' shoulder. Fives' mouth snaps shut.
"Fives. You don't need to think of a solution to this. There isn't one yet. There are too many unknowns. Calm down."
Fives clenches his jaw. "Sir, I can—"
"He's right, Fives." Cutup's words catch Fives off guard. "You're going to wear yourself out at this rate."
"As soon as we get more information, we can try to figure things out. Until then, we need to prepare ourselves and get some rest," Del says. His tone is firm, yet kind. "Remember you're not alone in this, Fives."
Fives feels a surge of gratitude for the Sergeant. His words don't dissipate Fives' concerns completely, but they are comforting. He nods.
Del offers him a smile and a pat on the back. "Finish getting ready. We'll be alright. Try to relax."
Easier said than done, but Droidbait nudges him in the ribs, and Fives finally caves. He returns to checking over his belt and weaponry.
"Anyone heard from the ARCs or Iota squad?" Jesse asks as he passes a ration bar over to Hardcase. The question gives Fives the urge to get up and pace. Force, he hadn't even thought about Iota squad. None of Iota's shinies had been in Torrent Company last time, and Fives is pretty sure that many of the veterans had been killed long before Kamino. It's unlikely that their squads will be able to stay together during the assault. How is Fives supposed to keep watch over them, too?
He feels like he's going to vibrate right out of his own skin. Anxious, he picks up his datapad from his bunk and flicks through several memos that he's already seen. As he flicks his finger over the surface, a notice pops up. He has several unread messages from Senator Amidala. Fives frowns. Odd. She normally communicates with them through Hevy when she's able to risk sending a message, which isn't often. He flicks the first message open and begins to skim. "Holy kriff."
"Fives?" Kix says worriedly, glancing up at the curse. Fives shakes his head, eyes returning to the top of the message so that he can start over without skimming. His mouth drops open.
"What's wrong with you?" Hardcase says, one eyebrow raised. "Spit it out!"
"Senator Amidala says the Senate was going to vote on our bill today. She was confident that it would be approved, but—"
"Oh, no. No, no, they didn't approve it?" Droidbait interrupts, voice cracking. The room goes deathly silent.
Fives shakes his head. "No, sithspit, that's not it. The vote hasn't even happened yet. They had to postpone the meeting, because several Senators showed up to the Chancellor's office a few hours before and announced that their systems are officially kriffing seceding from the Republic."
"What? Who?" Echo asks, eyes wide.
"I don't recognize most of the names. But the first one is the Umbaran, Senator Deechi."
This is all happening too soon. Fives' fists go white-knuckled on the edges of the datapad. He can't help it.
"Why?" Del asks. Fives doesn't have an answer for him.
Hevy's head shoots up. "Deechi did claim that the war was draining Umbara of resources," he says. "He implied that the Republic should be more focused on that than the Clone Rights bill. Since the bill is being considered before his own requests… well. I guess his desires aren't really aligned with the Republic's anymore."
"Is… is the war really draining them of resources?" Droidbait asks. He shifts in his seat as he speaks, eyes on the floor.
Fives purses his lips. "It sure didn't look like it when we fought against them. They seemed to have all the supplies they needed. I guess I could be wrong, but I don't think that's what this really is about. Umbara was just looking for a reason to get away from the Senate, and we gave them one way sooner. Last time, they didn't dare secede until Deechi was assassinated later on during the war. It was the biggest scandal of the month, all over the holonet. I think Senator Amidala was even involved. They must have interviewed her dozens of times." Droidbait relaxes at his words. Fives wishes he could do the same.
"What does this mean, then? Will we get sent to Umbara?" Cutup asks. Fives doesn't have an answer for him. He closes his eyes and silently prays that they won't.
Rex finds them in the mess hall while they're shoving one last meal down their throats. They're a few hours out from Kamino, and Droidbait's fingers tap fitfully against the tabletop. It feels like they haven't participated in such an important battle in a while. The 501st isn't the only battalion headed to Kamino by now, but they are the closest, and they'll arrive first. Droidbait is dreading what they'll find. The continuing silence from Kamino is alarming.
"Beta squad, I've got news," Rex announces grimly as he comes to a stop in front of them. "And I don't think you're gonna like it."
Everyone goes tense. Droidbait feels his own shoulders start to hike up towards his ears in anticipation.
Del takes a breath. "What is it, Captain?"
"I can't let Domino squad go down to Kamino."
For a heartbeat, Droidbait can't believe his ears. Then Fives and Echo leap to their feet with cries of protest. Hevy cringes, and Cutup sits frozen, hand clenched around his utensil. Droidbait balls his hands into fists. As nervous as he is, he wants to fight. Kamino is theirs. There are too many brothers at risk. He won't sit this one out.
"Sir, you can't be serious! That's ridiculous!"
"We can help you, Rex, you're crazy if you think—"
"It's not that I don't think you could help, Force," Rex interrupts. One hand comes up to rub at his temple. He looks stressed, and for a moment Droidbait feels guilty for making it worse. "It's—"
"I'm supposed to be dead," Hevy whispers, and Droidbait flinches. Kriff, that's right. And it's not just Hevy, either—
"Technically you're all supposed to be dead," Rex corrects. Fives snarls out a curse in Huttese and drops back into his seat. Cutup groans.
Echo remains standing. "Sir, that doesn't mean we can't go. If we can just borrow some of the unused armor from storage, no one will be any the wiser."
Rex frowns. "They could still catch you."
"Not if we're careful," Echo retorts. "Besides, in the chaos it's unlikely that they'll be looking for us."
"For all we know, the Kaminoans have planned for this," Rex argues, but Echo shakes his head.
"They might be in on things when it comes to the chips, but they wouldn't just let the Separatists destroy their labs. They're too prideful of their own work. The chances of them collaborating with the Separatists to launch this attack are slim."
"Whether they're involved or not, all it would take for you to be discovered would be running into the wrong person, or losing your bucket during battle. If you encounter Nala Se, or anyone else who recognizes you, it's over."
"We're more than capable of being discreet. We're not fools, Rex," Echo snaps. Droidbait can see that he's getting riled up, bracing himself for a fight.
Rex sighs. "Echo…"
"Captain, please," Droidbait interrupts before the arguing can continue. Rex turns to look at him. Droidbait squares his jaw. "General Shaak Ti is there. She's a Jedi. She can help if anything goes wrong. Please don't make us stay behind. This is too important. Our brothers are going to need all the help they can get."
If anything, Droidbait thinks the earnestness of his words sways the Captain far more than Echo's arguments had. Rex's expression softens. "Fine. But you will be putting on fresh armor. Your paint jobs are far too recognizable. Keep your buckets on, and be careful of what you say down there."
The exhale of relief from the entirety of Beta squad is impressive. It's a small price to pay. Droidbait can put in his new tally marks after the battle, once they get back to the Resolute.
"Thank you, sir," Droidbait says.
Rex shakes his head, but the smallest of smiles flickers across his face. "I should have known I wouldn't be able to get you to stay. I doubt I would be able to order you, either. Last time something like that happened, Fives jumped out of a gunship."
"If you were to keep us here, something like that would undoubtedly happen again, sir," Fives says, straight-faced. Cutup punches him in the shoulder. For a moment, Droidbait wants to laugh.
"Head down to equipment once you're done here. We've only got four hours until the ETA," Rex reminds them. It's like getting socked in the gut by a fist of sobriety. Droidbait grits his teeth. Right. Impending invasion. An army of unknowns.
He catches Cutup signing, hand hidden behind Hardcase's elbow so that the Captain won't see. Do we tell him about the bill? Ordinarily Droidbait would say absolutely. It's too important a detail to hide, but he glances up at Rex again and sees how his forehead is furrowed with stress lines.
Later? Droidbait signs slowly. He's not as subtle as Cutup was. Rex's eyes flicker down to Droidbait's hands, but not quick enough to see the short sign. While Rex is distracted, Fives sends Droidbait a short nod.
The Captain doesn't need any more stress right now, and they should be focused on the battle at hand. Better to save worrying about Coruscant for after Kamino. Rex raises an eyebrow, but fortunately doesn't question them. He leaves with a quick salute and a reminder to change armor before they head to the landing bay to load up.
Droidbait finishes his food in record time, heart beating so fast that he can feel it in his ears. The longer he waits, the more nervous he becomes. He runs a hand through his still-unfamiliar hair, struggling to relax into the sensation.
He has a bad feeling about this, and he suspects that it's only going to get worse.
The Resolute shudders as it comes out of hyperspace. Cutup wishes he could see what General Skywalker is undoubtedly seeing up on the bridge. Instead, he's stuck on standby in the belly of a gunship, one hand tight around his DC-15 and the other clinging to one of the stabilizing hooks above.
He knows that it's Hevy next to him because of the Z-6 propped up against his batchmate's legs. The rest of his brothers are scattered through the gunship, armor uncomfortably blank. Each one is accompanied by another member of Beta squad to keep them from getting lost in the crowd. Jesse stands near Cutup, while Nax stands shoulder to shoulder with Hevy. Hardcase is with Fives, Kix with Droidbait, and Del shadows Echo.
The overhead comm crackles to life. "We're coming out of hyperspace, boys. It might get a little choppy out there. I'll try to keep you all informed," Flak says.
Next to Cutup, Hevy lifts his head. "Hey, Flak! Technically, it's my turn to get dragged off the battlefield," he calls towards the ceiling before Flak can cut the two-way transmission. "You've got my back, right?"
"Is that all I am to you, Hevy? A chauffeur? And I thought we agreed to break that cycle," Flak says with a snort. "Don't do anything stupid. But yeah, sure, I've got you."
"You're a steller chauffeur, don't sell yourself short. I'll give you a five-star rating on the holonet. Assuming you don't crash us, that is," Hevy retorts.
Cutup chokes on an abrupt chuckle. Flak lets out a bark of laughter. Cutup can't see Hevy's face, but he can imagine the grin on his batchmate's face.
The Resolute shudders underneath them, and everyone goes silent, straining for any kind of clue as to what could be happening outside. In the hangar outside, Admiral Yularen's voice mixes with wailing alarms, ordering fighter pilots to their ships. Commander Tano and General Skywalker are each leading squadrons of men into the fray. Cutup taps his fingers against the butt of his gun and hopes that they'll be alright. At the front of the gunship, Captain Rex is speaking quietly into his communicator, shoulders stiff.
"The bridge says it's a big blockade, but not the biggest one we've ever dealt with," Flak tells them suddenly. Cutup lets out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Still radio silence from below, but General Adi Gallia and her men are only a few minutes out. General Skywalker wants to punch a hole through the blockade so that we can send a few gunships through and find out what's going on before we send the rest."
"If anyone can do it, it's General Skywalker," Fives mutters. "And General Gallia is a formidable pilot too, from what I've heard." The men begin to shift restlessly.
"We'll make it down to the surface. Patience." Del's voice is steady as always from his place next to Echo. Cutup shuffles his feet and accidentally bumps shoulders with Jesse, mumbling a quick apology.
The next few minutes seem to drag on for cycles. When Flak finally kicks the gunship's engine into a higher gear, the men begin to tense in anticipation in response to the vibrations of the ship. Cutup wants to beg Flak to give them more updates, but he can't bring himself to speak up. A distracted pilot is a dead one.
"Get ready. General Gallia's arrival gave Skywalker the advantage he needed to start clearing us a path." Flak sounds on edge. Cutup can't blame him. Kamino has tricky enough skies to manage on an ordinary day, without the looming threat of Separatist cruisers all around them.
After another moment, Flak lets out a satisfied sound. "We're headed down, boys, hang tight. The Seppies were unprepared, we've got a perfect path down through atmo." The gunship's engine roars as Flak lifts them out of the hangar.
Cutup reels for a moment in disbelief. The Separatists were unprepared? How is that possible? Ventress had seen Slick talking to them. She had to have known that the Republic was coming. Cutup feels a blooming heat in his chest, but it isn't comforting. It's a warning. He can feel that something is wrong, but what can he do? They're already hurtling through space. It's too late to do anything but hold on tight and brace himself for the incoming storm.
For the first few minutes of the flight, Cutup can hear the sounds of starfighters swooping around them, but once they encounter turbulence, indicating that they've entered the atmosphere, those sounds fade away. When they dip into the clouds, Cutup hears rain as well—lighter than usual, but still a decent amount.
"Tipoca City is straight ahead," Flak tells them. "We've probably got an ETA of—"
His voice abruptly dissolves into static. Cutup glances up at the ceiling in confusion as the comm channel is filled with white noise, until suddenly it explodes with a dozen panicked voices.
"Mayday, mayday, this is Tipoca City, is anyone out there—?"
"All units, regroup at the nurseries! The droids are—"
"Does anyone have eyes on the General?"
"—they're cutting through, is anyone nearby? We need—!"
Flak's voice is loud enough to cut through the din. "We've passed below whatever jamming signal the Separatists are using, we're getting their transmissions now!"
"Tipoca City, this is Captain Rex of the 501st," Captain Rex says immediately into his comm. "What's the situation down below? We've got companies on standby to deploy, are the landing pads clear?"
"This is Commander Colt of Rancor Battalion. Force, it's good to hear your voice, Rex! The western and southern landing pads are clear, but you won't be able to get a signal through to call for the rest of your battalion! They're jamming long range communications, but we've shifted to a lesser known frequency for short range."
"Let me worry about that," Rex interrupts. "Where are we needed? I've got three squads of men with me ready to fight."
"The barracks, maybe, in the northmost dome, or… kriff, the nurseries, too. The droids are focused more around there." An explosion sounds through the comms. Commander Colt swears. "Just get down here!" he barks. Machinery whirs as Flak opens the side doors, and they finally get a good look at Tipoca City.
Cutup has vivid memories of their home planet. He remembers sprinting through the rain, hair plastered to his skull as he raced to his next class. He remembers emerging one morning into sunlight that was so foreign that it nearly made him stumble back in surprise. He remembers the towering columns of Tipoca City, steady against the angry waves below. It had always seemed so constant to him, so unyielding. Now he knows that's not nearly true enough.
Pitch-black smoke rises from several of the domed towers, visible even against the grey clouds around them. Trident-class assault ships are attached to the city, gathered across a few specific domes as if the locations had been targeted. Cutup hears someone beside him gasp.
"Force, no, it's worse this time," one of his batchmates moans in despair. "We've got to get down there!" Cutup glances back to see Hardcase with him—Fives, then.
Flak swoops them towards the southern landing pad. The gunship hasn't even come to a complete stop before the men are leaping out onto the durasteel platform. The second gunship lands beside them, dropping off another two squads. Cutup sucks in a nervous breath, glancing around. The landing pad is deserted besides the three squads of 501st men. Without a crew of white-armored men to greet them, it barely even feels like Kamino. Thunder rumbles above.
As soon as they've all disembarked, Rex lifts his comm again. "Flak, Hawk, get back above the jamming signal and tell General Skywalker that we're clear to bring in the rest of the battalion!"
"Yessir!"
The gunships rise and shoot off back into the sky. Rex turns to the rest of the men, eyes hard.
"Let's move it, troopers! Find out where we're needed and do what you can to help!"
Rex leads them into the nearest entrance. Cutup's eyes are no longer accustomed to the blinding white hallways, and he has to squint as they step into the facility. The lights are all activated, but there isn't a single person in sight. Cutup shifts a little closer to the brother at his side, unnerved by the stillness. They come around a corner and finally run into a trio of older cadets dressed in red training tunics. Two are bent over the third, who clutches his side from his spot on the floor, eyes glazed over in pain. They two uninjured cadets gasp when they see the 501st squads and stiffen into salutes.
"S-sir!" one of them stammers, eyes snapping straight to the jaig eyes painted onto Rex's helmet. Kix shoulders his way past the rest of the men and heads straight to the wounded cadet's side.
"Status report, cadets!" Rex demands. One cadet straightens even further; Cutup is surprised not to hear his spine crack from the posturing.
"Sir, the attack came out of nowhere! We lost the ability to send long-ranged transmissions immediately. We thought they would send troops in at every available entrance, spread themselves out more, but instead the Trident ships have been targeting specific domes. We were in the barracks when the droids—" his voice falters. He hunches in on himself suddenly. "The droids overwhelmed the guards before the rest of Rancor Battalion could arrive, so we—we raided the armory and tried to defend ourselves, but the droids just kept coming and we didn't know what to do and we didn't have any armor—" The cadet speaks faster and faster with every word. Cutup looks at the three young clones and feels sick to his stomach.
Cadets are always placed in squads of five.
"So what are you doing here?" Rex says, not unkindly.
"Commander Blitz finally got to us, but he made us abandon the barracks and fall back to defend the nursery. But we were only halfway to the safe zone when the droids cut their way in. They came after us, and we… we got separated. And then '72 got injured, and our other two batchmates…" his chest heaves, and he pauses for a moment, expression crumpling. He shudders. "W-we almost didn't make it out."
Cutup sucks in a sharp breath and shuffles closer to Jesse, then glances back to take stock of where the rest of Beta squad is. He looks into the T-shape of Droidbait's visor from where he stands alone for now, waiting for Kix to return. Force. Cutup doesn't want to imagine his own batchmates in a similar situation. Behind him, the injured cadet lets out a weak sound of pain as Kix applies a bacta patch to his wound.
"We don't have comlinks, so we don't know where the worst of the fighting is. That's why we brought '72 here," the second cadet says quietly.
Rex puts a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You've done well. Help is on the way. We'll head to the nursery to do what we can, but I'll leave two men with you to—"
"You don't have to—" one of the cadets blurts out, then looks aghast at the outburst. Rex levels him with a look. The cadet ducks his head. "We can… we can handle ourselves, sir. You don't need to leave men with us. You'll need them more to fight," he mumbles.
Cutup smiles in approval. The cadets are still very young—probably seven and a half or eight years old, but they're brave.
Rex nods. "Alright. But we will be leaving you with a spare comm."
"Yes, sir," the cadet says gratefully. He accepts the comm.
Rex whirls to face the 501st squads again. "Let's move, men! On the double!" The men don't need more urging. They leave the cadets behind at a sprint, tearing through the hallways at top speed.
Their course takes them through large gyms full of exercise equipment that Cutup remembers using at several points during his training, but the rooms are marred by the presence of sparking droid parts and scorched plastoid. The battle has already passed through here. The cadets were lucky to make it out in time. Durasteel doors have been bent back and melted through. They check for survivors wherever they go, but all they find are limp bodies and shattered armor. Ice settles low in Cutup's stomach. He clenches his jaw so hard that his teeth ache.
It feels like their home has been defiled. Cutup swallows back bile and forces himself to keep moving.
They emerge from the dome into the rain. Droplets drum loudly against their armor. The walkway is slippery, but the sight of Trident-class ships digging their metal tentacles into the next dome is motivation enough to keep them all moving full-throttle. Horror constricts Cutup's throat. This dome is home to thousands of tiny cadets—the four-year-olds, who aren't quite old enough to be put through combat training yet.
"No," Cutup hears Echo gasp under his breath, Del right on his heels. "No, no, no, why would they—Sithspit. Hurry, hurry—"
"Come on!" Rex shouts. Above them, gunships begin to descend into view, trailing vapor as they punch through the cloud cover. Cutup catches a glimpse of a Jedi fighter descending with them. He steels himself in determination. The Jedi are coming, and their brothers need them. He charges ahead shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the squad, fingers tight over his DC-15. The white doors slide open automatically to admit them.
They enter the nursery dome and immediately step into a firefight.
Echo can't decide if he wants to scream, or cry, or both.
The nursery is a warzone. The clones in the entry hall are pinned against indents in the walls and behind flipped tables. Thankfully, Echo doesn't see any cadets among them yet. These men are trained, and they're holding out well enough, but there aren't enough of them to make a proper assault. Weary cheers echo through the hall when Rex's men come flying through the entrance with blasters raised.
The aqua droids here don't seem to be too concerned with advancing, but they don't retreat at the arrival of clone reinforcements, either.
"Over there!" Del shouts, pointing towards a flipped table a few yards away. Echo dives for the cover, pitching himself around the edge of a table to avoid blaster fire. He comes up next to a clone who is switching the tibanna cartridge in his DC-15S with practiced hands.
Del slides in right next to them. "What's the situation?" he shouts. The clone jams the cartridge into place and tilts around the flipped table to fire off a few shots. Echo does the same from the other side and clenches his jaw in satisfaction when he drops two droids in a row.
"We've been trying to get further into the nursery to help the men trapped inside, but there are too many blasted clankers keeping us out! We can't make any headway!" the brother responds.
Echo growls low in his throat. "We'll get through," he says. He can't remember the last time he felt this angry. Going for the Fett DNA is one thing. Targeting the kriffing cadets is another. Fear sticks stubbornly to his insides. He's terrified of what they'll see once they move further in.
On the other side of the room, Nax throws a droid popper into the fray as Hevy fires a barrage of shots from his Z-6. A cluster of droids falls, trailing sparks. Echo sees an opportunity and takes it. He throws himself forwards into a roll and comes up on one knee, finger squeezing on the trigger of his weapon. It takes two shots to down the first droid he sets his sights on. One for the second. Two for the third. Then he's forced to dive to the side. Blaster fire follows him. He's done his job well. For a moment the droids are focused on him, and several more men poke out of cover to press forwards. The droids falter.
Captain Rex comes out of nowhere. He charges the droids from the side, a war-cry on his lips. His twin pistols blaze with blue light. The men rally behind him. The door that the droids are coming from opens and more start to come through, but a hailstorm of blaster fire prevents them from even stepping into the room. The droids are forced back. When the last one in the room falls, Rex's fist goes up, momentarily halting the assault. They wait for several tense seconds, but the door doesn't reopen. Several members of Rancor Battalion sag in relief. Someone calls for a medic.
"Regroup, reload, and we're moving up!" Rex calls. Echo whirls to peer past Del, terrified by the fact that it takes so long to find his batchmates. In white armor, they're so easy to lose track of, even with members of Beta squad following them—if any of them had been injured…
He finds Hevy and Nax easily enough. Kix and Droidbait are with them, and Hardcase and Fives are making plenty of noise, so Echo doesn't even have to turn his head to locate them. Echo gets eyes on Jesse, too, but Cutup is nowhere to be found.
"I lost him!" Jesse says, swivelling frantically. Echo's mouth goes dry. They had lost a few men. What if Cutup was among them? Echo is a half-second away from calling the entirety of Beta squad to help search when a hand is suddenly flung high into the air a few yards away, flashing the ARC sign for where? Echo throws up his own sign in response, and it only takes a moment for Cutup to weave his way through the assembled men to get back to them.
"Force, I'm so sorry," Jesse says as Cutup approaches. "I should have kept better track of where you were going."
"I'm alright, Jesse, stop worrying," Cutup says. "It's not your fault."
Echo agrees with him, because none of Beta squad can be expected to keep an eye on the Domino members all of the time, especially not during a firefight. But Echo's heart is pounding regardless. He nudges Cutup's shoulder in self-reassurance.
"Sithspit, how are we going to find Ninety-nine in all this?" Fives asks as he makes his way closer with Hardcase. Echo's stomach drops to his toes at the reminder of the old clone. He shakes his head mutely, grinding his teeth. Force, he hopes Ninety-nine is alright.
Ahead of them, Captain Rex is conversing with a man from Rancor Battalion. After a moment, he nods and turns to the men. "Listen up. We've got an advantage here. The clankers won't be expecting us to be coming through with reinforcements," Rex announces. "From now on, we move like lightning. The Sergeant tells me that the men have holed up in the mess hall, that's where they're defending the cadets. We push fast and hard until we reach that point to support them, understood?"
"Sir, yes sir!" Echo shouts, determined and angry, finger twitching on the trigger of his gun. He can hear the same sentiments in the voices of his batchmates. There are little brothers to protect. No force in the galaxy could keep them away from the nursery now.
Captain Rex is right. The droids weren't expecting the cornered clones to rally enough to push further into the nursery. At first, the droids that they encounter are all facing in the opposite direction, moving towards the mess hall. They don't notice the clones sweeping down the hallways until it's too late. Eventually the droids catch on, but Rex's strategy is efficient. They've gained momentum, and are too fast for the lumbering aqua droids to target effectively.
The further they go, the more bodies they find. Some men are only halfway in armor, caught vulnerable by the sudden attack. Echo hurries past one such man, stomach clenching in sympathy, but it's the glimpse of the blue and red cadet uniform that the dead man is huddled over protectively that makes his heart stutter in his chest. He doesn't want to look, but for some reason he can't tear his gaze away. There's a tiny, motionless hand just visible, still against the floor—too still—
Force.
Echo turns away, but it's too late. For a moment it's hard to breathe. He nearly tears off his helmet until he remembers that he can't, not here. He settles for taking deep, measured breaths and clenching his fists so hard that he can feel the faint dig of his fingernails against his palms even through the gloves.
No, no, no. It's not supposed to happen like this. The cadets had almost all been escorted to safety last time, the droids hadn't even gotten to the nursery, none of this is right—
Grievous is here somewhere. So is Ventress. Echo prays that none of the cadets have run into them.
The echoing sound of stomping metal feet ahead spurs them on even faster. A few more scattered droids try to stop them, but a well-tossed thermal detonator clears the way, shaking the floor. They round a corner and come into the hallway in front of the mess hall.
The corridor is filled with droids. Rex barks out an order. The men fire as one, disabling a line of aqua droids. It's effective, but not nearly enough. The droids turn on them and open fire. Echo scrambles for cover alongside Beta squad, pressing himself into the indent of a doorway. Blaster bolts whip past them, striking ugly scorch marks into the white walls.
"Come on, then!" Hevy shouts as his Z-6 whirrs to life. He lays down a thick blanket of cover fire that has the droids staggering. Del kneels to reload his DC-15. Echo presses closer to him and keeps his head on a swivel. The doors to the mess hall are sealed shut. Deep marks across the durasteel doors show that the droids had been in the process of cutting their way through, but they've abandoned the task now in favor of defending themselves, thank the Force.
A clone in blank armor to Echo's left drops lifelessly as a blaster bolt finds his visor with a sick sizzling sound. Fear grips Echo by the throat. Sithspit, he hates this. He can't shake off the terror clawing at his chest, trying to convince him that every blank casualty could be a batchmate.
A door on the other side of the hall slides open. More droids begin to march through. The clones shift positions to reorient themselves. They aren't quite fast enough. Echo sees one man get hit, then another. Hevy swears viciously as he and Nax are forced to retreat. Echo places droid after droid in his sights, blaster kicking against his shoulder. Jesse lets out a shout as Kix dives into the open to drag someone to safety.
At the front of the squad, Captain Rex backs up slowly, every movement sharp and purposeful. He's trying to hold his ground, but there are too many droids, and more keep pouring in.
The door to the mess hall starts to slide open. Echo inhales sharply in panic. For a moment he thinks that somehow the droids have broken through, but the door only opens just wide enough for a figure in a brown robe to slip through.
The bright blue of General Shaak Ti's lightsaber is like a beacon. She cuts through the first line of droids as if they were made of flimsi, a scowl on her lips. The droids swivel, momentarily torn between the squads of clones and the lone Jedi. General Shaak Ti charges them. The men cheer.
"To the General!" Rex shouts. The clones surge forwards. Echo keeps some of his attention on the General as he moves. She fights like a whirlwind of blue death, lekku twitching as she spins with all the grace of a dancer. She doesn't waste a single motion, fierce and unfazed by the droids challenging her.
The droids fall quickly after that, with the General behind them and the 501st men in front. When there are only a few left, General Shaak Ti comes to a halt near Captain Rex, cloak flicking out behind her, and clenches her free hand into a fist. The last several droids crumple. Metal screeches as it warps and bends until the droids are nothing more than balls of crushed wires and parts.
Force. Echo stares at General Shaak Ti in awe. He's not the only one.
The General seems mostly unruffled by the fighting, but there's a grim set to her expression that doesn't bode well. When she turns to the clones, her gaze finds Kix immediately. "There are cadets inside who require medical attention," she tells him. "We did what we could, but we were unprepared for so many injuries."
Kix darts for the door without a word. Droidbait follows. Rex turns to direct the men into setting up a perimeter, but Echo's feet move almost automatically to follow Kix, along with a good half of the remaining 501st men. The medic will need the help.
Hundreds of cadets crowd together in the large mess hall, pressed as far against the back wall as they can get considering their numbers. Others lay out on the floors while a few clones in soft green tunics tend to them. Echo only has vague memories of those men—nurses, he remembers distantly, but it's been nearly two lifetimes since he last interacted with one. A few Kaminoans stride around on skinny legs. The entire room is a cacophony of worried shouts, pained cries, and fearful chatter.
"Ninety-nine!" Hevy's shout of relief ricochets off the walls. He slings his Z-6 over his shoulder and hurries towards where the old clone is passing out ration bars to some of the men. The rest of Echo's batchmates follow. Echo nearly goes as well until he notices Kix struggling with one of the cadets and swerves quickly to help. Kix gives him a grateful look as Echo kneels beside him.
"What do you need me to do?" Echo can see Kix glancing around the room, likely thinking of how best to ration his limited medical supplies. The cadet stretched out on his front beside them whimpers, teeth digging into his lower lip. A horrible blaster bolt wound marrs his back, just below one of his shoulder blades. It's nothing Echo hasn't seen before, but it looks wrong on the body of a child, like it's merely paint, or some sort of hologram. Kix cuts the fabric of the tiny blue tunic away with a knife that he pulls out of his medpac. The cadet squirms.
"Hold him," Kix orders quietly. When he raises his voice, his tone is gentle. "Hey, kid. My name's Kix, I'm here to help. Just be brave for me, alright? What's your name?"
"T-torch," the tiny clone stutters out. His pupils are blown wide. Shock, probably. Kix pulls a hypospray from his medpac. Torch flinches back. "No, no, no—"
He's so kriffing small. Echo grabs him with careful hands and holds him in place. "You're okay. Look at me," he urges as the cadet sobs. "Kix is gonna help you, I promise."
The sound the boy makes when Kix sticks the hypospray into his neck is heart-wrenching. He goes limp a few seconds later as the sedative starts to take effect. Kix works fast to smooth bacta over the blaster wound, then gets up to move to the next cadet without wasting a moment. Echo goes to stand up, but a tiny hand curls around his wrist before he can.
"Wait—please. Please, help m'—m'brother, him next," the cadet slurs weakly. His head lolls to one side. Echo follows his gaze to the cadet next to him. At first, Echo frowns in concern. Kix's trajectory should have taken him to that cadet first, but it only takes Echo one terrible moment to realize why Kix passed him over. The cadet's chest is motionless.
Echo has seen squads torn apart and men cut down by the dozens. He's seen men die cradled in the arms of their batchmates and reaching frantically as their brothers are blown apart, but somehow this—the desperate plea of a tiny cadet, begging for the life of a brother already gone—is what causes Echo to bow his head, a lump rising in his throat. He takes Torch's hand in his own and squeezes gently, helplessness trickling down his spine like ice water.
What can he say? It won't be alright. The other cadet is already gone. In his own overwhelming pain, Torch hasn't noticed yet. Echo won't lie to him—but when he tries to swallow away his trepidation, the words get caught in his throat.
An ugly, sticky feeling is plastered over his heart. Echo gently runs his fingers through the boy's hair. "Just rest," he says numbly. "Just rest, Torch." The cadet's eyelids flicker, and he's unconscious a heartbeat later. Echo brings up his free hand to rub it across his own face.
"You alright?"
Echo looks up and takes a deep breath as Del crouches next to him. "As alright as I can be." It's true, but it feels like a lie.
Del glances from one cadet to the tiny body across from them, and his expression softens in understanding. He lays a gentle hand on Echo's shoulder. "Come on. The Captain is asking for Beta squad."
Echo nods and lets go of Torch's hand. He follows Del to where General Shaak Ti stands next to Captain Rex. The rest of Beta squad is already there. Kix keeps looking back at the cadets, fingers twitching. Echo steps into place with the rest of his batchmates and feels marginally better when they all shift around him automatically. Jesse shoots him a concerned look, but Echo waves it off.
Hevy leans in. "Ninety-nine is planning on staying here with the cadets," he says. "As long as the droids don't get back here again, he should be safe."
Echo sighs in relief. "The clankers shouldn't get through here again. General Skywalker will leave men to protect the cadets. He'll be alright. And he won't leave when there's so many brothers here that need his help." He glances up towards where the old clone is talking to a cluster of anxious cadets across the room, keeping them calm. The cadets hang off of his every word, desperate for the reassurance. Echo longs to go talk to him, but the General is speaking, and he needs to focus. The best thing he can do to make sure Ninety-nine stays safe is to do his job and get the Separatists off of Kamino.
"—could not have been better timing," General Shaak Ti is saying to Rex. "I've sent my men to different sections of the city with the help of Rancor Battalion's commanders and the ARC troopers, but the droids chose their targets carefully. We were limited in our defense strategies with so many cadets vulnerable."
"The rest of the 501st should be here shortly, ma'am," Rex tells her. "The gunships were just breaching atmo when we arrived at this dome. They'll take care of the Trident-class outside so that they can't drop in any more droids."
As if to punctuate his statement, a large explosion from somewhere else in the facility rocks the floor. The cadets cry out and then go completely silent, pressing closer to each other and staring up at the ceiling with wide, terrified eyes.
General Shaak Ti frowns. She surveys Beta squad around her and tilts her head when she notices Domino among them. Echo flinches when something intangible brushes against his mind. He throws up shields automatically as General Skywalker had taught them before realizing that it's only the General. She feels different than Skywalker does, or even Commander Tano—lighter, a bit more subtle. Like a rising tide instead of a forceful wave.
"Ah. I wondered if you would convince your commanding officers to let you come. You've grown," she tells them, a hint of a smile on her face. It doesn't stay long, but it makes Echo straighten regardless.
Footsteps and shouting echo from the mess hall entrance. Several men whirl with guns raised. They relax when General Skywalker bursts into the room, Commander Tano on his heels and a fresh squad of men behind them.
"Master Shaak Ti," General Skywalker greets quickly. He surveys the room, expression darkening, and motions for his men to help. Commander Tano takes one look at the crowded room and blanches.
"Skywalker," General Shaak Ti says. "We were relieved to receive word that you had arrived. We were under the impression that we would be on our own. Not a single one of our distress calls was answered."
General Skywalker crosses his arms over his chest. "Yeah, we're still trying to figure that one out ourselves. Masters Gallia and Tiin are searching for the source of the jamming signal in the blockade, but they haven't had any luck yet. Ventress is here. So is Grievous, most likely. Based on some of the details from our informants," he casts a very unsubtle glance at Domino squad, "it's possible that they'll go after the Fett DNA. I'll head down to the chamber to make sure they don't succeed."
General Shaak Ti nods. "I will remain here to assist the medics until the cadets are stabilized. Then I will search for Grievous."
General Skywalker opens his mouth, but before he can respond, General Shaak Ti's comm goes off.
"General, come in! This is Commander Hammer, we need immediate assistance!"
She doesn't waste a moment. "Commander, what is your location?"
"The hatchery dome, sir! There's a Duros here, a bounty hunter—he's laying remote thermal detonators onto the cloning chambers!"
"A Duros?" Captain Rex says suddenly, and exchanges a look with Hevy. "Cad Bane. He recently escaped from the Republic Detention Center on Coruscant."
"Snips, take a squad and get over there to help!" General Skywalker orders. "Do you know the way, men?"
"Yessir," Fives says immediately. Echo thinks of the thousands of incubation chambers, vulnerable and easily destroyed. He remembers that some of them had been damaged before, smashed by falling debris, but this is so much worse.
"They're just trying to destroy everything," Hevy whispers in a voice that trembles. "Is this because of what happened in the Senate?"
"The Separatists just want us to hurt," Cutup says shakily.
"Lead the way, boys," Commander Tano interrupts. Her lightsaber sits square in her palm, deactivated for now, but she rolls it between her fingers as she comes to a stop in front of them.
Del nods. "Alright, men, let's move!"
Echo finds himself behind Commander Tano, sandwiched in between Nax and Droidbait as they weave their way through the nursery dome for the second time. Partway through they encounter a duo of aqua droids. Commander Tano throws herself forwards into a quick roll. She comes up in between the droids and cuts them down in one graceful movement before they can even raise their guns.
"Whoa," Cutup mutters.
"You've seen it before," Echo says with a snort.
Cutup shakes his head. One hand jumps up to brush at his forehead, as if recalling his helmet markings. "Yeah, but not for a while. Holy kriff."
"Left here!" Del calls out. Commander Tano obeys. Twin doors slide open, and all at once they're in the rain again, sprinting across one of Kamino's larger outdoor walkways. They've only made it a few yards when suddenly Hardcase gasps.
"Look up, the Resolute!" he shouts, head tilted back. Echo follows his gaze and spots the massive cruiser through the rain, hanging in the air above them. A bolt of lightning lights up the sky behind it for an instant. Echo spots a cluster of dark shapes zipping towards it, and a faint glimpse of blue light that doesn't quite match the coloring of any ships that Echo is familiar with. Echo hears someone let out a strangled noise—
"No, no!" Fives shouts, hoarse and anguished. He's stopped in the middle of the walkway, completely frozen. "That's not possible!"
Echo doesn't understand. "Fives? Fives! What's wrong?"
"It can't be, how could they be here?" Fives blurts out, as if he hadn't even heard Echo speak.
"Fives! Tell me what's going on!"
Fives jolts like he's been shocked. "Echo—they're Umbaran fighters. The Umbarans are here. That's why they seceded from the Republic earlier!"
The Umbaran fighters light up the sky with bright green laser fire. Commander Tano lets out a cry as flames lick at the Resolute's hull. Echo feels so small. None of them can do anything but watch as the Umbaran fighters spiral around the Republic cruiser, avoiding the strafing fire of the turrets.
"The turrets can't get a bead on them. They've never dealt with these kinds of maneuvers before, the Umbaran pilots don't fly like the droids do. The shields are dropping," Nax gasps. Even as they watch, the oddly-shaped fighters roll through the sky, spiralling around the gunships and fighters that try to intercept them. Blue and green blaster fire shines bright against the dark storm. More Umbaran fighters swoop from the clouds as the defending forces are distracted and land a devastating bombing run on the cruiser, far too close to the bridge for comfort. The Resolute pitches unsteadily in the air, lurching like a giant wounded beast.
"They're going to take it down," someone whispers—maybe it's Bait. Echo can't tear his eyes away from the sky. The Resolute has been their home for months. It's not the only cruiser Echo has lived in, but it's the only one his younger batchmates know. To see it being torn from the sky is nearly just as bad as seeing smoke rise from Tipoca City. Ice-cold horror claws at his chest. Little specks of light that can only be escape pods dart away from the cruiser as the Umbarans make yet another strafing run across its hull.
Their armor is up there. As well as all of their personal items, in their barracks—Force, wait, Coric—
"Coric," Del groans, staggering a little. "He'd better have gotten into an escape pod, or else I'll kill him—" Nax is silent, shaking his head in silent denial. He reaches as if to pull off his helmet, but Del stops him.
"Admiral Yularen is there, too," Commander Tano whispers. Without warning, a blinding explosion forces them all to avert their eyes. When Echo can look again, the Resolute is sinking in the sky, shedding flaming plates of metal as it falls. More and more Umbaran fighters are soaring into view, chasing frantic gunships as they weave around Tipoca City's towers.
"They let us through so easy. It was a trap to get the cruiser down here," Echo realizes out loud. Fives is still terrifyingly motionless beside him.
Nevermind being sent to Umbara.
Umbara has come to them.
A/N: Gosh, I've been working on this chapter for so long that I don't even remember what I was gonna say as the end note. Rip. I'm back, though!
This was edited by the fantastic Lancerfate and beta-read by the amazing AngelWars! You guys are literally the best!
Like I said before, seriously, thank you so so much for your patience. College is really kicking my butt! On the other hand though, my writing style has seriously improved thanks to some of the classes I'm taking, so it's worth the wait, I promise!
I'm always so inspired by your guys' kind comments and encouragements! You guys are keeping this story going, and it's been so fun for me to interact with you all! Thank you so much for keeping my spirits up during midterms, I really appreciate it! It means the world to me that you guys are so supportive!
The next fic that I update will very likely be Esprit de Corps, so if you've been even More patiently waiting for that, keep an eye out! As usual, meridiansdominoes on tumblr for more! Love you all!