"Only four to go!" Hunter said, waving Tech to his position. "Come on, I can hear the others catching up!"

From somewhere through the forest to their right, there was a loud whoop from Wrecker, followed by the unmistakable sound of crunching metal.

"He just broke one," Tech said, shaking his head in disappointment as he leaned out from behind a tree to shoot down an approaching assassin droid. "We had almost made it through, too."

Hunter, who didn't particularly care – Wrecker was the one who'd have to fix the droid, after all – was just taking a step forward when he froze in surprise. Behind him, dozens of electrical signatures had just returned, and the next moment, he could hear metal footsteps advancing through the snow. "Tech –?"

But Tech's attention was occupied by the final droid before him. Behind the clones, blasters clicked.

Hunter lunged forward, grabbing Tech under the arms and swinging him aside, off the path. They both went sprawling down the slight incline as a flurry of lasers landed right where they'd been.

Tech floundered upright, grabbing for his helmet and wiping snow out of his mouth with his free hand. The sound of running assassin droids drew closer, and the two commandos sprinted the remaining length of the trail and into the clearing. They'd just left the line of trees when they very nearly collided with Crosshair and Wrecker, who had just dashed out of their own trail and were ducking lasers.

"What's going on?!" Wrecker demanded, swinging around to cover the trail exit.

"I don't know." Hunter shot a droid in the head and sidestepped a laser. "I thought each team had fifty droids to take down –"

"We did," Tech said, seeming unbothered. "And I believe we accomplished that."

"Yeah." Wrecker ripped a branch from a tree and hurled it at three droids, catching them across the necks. "They just turned back on."

"So we observed," Tech answered snippily. "Perhaps their being reactivated is merely another test."

But Hunter knew what the others probably didn't, yet: that the lasers were stronger than earlier. They weren't dangerously intense, though Hunter was willing to bet they'd be more painful than typical stun rounds . . . but why? Earlier, Cody had always waited for them to finish one part of the test before moving to the next. Was this just another way to switch things up, or had something gone wrong? No – because what could have gone wrong?

Stepping back, Hunter tossed his pistol to Crosshair and hit his comm. "Commander Cody, come in. Cody. Cody, do you read me?"

No response. Hunter tried pinging the base's comm line directly. When there was still no response, he straightened, drawing his knife from his vambrace. "Something is wrong."

Tech slanted an uncertain look at him between one shot and the next. "I suppose that Cody not responding might be part of the test . . .?"

Hunter was sure it wasn't, but he glanced at Crosshair and Wrecker for their opinions.

"Doesn't seem like something –" Wrecker jerked back as a round his arm. "Ow, uh, okay, I'm pretty sure – he wouldn't do that."

Hunter reached out to reclaim his pistol, felt a shot coming, and jerked back; but Crosshair was hit in the wrist and dropped to one knee. Hunter flung his vibroblade through the droid's head. "You okay?" he demanded, pulling the sniper to his feet.

"Yeah." Crosshair tugged free and fired with both pistols before returning the sergeant's. "Something's definitely off."

"What makes you say that?" Hunter asked sarcastically, shooting down droid after droid.

"Cody wouldn't risk you being hit by those," Crosshair observed, giving his left hand a shake. "Unless he wants you down for an hour."

"Yeah," Wrecker agreed, stepping dizzily to one side. "It's like he wants us knocked out or something."

"Perhaps he does," Tech said, not pausing in his shooting as he backed towards the trees with the others. "Though I have no idea as to why that would be the case."

"Maybe he wanted some peace and quiet," suggested Crosshair, but his usual sneering tone was almost hesitant.

Hunter ducked a shot and returned one of his own. "Get to cover. Let's take out these droids and get back to the base."

Only about fifty of the droids actually attacked, the others holding their positions along the two trails. Hunter wasn't used to hanging back and using approaching droids as target practice – that was Crosshair's skill – but he didn't think that rushing out there with a knife and pistol and hoping for the best was a good idea this time. He didn't really need to be conscious after practice tests, but here . . .

"That's half of 'em!" Wrecker cheered, lowering his gun as the last droid fell. "Uh, do we have to wait for the others to come after us?"

"They're holding position," Hunter said. "And I don't want to risk going back along the trails."

"We could take one trail only," Tech suggested.

"No – the droids on the opposite trail might move. And if even one of us gets knocked out, it'll take us a lot longer to get back to the base." Hunter glanced to either side, orienting himself, then turned right. "It'll be faster to go around."

Wrecker tried his own comm as they walked, fidgeting with it for several minutes before finally giving up. "What do you think happened? The commander wouldn't just cut everything like that – I mean . . . maybe he would? Tech could be right, maybe it's a test?"

"A test of what?" Hunter ducked beneath a low-hanging branch and kept moving.

"I dunno," Wrecker answered. "He's been focusing a lot on doing stuff as a team, and on you leading. Maybe it's like the test on Kamino where he made us lose."

"Except there we were failing," Tech pointed out. "Here, we were not."

Hunter didn't answer. The team was moving quickly, despite the terrain, jumping down short slopes and running wherever the snow was shallow enough.

"Maybe there was a glitch in the systems," Wrecker panted a few minutes later.

"Right." How Crosshair managed to drawl even while maintaining a steady run was beyond Hunter. "A glitch that simultaneously activated the droids and killed the comms."

"Well, it could," Wrecker argued. "Seems like the kind of thing a virus would do, right, Tech?"

Tech let out a pained noise and did not answer further. Hunter guessed he probably couldn't even figure out how to start answering that one.

They'd traveled another half kilometer when Crosshair said, "Separatists?"

"Doubtful," Tech responded. "We are on a mostly unoccupied moon deep in Republic space. It would be peculiar if the Separatists even knew we were here, even more so if they managed to get past the blockades –"

He paused for breath, and Hunter said, "And it would be weird if they bothered to attack this base when they could just bombard it."

"Yes. Of course, we would also have heard the bombardment."

Somehow, Hunter didn't find that very comforting.

"And," Tech went on, voice catching a little as he tripped on a root, "as a Republic facility, this base has all the usual defense codes. The IFF system would have set off an alarm the moment an incoming signature with a hostile configuration was identified."

"Hm." Crosshair slid down a longer slope, then waited as the others followed his example. "Except there are plenty of hostiles that aren't Separatists."

Hunter had been thinking the same thing. "Let's approach the base slowly. We'll keep out of sight, just in case."

In case somehow an enemy had invaded, in case they were waiting for the commandos, in case Cody was in danger or worse. . .

Nobody was talking now.

Ten minutes later, they were nearing the peak of the sloping hill that overlooked the base. Hunter raised a closed fist to stop the others, then took off his helmet, closing his eyes. Almost immediately, he could tell that something was different. The web of sensors and cameras seemed to be turned off, and . . .

Holding his breath, he pushed his fingers through the snow to touch the ground below it. Tiny trembles of movement, but no distinct electronic signatures, confirmed what he had already suspected.

He opened his eyes and got hesitantly to his feet. "There are multiple lifeforms inside the base."

"Maybe they're clones?" Wrecker asked hopefully.

"I don't know. I don't think so. The sensors are down. And the cameras. We need more information. Tech –"

"Hunter," Tech interrupted, fingers fidgeting. "I currently lack the ability to give you further information."

"Oh . . . Right." Hunter tossed his helmet aside. "Stay put, I'm going to take a look."

No one moved while Hunter crawled up the hill; as he neared the top, he used a cluster of trees for cover and peered down the hill. Twelve speeders, of various kinds and models, were crowded around the main doorway, which had been blown open. A couple of Twi'lek wearing brown clothes and mismatching body armor lounged against the walls on either side of the door, their weapons held loosely. There was no sign of Cody.

Hunter backed carefully away, then rejoined his squad. "Mercenaries," he reported. "The door's been blown open."

There was utter silence from his teammates, who only exchanged glances before looking back at him. Nobody offered any suggestions, or commented. They just – looked at him.

Hunter flicked his gaze from one to the other. "What is it?"

"What's what?" Wrecker whispered.

"Why . . ." Hunter shook his head, stopping himself from demanding what was wrong with all of them. They weren't training right now. But they weren't on a mission, either. . . Or were they?

That the bounty hunters weren't there as allies was obvious, thanks to the destroyed door. On top of that, no one was supposed to know about this place, outside of the GAR – but were they raiders, or was there a more dangerous reason for the attack?

The sergeant hesitated. He wasn't sure what his first objective should be – find out what was going on, or find Cody. Maybe Cody had escaped the base . . . Somehow, Hunter didn't think so. If he'd had time to escape the base, he'd have had time to warn the others without switching the lasers on the droids.

There were at least ten mercs down there. Hunter's team could handle ten, but were there more? Were the commandos expected? Were the wide open door and bored guards part of a trap?

As he hesitated, Wrecker said, "You didn't see Cody, did'ja?"

"No." Hunter answered vaguely, considering a plan that had just formulated in the back of his head.

"Huh." Wrecker shoved his helmet back on his head and frowned. "When he turned the droids on, he must've been trying to warn us away."

"Warn us away, or keep us away," Tech clarified.

"Yeah." Hunter reached for his own helmet and drew his pistol again. "But he didn't order us to keep away, did he?"

Crosshair hummed. "Extraction?"

"Yeah."

"Split?"

"We should stick together." Hunter looked up at the sun. "It's too long until dark, we'll try heading in now."

"Through the main doorway?" Tech asked, carefully keeping his head below the top of the hill as they walked.

"We can't just barge in there," Hunter said, then shot a look at Wrecker, who was just opening his mouth.

Wrecker pulled his helmet back on properly and muttered, "Well, we could."

"Not until we know what we're up against – and where Cody is. We could be walking into a hostage situation."

Or worse. Shoving aside the uncomfortable idea of the team getting inside the base only to find the Commander dead, Hunter increased his pace.

The back of the base was completely unguarded. Hunter exchanged a suspicious look with Crosshair – could the mercenaries really be that idiotic? Could they really think that there would be only a single clone on a training base? Did they even know this was a training base?

It looked like they'd managed to close the back door, even though it was damaged by explosives. . . Probably a waste of time to try going in that way.

Behind Hunter, Tech cleared his throat. "Shall I create a distraction?" he asked quietly.

Hunter put both hands against the ground and slid carefully back into the deadfall of branches and brush they were using as cover. "What are you thinking?"

"Crosshair studied the entrances earlier," Tech said. "You could easily get inside while I keep the others busy at the front with the Marauder . . . or." His eyes narrowed slightly with what looked like glee. "The speeders."

"Aw, yeah!" Wrecker patted Tech appreciatively on the helmet, nearly driving him into the snowbank. "I'll help you."

"How," Tech said flatly, smacking Wrecker's hand away.

"I'll get you on the roof."

Hunter considered, then nodded. "Okay . . . here's what we'll do. Crosshair, you and Tech get on the roof. Cross, you'll cover him and deal with the guards once it's time to start the distraction. Tech, use the speeders, but not the Marauder. We can't risk it. They might have people in it."

"Understood," Tech said. "When shall I commence the distraction?"

"I'm not sure yet." Hunter looked up at the ventilation shaft that opened from the wall. "Wrecker. . . you're going to get me up there. I'll get inside and shut off the jammer; I think I can locate it."

"It is certainly not with the speeders," Tech agreed.

Crosshair tapped Hunter's vambrace. "If you're not in contact with us in five, we'll start the distraction?"

"Good idea." Hunter took a deep breath and looked carefully to either side. No one was in sight. "Okay. Keep it quiet, Bad Batch. Let's move in."