Credit to
Day and Night by Webtrinsic
Boba Fett was worried. For his Vod, of course. He was, admittedly, surprised about this. He should hate her for devaluing him as an unaltered Clone, even if she had a few mutations. And yet, he didn't. If he had to guess, it was a combination of his Mandalorian ancestry, instructed by his father, and learning about Omega's terrible past, that made him feel sorry for her and overrode any resentment he felt.
The ship itself was warm, fitting with the seasons. Lights in the ceiling lit up the lower floor. Boba could hear Fennec moving around, looking for curtains. His sister was lying on the bunk opposite, unmoving. He could smell and taste the considerable amount of blood she had lost, though he could sense that it wasn't all from the injuries. The bunk he sat on was solid but supportive. Everyone knew about the bunk arrangement, but only he knew which ones were softer than the others.
Embo flew Slave 1 towards an area of Kalastro forest to hide in. Boba stated, "Bossk, once you're done storing Arla's armour and weapon, can you check the ship? I need to know if there's anything that needs attention,"
"Can do bossssssss," Bossk responded as he finished storing the items. Embo then asked, "Who's Arla?"
"I refuse to call my vod by the name the Demagolkas gave her. I'm calling her by the name my father would've given her," Boba stated.
Fennec, meanwhile, was searching for some curtains, having placed Omega on a lower floor bunk. Boba and Embo were in the cockpit. Soon, Fennec found some and set them up around Omega's bunk. Fennec then started treating Omega's many cuts, scrapes, and bruises.
"There. While it isn't a clearing, there doesn't seem to be much cover from the sides, and there's enough from above we should be able to hide." Boba stated after a few moments, spotting a thinner forest area in the distance. Embo nodded and brought the ship into a landing.
"What's the diagnostics?" Boba started to Bossk, who responded, "Hyperdrive'sssssss damaged, and the Navigation'sssssss ssssssshot. We're going to have to fix them before we go anywhere,"
"Alright. I'll go and check on Fennec and Arla. Can you get that sorted?" Boba stated as he headed for the lower floor.
Bossk stated, "Alright, bossssssss," before he turned to Embo and stated, "We'd better get to work,"
"That we should," Embo replied, and they started working on the ship.
Once Slave 1 lands, Boba goes back to check on Fennec. Not knowing if his vod is decent, Boba taps the wall nearby.
"How's my vod? Is she decent?" Boba asked.
Fennec stated, "No. Actually, could you do something for me, Boba?"
"What is it?" Boba enquired.
Fennec stated, "Can you please get Latts to grab my toiletries bag?"
"Sure," Boba replied, and he went off to get Latts, whom he found petting the Boas she uses as weapons. Sitting opposite her, he stated, "Fennec wants you to grab her toiletries bag."
Latts looked slightly puzzled at Boba, "Dunno why she wants me to do it and not you,"
"Either because I'm male, 14, or both," Boba admitted. Latts sighed, then huffed, "Fine," and she went to grab the bag, leaving Boba to listen in.
A few minutes later, Latts arrived just outside the curtains separating the treatment bunk from the rest of the ship. Tapping on the wall, Latts stated, "It's Latts. I've got your bag,"
"Thanks. Can you please pass it through? Don't walk in, please," Fennec replied.
Latts nodded and handed the bag through.
"Why don't you want anyone coming in?" Latts asked.
Fennec explained, "There's almost no room, Omega's covered in cuts, scrapes and bruises, and it's her time of the month. Once I get a new pad for her, I can then start re-dressing her,"
"Boba's not going to like getting his ship dirty," Latts pointed out.
Fennec stated, "Once I've patched Omega up and re-dressed, I'll clean up. The only question would be, where to lay her until she wakes up,"
"She can take my bunk," Boba started from next to Latts, causing her to jump in surprise, "GAH! Boba, how can you sneak up on me like that?"
"Never mind that. What's the progress on my vod's treatment?" Boba enquired.
Fennec stated, "I have resolved all Omega's health and sanitary issues. Now I'm just about to re-dress her,"
Once Fennec had re-dressed Omega, she brought the curtains down.
Boba raced over to check on his vod and could see that she had a lot of bacta patches, band-aids and bandages over her, judging by the bulged places through her blacks. Embo came down into their quarters. Together, he and Boba transferred Omega to Boba's bunk. Fennec and Latts meanwhile cleaned up the blood staining the treatment bunk. Once he ensured his vod was OK, Boba stayed by her side.
"Have you ever seen Boba act like this? Especially towards a bounty?" Embo asked, his voice noted with great surprise.
Fennec stated, "That bounty is his twin sister. The only family he truly has left. I'm not surprised,"
"It would explain a lot," Latts replied.
Meanwhile Cad Bane
Cad Bane arrives on Kal Kentus and states, "Todo, start a scan to find where the others are,"
"Can do, boss," Todo replied before the droid started scanning the area.
When Cad Bane exits into the city, the star is about as high in the sky as it was when Krayt's Claw arrived, though on the other side.
The ground was hotter than before, and the crowds had dispersed due to the fighting. Some of the produce was left behind. A few people hide behind their stalls, trying to collect their produce. Bane didn't have time to attack them. He had a mission.
Cad Bane meanwhile heads for the centre square, where his contact, Moralo Evan, was last.
Part-way there, he finds his path booby-trapped.
"Interesting. But not something I can't overcome," Bane sneered as he activated his rocket boots, and after pressing a button, small blades appeared from the sides of his shoes and descended, allowing him to cut the wire without triggering the trap.
Twazzi, disguised as Moralo Evan, then approached.
"Ah, Mister Bane, good to see you made it," "Moralo" stated.
Bane sneered, "Have you got the target?"
"I can take you to where she's hiding out. I had to wait for you to arrive, as your special skills will come in handy for finding her", ''Moralo" sneered.
Bane stated, "Don't patronise me. Just take me there,"
"Alright", "Moralo," said and led the way. A secret message was sent to Shahan, instructing him to get ready to attack.
Soon, they reach a large apartment complex near the city's centre. It was colder for Summer inside the apartment complex. There were no lights, only dusty lamps that provided little light. Bane could hear the hum of the lamps and the movement of people inside the building. He can smell and taste the dust and the slight smell of decay. The ground is solid and dusty, and Bane can sense something isn't right here. It was like he was walking into a trap.
As they enter, Bane notices a body on the ground. Sending a small droid to scan it, it soon returns that it's of Moralo Evan.
"Nice try. Twazzi," Bane sneered, and he fired a shot at the Frenk. However, Shahan came out from a side room and engaged Bane as Twazzi ran for it.
After a quick engagement, Bane was able to fight Shahan back and ran out of the building.
"Looks like they managed to get Moralo. Great '' Cad Bane stated as he checked the body. He then looked around and had to move to a nearby structure as Rako Hardeen took a shot at him, missing by inches.
"Todo, what's the situation?" Cad Bane demanded.
Todo stated, "Many of the Bounty Hunters are heading towards Kalastro Forest. It seems the target is there,"
"Good," Cad Bane sneered, smiling maliciously. He then looked around and found a way to get out of the square without being seen by Rako.
Suddenly, Tech, who's not far away, presses a button on his communicator, and the doors around Bane close and lock, shutting him in.
"So, the Bad Batch is here too. I should have known," Bane snarled as he reopened communications.
"Todo, I need an override on the doors at these coordinates," Bane demanded.
Todo stated, "On it" although Wrecker could use explosives to break the floor, Cad Bane's rocket boots kept him floating until the doors unlocked.
"Good work," Bane stated as he travelled towards the Forest.
With Clone Force 99
"That should buy us all some time to try and locate Omega," Tech stated as he locked Cad Bane down.
"Explosives Wrecker" Tech stated, turning to Wrecker, "Oh yeah!" and pressed the plunger, causing an explosion that collapsed the floor.
"We'd better find a spot to hide. He's going to be murderous if he gets out of that," Crosshair stated.
Tech replied, "Understood," they found a section near the entrance to the forest where Bane wouldn't know where they were. At the same time, Crosshair started checking for anyone trying to get a free shot on them while Echo worked to locate Omega.
With Twazzi
Twazzi managed to escape Cad Bane and Shahan, knowing both the former and latter now after her. She takes a moment to get her bearings before catching the report that Krayt's Claw, who had Omega, were in the Kalastro Forest. Sitting between her and the forest, though, was Clone Force 99.
It was then that Twazzi got an idea. Sneaking around, she slowly approached and, using her disguising Abilities, made, what she hoped, was a good disguise as Omega.
With Clone Force 99
"Have we got the specific location in the forest yet, Tech?" Hunter enquired.
Tech stated, "It's taking longer than I anticipated. Omega's communicator was damaged, so it's going to be more difficult to get a signal,"
"I hope you can get one soon," Hunter replied. It was then they heard a rustle in the grass.
"Who's there?" Hunter stated, and suddenly, what looked like Omega stumbled into the clearing.
"There you are. I'm so glad I found you," came "Omega's" voice as she ran up to her brothers. Wrecker went to approach, but Hunter put his hand out to stop him. He could sense something was wrong.
"How did you get away from Fong Do?" Hunter enquired.
"Omega," replied, "He got distracted by another Bounty Hunter for a moment, and I was able to knock him down,"
"Well done, kid," Echo replied, but suddenly Crosshair and Hunter realised this wasn't Omega. Mainly because Omega didn't look hurt, even though Hunter knew that Omega would be injured, judging by the fact that her communicator was damaged and having heard she got caught in an explosion.
"Nice try, Twazzi,'' Crosshair sneered. He shot at "Omega", the blast missing her head, but blasted a hole through Twazzi's artificial arm, breaking the disguise.
Clone Force 99 engaged in an all-out brawl but struggled against Twazzi's agility and limberness. Twazzi seemed to get away but was shot and killed by Crosshair.
"Nice shot. How did you figure out it was a fake?" Wrecker asked.
Hunter stated, "Wasn't it weird that we saw Slave 1, owned by Omega's twin brother, fly towards the forest instead of the palace?"
"I got the briefest of signals from her communicator, and the signal came from Slave 1. I lost the signal, though. Until just now," Tech replied.
Wrecker nodded and sighed, "Point taken. It was a pretty good disguise,"
"With the information she had, it was," Crosshair sneered. He then turned to Tech, "Have we got a signal?"
"Yes. It's coming from the Kalastro Forest," Tech stated.
Hunter replied, "Then let's move out, team," but just before they started heading there, they heard a scuffle near the forest edge that made them stop. What was going on there?
With Krayt's Claw
C21 Highsinger had taken a position on the roof and was keeping watch for any approaching Bounty Hunters. Embo and Fennec backed him up on the ground next to the ship. Bossk continued work on the electrics. Latts and Boba, meanwhile, were on the bottom floor.
Omega awakens with her whole body aching. She can feel the bacta patches that cover several parts of her body. She realises she's protectively tucked into a bunk, wrapped in a blanket with her head against a soft pillow.
"Looks like she's awake," Boba softly whispered to Latts, noticing her awakening. Latts nodded, then approached and stated, "Are you alright?"
"Sore, but OK, I think. Did anyone get my armour and weapons?" Omega replied, cautiously pulling herself into a sitting position, feeling quite vulnerable without them.
"Bossk got them. Give me a moment. I'll go find out where he stashed them," Latts said before she got off the nearby bunk and headed for the cockpit.
"What happened to you?" Boba asked, his voice tinted with concern.
Omega sighed, "Had a giant piece of coral dropped on me on Rugosa, had Fong Do beat me up as we descended in the lift after I tried to escape, and I got blown into a fruit stall by another one. As you saw,"
"Ouch. Well, hopefully, you won't have to endure much more," Boba replied as Latts walked past them, heading for the closet. After a few minutes, she returns, dragging the bag containing Omega's armour and weapons. Boba and Latts help Omega suit up before Boba goes out to check on C-21 and Embo.
"So, you're Omega. Nice to meet you. I'm Latts," Latts stated, offering her hand, which Omega cautiously shook, and started, "Nice to meet you, Latts." Despite Boba being her twin brother, she was unsure about his teammates.
"Looks like we've got a shootout brewing. Fong Do, Rako Hardeen and Shahan are on approach, and Clone Force 99 is waiting at the forest entrance," Bossk suddenly called from the cockpit. Putting her helmet on, Omega headed outside with Latts close behind.
It was warm under the trees of the Kalastro Forest but uncomfortably humid. Typical of a forest in Summer. Light from the star filtered through the leaves. Rako could hear the other Bounty Hunter moving around and animals scurrying. He could smell and taste the foliage, the bark, and the equipment. The branch Rako perched on was rough but supportive. Everyone would notice Slave 1 in the clearing, but Rako was sure only he could see the trees part perfectly for one person to get the perfect shot.
Rako got into position to get a stunning strike on C-21 when suddenly, his scanners detected Fong Do approaching.
"Oh no, you don't," Rako stated, and he dropped a stun bomb below him. Fong Do knew his prototype stealth suit wouldn't protect against a stun, so he dashed to the side to avoid it.
C-21 spots him and starts firing, forcing Rako and Fong to retreat.
Meanwhile, Derrown has managed to sneak around Rako's stun. The Parwan then unleashed his tentacles at Rako, who detached a piece of his armour to stop it from shocking him before leaping over to another tree and shooting at Derrown, who narrowly avoided it.
C-21 and Rako started exchanging fire, and Rako had to move quickly to avoid additional shots.
"Deflector shields up now," Boba called to Bossk, who activated the shield to stop any stray bolts from potentially damaging the ship.
Meanwhile, Fong Do continue sneaking towards the ship, thinking to stun everyone and take Omega. However, he had to stay back from the clearing again, as Cad Bane, this time, took a shot.
"Great," Fong snarled as she lined up to get another shot at the ship, stunned at how Bane knew where he was.
It was then that he saw a strange device on Bane's wrist. It looked like a black-and-blue wristwatch, but Fong recognised it as an infrared scanner.
"That explains why he knows where I am. Bosk must have damaged my suit's infra-red masking," Fong stated to himself before he moved to a different position.
While Fong is trying to sneak onto the ship, Rako Hardeen stunned C-21, causing him to fall off Slave 1.
"C-21's down," Bossk called.
Boba stated, "Then our cover is blown. We'd better get out of here and find somewhere else. We got enough time to patch Arla up. I think it's time we started making our way towards the palace,"
"Ssssssoundsssssss like a plan," Bossk sneered as he finished on the navicomputer and hyperdrive and started getting the ship going again.
"The target is on the move again," Fong snarled as Latts and Embo pulled C-21 into the ship. Rako Hardeen, Shahan, Cad Bane and Fong Do all attempted to take the engines down, but to no avail. At this point, the four of them turned on each other. Derrown and Fong Do exchanged fire, while Shahan and Cad Bane duelled it out. Rako Hardeen, meanwhile, raced to chase the ship. Suddenly, an ion bomb went off, and the craft landed badly two hundred meters from Clone Force 99, Allowing Rako to close the gap and open the door.
"That worked," Rako thought, marvelling at the genius idea. He crept in and, using a biosignature scanner on his wrist, found where Omega was. He went to pull her off the bunk but underestimated how heavy she was while wearing the armour.
"Shoot. Argh! There we go!" Rako stated as he half-carried, half-dragged Omega out of the ship.
Just as he made his way out of the ship, he heard a blaster cock. Looking back, he saw Cad Bane on one side and Embo on the other.
Knowing what would happen, Rako throws himself to the ground, using Omega's weight to accelerate his fall. It worked. Not only did the blaster shots miss him, but they missed Omega too.
Bane and Embo narrowly missed each other's shots and engaged while Rako dragged himself towards the forest entrance, even though he knew full well that Clone Force 99 was waiting for him.
"You can't defeat me, Embo," Cad Bane snarled as the Duros started getting the upper hand on the Kyuzo.
The latter snarled, "That is not my intention. Just keeping you distracted,"
"Oh, is that so?" Bane stated as he threw Embo back to the ship. Embo pulled himself up, and Latts, Bossk and Boba joined him.
"Nope," Bane stated, recognising the futility of fighting four bounty hunters at once, in such a confined space, despite being the best in the galaxy, and retreated in the direction of Rako Hardeen and Omega.
With Rako
"Don't move, Rako," Crosshair sneered as he approached. Sensing the sniper rifle on him, Rako stopped moving.
"You best watch out. I don't know how long Embo will be able to distract Cad Bane," Rako stated.
Fennec was watching the battle nearby, "I'm watching him. I'll make sure he doesn't get too close to you,"
"Wrecker, relieve Rako of Omega," Crosshair sneered.
Wrecker stated, "On it," he approached Rako and picked up Omega as she stirred.
"That's three times I've been unconscious now, and twice, I've been stunned," Omega groaned as she clung to Wrecker.
Wrecker replied, "You're OK now, kid,"
"Can I get up now?" Rako enquired.
Crosshair sneered, "Sure. But you won't be bothering us anymore, got it?"
"Got it. I'll keep the others distracted. You've impressed me with how far you've been willing to go to rescue Omega. And I didn't know I'd be hunting a kid, so I'm not going to interfere again," Rako stated as he pulled himself to his feet. He then looked up at Fennec, "Where's Bane?"
"Forest line. He's trying to sneak up on us. Want me to send him a little warning shot?" Fennec responded.
She had to move to avoid several shots from Bane. Crosshair responded with a couple of well-placed shots of his own. One Cad Bane had to duck to avoid, and the other shot his blaster out of his hand.
"Insubordinate Clones!" Cad Bane snarled. Soon, Rako Hardeen was onto him.
"I thought we were allies," Bane stated as he and Rako brawled.
Rako stated, "I don't know what you mean. I was stuck in a Republic jail for that heist attempt, as you should remember,"
"Oh, remember it, I do," Cad Bane snarled back as he managed to get a hold of Rako and slam him against a nearby tree, seemingly knocking him out.
"Now, where is that runt?" Cad Bane stated as he started returning towards the forest edge. However, by the time he reached it, Clone Force 99 and Krayt's Claw had managed to evacuate Omega.
"Todo! Find them," Cad Bane demanded through his communicator,
Todo soon replied, "Kentus Palace,"
"Of course. A share of the prize money. I won't let Clone Force 99 or Krayt's Claw get there," Cad Bane stated before he headed for the palace, intending to intercept his targets.
In the city
Having seen everything that happened, a tall, dark-skinned and haired woman wearing black and red robes and wielding a sword was waiting for Clone Force 99 as they approached her location. Although it is now mid-afternoon in the city, it's even hotter. However, the woman's robes mean she isn't sweating in the heat. The star blazes overhead, flooding the area with light. She can hear approaching troopers, though she isn't sure if they're friends or foes. She can smell and taste the concrete ground, which is solid and rough. Everyone notices the buildings in that alley look dilapidated, but only she knows that people occupy many of them, and the look is only surface deep.
She heard "We have company" from nearby and figured that's the one named Hunter.
"I come in peace. I'm merely here to give you a spot to rest and an easier path to the palace," she called from a nearby alleyway. Cautiously, Clone Force 99 approaches. When they spot her, she waves to them, then walks down the alley, indicating to them to follow.
"What do we think?" Hunter asked.
Crosshair stated, "We could overpower her if she turns traitor. But she seems benign,"
"I say we go, but cautiously. This woman seems to be a good person," Omega said. Hunter nodded, though still not entirely sure, and they slowly followed.
After a bit, the figure stops and takes out a pair of binoculars to check behind them.
"Looks like they don't know you're here. Good," the woman stated. She then reached what looked, to the outside, to be an abandoned apartment.
"Don't judge a book by its cover here. Though, it looks abandoned. That's how these stay hidden," the woman stated as she unlocked the door and entered, with Clone Force 99 close behind.
"Who are you?" Hunter asked.
The woman replied, "Eskarol Astriko. Tribe leader on Kal Kentus," before she looked at each of them and stated, "And you all look like Clones. I thought they'd all joined the Empire. What are your names?"
"I'm Crosshair. That's Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Echo and Omega. Regarding your other question, most Clones did after Order 66 through the inhibitor chips. They abandoned the Empire while they enslaved me for a while. I managed to escape and eventually rejoined my squad. It doesn't matter, though. Civilians are replacing the Clones," Crosshair explained.
Eskarol nodded, "So, are your chips out?"
"Yes," Tech stated, and all five Clones showed their scars. Nodding, Eskarol turned to Omega.
"What's the deal with her? Is she another Clone?" She asked.
Omega explained, "Yes. I was a lab assistant to Nala Se. I'm the only female Clone they ever made, as far as I know. Other than slight mutations of my brothers and being a girl, I'm identical to the host, Jango Fett,"
"That would explain all the furore going on over the last day or two," Eskarol sighed. Then seeing the looks on the Clone's faces, she hastily added, "I'm unaffiliated with any of the Bounty Hunters here, nor am I involved with the elites of this planet who organised it,"
"Alright. We believe you now," Hunter stated.
Eskarol replied, "Thanks,"
She continued, "I suggest you rest; you'll need it. There's a bunch of rooms down that corridor. There should be one big enough for all six of you,"
"Alright, thanks," Hunter replied.
Eskarol replied, "Respect for you," they made their way to the back to try and rest. Eskarol went out again, though sealing the door, and went to find Krayt's Claw. She knew there was another unaltered Clone there. He was potentially a target too.
Back to Krayt's Claw
"Looks like Rako barely managed to distract Bane long enough for us to get out," Fennec stated as she took a couple more shots at Cad Bane to keep him distracted while the squad headed for the city.
"Just wondering where my sister's gone. I don't want any of them to find her before we do," Boba stated.
Latts replied, "She's probably with her brothers. Where they are, I'm not so sure,"
Suddenly, Shahan jumps at Cad Bane, and they fight.
"Thanks, Shahan," Boba thought as they ran towards the city. Soon, they made it. Moving into one of the side alleys, everyone stops to catch their breath.
"So. Where do we go from here?" Embo stated as he tried to get his breath back.
Boba stated, "Well, wherever Clone Force 99 is, that's where we should go. Maybe, we can ally,"
"Do you know much about Clone Force 99?" came a voice from nearby. Everyone pulled their blasters out and pointed into the shadows, but after a few moments, Eskarol Astriko stepped out, hands up in the air as a sign of surrender.
"How do you know them?" Boba stated, not lowering his blaster.
Eskarol stated, "I ran into them about twenty minutes ago. I've given them residence in my apartment to return to full strength. Maybe I could do the same for you? You seem tired,"
Boba stared at the woman, then slowly lowered his blaster, as did the others.
"Alright. Don't try anything, though, or we'll kill you," Boba stated.
Eskarol replied, "I won't. You have my word," before she led them down the alley.
On the way, she asked, "By the way, I never got your names,"
Boba stated, "I'm Boba Fett. Introducing Fennec Shand, Bossk, Latts, C-21, and Embo"
"Interesting. You wouldn't be related to Jango Fett, would you?" Eskarol enquired.
Boba stated, "He's my father. The Kaminoans cloned me from him. He was the template for the Grand Army of the Republic,"
"Right. That would explain a lot," Eskarol admitted, nodding to Boba. When they arrived at what looked like an abandoned apartment, Eskarol gave her usual speech about not judging a book by its cover, and unsealed the door, before entering with Krayt's Claw behind.
"Clone Force 99 got here before you. They're in the room to the left. I recommend taking the rooms to the right if you need to rest. Nobody followed us, so we're safe," Eskarol explained,
Boba replied, "Thanks,"
"No problem," she replied before she settled to read a book in the living room while Boba and the rest of Krayt's Claw went to the rooms on the right side.
With Cad Bane
By the time Cad Bane had dealt with Shahan, he had lost any trail left by Krayt's Claw and Clone Force 99. Rako Hardeen had moved into the city itself. Cad Bane presumed that Derrown and Fong Do had done likewise.
"Great. Just great. I've lost any hope of finding my target for now. It looks like things have died down, though, so maybe I should refocus," Cad Bane thought as he headed into the city.
"Omega has to be delivered to the Kentus Palace. Some position near there should be a good spot to lie in wait for an ambush," he thought as he made his way towards the city centre. He then clicked his communicator, "Todo, scan the area around the palace and see if there are any good hiding spots,"
"Will do," Todo's voice replied. Cad Bane took a seat and considered his options. He could try to use a drone to check the area, but that could take a lot of time with the size of the city. Plus, there may be areas where Bane couldn't see. Alternatively, he could go straight for the palace, but with Rako Hardeen, Shahan and Fong Do still running around, the Palace wouldn't be the best place to go.
It was then that he got an idea.
"Todo, send a drone out to find out the locations of Fong Do, Derrown, Shahan, and Rako Hardeen," Cad Bane demanded to his communicator.
Todo stated, "Alright," after a few minutes, Bane saw the drone fly overhead.
It took a while, but Bane got the virtual map of the city path to the palace. It revealed that all were patrolling, though at different spots. Rako seemed to be patrolling from his typical long-range while Shahan and Derrown moved between areas. Only Fong Do, who appears to be trying to fix his stealth suit, wasn't actively patrolling.
"Alright. Let's get in position," Cad Bane stated, and he decided to slot himself between Shahan and Fong Do on the path to the palace.
"Now we wait," Cad Bane sneered.
After a few hours of rest, Clone Force 99 and Krayt's Claw awoke and entered the living room. The living room was temperate and reasonably furnished. It was colder than when they had first entered, likely due to being later in the day. The furniture was maroon, and a wooden table with a TV on it. The roof was white, with maroon walls and black carpet. Hunter could see the lights in the ceiling, and he could hear Eskarol Astriko reading and gently humming to herself. He can smell and taste the carpet and Eskarol's perfume. He can feel the soft floor on his boots.
"Hey, there," Boba stated, waving as everyone entered. Hunter returned the wave and said, "Thanks for getting Omega patched up and away from Fong Do,"
"No problem. It's what we've had to do," Latts replied.
"I had an idea based on your mutual interests in protecting Omega," Eskarol suggested, and both Krayt's Claw and Clone Force 99 turned to face her.
"What is it?" Fennec enquired.
Eskarol stated, "Well, according to other members of my tribe, your traditional path to the Palace has more Bounty Hunters than a Tatooine Cantina, so you're not standing a chance of getting through that way. You'll have to fight at least one Bounty Hunter, even with the backways. I recommend an alliance,"
"I was considering that. Protecting my vod is important, and a group of five Clone Commandos could buff the team nicely," Boba said.
Tech stated, "Safety in numbers is a good thing. Especially with so many Bounty Hunters running around,"
"We've got a job to do, and if we can get help for it, then I'll take it," Bossk replied.
Crosshair sneered, "Just make sure not to get hurt,"
"Enough. Are we making this alliance or what?" Boba enquired.
Omega replied, "I think we should go for it. We've all proven capable, and if we all go as a group, we can stop whatever comes our way,"
"Well said, Omega," Wrecker stated, and the rest nodded.
"Well, I think all that's needed is a handshake between the leaders, and you'll be allies," Eksarol said. After a few moments, Boba and Hunter shook hands. The rest of the respective squads nodded to each other there was a bit of tension around the place.
"So. Where do we go to get to the palace?" Boba asked Eskarol.
She got out a map of the city.
"This is Kalastro, the city you're in now. Here we are, and here's the palace," Eskarol stated as she pointed to the two locations. She then traced a path that led them through the backways and would put them out just on the other side of the palace.
"That's as close as you'll get from any direction. If you're lucky, you'll have one Bounty Hunter to fight. Which one, I can't say," Eskarol explained.
Boba growled, "So long as we don't have to fight Bane,"
"Bane?" Eskarol enquired.
Boba explained, "Cad Bane,"
"Oh, him," Eskarol replied with a knowing look. Eskarol then turned to the rest, "If anyone here is a long-range shooter, this last bit would be where you'll come in handy,"
"Noted," both Fennec and Crosshair replied. Eskarol stated, "You'll need to reach the 45th floor to reach the goal. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the Bounty Hunters can fire on those areas from surrounding apartments, so you'll still have to be careful,"
"Rako Hardeen would probably be our only major threat there," Latts stated.
Tech noted, "If he has Infrared goggles, it'll be difficult to hide from him,"
"I get the feeling he may be having second thoughts about this," Crosshair sneered, and when everyone turned to face him, he explained, "He distracted Cad Bane for us while we got into the city. I think he may have turned into an ally of sorts,"
"Hopefully, he stays an ally, or at least neutral," Hunter said.
"So. We've just got to follow that trail, and we should be able to get most of the way to the palace," Echo said.
"Good. Now, let's move out," Hunter ordered, and while Boba's nose flared slightly at being told to do something, he knew that it was temporary and for the best. For him, the squad, and especially Arla.