A/N: Heyyy, so I didn't end up writing as much as I thought I would over the summer. Sorry about that. But I've also been making empty promises this entire time that "I'm really gonna be back for good now!" And I think we all know how those turn out, so this November, I'm signing up for NaNoWriMo! Hopefully, a (somewhat enforced?) deadline will help me, because I'm just one of those people who needs schedules and deadlines for things.
Anyways, you all probably don't really care, as long as this thing gets updated, but thanks anyways if you've stayed this long and dealt with my inconsistent writing habits. This is kind of a short chapter, but I figured that something is better than nothing. So go, read, and enjoy!
A fist forcefully slammed the dashboard next to the unsuspecting Imperial officer, causing him to start so hard he nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Where did they go?"
The voice was cold as ice, appearing calm and collected at first glance, like the surface of the ocean just above a riptide. The officer hesitated, before stammering,
"They… they're gone, ma'am."
"I can see that," the woman hissed impatiently, providing a glimpse of the deadly current under the otherwise calm water. "Now tell me where."
Again, the officer hesitated. He swallowed hard.
"I don't know, ma'am."
"Well, figure it out! Track them!" she said, her words curbed by a laugh, seemingly more astonished than amused.
A pause.
After an eternity of silence, the officer spoke, voice small, "there's no trace of them, ma'am."
"How—"
But Admiral Correk stopped herself short. With a deep breath, the glassy, smooth facade was once more restored. With wide eyes, the officer watched anxiously as her face returned to its usual neutral, emotionless calculation. The only hint of the undercurrent now the hatred burning in her eyes.
"No matter," she said lightly, with a dismissive wave, turning away from the wide viewport looking out into the empty expanse of space, "We have something they want. They will return, it is only the matter of when. And when they do,
"They will not escape me again."
The moment before the Ghost shot off into hyperspace, Ezra felt her.
That familiar presence, the one that had confused him so much before, was close. He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to reach out through the Force, to grab ahold of anything that might yield an answer, that might give him a clue.
"Ezra?"
A voice spoke to him through the thick fog of concentration, but he ignored it, willing himself to focus on the single point, the faint signal. But just as he felt the image clearing, so close to distinguishing a figure huddled in a cold, dark room, the entire scene disappeared.
Despite this, he was sure of who it was. It finally made sense now, how the Empire had somehow known where they were going when the only people who knew was her, the Bad Batch, and themselves. They must have interrogated Omega until she told them.
When Ezra's eyes shot open again, he found himself breathing hard, and felt Sabine watching him carefully.
"Ezra, what is it?" She asked again, worry evident in her tone. Hera, having confirmed that the ship was on its route, and nothing was out of order, turned to peer at him and Sabine.
"It was Omega. She was on that Destroyer," Ezra explained, growing more anxious and excited.
"What?"
The three twisted in their seats to find Hunter standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at Ezra, repeated, "what?"
Ezra took a measured breath. "I… I sensed her. Just now, on the Star Destroyer."
As he spoke, the man's face brightened with hope before quickly morphing into a mixture of horror and determination.
"Well— We have to go get her!"
Purposefully, Hunter turned to leave, and Hera stood hurriedly, reaching out a hand to stop him, but before he could take a step a towering figure blocked the doorway.
"Sarge, what's goin' on?" Wrecker face flickered with confusion as he took in the scene in the cockpit.
"Omega's alive," Hunter replied tersely, and tried to push his way past his squadmate.
"What?!" Wrecker bellowed, partly out of surprise, partly out of joy.
"And she's on the Destroyer that we just left behind."
"What?" He repeated, smile disappearing as rapidly as it had come.
"What's happened?" Ezra recognized another voice as Echo's when it came from the other side of the doorway, which was all but blocked by Wrecker's wide frame. "I heard shouting."
Before anyone else could say anything, Hera grabbed Hunter's arm and said, "let's take this somewhere else, so we can all talk."
The Ghost crew and the Bad Batch were gathered in the lounge. When Ezra had explained how he had sensed Omega on the Star Destroyer, everyone had listened intently, not daring to interrupt. As Ezra finished his story, Hunter leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face with one hand, and took a deep breath.
Ezra waited for some response, maybe a duly earned accusation. After all, it was their fault that this had ever happened. They could have stayed back and fought with her, then they might not have been in this situation in the first place. They certainly would have deserved it. But none came. Hunter only raised his head, shoulders straightening with a new resolve.
"We have to do something."
Hera, sitting beside Hunter on the small, rounded couch, must have expected this, and already had a response prepared.
"Of course, but not now."
"Why not?" Hunter snapped back, but Hera stood firm.
"We have to finish the mission she started." Hunter seemed about to interrupt, but Hera ploughed on, "If the Empire gets the chance to finish the weapon, we have no idea the amount of damage it could have on the rebellion."
Though his face flickered in realization, Hunter wasn't letting it go so easily. He was about to continue arguing when Echo, who hadn't said a word until now, interjected, "when you told us what happened, we thought Omega was… was dead." The man winced visibly, but he ploughed on, "Now we know that she's alive, and the imperials could be doing who knows what to her!"
"We can't just leave her!" Wrecker finished Echo's argument in a determined voice.
"I wouldn't expect you to," Hera reassured them, "but we also can't let the Empire complete their weapon."
Slowly, Hunter let out a breath. Beside him, Tech carefully put a hand on his sergeant's shoulder. "Hera does have a point, Hunter. I want Omega safe just as much as the rest of us, however we have to complete the mission."
The group elapsed into silence, tense with the decision looming over them like a shriek-hawk. Just when Ezra thought that maybe they had convinced Hunter, the clone shook his head.
"Fine. But as soon as we figure this out, we're going to get her. No matter what."
Nodding in agreement, Hera said, "and we'll be right by your side when you do." Unexpectedly, she turned to Ezra. "Do you still have the data packet?"
"Oh, uh…" He reached into his pocket, pulled out the metal disk, and handed it Hera. "Here."
With a small smile at Ezra, Hera passed it to Tech. "When we talked to her, Omega said she only trusted you to be able to decrypt whatever's in here."
Adjusting his yellow-tinted goggles, Tech examined the unassuming disk, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. "Of course, I can decrypt it," he said it a matter-of-fact tone, "the question is how long it will take."
"How long do you think it'll take?" Kanan asked. For the entirety of the meeting, his arms had been tightly crossed over his chest, and only now had he said anything. Ezra could still detect a stiffness in his master's voice, but the fact that he was speaking to the Batch was good enough.
"That depends," Tech said, looking up at Kanan from examining the data chip. "If their encryption techniques are anything like your typical imperial codes, then it will be easy."
"And if not?"
Tech shook his head. "I cannot be certain. If that is the case, then it could take me hours or days. The worst I have ever encountered took me almost a week, although I doubt this will take me that long."
Although the mechanic said this completely deadpan, Ezra couldn't imagine staring at coding and blue screens for that long. He hadn't seen any of the Batch's skills for himself, but if Omega and Hera had faith in them, then all Ezra could do was trust them.
"Well, there's no use just sitting here, talking anymore." Hunter stood, nodded to Tech, and said,
"Let's get to work."
A/N: Not really much to say here other than my usual: thank you so much for the support! I really enjoy just looking through the comments and thinking wow, there are people out there who care about my story enough to say it out loud. Anyways, enough with all the mushy stuff, I hope to get another chapter out sometime soon, so I'll see you all then.