Chapter 13 - Kamino

Author's Note: In which poor Hunter deals with an almost literal zoo break –

~ Rivana Rita


Omega tries as hard as she can to just not think about where they're going. But still, they need some sort of plan. She knows a way in that the others don't, but that doesn't answer what happens after. They know their way around, but if the numbers there are as large as when they broke out, it'll be very, very dangerous.

"So, what now?" Wrecker asks, throwing himself into one of the chairs, "Who's in charge?"

"Not me," Tech answers immediately, "I will need to focus on pinpointing Hunter's location."

"What, are we a democracy now?" Wrecker queries.

Omega pushes herself up from where she was holding Lula in her room. "Democracy?" she repeats, poking her head out, but the others are too busy squabbling.

"The correct term is anarchy," Crosshair replies dryly.

"Crosshair is clearly the best choice," Tech states.

"See?" Crosshair asks flatly, twisting around to face Wrecker. "We're not a democracy if you don't ask my opinion."

"What's a democracy?" Omega asks again, setting Lula down and climbing out of the gunner's mount.

"A governing system in which the public elects a leader, which is entirely inapplicable to our situation," Tech informs her flatly.

She still doesn't understand that, but she won't ask. "I know a way in," Omega says finally, "We should be able to get to the cities unnoticed."

Omega can only hope that no one will be down there, though she doubts it. Considering she's not there, and how much the Empire has likely taken control of Kamino, Omega doubts they'll see Nala Se there.

When they finally exit hyperspace, she suppresses the immediate swell of dread she feels upon seeing Kamino. This... used to be her home, and she's lived there for many years, but she doesn't want to go back. She never wants to go back – that place has nothing to offer her, anyway.

She never meant anything there. Here, on the Marauder, with her brothers, she... this is her home. It's the only one that ever mattered to her.

And she's... scared. This is why the bounty hunters kept coming after her. They could have... hurt her brothers. And... if they find her, she might never be able to leave. They'll – kill her. Like their other failed experiments.

But getting Echo back is more important.

Still, Omega wishes she didn't have to come back here.

Stepping out onto the landing platform and into the rush of the wind and pounding of rain is so, so familiar, and it soaks her in seconds. But this place is familiar – she's been here many times over.

"Landing was only one problem. How are we going to get into the city?" Tech asks over the rain.

"We'll take the tube system," Omega replies, already moving to the area where the system starts. The pressure sensors take a few moments to activate, but the hatch finally opens with a whirr and a hiss, and they file inside.

"Nice," Wrecker compliments as they join her inside.

Omega gets to work on the controls, working over them with the familiarity she's had a thousand times before. Only this time – it's different. But either way, she's back here again.

Right where she never wanted to go. When Omega left this place, she thought it... would be for good. It's still her... home, but – but...

"This type of underwater transport system is not documented on any schematics," Tech says, "Omega, how did you know this existed?"

"Nala Se," Omega answers, ignoring how shaky her voice sounds, "This tunnel leads to her private research lab." Where I grew up and where I first saw all of you – That place holds so many memories, and she's not sure how she feels about seeing it all again. "The others run throughout Kamino."

"You okay, kid?" Wrecker asks finally, shifting closer to her.

This is the first place where they were all together, and it's where she lost them. It's the place Omega spent years thinking that finding her brothers would distract them. That's always what Nala Se told her, and she had no reason to think otherwise. Until the Empire, and when things started changing, and Omega knew it wasn't safe for any of them anymore.

And this is where – if the Kaminoans got her, it's where she'd... be. She'd never be able to leave this place, because...

Wrecker's hand moves to her shoulder, and Omega presses closer, leaning against him. "It doesn't matter," she says, anyway. Because it doesn't. "Saving Echo is what matters."

The lab lights up when they enter, the same way it always does. "That looks like every other Kaminoan lab to me," Wrecker states, looking around.

"Not exactly," Omega objects, "Most in Tipoca City don't know about it."

"Echo's comm is still active. I'll pinpoint his location," Tech tells them, working on his datapad. "Omega, see what you can find in their system."

"I'll try," she says, staring at the tubes in the room one last time before moving to the control panels.

"I thought I was in charge?" Crosshair reminds.

"Well, you were just standing there," Tech replies, still tapping on his datapad.

"I don't get it. What's so special about this lab?" Wrecker interjects.

"It's where I was created," she says, pausing and looking up. To be fair, she doesn't really know what she's looking for.

"Here?" Wrecker asks, almost disbelievingly.

"You all were here, too," she adds.

"What do you mean?" Tech queries, finally looking up at her.

"Your mutations were enhanced in this room. Experimental Unit 99 began right here. I was there." She still remembers how thrilled she was when it was happening, way back before she truly understood what it meant.

"Wha – is that true?" Wrecker demands, turning to Tech.

"How could I possibly know that?"

"It was only for a short time," she clarifies, "Before you were sent to be with the other clones."

Crosshair is just... staring at her, like he's seeing her for the first time, and it's probably true. That's part of why she didn't want to tell them right off – she didn't want them to look at her any differently.

"Am I supposed to be seeing something?" Omega asks finally, glancing up at Tech again. Because she's... not? Which is weird.

Tech looks up, approaching her and looking at the console. "That is... unusual," he says, after pressing a few buttons himself. "It appears all central files have been wiped."

"Uh, I think we're missing something," Wrecker interjects.

"Teamwork?" Omega suggests, immediately remembering their squabble a few minutes prior.

"Cohesion?" Tech offers.

"A general sense of what we're doing?" Crosshair asks dryly.

A sudden shuffling sound makes everyone spin around and withdraw their weapons.

"Do not shoot!" a familiar voice yelps, "I am AZI-345211 –"

"AZI?" Omega asks, lowering her bow as the droid comes into view. She knows him – they were close in a sense, and AZI was one of the few she knew down here.

"Omega," he says, floating around the corner and coming to hover in front of her. "I am relieved it is you."

"What are you doing down here?" she inquires.

"I am in hiding. Soldiers were deactivating droids and forcing key Kaminoan medical personnel onto transports. Those who resisted were eliminated." Omega's eyes widen in horror.

"They're decommissioning the facility," Crosshair realizes.

"Why?" Omega squeaks. Decommissioned. She doesn't want to think about what that probably means.

"I do not know," AZI replies, "But it is not safe here, Omega. You must leave."

"We can't," she tells him, "Not without Echo."

They need to... figure out what they're up against. AZI should know something, at least. "How many clones are here?"

"All clone troopers were reassigned and transferred off-world, with the exception of CT-9901," AZI replies, "But there are other soldiers here."

Hunter. He's – here. She's both excited and terrified to hear that.

"Hunter's here?" Wrecker asks, twitching, then groans. "Should've known."

"I found Echo," Tech says, looking up, "His comm is pinging from the central cloning platform."

Finally, it's time for them to move out. Omega grabs AZI's hand. "Come on, AZI. You're with us."

**w**

He already stunned Echo. Once. Nearly twice. It's – exhausting, and quite honestly, he's at the edge of his patience right now.

Not that Hunter's been feeling much better than that since everything happened, but still.

It's very, very obvious that Echo is just trying to be difficult – not that any of his brothers would appreciate being held captive by anyone. But this. Is ridiculous.

The fight Echo pitched when Hunter tried to fix his dislocated shoulder was thrice those Wrecker puts up when he finds the machines Tech is poking at him with too annoying. He's been using his broken scomp as a club on anyone who gets too close to him since.

Even Hunter, apparently. Once, but still.

And he could've sat down. Hunter told him to. He insisted on standing next to his chair, just to be ornery.

Echo has always been hot-tempered like this. Of all of them, Hunter has the least hope that he'll... come back. (He shouldn't. None of them should. But running puts them in danger.) But Hunter has to try, anyway, because in the end, they are... his brothers. His squad, no matter what's happened. No matter what they've done. He has to try and get them back. He's doing it to protect them, and that's always what he's meant to do.

Now that... his orders have changed, his head throbs a little less. It's... strange, but it is. (Omega was right, wasn't she? He doesn't want to think about what that means.)

He's fairly certain that repeated stunning could literally overload Echo's circuitry.

And thereby kill him.

Not that he's about to try and find out, obviously, but Echo seems to have different ideas.

If Echo – the usually most reasonable one – is this chaotic, Hunter is almost afraid to know what the others will be like. The others are far more childish. They're on their way now, though.

It would be very, very embarrassing to try explaining to Rampart that he lost the bait because he accidently killed him.

"You can make this easier for all of us," Hunter says finally.

Echo scoffs. "Right."

He's not going to back down. Neither of them will, so they just keep... sitting here. Until it's finally time to move.

**w**

It's dark and rainy outside, as it often is on Kamino. The lightning lights their way when they step outside again, crossing one of the walkways between facilities. If Omega is at all bothered by the rain, she doesn't mention it, though Crosshair doubts she would mention it, either way. Omega doesn't ask for anything she doesn't need, unless she's bored, or just seeking excitement.

Tech leads them into the room below the training room that... it's the same one that they spent so much time in, the same one they were in back when this all started. It's the last place they all fought together.

"The training room?" Wrecker asks, practically deflating.

"Hunter will be waiting." Crosshair turns back towards the door. They need a better reading on the situation before taking action.

"We should enter through the lift," Tech says, "That will give us a slight advantage."

"Hunter would expect us to try outsmarting him." Which means they need to do everything they never normally do, things they aren't used to. It's hard for them, but it'll throw him off, and that's their only chance at survival. "Omega, stay here."

"Shouldn't we stick together?" she protests.

"No, Crosshair's right," Wrecker objects, "Hunter's after us, not you."

"Come in with the droid when I signal you," Crosshair tells her, "Cover us up top."

"But – that's your role," she objects.

"Exactly."

Hunter is the one who came up with all their plans, who always told them what to do. They can't use his plans against him. He knows their flaws as much as their workings.

"We can get a read on heat signatures through the doors," Tech explains, finally catching on. "And pinpoint their positions."

"Be careful, kid," Wrecker tells her, and with a final glance back, they move out.

It's not hard to make it to the training room. The halls are almost entirely empty now, which is... strange, and unnerving. What are they decommissioning these facilities for? It's just like Gregor had warned them, that the Empire is replacing the clones. Except that alone is only decreasing its effectiveness.

"Well, what do you see?" Wrecker asks once they reach the doors.

Crosshair used to do this all the time with droids. Tech could do the same thing. The scans on their helmets pick up heat signatures, even through walls, though because of the size of the training room, he can't fully pinpoint their exact positions.

"I'm clocking sixteen hostilities," Tech reports, "Assuming Echo is present."

Under the circumstances, it's best to assume nothing, but this is the only lead they have. They can't get a better view without being spotted – Hunter would see it coming.

They won't be able to find cover, so they'll have to make some. "Do you have a smoke bomb?" he asks.

"Well –" Wrecker starts.

"Yes," Tech answers, "But I will require sufficient time to activate it."

"Wait for the kid." It's dangerous, but they're counting on her.

They exchange glances, and for the first time since this all began, there's no bickering between them, not even the normal way that has laced so much of their relationships, especially on Wrecker's end. Now, they're not... any of that. Now they're just... brothers. Who have lost so much already, and now are trying to piece back what they have left.

The Empire is what took them apart, but it's just... the four of them now. It's down to them, and even with Echo, Crosshair isn't entirely certain that moving against the Empire would be the right choice. More than likely, they'd all end up dead.

And that's not a risk Crosshair wants to take, but in the end, what other choice is there? It's not like they have a choice, either. The Empire will always find them eventually. And it's not like they ever knew a life outside of war.

More than anything, he can just hope he won't lose the brothers he still has left. Losing Hunter, trying to live without him, was torture. It would be just as bad to lose the others. Maybe even worse in Wrecker's case. For as annoying as Wrecker usually is, Crosshair is... used to his chaos.

And he almost misses it.

Many things have changed since the Clone Wars ended, even if it's only been about a month. Wrecker has... grown more subdued after Omega came, after... they lost Hunter.

Hunter isn't here to hold in Wrecker's chaos anymore, and it seems like... because of that, he's been reigning it in himself. And for all of Tech's brilliance, he has no idea how to apply it. And even for all of Crosshair's sharpness and foresight, he's always needed Hunter to tell him how to use it and where to look.

Tech opens the door, and they step inside together, weapons raised.

"Stand down," Hunter orders sharply, standing at the front of the room. It sounds – so much like him that it hurts. It's familiar. He's the one that always meant home. His helmet is on, but Crosshair saw him on Ryloth, and he already knows that – that Hunter has already renounced everything that made them what they are.

And none of that was even his choice.

Hearing Hunter's voice in anything but dreams flood him with longing. But now is not the time to get distracted.

Based on their positions, Hunter was prepared well enough both for them coming in the lift and the main entrance. They will need Omega's backup momentarily – there wasn't even a point telling her to leave, because she wouldn't listen. This many droids is nothing, but here, all the way out by the door, there's no cover.

"Why?" Echo asks, twisting around to face him. He's scowling, but he looks unharmed, short of the damage to his scomp. It must've taken the brunt of the force when he landed. "So, you can kill them?"

"I'm offering you a chance to come back."

All eyes turn to him. And they just stare.

They already made that choice. Everyone knows that. They wouldn't take it back. Hunter must know that. So, what is this? What is the Empire really planning?

"Yeah, that's already decided," Wrecker snaps. His anger – if it can even be called such – is a show, and they all know that. He's just hurt. Wrecker very, very rarely gets angry.

"You might have betrayed everything we fought for, but I'm still giving you a chance to come back." There's a brief moment before Hunter starts moving forwards. They're a room away from each other, but Crosshair still finds himself tensing. "What you're doing will get you all killed. Stop and think. For Omega, at least."

He's even calling her by her name. That's... somehow, not what he expected.

"Why would you?" Tech inquires finally, and none of them move to lower their weapons.

Just like in the hangar on Kamino.

Some way or another, they're going to have to fight him again.

"She doesn't deserve to live a life in constant danger."

"She's one of us," Echo retorts.

Simply judging from his stance, Hunter is glaring at him. "She's not a soldier."

He's very glad Omega isn't here to hear this argument. She... wouldn't take it very well. That's what Hunter is doing, isn't it? Trying to guilt-trip them into coming back? And it's working. Far too well, because Crosshair has been questioning for a long time what they should be doing about her.

And, as their leader, Hunter has always known how to make them listen. And that's exactly what he's doing now.

They need to act soon. Maybe he should have gone in above with Omega, after all. Surrounded, it'll be hard to take everyone out and cut their way through to Echo. But Hunter's – here. Right in front of them. How can they leave him?

"You brought her here, didn't you?" Hunter guesses.

It would be pointless to deny it – Echo already practically admitted it, even unintentionally.

"It doesn't matter," Echo replies finally, fiercely. He's angry, and the never-ending passion that has always defined him is burning at its strongest. "There are others out there that matter more. We were meant to be soldiers. There is no other life for us."

"With the Empire, you can make a difference."

"You know everything they're doing is wrong. This is what we fought against."

"Does it matter?" he asks, and it's unnerving to hear that in Hunter's voice. It's too cold. It's nothing like the brother they knew. "If you're alive?"

Once, Crosshair might have somewhat understood that. But after the past month, after seeing what the Empire is causing, after working even closer with Echo, and after seeing Omega's constant, ceaseless drive to help people, he can't. Hunter had always put them above everything else, and that is the life Crosshair is used to. That's why... he's struggling so much with Echo in charge.

"Because killing children will make us safe," Crosshair scoffs – it's been a month, and in hindsight, he could understand the order on Kaller. The Jedi could be dangerous, if they really did commit treason. A precautionary measure, even if it's wrong. But Onderon was different. That was – pointless, inexcusable.

"Don't make this mistake again," Hunter warns. He sounds angry. He's often short, but he's rarely angry. Anger, on Hunter, always masks fear.

From Bracca, Crosshair knows far too much about what this feels like. He was being overwhelmed by the urge – need – to hurt them, to stop them, even if he just as much wanted to protect them. Hunter still cares about them, even through the haze covering his mind. He genuinely thinks he's doing what's best for them.

But they can worry about it later. For all that he wants to try freeing Hunter, they have to get out of this alive to do it in the first place. And they've waited long enough. More than likely, Hunter has already sent people after Omega. He knows she's here, or at least suspects it.

The three of them move forwards a bit, closer. They need to get closer. They never discussed the plan in detail, or really at all, because they never had time or the forethought to figure it out, but he already knows what they need to do.

He moves slowly to avoid alerting Hunter and presses the button on his comm. Omega should be here momentarily, and they've made her wait long enough. Hopefully not long enough for her to find some other way of getting in trouble.

"It wasn't a mistake," he throws back – they have to keep talking, have to distract Hunter. If he's focused on them, he won't notice Omega right away, and they're counting on her presence throwing them all off-guard.

"You betrayed everything we fought for," he accuses, "We always stay together."

They did. Once. A long time ago. Waking up every morning, knowing Hunter was gone left them all feeling so lost and alone. He's always been a part of their lives.

"Considering how we were imprisoned, and you were attempting to kill us, you gave us little choice," Tech replies. He's angry. Crosshair can hear it in his voice, and Tech even more so, is rarely angry.

"We're running out of time, Commander," someone says.

"Hold your positions," Hunter says, taking a few steps closer, and that's when it happens.

Finally.

Omega fires down at them, the shot not hitting anyone, but it's still enough to make everyone look. Hunter whips out his blaster – he must have sensed her – and fires her direction, but Omega has already ducked out of sight.

Tech throws the smoke bomb into the area in front of them. It affects them, too, of course, but this is the training room. It's their home. They know exactly what it looks like. They've done this a thousand times.

Tech can scan heat signatures. Crosshair can, too, but he can see, either way. And Wrecker he can just hope won't do something stupid in the meantime.

Echo jump-tackles Hunter, and under any other circumstances, it would be comical to see.

They spread out – Crosshair going left, Tech going right, and Wrecker just cutting straight through the middle. Omega is covering as best she can from above – it's not much, but it's something. She's doing her best.

The smoke clears fast, though, in a room this large.

Crosshair moves closer to Wrecker to cover for his idiot brother, so he doesn't get himself killed, and Tech moves up front, cutting straight through to Hunter.

Echo takes down the Imperial with the blaster he stole from Hunter somewhere after jumping him.

There's a moment of nothing, and Hunter's face is still hidden by his helmet, so Crosshair has no idea what he's planning, if anything at all. Hunter is reaching for his knife now. As if that's enough to stop them. He's going to fight them to the end, of course. That's the way they all are.

Tech fires, and the stun bolt hits Hunter square in the chest.

"Is there a nearby medical facility we can use?" Echo asks, slipping Hunter's stolen blaster into his holster.

"It's not far," Omega answers for him, "But I don't know how guarded it is."

"We aren't leaving him again," Echo says, turning to the others. "Not if we have a choice."

Omega has joined them now, as have Wrecker and AZI, and they stand gathered around Hunter's unconscious form. It looks... different to see him like this. More like himself.

Omega looks... almost excited. Hopeful. Crosshair wishes he could feel the same way, but he can't. He wants to – has to – believe that everything Hunter did wasn't of his choice, but there's still a part of him that... can't fully accept it. He believes it, yes, but if they're wrong...

"You were just fighting him," Crosshair can't help pointing out.

"I suggest we move before reinforcements arrive," Tech interjects.

**w**

"You made it," Tech's voice filters in. It feels like he hasn't heard it – in a long time. But he's here now, and Hunter can feel all of them nearby, can feel as their hearts beat as a steady, ever-present part of his own.

And that's when he remembers. Everything. That... he was supposed to bring them in, to... recruit them. To the Empire. Where – they'll be safe.

At what cost?

He was angry. He was... strangely desperate. He didn't want to hurt them, but he knew he'd have to if they refused. Except... he doesn't know why he felt any of that anymore.

He tenses, especially when Echo approaches. Echo, who he... captured. Who he hurt. Was hurting. For trying to do the right thing. And he can only wait, expecting it to come again.

"You shouldn't have come back," Hunter says finally, blinking some of the fuzziness out of his vision. That's all he has been doing since Order 66, and he can only expect it to kick in. It's... the first time in a long time that his head doesn't hurt, but it's... momentary. It does that sometimes, too. Right?

Echo's hand is on his blaster, Hunter notices for the first time. His gaze snaps to the others. Tech and Crosshair are just as tense, and Wrecker is half shielding Omega.

They really do care for her. He doesn't... know why or how that happened. He doesn't even know why they let a child stay with them, when this child deserves a life far better than one in war, something they'll never be able to give her.

"You're free now," Echo tells him shortly, "We removed your inhibitor chip."

They... did? That would be why he's in a Kaminoan medbay then. Instead of literally anywhere else in the galaxy where it would make sense. His hand moves to the right side of his head, where it's been aching for weeks.

Omega circles around Wrecker, moving forwards. Crosshair's hand snaps out to her shoulder, stopping her, keeping her back. Shielding her. They're looking at him like they think he'll... hurt them. Which they should, because he... has. Omega doesn't look scared, though. She's being cautious, but it's the same as she was back when they first met, when she approached him and... tried to get through to him.

But how much of that was him? He doesn't know. He hurt Echo. He hurt Crosshair. He could have... killed them all. He would have later, too. If he could have. If Tech hadn't been fast enough to stun him when he did.

"Are you okay?" she inquires finally.

"It's not safe for you here," Hunter replies instead, sharply, hands clenching. The pain he expects to start again... doesn't. There's nothing. That doesn't mean he's any less certain he won't try to kill them again at a moment's notice. He's not... angry at them anymore. But it doesn't change what he did. He doesn't even know why he was.

"We need to leave now," Tech interjects, "Three Venators are descending on the city."

Descending? What are they doing?

"We have to move out," Echo says, stepping back.

"How far out is it?" Hunter asks finally, pushing himself up. They need to leave, now. The six of them are the only ones left alive that he knows of on-planet. And he can only guess where this is going to go. Downhill. And fast.

The facility is being decommissioned – he knew that. And they need to get out of here before that happens.

Hunter knew, from the start, that this would be dangerous for all of them. But orders were... orders, and he couldn't refuse orders. Now, he's still only partly certain that... anything. And he doesn't have time to worry about it right now, either. They have to focus on getting out. though Hunter isn't sure if it... is really safe for them for him to be nearby. How can he know it's safe?

"Not far," Tech replies, "If we can make it into the adjoining facility, we will be fine."

He won't press for details. They've survived without him all this time, and Hunter trusts them. Even now. Even if he hasn't for long enough that it feels wrong to.

And even if... he hates himself for being unable to.

It shouldn't be so hard. He doesn't know why it is – he's always been able to focus on the present rather than the conflicts in his own mind. Until right now, apparently.

All he can do is... worry about it later. And hope they'll be able to stop him if... he can't stop himself.

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