Step by step I come closer to reaching the top

Every step must be placed so that I don't fall off

Looking down to see about how much higher I am

Another cool wind comes through, brushes my skin

Oh, the harder I push the tension does grow

I gather my thoughts the further and further I go

With some luck I just might keep on climbing

So better to climb than to face a fall

Phee picked up the string of jewels from the seat beside her, tossed them into the air and then caught them again. Just another artifact that was worth more or less to different people depending upon who you asked. Technically they would have been worth more if one of the stones had not been separated from the set, but that stone was worth plenty where it had ended up so Phee really didn't see the point in reuniting them, at least not yet. For now the incomplete set of gems was going to remain safe and sound with the rest of her finds in the Archium.

After she stashed that away she was going to find a certain clone she knew… well, thought she knew. It seemed there was more hiding behind those goggles than she had ever expected. She and Brown Eyes needed to have a little chat.

She had told Genna that her lips were sealed concerning the two little treasures who were waiting to meet their daddy but a lot could be communicated without lips or without technically mentioning Kebiin and Saviin Shek'eta-she'cu.

Phee glanced down at the jewels in her hand once again and skipped down the ramp of her transport. The lights seemed to be on in the Marauder and there was another ship she didn't recognize on the landing pad. She did however recognize the man who was walking from one ship to the other.

"Echo!"

He stopped short of boarding the Marauder and looked back at her. "Hello, Phee. Where've you been? I thought the boys said you're the one who brought them here."

"That I was. Had a little business off world but I always come back into harbor when the work is done."

"It's a beautiful place." Echo allowed.

"But not the sort of place you'd like to settle down." She patted his shoulder. "What's wrong? You got a girlfriend hidden away on Coruscant?"

It had been a joke but the way he stiffened (more than usual) and stared at her gave away the truth.

"No kidding?" Phee grinned at him.

"Actually, I'm hardly ever on Coruscant." A weak excuse.

"Is that right? I heard that you made a little trip to Onderon to visit a mutual friend of ours."

He decided to call her bluff. "I went to inquire if our purposes aligned with those of the Mollymauk."

Phee nodded. She knew that part already. "Run into anyone else while you were there? Someone who might have grown rather attached to your squad, married to it one might even say."

Echo tight lipped, looked away from her towards the Marauder.

She followed his gaze. "He's never even mentioned her, not once."

"He did it," Echo defended his brother, "to protect her and…"

"And the babies?" Phee finished for him.

"He doesn't know about... Wait, did you say babies?"

Phee sighed. "There's two of them, girls, with her blonde hair and his eyes. Well all of your eyes I guess with that clone phenotype or whatever. She'd have a hard time with a paternity test unless they end up nearsighted geniuses."

Echo finally found the words to reply. "Twins? And they're…"

"Perfect healthy, no sign of growth acceleration if that's what you were wondering. I guess twins run on her side of the family as well. She named them after her brothers."

Echo nodded again and was about to speak before she went on. "He deserves to know about them."

"She said not to tell him so he wouldn't be distracted on his missions."

"Would you want someone to keep something like this from you?"

She could tell he was thinking of someone in particular.

"No."

Phee made her decision right then. "Well if you're not going to tell him I will."

"Not yet!" Echo raised a hand to stop her. "After we get… after this next mission. Hunter's already decided to settle here on Pabu. We'll be able to get Genna and the twins and bring them back here."

Phee didn't exactly promise not to tell before she walked away towards the Archium. "Yeah, great plan."

…

Echo had wanted to have a chat with Phee about the possibility of her helping out with the Clone Defection network. She had worked with refugees before he knew and she had been in contact with Mollymauk who they were already working with, sort of. But it was her bringing up the topic of Genna that completely wiped-out the subject from his mind.

Twins! He was an uncle! Again, he supposed, because there were Shaeeah and Jek who had called him uncle back on Saleucami. And he and the squad had helped them get safely away from the Empire.

Tech had thought that the frozen north of Onderon would be a safe place for Genna to stay and then he had thought to let her go to be with someone else but now that there were the twins… Phee was right, he did deserve to know.

But at the moment they were all planning a more time sensitive rescue and Echo needed to add what he had learned to their intel.

"There is even less on Dr. Hemlock, and I was very thorough." Tech stated. "He is a ghost."

"Not quite." Echo spoke up. "According to a contact of mine, Hemlock's set to attend a high-level imperial summit in two rotations." He didn't know how Mollymauk got her information but he wasn't about to look a gift dalgo in the mouth.

"Where?" Hunter asked.

Echo leaned in to enter the information into the computer. "Tarkin's compound on Eriadu. If we do a covert infiltration we can plant a homing beacon on Hemlock's ship and track him to his base."

"And too Crosshair." The hope in Omega's voice made him smile.

"It won't be that simple." Hunter attempted to be the voice of reason. "We'd be at a tactical disadvantage, and I'm not sure it's worth the risk."

"I understand your hesitation. We have not always agreed with Crosshair but he is our brother."

Echo could not remember if Tech had ever referred to the others as family. He wondered what he would say when he found out that he was a father.

"We do not leave our own behind."

But perhaps it was best for him not to be distracted just now.

"If there's a chance to get him back, we have to take it." Omega piped up.

And Wrecker agreed, "Definitely!"

"What about reinforcements?" Count on Hunter to bring them back to reality.

Echo acceded to the point. "Well, Rex is on a separate mission, so it's just us. A small enough team to get in and out without alerting them but we'll need to move quickly."

"Well," Hunter gave in. "Then let's get started."

…

Echo couldn't help it. When he saw Riyo in that holo image he couldn't help but remember what Phee had said, "would you want someone to keep something like this from you?"

While they had done what was required of that particular outcome, RIyo had assured him that she was doing what was necessary to prevent it from happening. It would be disastrous at this stage in their relationship. She was a senator and people needed to take her seriously. And if they ever found out that it was a clone who… did that to her… well, it wouldn't be good news for either of them. Even if… a baby?

He could imagine it. A little person not grown in a vat in a lab but in Riyo's own body, one who might have her azure coloring and golden brown eyes. No one could take away his daydreams. And maybe someday… but that day was not today.

" So you'll be away a little longer? " she asked sweetly.

"That's right," Echo told her. "We got some intel that we might not be able to act on if we wait."

Riyo nodded. She looked disappointed. He couldn't help but think it was because she missed him and maybe because she was worried about him? But then she took a deep breath and composed herself as if she were going to speak in front of the senate. " Well, you will be happy to know that I'm going to be doing more for the cause than just sitting behind a desk while you're gone ."

"You are?" he frowned.

" Rex got some important intel too. And he thinks that I might be able to help him act on it since the senate is not in session at the moment ."

"Is it safe?" Echo asked, now worried for her. He had known that Rex had a lead and wouldn't be able to provide backup for them but he had no idea that he was planning on asking Riyo to come along.

" I'm sure Rex wouldn't have asked if it was anything like the missions you and your brothers go on. Although I can't say anything about it right now ."

"Of course." He was terribly curious.

" And then when we both get back from our missions we'll be able to tell each other all about our successes ."

"Yeah," Echo tried to smile. He really couldn't wait for that. He knew talking wasn't all they would be doing when they saw each other again and that really made him smile.

But for now he would focus and he would get the job done.

…

Echo had said they had a mission but Phee didn't expect them to be leaving quite so soon. He had also seemed pretty keen on keeping the nature of that mission quiet. So if she was going to find out anything it was going to have to be from Omega.

When the girl ran to her she just came out and asked, "So, where are you all headed?"

"It's a covert mission," Omega whispered.

"Oh, I see. Well, I expect details when you get back." And then she could pass those details on to someone who had been waiting even longer than she had for any news at all.

"Bye, Phee." Omega ran up the steps into the marauder and right past her brother Tech.

She knew he saw her but as usual he was focused on that damn datapad.

"So, you were just going to leave without saying goodbye."

"That is correct." He wasn't even going to look up at her?

Phee crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Did you require a briefing?"

"You know, when two friends are talking, it's called a conversation." Friends. That's all they were. All they ever would be and she could accept that. If she at least knew that he was going to be honest with her about where his loyalties lay. "Well, don't go running off with any pirates or smugglers while you're gone."

"Yes. This mission should not involve either." He was clearly avoiding her.

Phee knocked his datapad out of the way. "That's not exactly what I was getting at."

Tech straightened his goggles.

Phee chuckled, this was useless. Maybe Echo could get through to him. "See you around, Brown Eyes."

He watched her go but he didn't stop her to add anything more it the conversation and then boarded the Marauder.

She stayed to watch them take off.

…

Emerie had the run of the place. She had kept her head down and now that Hemlock had left for his all important meeting she could do as she liked. Well, up to a certain point. It wasn't like she could leave. Or free her brothers.

When was it that she had begun to think of them as such? She had always thought of herself as above the regular troopers. She had been flash trained for a far superior purpose in half the time that it took to grow common run of the mill cannon fodder. But to hear the doctor talk about them, the way he lumped all clones into the same category as possessions of the Empire and good for nothing other than subjects in his experiments, it made her rather ill.

Well, if that was all she was, if that was all he thought of her, then Emerie Karr was going to have to take a closer look at these brothers of hers who all came from the same parent. Perhaps Crosshair and even the other regular troopers deserved more of her respect. They were living beings, individuals, not wet droids.

And if they all had a 'father' in common they also possessed a 'mother' of a sort. Their 'father' may have died in the opening salvo of the war but their 'mother' was here on Tantiss and now in a similar circumstance. She was as much a prisoner as any of her children.

Emerie made her way down to the prison level. She felt like she was sneaking but she tried to look like she had a purpose to the nat born troopers who still had to answer to her for the time being. Once she was past the point where they usually patrolled she breathed a bit easier.

Except for the fact that just then she remembered again who it was she was going to visit and the old trepidation crept into her psyche. For years she had done everything in her power to live up to this female's expectations. It was hard not to still see Nala Se as the mentor she was attempting to impress.

She stood in front of the cell, still and silent for a full standard minute.

Nala Se looked up at her with those huge seemingly emotionless eyes but Emerie knew better.

"So you've finally come to see me. Did your new master give you leave?"

"He's not my…" Emerie began and then took a breath. "I don't need to ask his permission."

"Of course you don't. You have risen quite high. I always knew you would. You had the potential for great things."

"But you didn't stick around to find out. You left me all alone." Emerie didn't realize until that moment how much it had hurt. And then finding out about the other one. "You went back to Kamino, to Omega ."

Nala Se gave her a nod of admittance. "She was the prototype and she was still young whereas you were fully mature. I considered your growth and training to be a complete success of my efforts."

"I was younger than her."

"In chronological age, yes, but no one who came to the medical station would have been any the wiser. To them you appeared to be what you are, in fact, a highly capable physician and scientist who has stepped up to every challenge you have been given and excelled. I could not be more proud of the things you have accomplished."

Emerie dropped her gaze abjectly. "Even the work I have done with Doctor Hemlock?"

Nala Se took a deep breath. "I believe given the fact that you are asking that question that your own conscience has begun to become aggrieved at some of his practices?"

She hadn't at first. She had believed that she was as far removed from the regs as from a non-sentient beast. "He says that all clones are property of the Empire. He believes we only serve as subjects in his experiments."

"We all serve at the beck and call of the Empire from a certain point of view," Nala Se said with an edge to her smooth voice. "But you make the decision if you will go along willingly. I have chosen not to participate but that choice comes with the condition of finding myself in a cell. Perhaps I could only appear to be going along with their agenda and gain a greater amount of freedom but would I really, in fact, be free?"

Emerie took a step closer to the energy barrier that separated her from her former mentor. "Then what should I do?"

"For the moment." Nala Se tilted her head on her long neck in what Emerie knew was an almost motherly expression. "You are on the outside of the cell and I am not. So you tell me, who has the greater power to change your situation?"

She had much to think about as she left the prison level, but Emerie knew one thing for sure, Nala Se was right, she still had the power to act.

…

In the critical standard minutes before they emerged from hyperspace, Echo dialed in to Dalla. They were going to need clearance codes to pull this off, and Dalla was recently flush with them. How, Echo didn't know, and he didn't really care. Everything was on the line and it was time for Dalla to put her money where her mouth was.

When her image materialized though, she looked worse than the Batch after a bad mission. Her face was stained with mascara tears, and her lips pressed together so tightly it looked like her jaw was wired shut.

She proved it wasn't with a few clipped words. "The codes. I'm transmitting them now."

Echo really didn't want to ask, but ask he did. "Are you … okay?"

The corner of Dalla's mouth twitched. No, she wasn't.

"I made a mistake," she admitted. "A personal mistake, and now it's affecting my professional life. But it's my mistake, and I'm taking care of it. It'll be over soon." She swallowed. "It'll all be over soon."

Echo didn't ask her what she meant by "all." He couldn't spare the focus from the mission, especially not when Riyo had been talking about joining Dalla in her work with Imperial defectors.

"I've got the codes," he said, putting on his game face with no concession for Dalla's mental state.

"You're welcome. And may the force be with you."

…

Phee found herself back in the Archium. It was a quiet place where she could think but every artifact she had collected and brought to this place was a reminder of when she had gone to liberate it. The most recent additions reminded her of Omega and the boys but the jewels she had just liberated yesterday reminded her of someone else. She picked them up and wrapped the strand around one finger so that a single stone looked like a ring adorning her finger.

"You're worried about them aren't you?" Lyanna asked, coming quietly up behind her, but it wasn't really a question.

"Worried? About the Batch? Nah, they can take care of themselves." She ruffled the little girl's hair and placed the jewels back on the shelf.

Usually Lyanna was curious about Phee's treasures but this time she didn't ask about that. "They are coming back, aren't they?"

"Yeah, I think they might actually be thinking about settling down. You've enjoyed having Omega around, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah her and the kids you brought from Onderon, but I also thought you and…"

"Nah." Phee stopped her before she could go on. "Turns out we didn't know each other as well as I thought."

"But you could get to know each other, if they're going to come back and stay."

"I do have a thing or two I need to say to one of them in particular."

"Then, Auntie Phee, you should comm him!" Lyanna jumped up and down on her toes.

Phee couldn't help but smile at the child's exuberance. "I can't. I promised someone else I wouldn't say what needs to be said."

Lyanna frowned, confused. "Then maybe you need to comm that other person and get permission."

"You know, kid, I think maybe you're right."

…

" Hair Affair, this is Genna, back in business and making appointments. How can I help you today? "

"I am definitely gonna have to make an appointment for the next time I'm on Onderon."

" Phee! " There was a sound of something hitting the ground as she dropped whatever it was she was holding when she answered the comm. The visual activated and the stylist was bending to pick up bottles from a display of hair products that she had been arranging but she was smiling as she stole glances up at the holo cam. " I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Have you heard from… I mean have you spoken to …"

"I have seen the boys and Omega and they are doing well."

Genna seemed to relax the tension in her shoulders and she closed her eyes as if offering up a prayer of thanks. " But you didn't tell him? "

"I spoke to Echo since he already knew and we agreed not to share your happy news until after they get back from this mission."

" They're on a mission right now then? "

"Yep. Omega said it was 'covert'. And they were in a hurry so I couldn't get any more info out of the boys either."

Genna nodded and let out a breath.

"I do think that they are planning on settling down after this one."

" What… does that mean? "

Phee deliberated. Actually she had been deliberating about sharing this particular information since she left Onderon. "The Batch have found a place where they can lay low and the Empire can't find them. Actually I brought them here."

" You said they weren't with Cid anymore. I guess she doesn't know about this place either? "

"No, she doesn't." Phee hesitated again and then barreled on. "I told them about it because I thought it would be good for Omega. It's a great place for a kid to grow up."

Genna nodded slowly. She obviously knew what Phee was getting at. It might be a nice place for a couple more kids to grow up.

…

This mission was going swiftly downhill in Tech's eyes. "This quadrant of the surveillance systems has been completely deactivated. I do not like this. We should leave."

Hunter picked something up. "Tech."

"A thermal explosive."

"Someone is targeting this base."

If they were, they weren't doing a very good job. "One charge will not cause much damage."

"Good thing we have more."

Two stormtroopers stood at the corridor's junction, and Clone Force 99 snapped to a ready position. But instead of firing the trooper in the lead motioned for his comrade to lower her blaster and then removed his helmet.

"Didn't expect to find you two here," he said.

Tech set his teeth. "Saw Gerrera."

…

"I know you're settled there on Onderon. Sounds like you're getting the business back up and running."

Genna changed the subject. " You're from Onderon too, aren't you? "

"That's right." Phee said honestly. "My dad was from one of the beast rider clans and my mom was from the city. Still not sure how they got together. I only ever remember them fighting with each other."

" Dalla said you worked with Saw Gerrera. "

"Yeah, well," she cleared her throat. "We never really worked together, just sort of alongside."

Genna waited for her to continue.

"Long story short. I heard that he was trying to help some refugees move offworld. I fenced some of the artifacts that I had liberated to help fund the project."

" You just helped fund the one project? "

"Well, no, I guess I did a little more than funding." This would be the part she was specifically interested in of course. "I heard that the empire sent some clones to clear out the camp and I went myself to help get the kids out of the jungle before the Empire could send someone else to finish the job."

Genna's next question caught Phee off guard. " Did you happen to see my brother? "

"Who is your brother?"

" His name was Ret Carid. He was a couple years older than me, tall, hair dyed dark so he would look more Onderonian but his features were still Mando like mine. He had wanted to join up with Saw since the war. He was out there with them in the jungle, said he was helping take care of the kids because they were refugees like we were when we left Mandalore. "

Phee caught the past tense in the discourse. "I don't remember meeting him. It was a woman I spoke to. Her name was Hero. I think she was Onderonian too, part of the old crew from the rebellion during the war."

Genna actually cracked a smile. " Osik. She was still with them? She was the reason Ret started tagging along with Gerrera in the first place. He had a crush on her for ages. I think she ended up with somebody else and Ret… "

"I was planning on going back and getting the rest of them once we got the kids settled but the Empire beat me to it."

…

"I told you on Onderon you had a choice to make. Looks like you've chosen." Saw turned to his comrade. "Keep an eye out."

She nodded while Saw approached the clones.

"What exactly is your plan here?" Hunter asked.

Saw smiled. "I'm leveling this compound, along with all the Imperials inside it."

"Can't let you do that. We're tracking one of the officers. We need to find his base where clones are being imprisoned, including one of our own."

"You expect me to call this off to save a few prisoners?" Saw scoffed. "We are trying to fight an Empire."

"Have you considered that by destroying this facility you are wiping out any chance to gather intel that could help your cause?"

"Taking out several of their top commanders is a good start."

"Well, that victory will be short lived as their ranks will quickly be replenished," Tech quipped.

"Maybe so. But sacrifices have to be made for the greater good."

"We have to go now." Saw's compatriot returned to the group. "A security team has been alerted."

…

" It was Crosshair. "

"What?" Phee asked.

" Tech and Hunter and Wrecker, their brother, Crosshair. He was with them on the original mission and he was the one the Empire sent back to complete it. "

"Their brother killed your brother." Phee gathered.

Genna got defensive. " It was when he still had that chip in his head. So he had to follow orders, I guess ." The end of the statement wasn't as confident as the beginning. " They tried to get him back, to leave the Empire and rejoin the squad. I- " she breathed heavily. " I could understand. He was family. Besides, I didn't really blame him. It was Saw Gerrera who my brother followed out into the jungle. It was Gerrera who left him there to be finished off when the Empire came back ."

"And that would be why it was so important for you to know if I worked with Saw or not?"

" Kriff yeah ," Genna swore. " Dalla said something when Ellie died about the Partisans being up to something big. They don't care who gets in their way ."

…

No sooner had she spoken then stormtroopers appeared in Tech's peripheral vision and blasterfire broke out. He heard Saw's compatriot yelp as a bolt caught her on the right side of the chest.

"Hero!"

"I'm fine. We take out one of theirs for everyone we've lost, right?"

"For Steela," Saw affirmed.

"And Dono," Hero groaned even with his support.

"And one for that Carid kid who was always panting after you like an akk hound?"

"His name was Ret."

But the Partisans weren't Tech's problem. He and Hunter fought their way down another hallway.

"We've been compromised. Get back to the rail line," Hunter ordered through his comlink.

It wasn't an easy trip. Without stolen armor, they had to shoot their way out until they finally met up with Echo, Wrecker, and Omega at the rail line.

Tech examined the nearest car. "We need an access code."

If only they had the ones Mollymauk seemed to be rife with. Echo stepped in. "I'll override it."

They zipped down the rail line, only barely noticing the shuttle which flew past a moment before a tremor seemed to shake the entire mountain.

Gerrera. Leave it to him to leave a mess in his wake.

…

"Well, this place where the Batch are thinking about settling down, it's way out of the way of Saw and his gang," Phee assured her.

" A great place to raise kids, you said? "

"Mmm-hmm."

" Used to be able to say that about Onderon. " Genna fiddled with a few of the bottles on the display. " I suppose there are people in need of a good shampoo and trim in other places around the galaxy ?"

Phee patted her own coiffure. "I know I could use some help from time to time."

" When they get done with this mission.. ." She left it at that. There seemed to be endless possibilities after that particular event concluded. " You really think they would settle down? "

"Well, maybe not Echo. Is it true that he's got a girlfriend on Coruscant?"

Genna grinned conspiratorially, "He didn't say anything to me specifically but I think he does!"

"Yeah, well," Phee laughed. "He might be otherwise occupied but Hunter is starting to see that a little stability would be best for Omega."

…

"We've got three ships inbound." Hunter could sense them coming.

Omega searched the clouds for a place to aim her weapon. "Where? I can't see them."

Hunter bellowed into the comm, "Tech, we need power!"

The ships firing on the couplings that connected the cars to the rail were not making the status bar move any faster. As soon as the process reached completion Tech shouted, "Echo! Now!"

"We're online," Echo acknowledged.

Tech disconnected from the control box, put the data pad back into its pouch on his belt and then used the ascension gun to get back onto the top of the rail.

There was nothing that could have prevented what happened next as another ship came out of the smoke and fired at the car further damaging the coupling. Tech only just managed to place a grappling hook into the side of the car before tumbling back and coming to a stop at the end of his ascension cable.

"Come on, Tech! Hurry!" Wrecker called urgently.

"I am climbing as fast as I can."

The troopers shooting from the other car were making his ascent nearly impossible.

"Tech!" Omega screamed as he fell back again.

"Why aren't we moving?" Hunter growled.

Echo located the problem. "The car's being ripped from the track."

Hunter ordered, "Wrecker, get him on board!"

Wrecker tried to take a step as the car shuddered. "Whoa!"

"Don't!" Tech warned. "Any shift in weight could send both of these cars over."

Another jolt put more stress on the coupling and thwarted any upward progress.

"You must sever the connection hinge. Now!"

"Not until you're up here!"

Tech took a single precious second to survey the situation. By his calculations, any fall from this height would be fatal even if buffered by a rail car. Either they cut the connection, or they would all die.

And he would not allow that.

"There is no time, Wrecker." Tech grabbed his blaster and aimed. "Plan ninety-nine."

"Don't you do it, Tech!"

…

" Who would have thought that these clones would turn out to be such great dads? " Genna sighed wistfully.

"When they are given the opportunity," Phee amended.

" Fatherhood and following orders. Maybe I should have just ordered him to come back to me ."

…

Tech heaved a sigh. "When have we ever followed orders?"

He looked up and made the shot severing the connection between the two cars.

"No!"

"Tech!"

It was the last thing he heard but would not be the last thing he saw, the thought, as he called up an image in his heads up display.