Sawyer stared at the woman on the datapad's holo-screen, his confusion and shock increasing the longer he looked. He recognized the woman as his former Jedi Commander, Harlow Thornton. This doesn't add up. Harlow was a traitor. She and the rest of the Jedi conspired to overthrow the Republic. Sawyer could see that much, but what he couldn't see happening was his cadet conspiring with her. The message must've been a mistake. Cooper wouldn't willingly do something like this, right?

"So, let me get this straight," the sergeant blurted out, eyes glazed over in utter confusion. "You think my cadet, of all people, has something to do with this?"

"That message was sent to several people, including your cadet," Ren Sai calmly replied. "We've already identified some of the recipients as enemies of the Empire: fellow Jedi traitors, conspirators in the Imperial Senate, lawless extremists. I understand that may not be the case at all with your cadet, but I feel we should still bring him in for questioning."

Guilty by association, is that it? Sawyer narrowed his eyes at the Kaminoan. "I know Cooper better than you think I do, okay? He's a good soldier. Hell, the boy only gets into trouble when he's dragged into one of Jackal's pranks. There's no way that Cooper would've considered something as misguided as this."

"I believe you, Sergeant," Ren Sai said, his eyes showing what Sawyer would call the slightest hint of sympathy. "I do. But, as I said before, we simply cannot take any risks."

"I don't see why we're even going after my cadet when a Jedi traitor is the one who sent that message—"

"You are asking us to take a chance with a cadet we do not personally know," the Kaminoan interrupted, his voice rising to match his concern. "The Republic took similar chances with the systems under their control, and look how that ended up. Our Empire is still forming, Sergeant, and as such, it is vulnerable. Your cadet is vulnerable as well. Outside influences have caused clones to deviate from their duties before, you know. It makes me wonder whether or not someone encouraged your cadet…someone like yourself? I hope you aren't giving him any ideas, Sergeant," the Kaminoan purred, the threat subtly showing through the sea of tranquility in the long-neck's voice.

The sergeant briefly allowed his hands to tighten into fists, the knuckles turning pale under the stress. "No, sir," Sawyer calmly replied, reluctantly keeping his posture still despite his desire to grab the cloner and throttle him then and there. "What I do, I do for the good of the Empire."

"Then prove it," Ren Sai bluntly said. "Arrest him."

Sawyer's reaction was almost instantaneous, the sergeant visibly shaking from the bluntness of the Kaminoan's order. No! Please…there has to be another way. What Ren Sai was asking was against nearly everything Sawyer stood for. I can't just throw away my little brother's trust! Not like this! "All due respect, sir, I…" he started, part of him hoping, begging, that Ren Sai would understand the plight of the man sitting before him.

Ren Sai's cold look shattered that hope in a heartbeat. The long-neck narrowed his eyes, and Sawyer trembled as he realized that there was no way out. He would have to choose: betray Ren Sai, and lose the trust of the Empire that had promised him a future, or betray Cooper, and lose the trust of one of the only brothers he had left. The angel and the devil both tugged at Sawyer's mind, each one fighting for dominance.

Sawyer raised his head to look the Kaminoan in the eye, all traces of his shock and fear hidden under the mask of stoicism and loyalty to the Empire. He had made his decision. The angel and the devil had fought, and the devil had won.

I'm so sorry, Cooper…

"It will be done," Sawyer whispered, hardly believing what he was agreeing to.

"Good," Ren Sai replied, the cold tone still present. "I am placing a small security team under your command. Bring the cadet in alive. And, Sergeant…don't disappoint me."

Sawyer nodded his head in reply, taking his cue to leave the office. The clone couldn't help but shudder as his orders, and the warning that they came with, swam about in his brain. Outwardly, the sergeant's determination to do the dark deed shined in his eyes. Inside, however, Sawyer struggled with emotions that would make even a rogue Jedi tremble, chiefly a desire to grab his DC-15 and spray Ren Sai with blaster bolts until the Kaminoan was nothing but a charred husk. But he couldn't. Orders were orders, and orders needed to be obeyed, no matter how cruel or selfish they were.

He was glad no Jedi were around anymore. That way, no one would be able to sense the pain and guilt that came with what he was about to do.

Cooper stumbled out of his sergeant's quarters, his weak knees doing him no favors as he quietly strode over to his wall locker. No, no. It's not true. The Empire wouldn't kill me. Sawyer wouldn't even dare try. As much as the cadet wanted to agree with his rationality, he still couldn't forget Harlow's message below Ren Sai's urgent note. He couldn't forget how much of a fool he felt like, knowing that Sawyer had lied to him. Sawyer…why? What did I even do? Why would the Empire even target me to begin with? I'm not a traitor!

His thoughts raced, each one pulling him in a different direction than the last. Cooper clutched his head and took in a shaky breath. Deep within his chaotic web of thoughts, the effort to calm himself down allowed only one to break through to the surface:

I have to get away from here. I can't let them get me.

He opened up the locker, taking deep breaths in a vain attempt to soothe his nerves. The cadet was no stranger to fear. He couldn't recall the times he woke up screaming from the nightmares he had as a result of Blaze's death, nightmares that had very nearly earned Cooper a trip to the reconditioning chamber. But the long-necks' interception of Harlow's message had the teen shaking to his core. Even as I speak, the Empire is watching you, waiting to see if you'll become a threat for them to put down! Just like they did to us! Harlow's words rang sharply in Cooper's ears, tormenting his memory with their existence, with the knowledge that the Jedi was right.

He knew deep inside that what he was about to do—running away without a trace—was insane and foolish, possibly the most foolish thing he'd ever do in his life. He'd officially be labeled as not only a deserter, but an enemy of the Empire, and even if he did make it off-world, he'd be throwing himself into a galaxy he wasn't even fully prepared for. He knew he would never truly be safe again, but he also knew he'd rather take his chances in an unfamiliar galaxy instead of letting the Empire do who-knows-what to him. I'm sorry. I wouldn't do this if I had a choice.

The boy abruptly shoved his thoughts aside, and snatched his backpack from the wall locker. He silently stuffed the bag with whatever he could get his hands on. Ok. Food: check. Medkit: check. Spare power packs: check. Deecee I still need a full training course in using: check. He quickly hopped back up to his sleeping pod, pulling the datapad out of its makeshift hiding spot. He crammed the device into his bag without a second thought. Part of him warned that he would have to find more supplies later, but for now, he had enough to get by.

He was just about to close the locker when his eyes spotted a glimmer. He reached for the object, eyes lighting up in recognition. The ancient compass' lodestone sported a small crack, and the worn state of the metal showed that the object had not aged well. Cooper remembered when he had found the compass, how he had been puzzled as to the object's purpose before Harlow showed him. Without hesitation, the clone stuffed the compass in his bag as well.

Now I just need to find a way out of here. His mind raced for an answer. He knew the layout of the military complex like the back of his hand. There's gotta be some shortcut I can use.

The realization hit him like a durasteel wall. The vents! Those could work.

The emergency ventilation system wasn't exactly the cleanest place in Kamino's facilities, but that didn't stop Cooper and his fellow cadets from sneaking in and out of it from time to time. One time, he and Jackal had figured out how to take advantage of the vent system in the barracks. They had then proceeded to spend a good portion of their downtime up there, chatting and laughing until their sides hurt. Cooper pondered for a moment, trying to find another time when he'd seen Sawyer angrier than a half-starved rancor. He couldn't.

With his supplies packed, Cooper slung the backpack over his shoulders, and made his way toward the nearest vent. The clone hastily climbed the ladder, keeping his footsteps silent so as to avoid waking up any of his fellow cadets.

It was only when he reached the hatch that he hesitated, turning his head back toward Jackal's sleeping pod. That was probably the biggest downside to what he was doing. He'd be leaving his closest brothers behind. Sure, Cooper hadn't enjoyed being roped into Jackal's mischievous antics every now and then, but the prank-pulling never hurt anyone. If anything, it only brought the two brothers even closer together as friends, especially after Blaze had died.

I'm sorry, Jackal, but I can't let you get hurt because of me. I hope you'll forgive me.

As the clone climbed up into the vent shafts, backpack over his shoulders, he tried his hardest to resist looking back.

The barracks door slid open, allowing Sawyer to step inside. He took a deep breath, silently wishing he could have more time to calm himself before the inevitable. But his orders were clear, and Sawyer knew that if he didn't obey, it would be him in a holding cell instead of his cadet. I have to do this. There's no other option.

"Cooper?" Sawyer whispered, careful to not wake up any of the other sleeping cadets. The sergeant swiveled his head, hoping to catch a glimpse of his younger brother. But all he saw was the empty space before him. "Cooper, are you in here?" Sawyer tried again, making his way toward the boy's sleeping pod. It took nearly zero effort for him to climb the ladder and open the pod.

Sawyer rubbed his eyes with his free hand, as if the lack of his cadet's presence was nothing more than a trick. Only the bed sheets and the pillow occupied the space, and the sergeant felt his heart begin to pound against his rib cage. He slid down the ladder, his peripheral vision offering him a glance of the ajar wall locker. Checking the locker only confused Sawyer even more, his irises cast upon the empty space where Cooper's DC-15 and backpack should've been.

What the…why would Cooper need all of his stuff?

It took a second for two and two to click together. Sawyer's eyes widened. It all made sense now. Cooper's disappearance, the missing backpack.

He's on to us? No…Cooper, what the hell did you do?!

It took everything the older clone had to resist slamming the locker shut. He swiftly turned and stomped out of the barracks, activating his commlink. "Alert the security team. Tell them my cadet is on the move."

The only sounds that echoed through the hangar were the beeps and chirps of the cleaning droids running through their routines. Supply crates filled the few spaces the starfighters didn't occupy. Dim lighting blanketed the hangar, a sign that the space was closed down for the night.

Cooper peeked his head down through the vent, descending down the ladder only once he knew no one was waiting for him. The clone ducked behind one of the crates. From his hiding spot, the young teen could make out the silhouettes of the fighters. From V-Wings to Y-Wings to Z-95 Headhunters, the starfighters left little space in the hangar to move around.

The clone checked to ensure no one was following him before bolting for the nearest fighter, a Y-Wing. He clutched the DC-15 in both hands, quickly setting the blaster to stun in case anyone felt like snooping. The cadet felt his heart soar with hope.

"Stop!"

Cooper flinched at the familiar voice, his hope dying faster than he could comprehend. He reluctantly turned around, his eyes catching the familiar sight of his sergeant. Sawyer's face was a mixture of worry and frustration as he strode toward his younger brother. "There you are. What in the hell are you doing out here, vod'ika? You had me scared half to death back there. I've been looking everywhere for you."

The teen watched Sawyer with wary eyes, his grip tightening on his blaster. Can I trust him? How do I know Sawyer's not in on this? Cooper tentatively took a step backward as Sawyer started to walk forward.

"Hey, you okay? What's wrong?" Sawyer concernedly asked.

"Is it true?" Cooper responded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Did you and the long-necks spy on me?"

The solemn look on Sawyer's face didn't seem to answer Cooper's question clearly enough. "You mean that message the Jedi sent?"

I knew it. He's in on this.

"Cooper, I'm telling you, I'm just in the dark about this as you are," Sawyer calmly spoke. "Let me take you back to the barracks, and we can sort this out. This isn't what you think it is."

"Then what is it?" the cadet spat, inwardly wincing at the sheer venom in his voice. I've probably got no right to treat Sawyer like that…but it's not like he'll listen to me otherwise. "I'm not stupid, Sawyer! The long necks are wanting to kill me, and you're helping them? We're brothers! We're supposed to look out for each other, not stab each other in the back."

"Cooper," Sawyer said, his hands held outward in a display of calmness. "Listen to me. You don't know what you're doing. No one here is trying to kill you." The sergeant cautiously moved closer, kneeling down so that he was at eye level with his cadet. "I swear, on my life, I would never try to hurt you, okay?"

Cooper slowly nodded his head, letting his eyes slip shut and allowing himself to lean into Sawyer's warm embrace. Maybe I overreacted a bit.

The cadet's eyes snapped open at the cocking of a blaster. The sight of more clones aiming their blasters at him confirmed his suspicions. Or maybe not…sorry, Sawyer.

The teen hastily gave Sawyer a shove backward, hoping to make a break for the starfighter. A hand latching onto Cooper's ankle prevented him from getting far, instead causing the teen to trip. As the younger clone twisted his body around to look into the older one's eyes, he could see that his suspicions were correct. Sawyer's warm and caring face was gone, replaced with the determined face of a man blindly following orders.

A face which matched that of a droid.

Cooper reluctantly set his blaster to stun, aimed it at Sawyer, and squeezed the trigger.

The sergeant crumpled to the floor, still conscious due to what Cooper guessed was sheer willpower. The cadet wasted no time scrambling to his feet and away from his older brother.

"Men," Cooper heard his sergeant weakly call out from his prone position. "Stop him! Don't let him escape!"

The group of soldiers responded instantly, readying their own blasters and sprinting toward Cooper. The boy bolted in the opposite direction, pushing himself to run as fast as his young legs could carry him. His breath came out in sharp gasps as his eyes glimpsed the fighter. Just have to get to that ship…

Cooper let out a gasp as the blue ring sailed past his head. He turned, eyes widening as the pursuing troopers fired more stun bolts, which he narrowly avoided. With every step he took, several stun blasts chased after him. The young clone's feet just barely peddled him out of the way of another blue ring, a telltale sign that the shots were getting closer to hitting their mark. But he kept sprinting, focusing only on closing the distance between himself and the Y-Wing. Cooper's lungs ached with a hunger for oxygen, and his ears could barely pick up the faint cry of his sergeant's voice. "Cooper, stop! They've got a…"

The clone tuned out his older brother's words. Sorry, Sawyer. Can't stop to chat. The fugitive pressed on, not keen of slowing his pace so Sawyer could drag him back to the barracks by the ear. His heart soared with hope as he finally neared the starfighter.

His ears picked up the roar before the rocket soared past his head.

The resulting explosion shook the hangar with enough force to send Cooper sprawling. His eyes grew wide as he gazed upon the heap of flame and scrap that was once the Y-Wing, a picture that would've looked magnificent if not for the fact that he was running for his life. The teen's eyes darted from the wreckage to Sawyer, his sergeant's face filled with shock and worry. Guess Sawyer still does care about me, after all. But I can't stop.

Cooper hastily forced himself to his feet, reaching for his blaster and blindly letting off several stun blasts of his own. Seeing a couple pursuing clones drop from the shots' impact did little to silence the young soldier's conscience, though the fact that the blaster was set to stun put his mind at ease slightly. I'm not gonna hurt anyone. I'm not gonna stoop to their level. In the distance, Cooper noticed Sawyer clamber to his feet. The teen turned tail and ran, eyes desperately scanning the hangar for another escape route.

That was when he noticed another ship.

The ARC-170 fighter looked as if it had flown throughout the whole war, and lived to tell the tale. Dents and scorch marks adorned the wings and body. The red paint, once a symbol of defense in the Republic, had long since faded from wear and tear. But the engines appeared to be working, and the cockpit and life support didn't appear damaged, and to Cooper, that was all that mattered.

With speed he didn't know he possessed, the clone climbed onto the ship and hopped into the cockpit. He took relief in the knowledge that the sealed cockpit shielded him from his pursuers' stun bolts, but he knew the protection wouldn't last. Already he could see one clone in particular reloading his rocket launcher. C'mon, Cooper. There's gotta be something in your training that covered this. Try as he did, the runaway clone couldn't recall any knowledge on piloting a starfighter, and the troopers were getting closer with every second.

Okay…okay, just breathe. Just stay calm. You're not going to get blown up or captured. With the newfound optimism fresh in his mind, Cooper glanced around. His irises finally settled on a switch, which he didn't hesitate to flip. The low rumbling of the engines told the clone that he had done something right.

BOOM!

The nearby explosion jolted the ship, nearly knocking Cooper senseless. The rogue cadet glanced at the troopers pursuing him, earning himself a front row seat to the sight of Sawyer leaning over the clone with the rocket launcher. The teen could only watch as Sawyer hurled a piece of debris at the starfighter.

Cooper stole a brief, final glance back at the person he once called his brother, and pushed the joystick forward. Immediately, the young clone found himself pinned to his seat as the ARC-170 lurched forward into the stormy Kaminoan night. Pellets of rain flew by the windshield. In the reflection of the transparisteel, Cooper could just barely make out the facility he once called home, growing smaller as he flew further. The greyish storm eventually faded into a sea of pitch black as the starfighter finally broke through the atmosphere.

It's over. I made it out. It's over. Though the reassuring thoughts succeeded in soothing the clone's fears, one thought still lingered like a virus in the back of his mind: What do I do now?

Cooper took a hard look at the vast expanse of stars before him, his jaw dropping in awe. He'd seen simulations of the galaxy before, but he never could've imagined it would be this big. The young clone opened up the navicomputer, scrolling through the wide selection of planets. Though he had the entire galaxy ahead of him, he couldn't place a finger on where to go. Out of the dozen planets he found himself scrolling through, none of them looked as inviting as home. No. It's not home, not anymore. I can't go back. They made their choice, and I made mine. Try as he did, Cooper couldn't push the familiar thoughts out of his mind. Already, he found himself regretting his decision to leave Jackal behind.

Great. So I've got an Empire hell-bent on arresting me, I don't know where to go, and my brothers turned against me faster than I can blink. Can this night get any worse? The clone leaned his head back and focused his eyes on the stars, hoping to distract himself from his current peril.

That was when he noticed the smoke streaming from his right engine.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Okay, don't freak out. It's probably something that can be easily fixed. There's got to be something in this computer that can help me. The rogue clone quickly pulled up the schematic manual for the fighter, and sat back worriedly as the computer assessed the damage.

Warning: right engine stabilizer moderately damaged. Repairs needed. Recommendation: deploy s-foils to reduce overheating in damaged engine. Hyperdrive intact. Locate nearest spaceport?

Cooper didn't bother pondering his decision. The damaged stabilizer could only help so much before it came loose entirely and sent the starfighter out of control. On top of that, he still needed a place to hide now that the Empire was targeting him. He quickly deployed the starfighter's s-foils, and typed a quick "yes" into the flight computer.

Confirmed. Locating…spaceport found. Location: Teth, Outer Rim Territories. Coordinates locked. Please follow all safety protocols when operating hyperdrive.

Teth. The planet was in Wild Space; Cooper knew that much. The Republic didn't have much reach on the jungle world back during the Clone Wars, and chances were that the Empire wouldn't have much reach there either. Maybe the backwater planet might prove to be a good place to disappear, if only for a short while.

Okay, Teth it is. Here goes nothing.

The clone located the activation lever for the hyperdrive, and pushed it forward. The stars blurred and distorted as the ship entered the vortex of hyperspace.

Only then did Cooper allow the dams keeping his tears at bay to fall apart.