Jedha city was busy; the streets seemed to thrive as normal despite the Imperials slowly stripping the interior of the Temple of the Wills for all its worth. Namely kyber crystals, all for something else the Empire had their fingers in. Rex, Gregor, and Echo waited near their ship at the predetermined rendezvous location on the city's outskirts. Rex patiently waited, trying to think of a way to word Cody's plan and figure out answers to potential questions. On the other hand, Gregor wandered around the ship, assessing the damage from the previous firefight the trio had gotten themselves into.

Echo, however, paced back and forth across the sandy dunes in front of the ship's entrance ramp. So many thoughts rushed through his mind as the nerves he felt began to gain power. The same nerves that had once taken hold the last time an impending reunion with (Y/N) hung in the winds. There were so many things he wanted to tell her about Crosshair still being within the empire, about Omega and the rest of the batch, and the adventures they'd been on with Phee. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her, admit she'd always been with him in his thoughts, and the longing he felt always reminded him how lost he felt without her.

At the same time, he was afraid. Snap had been running for almost a year, hiding across the galaxy. That was enough to change anyone. The constant looking over the shoulder, wondering where the next attack would come from, where the next safe place would be, where the next meal would come from. His mind persistently told him Snap wouldn't be the same kind medic he'd met at the start of the war, back when he'd been a regular clone before losing everything. She wouldn't be the battle-hardened woman she'd been on Anaxes either, although she is a warrior in her own right. Despite that, though, his heart sang (Y/N) was the missing piece of his home and life with the Batch. The missing role model Omega needed and the voice of reason boys needed, too.

The Arc Trooper was soon pulled from his thoughts by the sand thrown into the dry, hot air Jedha offered. The freighter effortless, making its landing approach. Echo immediately jumped to believe Wolffe had been the pilot. The last time he'd seen his (Y/N), she hadn't been confident in flying, although she was capable. By now, Rex and Gregor had joined him at the entrance ramp, Gregor offering his normal wave and the flash of his famous grin, the same grin Snap had once said was a part of The Gregor Charm.On the other hand, Rex had concern glimmering in his honey eyes, as if the nerves he'd been bravely keeping at bay had finally gotten the better of him.

Wolffe was the first to exit the freighter, holding on to the wall to keep his balance, an uneasy expression written across his features. He seemed awfully pleased to be on stable ground again, even if it was the sand he hated so much. (Y/N) On the other hand, was nowhere to be seen; Echo had half expected to see her rummaging through the crates in the cargo hold or running to catch up with Wolffe. But there was nothing. The Arc Trooper soon turned to Gregor as if to wordlessly ask if the Commando was sure Snap had been with Wolffe in the first place.

"Next time I'm flying!" yelled Wolffe, briefly turning back to ensure his comment reached the intended target.

"It got rid of them, didn't it?" came the soft but powerful voice of (Y/N), soon joining Wolffe on the entrance ramp, a small grin painted on her lips that soon gave way to a chuckle when Wolffe gifted her with his iconic eye roll.

"And probably confused them," commented the Commander, his attention turning back to Echo, Rex, and Gregor when the great captain cleared his throat to remind them they were there. "We ran into some trouble. Medic Ass Kicker here used your boy's tactics," explained Wolffe, seeing the collective confusion fade.

"He means Tech," chuckled Snap, handing Wolffe's blasters back to him.

"Tech taught you to fly?" asked Echo, trying to process the new piece of information.

"And General Skywalker," added (Y/N), trying to hold back her laughter at the identical expressions of both Wolffe and Rex.

"That's a dangerous combination," spoke Gregor, stepping forward to pull Wolffe in a brotherly hug, wrapping Snap in a gentler one mere moments later. "Come show me around the freighter," he added, gently tugging on (Y/N)'s arm as if trying to remove her from the oncoming storm of disagreements and put the reunion on hold a little longer. "Your Arc Trooper will be there when we come back."

Wolffe, on the other hand, walked further down the ramp. Joining Rex and Echo at the bottom, the brotherly smirk previously painted across his lips disappeared, replaced with cold concern. As if he could sense he wasn't going to like what either one or both of his brothers would say. Just as he knew, Gregor wouldn't have removed Snap from the gathering without cause.

"Spare me the suspense and spit it out," stated Wolffe, preferring to get to the part he knew he wouldn't like out of the way. "You wanted to talk Snap. Judging by Gregor's response, it's not something I'm gonna like." Rex and Echo could only look at each other as if they were children being scolded by their older brother.

"In Gregor's defense," started Echo, losing the confidence he'd built up the moment Wolffe's mismatched eyes locked on him. "He volunteered to tell her about her family. None of us were sure if either of you knew or heard the rumors," stated the Arc Trooper, pushing the lump forming away and continuing on. Although he wouldn't deny Wolffe, assuming he wouldn't like what they had to say wasn't wrong.

"The Empire still wants Snap. They're getting desperate to the point of putting a high bounty out for her safe return," voiced Rex, unsure what to do with his arms; Wolffe could somehow make someone feel as if he was looking into their soul, especially with the specific coldness and protectiveness he displayed now.

"We're not handing her over," snapped Wolffe, quickly determining where it was going and making a mental note to shoot whoever came up with the bright plan of doing just that.

"Our brothers are disappearing, Wolffe," rushed Rex, his eyes screaming the flood of emotions he refused to acknowledge. "We don't know where they're being taken to or what they're being used for. All we know is none return. Cody ..." he continued, unsure whether to share the next part, both about the plan being Cody's idea or the names of those who'd been among the recent group to disappear.

"Cody gave us a list of the latest to disappear. Comet and Boost were among them. Warthog before that," spoke Echo, recalling reading through the list of numbers. Troopers of the 104th, 212th, 501st, and 167th were among them, friends and brothers, all facing an unknown fate, all taken without public care. Wolffe's hard coldness softened a bit upon hearing their names. His stiff shoulders loosened as the familiar pain of grief and loss struck him again.

"Our brothers need our help. We're already the enemy. Palptaine's already sealed our fates. If we don't do something, everything we fought for, everyone we lost would have been for nothing," spoke Rex, sighing as he remembered the cost of rebelling now. The cost if the plan Cody had come up with went wrong.

"I know what you're going to suggest, Rex, but it's better for all our brothers if she's kept away from the Advanced Science Division," declared Wolffe, his attention briefly turning to the freighter he shared with Snap before returning it to Rex and Echo, seeing the bafflement bounce between the Captain and Arc Trooper.

"You already know what they want her for?" correctly stated Echo, hesitating with his words even more when he suspected it wouldn't be good either way. "Cloning?" he asked, allowing his thoughts to run a little wild as the other questions mingled with them. Were the Empire cloning civilians, or did they require Snap's knowledge of them for something? Neither of them explained why the imperials wanted her so badly; if it was knowledge they were after, others could give them what they wanted. If it was cloning again, there were others. Why (Y/N)? What did they want with her?

"We both figured it was something big. Between the constant hunters and the high bounty," answered Wolffe, a shiver rattling down his spine as he remembered what the stuck-up imperial Nerf herder had said, the words that had opened both his and Snap's eyes to the harrowing truth. "Snap, being herself, stopped an imperial officer from bleeding out; she didn't know who he was, but he recognized her. Admists his rambling about the empire, he told us both what they wanted with her, why she's so important," explained the Commander. He was proud of (Y/N) that day. She'd used all the training he and his brothers had taught her and fought back. Freeing herself, although Wolffe had been the one to finish the dimwitted imperial officer off.

"I was supposed to be assigned to Dr Royace Hemlocks facility, a part of the Dark Trooper program," called (Y/N) from the top of the ramp, tears shimmering in her eyes. Gregor stood close by as if he was a protective brother rather than a friend and former protector. "The program repurposes clone troopers into assassins and soldiers for the empire. Without me, the project stalled," she added, sitting on the cold durasteel, the rush of emotions being far too much to handle. Knowing the empire still wanted her, learning Devika was all she had left after her family had been executed, and now realizing the plan to gain information relied on her, the danger to all those she cared for.

"We're soldiers of the republic, not assassins loyal to the empire," Echo said with destain ringing through his angered voice. "The inhibitor chips have already taken away free will, forced the Jedi's execution on us, execution of friends. Without the chips, they are powerless to do anything," added the Arc Trooper; the moment his pale eyes met (Y/N), he knew he was missing something. He knew Gregor was right; Snap was the empire's valuable weapon against the clones.

Rex pondered his thoughts, trying to organize them, weighing up the options before them now and the gravity of the situation all of them found themselves in, the future that was looking far more bleak as the days passed.

"Will this plan of yours work?" asked Snap, a hopeless sigh escaping her lips as she came to the same conclusion Rex likely had. The Captain of the 501st could only nod, hopeful it wouldn't be for nothing. "Then, if you three and the others out there are willing to risk it. I will, too," she added. In any other circumstances, she would have laughed at Gregor's wide-eyed reaction and Wolffe's speechlessness, but the heaviness was too much to ignore even for a second.

"I'll go as well," worded Wolffe, displaying his refusal to allow Snap to take all the risk. He cared for her, not only as a friend but as a brother would a younger sibling. "You're not doing this alone. If you want to do this, fine, I'm not going to stop you, but you're gonna be stuck with me until both of us get out. Maybe even then," he added, noticing Echo had gone quiet as if he was observing what was before him or trying to find the best words to counter the decision, to voice his argument and obvious disagreement.

"I ... I can't let you do this," voiced Echo, recognizing the danger to both Snap and all the clones. "I'm sorry, but the risk is too great to ignore. What if something happens, and we can't get you out? What if you get hurt? I ... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt or ... worse," stumbled the Arc Trooper. He knew (Y/N) could handle herself, but that didn't mean he wouldn't worry; that didn't mean he wouldn't spend every waking moment concerned for her safety and terrified the imperials would discover her ulterior motives for joining them.

"As could you," softly replied (Y/N). "Everyone a part of the budding uprising could get hurt just by defying the empire. These are uncertain times; the risk may be great, but I'm willing to take it. I can't stand by and do nothing when those around me need help, just like you can't. If this is the part I have to play to prevent something worse from happening, then I will gladly take that risk," she added, the same gentle softness as before as she got up to move closer to Echo. Where'd he expected to see frustration and anger, there was only calmness, as if she expected the day would eventually come.

"I know you hold yourself accountable," spoke Snap, her voice filled with affection now, as she reached up to place a hand on Echo's jaw. "But it wasn't your fault. No one blames you for any of it. I know you are scared, both to let go and the unknown, but holding on will only lead to more pain," she whispered, placing a soft kiss on his hollowed cheek, almost as if to remind him he wasn't alone anymore, wasn't being weaponized by the Techno Union. He was an Arc Trooper, the last of Domino Squad, and a hero to those who still needed hope.

"Remind me to hope as you do," called Gregor, breaking up the moment between the Arc Trooper and Medic. Grunting shortly after when, Wolffe whacked him upside the head. "What? If more of us had faith like that, the galaxy would be a far better place."

"Rebellions are built of hope," replied (Y/N), a small grin appearing now. Echo soon jolted back to reality, reaching out for Snap before she could move away; once close enough, he listened to his heart, connecting their lips in a kiss, a long overdue display of affection. The kiss was full of the love he'd tried to hide for so long, hope for a better future, and longing for what could be. But also sadness, knowing the reunion would be short-lived and uncertainty regarding their next meeting. Fear was also there, fear of the empire and what they could take from him and the others who rose up against them. Fear of losing his Snap. Fear of never seeing her again, of losing her for good this time.