Chapter 6 – When Your Hand is Resting

Author's Note: In which the Empire comes heheh

~ Amina Gila

"What's the plan now?" Hunter asks as they head back onto the cruiser to do a final scan and pick up some more possibly useful or valuable items. "Where are you going next?"

Rex hesitates, glancing back at him. "I suppose you won't consider finding a planet to lay low on?"

"'S no fun," Wrecker complains, and Hunter can almost hear his scowl.

"Yeah, we're not gonna be farmers," Crosshair agrees emphatically.

Hunter glances at Omega. On Saleucami, she'd admitted to wanting to stay, but he doesn't know if her opinion has changed. "Let me worry about us," he tells Rex finally. "What about you?"

Rex pauses and then huffs. "I've given so much of my life to defending the Republic. Sure, things might have changed, but I can't stop now."

"There is no Republic left," Tech points out, moving closer to him. "What are you intending to do?"

"I'll fight," he replies, calm and resolute, "as I always have." He isn't afraid, even if what he's intending to do is an impossible task. "I'm not alone. There are others out there, too."

"And there's us," Hunter blurts out without thinking. He winces, glancing at his siblings, but… this is what they'd wanted. He and his brothers have always wanted to fight. "We can help you." And if Omega doesn't want to fight, there's got to be something else she can do to help that isn't fighting.

"We'll see," Rex settles on finally, which is kinder than rejecting them entirely, even if that's what's implied. "I can't let you wander off on your own, but I'll have the Empire after me, too."

"The Empire is after us already," Tech interjects. "If we stayed and worked together, it would only improve our chances of evading detection and capture."

"If there's other clones out there who need our help, we have to help them, right?" Omega chimes in. There's hesitancy in her voice, but there's determination, too, and Hunter glances at her again. Their eyes meet, and he can see that she does want to help Rex, even if she has reservations about the dangers of doing so.

"So, how can we help?" Hunter asks.

Rex shakes his head, caught somewhere between amused and resigned. "I don't like this," he tells them. "I know you're not normal kids, but you are still kids, and I don't like taking kids to fight." He pauses, sighing. "We'll figure it out."

They're in the armory again when Tech's datapad beeps. He glances down at it, and Hunter can feel the way his heart starts beating faster, alarm creasing his face. "Hunter," he says, turning, "we have a problem. Our ship's proximity sensors are registering three shuttles approaching. I believe it may be the Empire."

Hunter is at his side in a flash, taking the datapad to see for himself. "How could they have found us?" he asks, worried. "We disabled our trackers and the ship's signature is scrambled."

"It was the scrappers." Hunter turns at the sound of Rex's voice. The elder clone's face is grim. "They must have called us in. They're probably here for me."

"Well, what're we gonna do now?" Wrecker queries. He's standing next to Crosshair, almost as though the Imperials will jump out of the shadows and try to grab their littlest brother away from them. Crosshair is scowling, expression tight.

"You kids can probably sneak to your ship before you get seen," Rex replies. "I'll draw them away from you."

Hunter stiffens, eyes widening. "Not happening." He's not quite snapping, but it's close. "We have to stick together."

"Yes," Tech agrees, "splitting up at this point would not be advisable."

"And we aren't gonna leave you," Omega adds vehemently.

Rex looks between them, seeing their determination, and he nods. "Alright, then we'll need to find a way off the cruiser without being seen."

Tech holds up his datapad. "I've got the layout on here, and I can tap into the regs' comms so we can monitor their movements."

"Do it," Hunter orders, drawing his blaster. It feels cold in his hands. Cold and heavy. He tries not to think about the lives he might have to take today. They might be regs, but they're still clones, and Hunter doesn't want their blood on his hands. And yet, it's a choice between his siblings – and Rex – and the regs he doesn't know. He'll protect his family, no matter what.

It's what he was trained to do.

"They'll do a forward-to-aft sweep," Rex explains as they set out, making their way through the cruiser. "We can alternate corridors."

Hunter nods, narrowing his eyes as he focuses on what his senses are telling him. He can feel the buzz of electric fields, stronger than they were before, but the regs are still too far away for him to pick them out individually. Either way, they're in the clear. For now.

They can hear the regs' comm chatter, the one in charge ordering them to push the target to the hangar, and it isn't long before they're crouched against the walls, waiting to move as each patrol moves past them.

"Where're we gonna go?" Wrecker whispers, worried. "If they've found our ship, we won't be able to get there."

"It is statistically likely that our ship has been discovered," Tech replies crisply. "I have no doubt that the regs were thorough with their search."

"We'll have to fight through them, then," Hunter says quietly. He glances at Rex and then Omega, uncertain. He doesn't know what the best thing to do is.

"I don't want to lead you on a frontal assault," Rex tells them. His helmet is on, but Hunter can hear the frown in his voice. "That would be needlessly risky for you, even if the Empire is unaware of your presences."

"Which is also unlikely," Tech adds in. "If you were spotted, I am certain we were as well."

"Alright, then we need to assume the Empire is looking for us, too." Hunter looks between his brothers, fear crawling down his spine no matter how unwilling he is to admit to its existence. If – if they get captured… it will be the end for all of them, and that is not something Hunter can allow. He can't lose his brothers. He can't.

He hears Omega let out a shuddering breath, and her hand finds his arm, squeezing. She's scared, too – he can smell it. She got them away from the Empire so they wouldn't be picked apart in the labs, and now, they might be taken right back there. He has to find them a way out.

Unlike the bounty hunter, the Empire knows how skilled they are. They'll be treating them like soldiers, not helpless kids.

"I have an idea!" Tech pipes up, adjusting his goggles and looking up from his datapad. "If we enter the ventilation system, we will be able to approach the hangar unnoticed, and Rex can slip through the halls. We may be able to ambush them from the vents."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Omega queries. "We won't be able to run if they come for us."

"No, but they won't be trying to kill us, either," Hunter answers, realizing where Tech is going with this. "And Crosshair can snipe them. Stun bolts only, though."

"A sneak attack," Rex says thoughtfully. "It could work. It'll be risky, but it could work."

They escaped from Kamino by using the ventilation system, so there's no reason why it won't work here, too.

They enter the vents, and Hunter tracks Rex as long as he can before their paths diverge too much. They can hear the regs below them, still searching and finding nothing. Hunter's heartrate spikes when they reach the vent overlooking the hangar. It's large, wide enough for two of them to squeeze in, side by side, and he glances sideways at Tech to see him scanning the area below.

They brought their shuttle closer, and Hunter can see it in the distance. Getting there, on the other hand, will be a whole other story, but at least it's within sight. "Tech, tell me what you're seeing," he requests.

"The reg down there by the shuttles," Tech replies, "the one wearing black, is their leader I believe."

"If I can take 'im down, that should throw them off balance," Crosshair suggests.

Hunter can feel the moment Tech's heart flutters, alarm rising. "Hunter–"

"What is it?" he asks, worried.

"That– that is Echo."

Wrecker sucks in a breath. "Y'sure? But Rex said– and Echo wouldn't–"

"His readings are the same," Tech answers stiffly, and Hunter focuses, trying to tune out all the frequencies of the ships as he tries to sense the energy of the black-armored figure. He doesn't know if what he senses is real or a figment of his imagination.

Hunter taps on his comm, careful to keep his voice quiet. "Rex, come in."

"I'm here," Rex answers, "almost at the hangar."

"Echo's the one leading the regs," he reports.

Rex is quiet for so long that Hunter almost thinks the connection was jammed. "… I don't know how that's possible."

"It's him," he answers helplessly. "Tech confirmed it."

Rex sighs. "I'll try to talk to him but stay sharp. Something about this isn't right."

"It is worth noting the possibility that Echo is not doing this of his own volition," Tech tells them when Hunter breaks the connection. "The Empire may have retrieved him and then inserted additional programming in his headpiece which has rewritten his brain patterns and is causing him to be loyal to the Empire. If I can connect my datapad to one of his ports, I may be able to locate and remove that coding."

Hunter hesitates, because doing so will put all of them in danger, but… that's Echo.

Echo was always good to them when they knew him. He didn't just tolerate them like some of the regs. He cared about them. Adored them. He loved spending time with each of them, and he was… gentle. Considerate. Protective. Hunter misses him so much, and it was depressing for weeks after he went back to the 501st. They contacted him a few times, and he commed them, too, but it was never the same.

And here he is, standing against them, directing the regs under his command to hunt them down.

It's not his fault, it can't be his fault, and yet, it still stings. The feelings of betrayal are instinctive, even though Hunter knows Echo would not have chosen this. He would never have sided with the Empire after having chosen to stand against it – and Rex – in the first place.

The hangar doors are open, and Hunter senses the moment Rex steps into view.

"Echo," he calls, and all blasters turn toward him.

"CT-7567 is now in the hangar," Echo replies, and it is him. Hunter knows it instinctively in some way he can't even say. Maybe it's the buzzing around him which Hunter has come to associate with Echo. Maybe it's the way he stands and holds himself. Maybe – it could be anything, but the truth remains that this is Echo.

Echo is here, in front of them. It almost doesn't seem real.

"Echo, don't this," Rex says, almost pleads, and Hunter hurts just hearing it. "You know the Empire can't be trusted."

It's as though Echo doesn't hear him. "The report says that you are in the company of the CT-99s," he replies. His voice is flat, devoid of emotion. It's almost robotic, and Hunter's heart twists uncomfortably. This is what Echo was rescued from, and… here he is again. A weapon. He doesn't deserve this. "Where are they?"

"We must act," Tech hisses in a whisper. "Rex will be unable to reason with Echo, and we are running out of time."

Hunter hates to agree, but he knows Tech is right. "Crosshair, can you and Tech switch. I want you to cover us."

He can feel Crosshair's burst of satisfaction at that. It's a real fight, and he gets to be the sniper he has trained to be. Sure, he might not have a rifle, but he's good with a blaster, too.

With some careful wriggling around, Tech retreats and Crosshair takes his place. "Ready when you are," he murmurs, blaster aimed and ready.

Hunter takes a deep breath. It's now or never.

"Let's do this."

He pulls back the grate and drops down while Crosshair opens fire on the regs below, several well-aimed stunbolts taking out the first few before they realize what's happening. Of course – and unfortunately – they recover quickly and begin shooting at them. They are, like Hunter suspected, trying to stun them. The Empire wants them alive.

He lifts his blaster, firing back at them and ducking behind a couple of abandoned crates for cover, while the rest of his siblings join him.

Rex joins them, and while they've taken out quite a few of the regs, there are still far more between them and their ship.

"Smoke grenade?" Wrecker suggests.

Well, it'll be better than nothing, so Hunter gives him the go-ahead. They're small. Maybe they can use their size and speed to get past the regs and make a break for the ship.

The grenade goes off, blinding everyone. Except for Hunter. He doesn't need his eyes to sense the regs' positions, and he suspects that Crosshair can somewhat see through it, too. The tension is almost terrifying. This is the first real action that they've seen. The skirmish with the scrappers wasn't true action, and it's as exhilarating as it is scary.

But they can do this.

Of course, they can.

They're the Bad Batch.

"Go!" Rex calls to them, and Hunter skids out from the meager protection the crates offered, running for another source of cover further away when he feels the vibrations of boots from behind them. Oh no.

"Look out!" he yells as the regs who had been searching the cruiser for them enter the hangar. He hadn't forgotten about them. He just – he thought they would have more time.

They're caught between the regs in front and behind them, and Hunter feels true fear trying to rise no matter how hard he attempts to squash it down. If these were droids, it would be easy. He could fight to kill and use a knife. But these are clones. He doesn't want to hurt them. He doesn't want to kill them.

Crosshair makes a triumphant noise. "I hit Echo!"

"Keep moving!" Rex orders, and Hunter narrowly ducks a stun bolt.

They're going as fast as they can, but the ship is so far away and the regs are chasing them. He should have assessed differently. He should have realized that there was a significant chance that the scrappers would call them in. They should have left Bracca as soon as they got their chips out. If something happens to one his siblings, he'll never forgive himself.

Hunter hears the startled gasp from Tech, and he's spinning around instinctively before he even thinks about it. He turns in time to see Tech crumpling to the floor from a well-placed stunbolt.

No. No, no, no –

"Tech!" screams Omega, and she – stupidly – runs toward him, heedless of the danger that it poses. She's got a blaster, too, but she's mostly untrained. She doesn't have the hundreds and thousands of hours of practice that they do.

"Omega, don't!" calls Rex, but it's too late.

She shrieks when one of the regs grabs her, ripping her blaster from her hands. It's laughably easy, and Hunter is torn between turning around to get her – and Tech – and standing his ground "Omega!"

"Let me go!" she screams, but the reg's grip is tight, and he's too strong for her to get away.

"Omega!" yells Wrecker, and he doesn't have the hesitation Hunter does. He spins toward her, and her eyes go wide.

"Run!" she calls to them. "Get out of here."

Hunter hesitates, torn, even though he knows she's right. If they escape, they can track them down and rescue them. Right here and now, they're overwhelmed, and it's more likely than not that they'll all be captured. Or worse, in Rex's case, and Hunter can't let that happen.

Sometimes, being the leader means having to make the choices that no one else can. It means being strategic and knowing your limitations.

The Bad Batch are capable of a lot, but this – this is more than what they are equipped to handle. Even so, Hunter hates himself a little when he gives the order. "Pull back. We need to regroup at the shuttle."

"But–!" Wrecker starts.

"Go!"

Even Wrecker is unable to resist an order in that tone, and he follows them as they make a break for the ship. Somehow, in some way, they make it there, stunning the two regs on guard duty outside. Hunter doesn't object as Rex takes the pilot's seat, firing up the engines to lift off while Crosshair and Wrecker fire at the regs who pursue.

Hunter doesn't manage to breathe properly until they've made it off the surface, and then, he can't breathe at all, his chest being crushed by numb horror as it sinks in. It feels as though he left a piece of himself behind – and he did.

Tech is one of them, and they are only whole when they are together. They're not a squad without him, and they didn't only leave him behind, but they left Omega, too.

He – they –

Crosshair's hand slides into his, squeezing tightly, and Hunter clings to him, trying to ignore the panic that is threatening to drown him. He failed. He's not supposed to fail. He's not allowed to fail. "We're gonna find them, right?" Crosshair asks hesitantly.

Hunter sucks in a shuddering breath. "Y-yeah," he answers. "Of course."

Of course, they will. They have to. They won't leave Tech – or Omega – in the hands of the Empire. Tech comes first, though, because he is in far more danger, and also, Hunter doesn't think Omega would ever forgive him if he prioritized her rescue over Tech's.

"You kids aren't alone in this," Rex promises, and the firm authority in his voice makes Hunter's shoulders slump in relief. It feels like a weakness to accept the help when he is supposed to be the one in charge and the one who leads them, but… well, he isn't going to say no when Rex is volunteering.

"I've got some contacts," Rex continues, looking between them, "and we'll find them. I promise."

Hunter knows better than to believe in anyone's promises, but… he still accepts Rex's. Losing Tech has shaken him to the core. He doesn't know how to operate without Tech. He's terrified to be separated from his brothers. He had to deal with it when it happened on Kamino, and he got more accustomed to it on Saleucami, but it still wasn't easy.

And now, after this, Hunter doesn't know how he'll ever let his brothers out of his sight ever again.

Final Notes: Reviews are always appreciated! ^-^

Come hang out on Discord (delete spaces), discord . gg / nqSxuz2 or find us on tumblr at fanfictasia (our more serious blog which does have controversial posts on it; I won't be offended if you choose to block it, promise), and disastertriowriting (which is our fun blog with crack posts or incorrect SW quotes)

We've got a YT channel for tributes! (delete the spaces) youtube channel / UC_g1M5rSCxJUzQCRS29B6pA

ALSO: We have SW gift request forms for General, Anakin-Clones-centric, and Bad Batch fics. :D (delete spaces) bit . ly / CourtesyTrefflinFicRequests