Chapter 14: Making Allies
Going along with Emerie's plan to chat with Tarkin was easier said than done. Not only was Tarkin busy back on Coruscant, but Echo already told him he had no idea where Emerie was after she escaped from Tantiss. Echo had to somehow convince the Imperials to allow him to leave Pabu and setup a fake intervention with Emerie at an undisclosed location. The plan was once he got off Pabu and away from the Imperial blockade, he would send an encrypted message to Rex about the current situation under the guise of contacting Emerie. Again, easier said than done.
After talking to an Imperial officer about wanting to speak with Tarkin about the current situation, Shep and Echo anxiously awaited for Tarkin's arrival under the weeping maya tree that majestically stood on the top of the island, right in front of the Pabu Archium. A storm was coming in as foretold by the dramatic increase of dark clouds and gusty winds which shook the tree above them. Echo had briefed Shep on the plan earlier and the ARC trooper already made sure to smuggle Emerie inside the stolen Imperial Science Vessel in hopes of convincing Tarkin to allow him to use the ship to "search" for Emerie.
A more couple hours passed before an Imperial Shuttle descended upon Upper Pabu, no doubt carrying the man they had been waiting for. Shep and Echo mentally braced themselves for another round of psychological warfare with one of the sharpest minds in the Empire. Once the shuttle's ramp was lowered, Tarkin disembarked the ship while being flanked by two Imperial Clone Shock Troopers. Just as before, the admiral's hands were tightly clasped behind his back and his signature look of superiority was evident across his face.
"I was surprised to have received your message, CT-1409." Tarkin's voice was dripping in arrogance, "I figured someone with your resolve would last much longer before succumbing to the blockade."
"Listen, I may be able to assist you in getting the information you want if we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement." Echo crossed his arms, a stern expression on his face.
"I'm listening?" Tarkin prodded.
"You want information about the research on Tantiss and we want the Empire to stay away from Pabu for good. If I come through on my half of the deal, will you promise to uphold your end of it?"
"How curious." The admiral tilted his head in intrigue, the howling wind making it difficult to hear, "Let's discuss this further inside." He gestured toward the Archium.
Echo looked to Shep who had been silent throughout the conversation thus far, "Right this way, Admiral." Shep outstretched his arm toward the Archium, leading the duo inside to seek refuge from the incoming storm.
Once the trio stepped inside, Tarkin's sharp eyes immediately scanned his surroundings and he noticed how empty the building seemed, "I expected more for a building so grand." Tarkin snobbishly mused aloud. Little did he know that Phee had purposely hid the more rare and priceless artifacts in order to keep his prying Imperial eyes away from their most precious collectables.
"We are a small island, Admiral. We hope to fill these halls with many artifacts one day but it will take time." Shep smoothly explained.
Tarkin approached one of the few occupied shelves in the main room, specifically the shelf containing Wrecker's Lula and Tech's goggles. Echo had intentionally asked Phee to leave those out on display just to see if it would get a reaction out of Tarkin. Turned out Echo was right.
"What is the significance of this?" He pointed at the broken goggles.
"It belonged to a fallen brother of mine." Echo bitterly explained.
"A clone wearing goggles? That's rather peculiar."
"He was a genetically mutated trooper, just like the rest of his squad."
"I see. He was a 99. A defective clone." His shifty gaze landed on Echo, "These goggles belonged to the fallen member from your precious Clone Force 99 squad, correct? CT-9902. Fell to his presumed death on Eriadu. What a shame. He had such potential."
"How did you know that?" Echo incredulously inquired.
Tarkin nonchalantly shrugged, "I read the Imperial report."
"I don't deny that but I'm surprised you remembered him." Echo crossed his arms in disbelief.
Tarkin coolly eyed him, "Just because I don't care about clone troopers doesn't mean I've completely disregarded them. Unlike most Imperial officers, I did serve alongside your brethren during the war. I may find most clones to be expendable but there are a few I've learned to respect. I found Clone Force 99 to be quite admirable before your traitorous tendencies kicked in."
"Thanks." Echo proudly smirked at the unintended compliment.
Tarkin cleared his throat and stood up a bit straighter, "Now I believe you were about to convince me you can get the information I want about Tantiss."
"Not just the information." Echo sauntered over to the sofa and sat, his stern glare unwavering, "I believe I know where to find Doctor Emerie Karr."
Tarkin paced in front of him, suspiciously eyeing him, "Why are you just telling me this now?"
"Look, you obviously figured out that Pabu is a place my squad and I care about. That's why you're here. And since I care about this island, I want to protect it. But you know who I don't care about?
"Doctor Karr." Tarkin concluded as he sat in the seat across from Echo.
"Exactly. I have no problem handing her over to you in order to secure this island's freedom. So over the past week I've been thinking about what Omega told me after she escaped from Tantiss the first time and I remember her telling me about this Emerie person. From the information Omega told me, I think I may be able to draw Doctor Karr out of hiding and have her meet me somewhere. Then I'll bring her to you and you can call off the siege."
"You would willingly betray Doctor Karr?" He clasped his hands together in his lap and leaned forward in intrigue, he was impressed with Echo's cunning proposal.
"Like I said, I have no allegiance to her. She helped Hemlock torture and experiment on my brothers. Why would I protect someone like that?" Echo scowled at the mention of what transpired on Tantiss.
Tarkin leaned back in his seat, his menacing eyes intensely peering into Echo's hardened stare as if he was trying to properly read the clone to see if there were any underlying reasons for his sudden cooperation. From his experience, he was quite familiar with the clones and their perpetual sense of loyalty to one another. It made sense to him Echo would remain loyal to his clone brethren than to an Imperial Scientist. Little did Tarkin know, Emerie was also a clone.
After concluding there was no ulterior motive to this agreement, Tarkin hauntingly smirked, "If you exhibited the same loyalty to the Empire as you do for your clone brethren then you would've made it far in the Imperial military. Such a shame to waste a trooper with so much potential."
"Do we have a deal?" He extended his robotic right arm.
"Very well." Tarkin firmly grasped his hand, "You bring me Doctor Karr and I will order the siege to end on this little island."
The duo solidly shook on their deal until the admiral swiftly retracted his hand, "How do you plan on finding Doctor Karr?"
"I'll need a ship and the ability to send out a transmission. I figured you'd loan me the Science Vessel since you clearly already have a tracker placed on it. And I will have to send the transmission beyond the Imperial blockade on Pabu."
"Indeed." He abruptly stood up and tightly clasped his hands behind his back again, "You may use the Science Vessel. My troops have already swept through the ship and removed anything of importance anyway. I will also be dispatching a squad of Imperial troopers to oversee this plan of yours."
"Aww, you don't trust me, Admiral?" Echo smirked in a mocking tone.
Tarkin threw him a threatening glare, "Remember what I mentioned about you and your squad's traitorous tendencies?"
"Fair enough." Echo stood up with a low chuckle, "I'll agree to the escort but under one condition. There must be at least one clone trooper in this Imperial squad. I don't exactly trust your TK troopers."
Tarkin hesitated until an idea came to mind, "Very well. It just so happens I have a particular Clone Commander who is in need of redemption. If you should fail on this mission, he will suffer the consequences. Given your unwavering loyalty to your clone brethren, this should give you an incentive to succeed."
Echo scowled at Tarkin's attempt to threaten him, "I don't need an incentive. I'll complete the mission because that's what a soldier does."
Tarkin regarded him coldly, a sinister look in his eye, but he remained silent as he turned on his heels and exited the Archium. Echo and Shep exchanged a look of reassurance before the former grabbed his helmet and followed the Imperial Admiral outside. Echo subtly pressed a button on his wristlink which alerted Emerie to hide inside the droid chute because troopers were going to board the Science Vessel soon. From a distance, Echo watched as Tarkin spoke to his Imperial Clone Shock Trooper escorts before the two troopers boarded the Science Vessel, no doubt performing a final sweep before handing the helm over to him. Tarkin then spoke to another Imperial Officer and the man firmly nodded before getting on his comlink to speak with someone, possibly about sending the squad meant to escort Echo.
Another Imperial shuttle arrived twenty minutes later and a squad of four TK Troopers disembarked behind the fifth member of the team, the disgraced Clone Commander. Unlike the indistinguishable basic white armor the TK Troopers wore, the Commander was wearing his all too familiar iconic gray armor from the war. Echo kept his expression stoic despite the rush of relief and uncertainty from seeing an old friend approaching Tarkin. Still standing a safe distance away, Echo watched the Admiral brief the squad on the mission. Although they were wearing their helmets, Echo knew they were talking about him just by how often they looked past Tarkin to stare at the former ARC Trooper.
Tarkin must have finished his briefing because the squad of Imperials headed his way while the two Imperial Clone Shock Troopers exited the Science Vessel. Echo knew the coast was clear when Tarkin turned toward him and gave him a firm nod in acknowledgment. Echo returned the nod and watched as Tarkin and his Shock Trooper escort boarded the shuttle. Now that Tarkin was gone, Echo finally decided to address the squad standing nearby.
"I assume you've all been briefed on the mission?" He warily inquired.
"You have your orders and we have ours." The Commander stated bluntly.
"Great. I appreciate the transparency." Echo sarcastically responded before pushing through them and boarding the ship.
Once inside, Echo subtly pressed another button on his wristlink to alert Emerie the plan was in motion. He stepped into the cockpit with the Commander while the rest of the squad was dispersed elsewhere within the vessel. The Commander stood by the cockpit door and watched Echo prepare the ship for take off, carefully observing his swift movements to ensure nothing suspicious was taking place. In a matter of minutes, the ship lifted off the ground and made its way toward the Imperial Venator stationed above Pabu.
"Science Vessel 6512, please send your IFF transponder and authorization codes." An Imperial officer's voice spoke through the ship's comm.
Echo glanced over his shoulder at the Commander who was now silently standing right behind him, "Care to answer that?"
The Commander leaned forward and began typing in a series of numbers, "This is CC-3636. Transmitting codes now."
A few seconds passed until the Imperial officer's voice returned, "Vessel 6512, you have authorization to pass through the blockade."
Without waiting for a response, the comm ended and the ship easily flew past the Venator. Now free from the blockade, Echo was able to send a message to Rex. The question was, would Commander Wolffe allow it? He remembered how Wolffe let them escape Teth despite having orders to capture Omega. But he also remembered what Tarkin told him about the Commander looking for redemption. Where did his true allegiance lie?
"I'm going to send an encrypted message out onto public frequencies. From what Omega told me about Doctor Karr, she should recognize it and meet up with us at the rendezvous point."
Wolffe did not respond, he just silently stood there like a statue with his arms crossed. Being more droid than man, Echo had the advantage of sending the transmission to Rex via code rather than having to verbally speak the message aloud. He took off his robotic hand and inserted his scomp arm into the terminal to begin transmitting the message. After a couple minutes, he unplugged himself from the terminal and promptly reattached his robotic hand. He then typed in the coordinates of the rendezvous point into the navicomputer and made the jump into hyperspace. Once the colorfully bright lights of hyperspace began encircling the windows of the cockpit, Echo leaned back in his seat and sighed. He cautiously looked up at Wolffe, trying to get a read on his friend which was hard to do with his helmet still on.
"You gonna keep standing there? It'll take a couple hours before we get there. Might as well make yourself comfortable." Echo suggested as he tucked his clasped hands behind his head and leaned back even further.
"I've stood for longer." Wolffe answered bluntly.
"Suit yourself."
After a few minutes of silence, Wolffe methodically stepped toward the copilot seat and cautiously sat down without saying a word. Echo shifted his gaze to side eye him, still unable to get a good read on him. Another several minutes of silence passed until Echo finally spoke up, "Tarkin told me you're looking for redemption and I can only assume what happened on Teth is what caused this break in trust. I promise I will not fail my mission and your reputation within the Empire will be restored."
When Wolffe did not respond, Echo continued, "Speaking of Teth, I wanna properly thank you for what you did for us back then. I know you may not have completely understood what was going on but you did the right thing."
"I know. I don't regret the decision I made that day." Wolffe's determined voice did not waiver, much like his stoic body language.
Echo turned to fully face him, curiously watching as Wolffe continued facing forward with his back straight as a board and his arms tightly folded across his chest.
"Is there a reason why you're trying to seek favor in the Imperial military? You can walk away from the Empire, plenty of clones are going AWOL nowadays. Come join Rex and I, we can really use someone with your skillset and expertise-"
"I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. A soldier for the Empire." He abruptly cut him off.
"That's just your inhibitor chip talking." Echo pleaded, "Open your eyes, Wolffe, the Empire sent you to hunt down a child. They were torturing and experimenting on our brothers. They placed an Imperial blockade on a peaceful planet to bait my squad. They forcibly take over planets and systems with an unchecked aggressive military tactics. They're malicious and untrustworthy and-"
"What about you?" Wolffe incredulously inquired as he finally removed his helmet.
"What about me?" Echo, well, echoed.
"You're baiting someone to come out of hiding with the intent of handing her over to the Empire. Doesn't seem trustworthy to me."
"The sacrifice of one to help the masses seems like the honorable thing to do." Echo explained, seemingly trying to convince himself that Emerie's plan was the right thing to do. He was still not a fan of setting her up like this himself.
"If there is any way to describe you, Echo, it's trustworthy and honorable. Which is why I don't believe your charade." He finally turned to face Echo, his intense stare ever so intimidating, "You may have Tarkin fooled, but I know you. This is all a ruse." His frown deepened as he continued talking, "You didn't send a transmission onto the public frequencies, you sent a coded message to Rex. This whole ploy was created so you could get out of the blockade to send a message in hopes it reaches your squad. You're trying to warn them the Empire is looking for them."
"None of this is a ruse." Echo scoffed, "I promise we are on our way to pick up Doctor Karr. I wasn't lying about that and you can rest assured your reputation with your precious Empire will be restored."
A brief moment of tension hung in the air until Wolffe broke the silence, "You didn't need to do all of this, ya know?"
"Didn't need to do all of what?" Echo repeated with a confused frown.
"This ridiculous scheme. Rex has already been notified about the situation on Pabu." Wolffe proudly smirked.
Echo stared at him for a couple seconds, trying to make sense of his strange comment, "How would he-you?!" He suddenly realized, "You're our inside contact?"
"One of 'em, yeah." Wolffe firmly nodded, the smirk on his face still present, "I sent Rex an encrypted transmission not too long ago."
"How did I not know?" Echo gaped at him in astonishment.
"I asked Rex not to tell anyone about this. I just recently joined your movement." Wolffe explained.
"Because of what happened on Teth?"
"Yep." He nodded once more.
"That's why you wanna regain favor in the Imperial military, you wanna continue playing the double agent."
"Yep." Wolffe turned to face the cockpit window and leaned back in his seat, "So what's the plan?"
Echo asked him several more specific questions he would only know the answers to if he really did talk to Rex recently. Wolffe did not mind the extra lengths Echo was taking to ensure he was genuinely on their side though, he was a stickler for rules and protocol so he admired him for thoroughly vetting him. Once Echo was convinced Wolffe really was working with the Clone Underground, he began divulging the plan to set up a fake intervention with Emerie.
"So where is Doctor Karr now?" Wolffe inquired, thoughtfully rubbing his hand along his jawline.
"She's aboard the Science Vessel." Echo nonchalantly answered.
Wolffe temporarily froze, comprehending his response, "She's aboard this ship?! Where?!"
"She's hiding in the droid chute." Echo noticed his stunned expression and chuckled, "Don't worry, it's very well hidden."
"And you know this how?"
"I, uh, used the droid chute to stow away on this ship to help my squad discover the location of the Tantiss base."
"I'm not surprised." Wolffe shook his head with a chuckle, "That's why you're the ARC Trooper."
"You okay?" Melany asked Hunter as she pulled a few trays of muffins out of the double decker ovens and placed them on the counter to cool. Ever since they finished chatting with Rex and Gregor about the siege on Pabu, she could feel strong emotions of apprehension brewing within Hunter.
"I just hate waiting around to receive orders. That's not my style." He mindlessly played with his vibroknife while he sat at the kitchen island.
"Let me guess, you're more of the 'face them head on' kind of soldier?" Melany smirked as she sauntered over to the caf machine and grabbed the freshly brewed pot.
Hunter gazed up at her and matched her smirk with one of his own, "That predictable huh?"
"I'm quite familiar with how clones think." She nonchalantly shrugged while she refilled Hunter's nearly empty mug.
"Yeah, speaking of that…" He studied her closely, gathering the nerve to ask her the question that had been burning in his mind for a while now, "I've been meaning to ask you something about your past with the clones."
She stopped pouring, her eyes avoiding his gaze. "Alright?"
Hunter looked around the room, making sure the coast was clear before continuing in a hushed tone, "When were you gonna tell us you were a Jedi?"
Melany did not say anything as she returned the pot back to the caf machine. She then slowly turned toward Hunter with a look that made a chill run down his spine, "I think you're mistaken. There are no Jedi left. The Empire made sure of that." Her normally cheerful voice turned into a spiteful growl.
"I heard you in the medbay after you kicked me out to save Wrecker. I heard you chanting and-"
"Does anyone else know?" She abrasively cut him off.
Hunter blinked, surprised by how quickly she inadvertently admitted he was right, "No."
"Good." She crossed her arms, throwing him a stern glare, "I'd like to keep it that way."
Hunter nodded in agreement, "So you really are a-"
"Don't say it aloud." Her terse attitude softened slightly, "Please."
Hunter nodded once more in confirmation. She seemed content with this and returned to making herself a cup of caf. After a minute of silence, Hunter could not help but ask another question that had been nagging him, "Is 'Melany' your real name?"
"Technically? No." She sighed as she leaned across the kitchen island toward him, coffee cup in hand, "But whoever I was before the war ended died a long time ago so Melany is my real name now."
"Hm. I can understand that." Hunter responded forlornly. He desperately fought his own nostalgic memories from the war by readjusting his focus on the woman in front of him, "Thank you for helping us with this never-ending Tantiss nightmare. Having you as an ally will make all the difference."
"I just hope it'll be a positive difference." She sheepishly smiled before taking a sip of caf, "There's a chance I may put a target on your back."
"Not a problem." He half-heartedly chuckled, "We already have a target on our back." Hunter held out his mug to her as a sign of a friendly toast.
Melany smirked, "Touché." She clinked her mug against his and they both took a long sip.
Hunter curiously eyed her over the edge of his mug, "So how did you and Rex meet? You obviously weren't his General so-" He suddenly paused when he heard movement in the downstairs guest room, "We have company." He whispered.
"I'll explain later." She quietly answered him, her eyes shifting toward a sound coming from the same room.
The duo quieted down and simultaneously turned toward the door as it opened. Melany's odd behavior immediately disappeared and her typically friendly demeanor returned, "Hi Crosshair."
"Mhm." Crosshair grunted as he sauntered into the kitchen, suspiciously eyeing the two of them. Thanks to his sniper paranoia, he could sense some sort of tension as if they were in the middle of a serious discussion before he entered the room. His typical frown deepened when he stopped beside Hunter, "You're in my seat."
"Your seat?" Hunter's brow lifted in amusement, "Can't you sit in another chair?"
"No. That's not my seat. This is." He took a step closer with a glare, "Move."
Not wanting to cause a scene, Hunter reluctantly slid off the stool with an eye-roll and climbed onto the one beside it. Melany hid her amused smile at the childish display between the siblings behind her mug. As the brothers settled into their new seats, Melany began preparing Crosshair's caf; about half a cup of caf with a splash of cream and no sugar. She placed the mug on the kitchen island and slid it over to Crosshair who easily caught it and thanked her with a small nod.
Hunter suspiciously looked between the two of them, an amused smile on his face.
Crosshair noticed this and growled into his mug, "Don't."
Ignoring their interaction, Melany stepped away and turned on the stovetop, "How do you like your eggs, Hunter?"
"Over easy, please." He politely responded without any hesitation.
"Just like Crosshair. That makes it easy to remember. Or should I say, over easy to remember?" She glanced over her shoulder with an expectant grin.
Unsurprisingly, Crosshair groaned with an eye-roll and Hunter pitifully chuckled with a smirk. Melany shook her head in disappointment, she clearly wasted her joke on the wrong audience. She grabbed another bowl of fruit out of the chiller and placed it on the island beside the freshly baked muffins.
"As per our breakfast tradition, freshly sliced starblossom and a little something new, freshly baked berry muffins. Feel free to dig in, gentlemen." She cheerfully invited before returning to the stove.
Hunter thanked her as he hungrily grabbed a muffin, the delicious scent had been tempting him for a while now. "How did you learn to cook?"
"Growing up on Coruscant, we had a close family friend who was a chef. He owned one of the best restaurants in the lower levels. Then a childhood friend of mine became his apprentice and she turned out to be a phenomenal chef herself. But I would say I really got some hands on experience when I started working here. The previous owners took me in and treated me like I was one of their own. They taught me so much about this business but they also taught me more domesticated skills like cooking."
"What happened to them?" Hunter asked, finishing off the muffin in his hand.
"They…" She paused as she served them their food, an unreadable expression on her face, "They were killed about a year ago. Did something that got 'em on the Empire's bad side." She leaned forward on the island with a sigh, "One day I went into town for business and while I was gone, the Empire sent troopers here to 'neutralize the traitors'."
"What did they do to get on the Empire's radar?" Hunter asked, his gaze hardening when he noticed how still Crosshair had become.
Melany hesitated, unsure how much she wanted to reveal. Surely Hunter would understand, he defected from the Empire almost immediately. She was not so sure about Crosshair though. After a few more seconds of contemplation, she eventually relented, "They aided and harbored an Imperial fugitive."
Hunter's intense stare softened, he immediately pieced together the story and figured out Melany was the Imperial fugitive. The previous owners were killed for helping her, a former Jedi.
"My condolences, Melany." Hunter apologetically grimaced.
"I don't understand." Crosshair furrowed his brow in confusion, "Why would you help clone troopers who defected from the Empire then? You're doing exactly the same thing that got the previous owners killed. Why would you willingly put a target on your back?"
"Because helping the clone deserters is the right thing to do. The fugitive the previous owners took care of was innocent and they knew that. No amount of Imperial propaganda was going to convince them otherwise. And they paid the ultimate price for their kind deed." She absentmindedly began fiddling with her mother's necklace, "This place is more than just a winery. It was their legacy and now it's my responsibility to continue it. All of it. The clones are just as innocent as that fugitive was. They were brainwashed to do the Empire's bidding and now they're being tossed aside to make room for the new TK Troopers. They've been treated as pawns in the grand Imperial scheme and it's not right. After all they've sacrificed for the Republic, they deserve better. You deserve better. That's why I continue aiding and harboring Imperial clone deserters."
The brothers sat in stunned silence. Hunter briefly picked up on Crosshair's increased heart rate before the thundering sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs drowned it out.
"What smells so good?!" Wrecker's boisterous voice boomed as he bounced into the kitchen.
"Hello Wrecker. Ready for some breakfast?" Melany brightly greeted him with a warm smile.
"Am I ever! Bring it on!" He joyfully laughed, playfully nudging his brothers as a way of greeting them.
"How do you like your eggs, Wrecker?"
"Scrambled please!"
"Coming right up. Starblossom is in the bowl beside the muffins, feel free to have some of each." She pointed out before starting to prep his eggs.
"This is great! Thanks Melany!" He eagerly grabbed a large handful of starblossom fruit and popped it into his mouth without any hesitation. He happily hummed in content at the honey-floral fruit.
Just as he grabbed two muffins, Hunter cleared his throat to get his attention, "Don't forget to leave some for Omega. She'll be down soon."
Melany softly giggled at the disappointed groan that escaped Wrecker's lips.
"Hey Wrecker." Melany spoke over her shoulder from her place at the stove, "Caf is over there if that's your thing. Mugs are in the cabinet above the machine, cream is in chiller, and sugar is in the ceramic pot beside the caf machine."
"Ooooh! Thanks Melany!" He carefully bounded through the kitchen, careful not to knock anything over. "This place is nice. I can't believe we never knew about it until now. Rex has been holding out on us." He joked with a laugh.
Hunter cautiously glanced over at Melany before addressing his brother, "Rex is trying to protect Melany by keeping this safe house a secret. We must never speak about this place to anyone outside of this compound. Not even to anyone on Pabu."
Wrecker turned to Hunter with a perplexed expression on his face, "What about Shep? Or Lyana? Or Phee? Or-"
"No one means no one." Crosshair defensively growled, "If the Empire finds out about this place then they'll come after Melany."
"Uh oh. Don't want that." Wrecker firmly shook his head, before slowly approaching Melany by the stove, "Hey Melany, if you ever need to hide from the Empire, you're welcome to join us on Pabu. We'd be happy to have you there."
"Thanks, Wrecker." Melany gratefully smiled as she handed him his plate, "I hope it won't come to that but if it does, I'll keep Pabu in mind."
He grinned at the kindly vague response, content with it for now. Wrecker was also excited to finally have some hearty food for the first time since leaving Pabu after Omega was captured by the Empire the second time. He happily plopped onto one of the stools situated at the kitchen island and began eating the piping hot breakfast, completely forgetting about the caf he never got.
Melany noticed this and went to prep another cup for herself as she offered, "How do you like you caf, Wrecker?"
"Oh! I can do it, don't worry about it." He responded with his mouth half full of food.
"Nonsense, I'm making myself another cup too so I might as well make yours while I'm here." She shrugged with a smile, taking out another mug from the cabinet.
"Wow, thanks Melany, you're the best! I'll take half caf, half cream with five spoons of sugar, please."
"Your caf order is almost as bad as hers." Crosshair snarked while he finished off his eggs.
Wrecker excitedly gasped, "Really? What's your caf order, Melany?"
"About a third of caf, two-thirds cream, and a pinch of sugar."
"How do you know her drink preference, Crosshair?" Hunter teasingly smirked.
Wrecker laughed as he piled on, "Yeah! Were you watching her or something?"
"Crosshair doesn't watch, he observes." Melany playfully winked at Crosshair before handing Wrecker his mug, "Besides, it's not our fault we have impeccable taste in caf. Isn't that right, Wrecker?" She lifted her mug in a mock-toast.
"HA-HA YEAH!" Wrecker exuberantly did the same before taking a long swig of his caf.
"Hello." A friendly young voice cut through the brotherly teasing, "Good morning everyone." Omega happily waved as she entered the kitchen.
Everyone greeted her with their own version of salutations while she made her way over to the stools beside the kitchen island. She hesitated when she approached Hunter, "You're in my seat."
"Seriously?!" He groaned as his gaze jumped between Omega and Crosshair, "Did you two plan this?"
Crosshair chuckled as Hunter exasperatedly slid out of the seat and took the one between Wrecker and Omega. "I swear she's becoming more and more like you every day." Hunter growled at his youngest brother.
"Thanks." Omega and Crosshair responded at the same time causing Hunter to groan with an eye-roll.
"You want your usual, Omega?" Melany asked from her place at the stove.
"Yes, please." Omega cheerfully grabbed a few pieces of starblossom and a berry muffin to ease her growling stomach. Melany thanked Omega and her brothers for their help in taking inventory and putting away the fresh supplies while she was unconscious. Although they acted like it was no big deal, she could tell her genuine appreciation for them made them feel more relaxed and welcomed in her home.
Soon the squad of clones began chatting amongst themselves while Melany finished preparing Omega's breakfast. The young clone graciously thanked her and continued with her tale as Melany began collecting the empty plates.
Hunter noticed this and swiftly hopped off his seat to help her gather the used dishes for washing, just as he did earlier. Melany softly thanked him as he began scrubbing the empty plates in the sink, handing her the cleaned dishes for her to dry.
"We still have more to discuss about-well, you know." Hunter whispered.
"I do know." She subtly nodded without looking at him, "Do you like hiking?"
"I enjoy a walk through nature as much as the next person."
"Let's take a walk after we finish up here. I'll explain everything." She subtly glanced over her shoulder before staring up at Hunter, "When are you going to tell them about Echo?"
"When we get more information from Rex." He lowered his stare and refocused his attention to the dish in his hand, "No sense in worrying them until we know more."
"Looks like I'm not the only one withholding information." She gently nudged him with a playful smirk. The only response she got out of Hunter was a low chuckle and small smile.
During their brief chat, Wrecker and Omega were distracted by their own conversation but Crosshair was hyper-focused on Melany and Hunter. Although he could not hear their whispers, he watched the closeness of their body language and the subtle stolen glances at one another. His chest tightened when he watched Melany playfully nudge his oldest brother, the two of them smiling at each other. Of course she would look at him like that. He was chivalrous and thoughtful, not to mention good-looking with his perfect hair and rugged features. Hunter always caught the attention of the ladies, Wrecker too with his impeccable physique and jovially personality. This brought back memories from the war when Hunter and Wrecker would go out and enjoy the nightlife while Tech and Crosshair would stay behind with the Marauder.
Tech did not cared much for late night antics, it seemed like a waste of time when it could be better spent researching new anomalies or working on upgrading the Marauder. Crosshair felt the same about going out but for different reasons. He hated the crowded, noisy atmosphere full of strangers he could not care less about. The only people he talked to were his brothers and half the time they were intolerable to him as well. But those nights when it was just Tech and him back at the ship were some of his fondest memories. He would listen to his brother go on and on about random fun facts that were hardly fun for anyone other than Tech. However, despite Tech's social quirkiness, he understood Crosshair in a way no one else did and vice versa. Because of this, he felt his brother's absence more than anyone else on the squad.
"If the weather lightens up, I was thinking we could go into town tomorrow and do some clothes shopping." Melany conveniently interrupted Crosshair's melancholic thoughts. She approached the kitchen island after she finished drying her hands, passing Hunter the towel to do the same.
"Ya know, since none of you fit in my standard reg closet." She tossed Crosshair another playful wink that made butterflies flutter in his stomach.
"Sounds fun!" Omega's face lit up at Melany's idea, "I've never been clothes shopping before!" She excitedly clasped her hands together.
"Me neither!" Wrecker cheerfully chimed in, "Maybe we can get Crosshair to wear something that isn't dark." He teased with a friendly pat on his brother's back.
"I'm wearing a green shirt right now, aren't I?" Crosshair snarked.
"A dark green shirt." Wrecker retorted with a laugh.
While the siblings went back and forth, Melany threw Hunter a knowing look and the two discreetly left to grab their coats. When they returned, they found the trio of clones sitting together on the couch watching a space sitcoms on the HoloTV. Well, Wrecker and Omega were watching it, Crosshair was reading a novel on the datapad with a toothpick in his mouth while pretending not to watch the show.
Melany cleared her throat to get their attention, "I'm going to do a perimeter sweep of the area just to make sure the recent rains didn't loosen any dirt and cause a mudslide or any other damages to my crops."
"Can we come?" Omega perked up.
"None of you have the proper gear just yet. I don't need anyone catching a chill and getting sick. I finally got everyone out of the medbay, I'd like to keep it that way." She light-heartedly joked with a small wave as she headed for the door.
"I'm going with you." Hunter insisted with a coat in his hand, "I kinda fit in the regs clothing so I'll be warm enough."
"Suit yourself." She shrugged, playing along with the ruse.
"I'm coming too. I have some jackets Melany lent me." Omega announced, slowly getting up from the couch.
"Omega, your ribs haven't fully healed yet. You need to stay here." Hunter gently ordered her, his voice stern like a protective parent.
Omega silently relented and sat back down on the couch between her brothers. Wrecker was paying more attention to the show than to the conversation so he just threw out a nonchalant goodbye and wave. But Crosshair continued silently staring at the conspicuous duo as they headed for the door.
Once they left, Crosshair slowly returned to his novel on the datapad, feeling another tightening sensation in his chest. He was not sure what that feeling meant but he did not like it, it made him feel more irritable than normal. Omega caught him shaking his leg in a jittery manner, a mannerism she remembered Tech displaying whenever he was in deep thought.
"You okay, Crosshair?" Omega asked, curiously looking up into his stern expression.
"Yep." He continued staring at the datapad, anxiously playing with the toothpick in his mouth.
Omega frowned, "You sure?"
"I'm fine."
Omega continued staring at him with an unconvinced expression. She could clearly tell something was bothering him once Melany and Hunter left-that's it!
"If you're worried about Melany and Hunter, I'm sure they'll be safe." She comforted with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"He's not worried about their safety. He's worried about Melany and Hunter going off together…alone." Wrecker suddenly chimed in with a teasing tone in his voice.
"Knock it off, Wrecker." Crosshair growled while shrugging off Omega's hand.
"Ohhhh I see what's going on." Omega happily joined in on the sibling teasing, "Does someone have a crush on Melany?"
"Don't. Start." Crosshair lethally hissed.
Ignoring his warning, Omega cheekily grinned, "Ya know, the last two times I've walked in on you and Melany together, you two always seem to be a bit cozier than normal."
"Wait, what?" Wrecker raised his eyebrows in surprise at his brother, "You don't usually let strangers get close to you."
"She's not a stranger. She saved our lives." Crosshair retorted.
"Did ya know he 'membered her caf order?" Wrecker asked Omega.
"Really?" The young clone wiggled her brow in fascination, "Now that's interesting-"
"Enough." Crosshair abruptly stood up, a fiery look of anger in his eyes. But what really intrigued Wrecker and Omega was the faint shade of pink staining his cheeks.
"I'm going to read in my room. When I return, you two had better drop this nonsensical teasing." His voice was low and threatening as he stormed off and locked himself in his room. He was not putting up with them poking fun at him. But why was he so defensive? He never had "a crush" on anyone before so why would his siblings assume he had one now?
He sat on the edge of his side of the bed and sighed; Perhaps it had nothing to do with Melany and everything to do with being teased. He always enjoyed poking fun at others but never took jokes made at his expense well. That had to be it. If Melany and Hunter wanted to go out and take a romantic hike in the rain then let them. He did not care. But his chest tightened again when he thought about her and his brother being together in that sort of way. He hated that not only did the idea bother him, it physically made him ache. But why? If he did not care then why did it elicit such a painful reaction. Maybe…he did care? But why?
