Chapter 1 - We Are The Way Out (1:1)

Author's Note: Let's just say if these are the only way out and the galaxy's only hope, the galaxy is screwed. Something is seriously wrong with all of them. :( xDXD

~ Rivana Rita

This is for the Clone OC bingo square of "dreams". :)

~ Amina Gila

"Vision, you've been staring at it for fifteen minutes," Omega says, appearing beside me. Maybe she's been beside me for a while and I just noticed, I don't know, but I twitch at the sensation. I didn't know she was here.

"I just keep thinking about what he said," I tell her, not tearing my eyes off the image of Anakin Skywalker. It's strange, how even when I see him in holos – which I've seen because I... well, know a thing or two about hacking skills now, thanks to Tech – I can still see that... fire. It's strange. But it's warm, and it's warm in a way that I want to have back. I... like it. Him. I want to see him again. I don't even know why. "I thought I was the only one with these... abilities. I want to know more about them. I want to know what makes me special."

Omega is different than me. She wouldn't know what that means to me, even if she... understands it conceptually, as Tech would say. I'm pretty sure I only conceptually understand what conceptual means.

"You're special for more than that," she argues.

I don't break my gaze. "Not really. And Hunter's only been able to help me so much." My abilities are hard. Everyone knows that. I can hardly manage to have visions of useful things. It's usually useless, and I'm trying to train it, but I don't know how. I have to wear gloves a lot of the time, so it doesn't randomly distract me when I'm training.

That happens sometimes. It's creepy.

It happened with... Anakin once. That was weird.

I can sometimes tell my brothers stupid things that are going to happen, and I've been able to predict at least three reg squabbles so far. I'm still a bit proud of that.

I refocus at present, still staring. "I think... he could. But he's a Jedi."

"Viz?" Omega says suddenly, softly, quietly, and something about the way she says it, so quiet and nearly scared, sends a shiver snaking down my spine. "I..."

And that's when I feel it. Something has been bothering me for hours now, and I haven't been able to focus on anything, even things I like doing. And now, all I feel is a strange, icy, inky blackness. It's in my mind, a gnawing, lancing agony, and it's burning through every inch of my body.

"What is that?" I rasp, hand pressing to my head.

It feels like crying. Something is crying.

It doesn't really feel like it's inside me though. I don't know what it is, but it's dark and... terrifying.

Something's happening. I know it. I feel it.

And then I See it.

The light is fading, shrinking, drawing in to one tiny little central part of the galaxy. And that's overrun by a "he must stand trial!" and "he's too dangerous to be left alive" and I see that fire again, that fire drowning black.

And then... I hear a voice nearly too soft to be real, something silky smooth and soft at the edges – "Rex, what's going on?" –and I see the familiar face of a certain blond-haired clone. Rex. His name was Rex. And I see the way his face twists with a sense of horrified realization, and my heart breaks at the strangled "stay back". I somehow don't even need to see how that scene will end to know.

But it's gone, just like that, twisting, fading away to a snow-covered planet.

And this is – the most personal. These are my brothers. My home. My family.

"What... what just happened?" asks Echo's breathless voice. He sounds stunned, confused. Maybe even... scared.

It blurs over, and I see Hunter. "What are you doing?" He sounds – angry. Maybe. More freaked out than anything else.

There's a thud and a crunch of snow as Crosshair jumps off a rock. "Following orders."

"We don't even know what the order is!" Hunter throws back sharply, approaching him and shoving him back a step. "Stand down until we know what's going on." He turns away and keeps moving.

For a moment, Crosshair just stands there, and the soft, misty flow I feel around him that I've tried so many times to grasp but always manages to be too elusive is fading to a thick, inky black like the rest of the galaxy. It's smokey, and if I could touch it, I think it would turn my hands a charcoal black.

Even his voice sounds numb, dead, empty, when he finally speaks, watching Hunter's retreating form.

"Good soldiers follow orders."

I jolt forwards, gasping, twitching. It feels like I can't breathe. Like something is wrapping around my chest and slowly squeezing all the air out of my lungs.

"Vision, it's okay," Omega's half-panicked voice calls as she hovers over me. The light touch of her hand is on my face now, brushing back my short curls. They're barely longer than her own, but mine are loose. Hers aren't.

"Am I dying?" I ask. Air isn't coming, hard as I try.

"You're fine," she assures me. "What's wrong?"

"Do you feel it?" I ask. The light is almost too bright for my eyes, though the pain is somewhat subsiding. "It's so... cold."

"Yeah," Omega murmurs quietly, fear lingering in her brown eyes. She reaches out to take my hands and I grasp them tightly. They feel cold, even in my own. "Something's wrong. We have to find Hunter."

It's instinctive, even if she's older than them. It's instinct for me, too. Hunter is our leader, and he'll always protect us. But for all that I want to be with him again – all of them, actually – I can't shake my vision from mind. "It's Crosshair," I say almost automatically. "Something's happening to him. We have to find him, and make sure he's alright."

**w**

Wind whips across me, blowing my hair across my face, though I could almost swear it's not as much as it should, and tugging at my sleeves.

The constant crashing of rolling ocean waves sounds, but over that is – is something else. Something much, much worse. It's on Kamino. Everything is always wet and rainy here, and I rarely see the sun, but now? Now, everything is burning. But why? How? This is our home. It's – it's Kamino and we can't – be destroyed.

The air is as thick with smoke as with humidity.

I look skyward, panic clawing in my chest, and it's – it's raining now, too, like it always is. Only now, it's raining blue fire.

And I hear Hunter's voice in the background, unseen. He sounds scared, as scared as I feel, and his words are blurred out over with the sound of explosions.

And I can only watch with mind-numbing horror as Kamino, as my home – the only home I never knew – burns to ash.

I jolt awake, heart racing. What was that? What in the stars was that?!

I drag a hand across my face, struggling to breathe in and out. I've had nightmares before. Just not this personal. It... I can't imagine something happening to our home, but there it was. As if I need something else to be worried about right now.

I will also not be falling asleep again anytime soon. Instead, I just curl up again, shaking. It's cold in the lab here – always is, and I don't mind – but still, it's... right now, I'm freezing. It's probably just in my head.

Omega is curled up nearby, still sleeping. Her presence is comforting, but I don't want to wake her up. And it still feels too quiet, too lonely.

I groan softly, rolling over, arms curling around myself. It won't help. It won't make it stop. It won't keep me from seeing this awful nightmare when I try to sleep and even when I'm not, because I can still hear and feel it echoing in my mind.

It still feels like if I try to sleep, the room will... explode for some inconceivable reason. Or that everything will spontaneously start on fire and... I just want to see my brothers again.

**w**

"How does this even matter when I never do anything useful anyway?" I grumble under my breath as Omega and I follow Nala Se down the halls. Not that I'd say it out loud, but I miss the feeling of being useful. I haven't since we were last with our brothers. It's been a while.

Over two hundred days.

"I think it's required," Omega reminds, leaning over a bit so no one overhears.

I pretty much zone out for a while after that. This speech is boring me to death. I mean, honestly – oh – wait. What's this about a Jedi rebellion?

My mind immediately jumps to Anakin. He wouldn't do that. I don't know him, but I still know that. I could See it. He's... loyal to the end. I don't have a good feeling about this.

"The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed," the Chancellor's voice continues rambling in the background.

I roll my eyes so hard they hurt. I can't help it. "Oh, yeah, I know," I grumble under my breath. I can already see that, thank you very much. "I know I need to clean my eyes out now, thank you for telling me. And for that record, I don't think my disgust has ever been stronger –"

Omega elbows me. Hard. I jump, head whipping around to look at her – she rarely tells me to be quiet, and I don't know why she is now. Except instead, I see a strange amount of excitement in her eyes, and she tilts her head towards the viewport.

I follow her gaze. There, amidst the rows of white-armored clones, is the very, very familiar black and red armor of our brothers.

A soft gasp escapes me. It's – they're back. They're finally back.

Can someone explain exactly why I didn't get a comm already? It'd be far more convenient if we could just call them. Then again, Nala Se probably doesn't want me to for exactly that reason.

"Come on," Omega whispers, grabbing my hand, and we make a break for the door without having to ask. We already knew, from the very start, that we'd go back to find them together the moment they returned.

Hopefully we can get far enough away before someone catches us. Luckily, we know a bit about sneaking around.

Being on a totally different floor, getting down to where they are is... tricky. No one is around right away to pay attention to us, luckily. By the time we arrive, the briefing is finally over, and our brothers are already leaving together.

"Galactic Empire?" I hear Echo saying from afar, his voice short and aggravated. He's angry. "We're soldiers of the Republic."

"Republic, Empire, what's the difference?" Crosshair drawls.

"The systematic termination of the Jedi is a big one for me," Tech replies.

"They're spelled differently," I volunteer as Omega and I finally catch up, skidding to a stop in the hall. "And I'm not sure I want to serve someone so ugly." What? He Looks... like rot. I don't even know how to tell the others that, but he's terrifying. Just seeing him made my skin crawl.

"You won't be ready for that for a while," Hunter says, pausing, and they turn around, spreading out, to face us.

"Hello," Omega offers slightly shyly, waving.

"We were wondering when you guys would come back."

"It wasn't supposed to be long," Hunter replies, leaning down a bit, "But the Sieges began, and it took longer than expected." It's what they were made to do. I get that. I just don't think it's fair that they can... run off without us. I don't want to be left here. I hate staying here, waiting, being unsure when I'll see them again.

And I'm about to say so when a familiar voice calls my sister's name and – oh no. Omega twitches, freezing and looking up. I pause, twisting to the side and following her gaze.

Nala Se is approaching us, and even if she always sounds so smooth, calm, and graceful, I... don't see her as any of those things. I don't think Kaminoans have the same emotional depth as humans do, or at least I want to believe they don't. I don't want to believe that she doesn't care about how we feel. She always tells me it's irrelevant, and I get that, but I just...

Don't.

It's complicated.

The first time I asked 'mega why we can't just go find her brothers and stay together anyway, she told me that Nala Se always told her she'd distract them from their job, and that it was selfish. I was two, but I'll never forget that.

"Come, Omega," the Kaminoan says, briefly touching her shoulder. "There is work to do."

I bite my lip, swallowing back whatever sharp feelings burn inside me instantly. Omega was meant to be different. I was meant to be a soldier, nothing more. I was meant to... fight. And then, everyone else will move on when I'm gone. People die in war. I know that. It's just not something I ever think about seriously, though it's... a given right? It'll happen to everyone.

Doesn't mean I stress about it, or really think about it. I just...

'mega is and always has been the only thing that matters.

"Do I... get to stay?" I ask, shifting back, taking a pointed step towards Hunter and the rest. I want to be here. This is – it's where I belong, where I'm needed.

"Until they leave again, yes," she confirms, and turns away, rounding the nearby corner into another joint of the hall. Omega follows, pausing when Nala Se is out of sight to wave at us again.

My shoulders slump. "I was really hoping she could stay longer this time."

"Well," Hunter reminds, "Duty calls."

"Yeah." I spin around to face them again. It hasn't been long, but suddenly, it's like I don't know where I'm supposed to be again. That kept happening last time, but at least Echo was fitting in then. Now, it's been months, and they've all gotten so much closer.

And that's when I have time to again remember the terrifying feeling I got shortly before they returned. "Are you – uh – okay?" I ask hesitantly, uncertainly.

Hunter throws a glance at his brothers. Wrecker catches the look and shrugs. "We're fine," he assures me, "Why? Did... something happen?"

"I saw something. I'm not sure what it was, but it... scared me. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"No need to worry about us, kid," Wrecker assures, patting my shoulder. His hand is huge, but I still appreciate the gesture. Even if it makes me feel tiny.

I can't help it. I always will, but it's not like I'll tell him so.

I'm still worried about Crosshair. I saw... I'm not sure what it was, but I walk up to him anyway. Asking won't give me answers, not if what I saw was real. Not if he's... not himself right now.

I throw my arms around his waist, half expecting him to shove me off, because that's usually how prickly Crosshair is. Instead, he just... lets me, and touches my head. I start looking up, uncertain, and yelp when he yanks one of my curls. "Hey! I thought you were being nice!"

He has the audacity to smirk. I glower at him.

I tag along after them when they head for the mess hall which usually literally turns into a mess hall whenever we go. I'm counting on it. Which means I better eat as fast as possible, because some of us actually do get hungry.

I squeeze onto the edge of the bench next to Echo, who thankfully beat Wrecker to the table, else we'd be shoved right off the bench. Wrecker does not need three trays to eat, at least he could not possibly need that much, but he does anyway. And he takes up far more room than necessary, not like anyone is brave enough to point that out. (I'd sit next to Crosshair if I weren't fairly certain I'd get stuck between him and Tech. And I go out of my way to avoid him because he's just. Creepy. What? It's true. He stares at me like I'm some sort of lab specimen. Which I am, but the point stands.)

Crosshair is across from me, and I swing my legs into his lap. I can hardly reach his knees, and I'm expecting him to shove me off just out of spite, but he... doesn't even react. It's like he doesn't even... notice.

There's something tense in his expression, now that I'm looking. Something is... hurting him.

"Hey," I whisper, elbowing Echo lightly as Tech slides onto the bench beside Crosshair, "Is Crosshair okay?"

Echo glances down at me. "Yes. Why?"

"He never lets me use him as a footrest."

Crosshair glances up at me with that same sort of cautious observance that he always watches his brothers with, then ignores me entirely. Hmph. Typical.

I shake my head, turning back to my food. Hunter will be here shortly, and Wrecker sits down, spreading out all three trays, or however many there are.

Across from me, a group of regs pass by.

In the distance, I see Hunter approaching.

"Clones being programmed," Wrecker says suddenly, standing. Uh oh. "Nothing controls me."

Tech being Tech, of course, pauses mid-eating to look up at him, instantly jumping at the chance to explain technical gibberish to someone. "Wrecker, it is a logical conclusion," he argues, glancing at Crosshair who's slowly looking up and immediately turns away the moment Tech meets his gaze, "That your affinity for destruction would stem from your conditioning."

What in the stars are they squabbling about now?

"You take that back!" Wrecker booms, jabbing a finger at him.

"I am merely stating a scientific hypothesis based on factual data," he argues.

Crosshair throws a wary sideways glance at them. He looks at me, and I shrug, turning back to my food. Beside me, Echo is looking between Wrecker and Tech like he's entirely certain a bomb is about to take off what's left of his face. Which is a legitimate concern. No sane person interjects in these squabbles.

A sane person would just watch and laugh.

"Well, I got a fact for you," Wrecker growls, "I like to blow things up because –" He slams his hands on the table hard enough to make me jump, and everyone is looking at us now. "I like to blow things up! Got it?"

Finally, Hunter slides onto the bench next to Tech.

"Well, I'm convinced," Crosshair interjects finally, before Tech can say something even more epically stupidly antagonizing. Even if there's probably a tiny amount of sense behind it.

"An Imperial's been sent to evaluate the clones. Everybody's talking about it," Hunter says.

I tense up instantly. I don't know much about this, but I just... don't like it.

"What kind of evaluation?" Echo inquires immediately.

"Hopefully not mental," Tech interrupts. "Clearly, we'll never pass that."

I snort, especially when Wrecker gives Echo a wide-eyed look. "Good. I'm proud of being crazy."

And then I spot a familiar, blonde figure moving towards us. "Oh! Hi, 'mega!" I call, waving, "I didn't think you'd show up so soon."

"Hello again," she greets us cheerfully, climbing onto the bench next to Hunter.

It was never a question of whether she would find them. It was only a question of how. When I was created, it... answered that. Somewhat. Omega knows – has always known – that she'd find a way to fit in with them, to become one of them again. When they were little, years ago, she raised them. Took care of them. They knew her, and she knows them, not like with me.

The others freeze, looking at her.

"What?" I ask, waving my left hand at them, not looking up, "You already know she knows you." Crosshair kicks me under the table – more accurately, he knees my boot – and I yelp dramatically. "What was that for?"

"You're being annoying."

I blink. "That's good. At least I'm perfecting the art of something." He's already returned to entirely ignoring everyone else, and I swing my feet back into his lap. My legs are barely long enough to touch him though. In a year, I won't have to worry about that.

The others are talking in the background. Tech is leaning around Hunter, staring at Omega – I don't care what anyone says. His goggles still make it look like he's inspecting everyone. It's creepy.

"It's okay. I don't have anything else to do," Omega replies cheerfully, starting to eat.

I'm not being all joking when I told Crosshair that though. He probably thinks I am, and he's not wholly wrong, either. But... I never really have been good at anything. I've never specialized in anything, had a purpose like 'mega always has. I wanted to find her brothers because it was what she wanted, and it's what made her happy, and that's the only thing that ever truly mattered to me. I don't really fit anywhere, which... I guess is why I'm trying to fit in with them.

I'm not entirely sure I do sometimes.

I kept being afraid of that back at the start. I still am. But they've... welcomed me, even if they clearly aren't used to it.

Even if they don't understand why I have to be here.

Crosshair is... well, he is. And he's usually annoying, but not always. I never talked to him about it, and why would I? It's not like I have a reason to bother them. I'd been brooding and Crosshair was the one who came to just... be with me. We didn't talk. I didn't hug him, either, even if I wanted to. I don't want to push them too far, and I'm not sure what they're comfortable with.

I'm semi-brooding again, and I've slipped into robotic mode enough that I'm already halfway done eating without realizing it.

My head snaps up at the unfamiliar voice of a reg. "Check it out. The defect squad's got themselves a new recruit." I look up, as does Omega, glaring. "Another member added to the Sad Batch."

My anger is burning, back in full swing. Coiling, ready to strike. "The Dark Side hangs heavily over your future" a voice whispers in the back of my mind, and my hands clench on the table. I'm not good with words. I know that, but I want to talk anyway, to throw something back even more scathing at the people who insulted my brothers.

I don't even have to. Omega is already on the table, and she throws something at the reg in question.

"What the!" he yelps, stumbling when it hits him square in the head, and I squeal with glee. He whirls around, and the three stalk back towards us. "Who threw that?"

"I did," Omega retaliates fiercely without a shred of fear. "Now apologize to my friends."

I pull my legs up and push myself upright atop the bench. If they dare approach Omega –

Wrecker elbows Echo who immediately glares at him. "I like this kid!"

"What did you say to me?" the reg demands, pointing threateningly at Omega, who doesn't even twitch. I have no idea if he's trying to be scary, or if he's actually going to hit her, but either way –

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hunter interjects, jumping off the bench and approaching them. Of course, he has to interrupt the conversation, even if all I want to do is try my hand at beating up someone twice my size? "Back off. I suggest you keep moving."

Behind Omega, Wrecker stands, grinning gleefully. Oooooooh. One way or another, someone's tray is going in that reg's face. And I won't have to worry about Hunter chewing me out about it if I'm not the one to do it. I subtly give him a thumbs up for good measure. At least I think it was subtle –

"Know your place, lab scrabber," the reg scoffs, and Wrecker hurls his tray the moment they turn around.

"Oops," he offers wickedly, holding his remaining trays.

"That's it!" the reg yells, lunging forwards. I throw my spoon in his face for good measure, a split second before Hunter punches him.

"Oh, yeah!" Wrecker cackles, hurling his remaining trays at the others.

"Oh, not again," Echo groans, scrubbing a hand over his face and ducking as someone throws something at him.

Wrecker jumps the regs, literally, and I decide to take a page out of his book, jumping on top of my nearest grumpy identical uncle. Is beating up someone with a fork a good idea? Probably not. Is it possible? I will make it possible.

It's fun while it lasts for one minute before someone just scoops me up from behind and I yelp, flailing to try freeing myself from the grip.

No thanks to Tech who's beating up a random bystander in the background, though I can relate.

Crosshair, of all people, is the one who comes to my rescue, though he looks none too happy about any of this.

"At least someone's nice to their sister," I wheeze, landing on the ground and rolling away from the reg, standing up again.

I want to throw a tray at someone. Just don't think I can quite throw something that heavy just right.

"Echo, watch out!" Tech yells, and on second thought, maybe he isn't being quite so useless.

There's a thump loud and sharp enough to make my skin crawl, and I dart around the tables in search of Echo. Tech has already beat me to him, of course, and he's... lying motionless, slumped on the floor, half against the serving table behind him. The reg in front of him is mid-standing up, holding the tray he must've used to do it.

I don't think twice, or even once – instantly jumping him.

The regs armor feels different than my brothers, or maybe it's just me, I'm not sure, but either way, my weight – no matter how light that is, probably mostly from the sheer unexpectedness of it – is enough to throw him off balance. I punch him in the face. Hard. From the yelp and the crack, I think I broke his nose.

Good.

I'm still seething, and I'm pulling back for another punch, perfectly ready and willing to keep railing on him, but someone lifts me up from behind again, far more gently, pulling me back.

"What's his status, Tech?" Hunter's rough-but-kind voice asks from right above me – oh. I drop my arms, grumpily crossing them as he sets me down a bit back and the others start crowding around Echo. My first thought hadn't even been to see if it was okay. It was just to beat up the person who did it. Don't really know what that says about me.

There's a thump, a crash, and a thunking plastoid sound in the background that I seriously hope is someone else being knocked out, then I hear familiar light footsteps approaching. "Dead," Crosshair deadpans.

"He's not dead!" Wrecker yelps.

"As usual, your assessment is incorrect," Tech replies, "He is still breathing."

There's a light pattering as Omega runs up. "Is he okay?" She sounds worried.

"I suggest we take him to the medbay for a scan," Tech says.

"Two credits says he is," Crosshair continues, ignoring the others entirely.

"Deal," Wrecker says, and I hear a disturbing leathery sound in the background. Stars. Did they just shake on it?

I look up wide-eyed at Hunter. "Are they betting on a teammate being dead?"

Hunter just shrugs.

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