Chapter 13: Our Next Move
The sun had just finished setting on yet another day of the Empire's siege on Pabu. The citizens on the island inconspicuously made their way back to their homes for another solemn night under the strict watch of the patrolling stormtroopers. Despite the siege, the livelihoods of the villagers were mostly unaffected since they never relied on imports to begin with. The island of Pabu was completely self-sufficient. The only impact the Empire's presence had on the town was the lack of camaraderie normally abounding through the streets on a daily, and nightly, basis. After experiencing the destructive power of the Empire, the citizens were afraid of the regime and they did their best to seem as nondescript as possible.
Over the past few days, Echo and Phee relentlessly continued their attempts to get a message sent out to Rex but to no avail. Emerie and Batcher stayed hidden in the secret caves with the Force-sensitive children while Lyana and Shep continued to bring them food and supplies. Shep did his best to check on nearly every household on the island on a daily basis to ensure the citizens of Pabu were faring. He was surprised the stormtroopers were not wrecking havoc on his town in the same way they did last time. Then again, the Empire was not looking for anyone on the island. The people Tarkin wanted were lost somewhere in the Core Worlds Region of the galaxy. Pabu was not under attack from the Empire, they were being used as bait by the Empire. But Echo knew Tarkin's patience would eventually run out and if the remaining members of Clone Force 99 did not show up soon, he would begin a more destructive siege on the island in order to draw them out.
Echo and Phee slumped back in their seats when another transmission failed to send. The former letting out a tired sigh, "We're never going to break through the Empire's blockade. Every scrambled signal I can come up with has failed. We're completely on our own."
"Ya know this only leaves us with one option, right?" Phee cautiously glanced over at her companion.
"I really hoped it wouldn't come to this." Echo wearily rubbed his face, "If we do this, it'll only provoke the Empire to come down harder on us. They'll start tearing this island apart to punish us."
"If your squad don't show up soon, they're going to destroy Pabu anyway. It's inevitable." Phee stood up and poured a couple drinks from the hidden liquor cabinet on her ship, "At least with this plan, you'll be able to send a message to Rex and we'll have a chance of surviving if he comes through with the reinforcements."
"And we also need to be sure my squad stays away from here." Echo accepted the offered drink even though alcohol did not affect him since, according to Tech, he was more machine than man.
"If Rex did find them and they catch wind of this rescue, they'll wanna help."
"I'll tell 'em Plan 88. Hopefully they'll listen this time." He forlornly stared down into his drink, thinking about the last time Plan 88 was addressed. Crosshair had contacted them from Tantiss and warned about the Empire searching for them. They did not heed his warning back then and Tech ended up paying the ultimate price for that decision. Perhaps they would heed Echo's warning this time.
Phee sadly sighed as she finished off her drink, no doubt thinking the same solemn thoughts as Echo. She firmly place her glass down on the counter, "When are you going to infiltrate the Imperial Venator?"
"I'll need to do it soon. If the Empire is monitoring our futile attempts to send a transmission, they'll grow suspicious if we suddenly stop." He finished off his drink and stood up, "I'll check to see if the TK armor I commandeered is still on the Science Vessel. But there's a good chance the stormtroopers already collected all the equipment from the ship so I'll just have to seize another set of armor."
"And I'll continue attempting to send out signals so the Empire won't suspect anything." She followed Echo out of the Providence and the duo greeted Emerie who was watching the Force sensitive children play with Batcher.
"Any luck?" The former chief scientist asked quietly so the children would not hear.
Echo and Phee subtly shook their heads, the former nodding his head to invite Emerie to walk with them. "We decided it's time to move onto our last option."
"Infiltrate the Imperial Venator?" Emerie cautiously asked, "You're sure you don't want me to come forward and talk to Tarkin? If he just wants information then I can give it to him and this'll all be over."
"I know Tarkin. He wants more than just information." Echo stopped by the entrance to the hidden passageway that led to the Pabu Archium. "If he finds out why Hemlock was experimenting on clones and why Omega was so important to his research then Tarkin may want to continue what Hemlock started."
"Or he may not." Emerie countered. "You told me Tarkin said he had no interest in the escaped clone prisoners. All he wanted was information. The only reason he's waiting for your squad to return is because he wants to question Omega about the research on Tantiss. But if I can talk to him then he'll have what he wants and they'll leave Pabu for good. What would Tarkin have to gain by lying about this?" Emerie argued. She was sure she could end this siege without provoking the Empire.
"False sense of security." Phee chimed in, her hand comfortably resting on her hip. "The Empire can't be trusted. If we cave and give 'em what they want, they'll end up taking more than what we bargained for."
"Respectfully I disagree." Emerie confidently stood her ground, "When the Empire raided Pabu in search of Omega, did they or did they not leave once she turned herself in?"
Echo silently looked to Phee since she was here when the attack happened. "They did." Phee smirked, "So you honestly believe they're just here for information?"
"Isn't it worth a try instead of provoking them and suffering the consequences? Hasn't this island seen enough violence?" Emerie looked back over her shoulder and watched the children rest beside the small roaring fire within the cave, "Don't those children deserve the chance to get home sooner than later? They've been away from their families long enough." Emerie refocused her attention on the duo in front of her, "Sometimes a diplomatic solution can be just as effective as a military operation."
Echo and Phee exchanged a look of uncertainty, the latter shrugging with a hopeful smile, "I'm down to give her idea a shot." Phee turned to her, "Alright, Em. What's the plan?"
Morning was dawning on the typically serene planet of Alderaan, at least according to the chronos. Since Melany had fallen unconscious, the late-winter weather had turned stormy and the dark thunderous rainclouds blocked out the sunlight. Almost as if the weather was reflective upon the hidden Jedi's current state. It had now been a little more than one rotation since she miraculously revived Wrecker and suddenly passed out with no indication as to why. During this time, Omega had helped Hunter and Wrecker get acclimated to their new surroundings since she had spent the most time with Melany. With the exception of Crosshair who had not left the medbay since she fell into this comatose sleep, the rest of the squad kept a close eye on Melany with a rotated schedule.
After coming to the conclusion of Melany's hidden heritage, Hunter's mind was racing with many thoughts about who she really was and how did she ended up here. Whatever happened with Jedi at the end of the war was still a mystery to him. According to the Empire, the Jedi were traitors but that never sat well with Hunter. Granted, he and his squad never got as close to the Jedi as the rest of the regs since they operated alone and did not report to any Jedi General. But the few times he interacted with the Jedi, they seemed like a wholesome and honorable group. And now that the true intentions of the inhibitor chip had come to light, Hunter presumed most of the regs would not have willingly turned against their Jedi Generals.
Thinking about the inhibitor chip caused a shiver to run down his spine while he rested on the cozy arm chair in the living room, listening to the sound of rumbling thunder and pouring rain outside. He glanced over at Wrecker and Omega asleep on the couch together, remembering the time Wrecker's chip activated and how aggressively hostile it made him act toward them. Hunter leaned over in his seat and stole a glance at Crosshair who was still seated beside Melany in the medbay. Another haunting memory flashed in his mind; Crosshair trying to kill the Jedi padawan on Kaller after Order 66 was given. Hunter wondered where Crosshair stood on the "Jedi are traitors" debate and how he would respond if he found out about Melany's true identity. Although his inhibitor chip was supposedly removed a long time ago, he still willingly chose to stay with the Empire which meant at some point he agreed with what they stood for…until he did not. Hunter still did not know the whole story behind Crosshair's betrayal of the Empire. Aside from hearing how the Empire did not reciprocate his loyalty, the rest of the details were kept secret. Not even Omega knew and Crosshair was more open to her than anyone else.
Deciding to check on his brother, Hunter slowly stood up and crept toward the medbay to avoid waking up Wrecker and Omega. He peeked inside to see Crosshair leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed and head tilted to the side as his eyes were focused on Melany in a concerned stare.
"How's she doin'?" Hunter quietly spoke, stepping further into the room.
"Same as she's been doing." Crosshair responded without looking away from her.
"I'll watch her if you wanna take a break-"
"I'm fine." Crosshair snapped. Hunter crossed his arms and gave his brother an intense stare, trying to figure out why he was so devoted to a person they had just met. Crosshair finally pulled his gaze away from Melany when he felt his brother staring at him, "What."
Hunter casually leaned back against the wall, "I'm just trying to figure you out."
"You've known me your entire life. You still haven't figured me out?" He scoffed.
"Well, I thought I did but just when I think I have, you do something surprising like this."
Crosshair's body stiffened ever so slightly but it was still enough for Hunter to notice. "Like what." He growled.
"You haven't left this medbay in over a rotation." Hunter slowly sauntered toward him, "You haven't slept. You haven't eaten. You haven't taken a break at all."
"Your point?" Crosshair suspiciously eyed him as he took a seat beside him.
"Your perpetual devotion to her. Where did this come from?" He curiously inquired.
"You know how I feel about loyalty." Crosshair turned away from his brother and refocused his gaze back onto Melany, "Did Omega not tell you what she's done for us? And for all the regs running from the Empire?"
"Yes, Omega told me." Now Hunter was staring at Melany too, trying to comprehend why a Jedi would be so kind and considerate to clone troopers especially after what they did to the Jedi. "She seems like a compassionate person. It's rare for clones like us to receive such a warm welcome nowadays." He chuckled, "It's one of the many reasons why Pabu is a wonderful place to call home. Shep, Lyana, and the rest of the citizens accept us for who we are. I look forward to getting back to Pabu and finally establishing a true home for all of us."
Crosshair did not immediately respond. Hearing how Hunter assumed Crosshair would just step into the life they created on Pabu always raised his concerns if he was more than just the Tech replacement. While imprisoned on Tantiss, Omega would spend time every day talking at him, not with him because he never responded, and one of the things she told him was how the squad had decided to stay on Pabu to help rebuild after a tsunami wiped out Lower Pabu. She talked endlessly about how Tech's strategy, Hunter's leadership, and Wrecker's boisterous strength were wildly appreciated amongst the people of Pabu. This always made Crosshair wonder what he had to offer if he were in the same situation. He did not have Tech's intelligence, nor Hunter's ingenuity, nor Wrecker's brawn, and especially not Omega's kindness. He was bred to have perfectly precise sharpshooting abilities…that's it. How was that supposed to be helpful on a daily basis? Perhaps that was why he stayed with the Empire for so long. All of his brothers' skills were transferrable to civilian life except for him. He was created to be a soldier and that was what he was good at.
He glanced down at his missing right hand and sighed. Then again, he was nowhere near the perfect shot he used to be before Tantiss. He only had one trait that made him special and he could not even do that anymore. At least Echo was able to continue doing good work as a soldier alongside Rex and the other regs. Crosshair never admitted it to anyone but he admired Echo for having the strength to walk away from the Bad Batch and return to the fight. Echo knew where he belonged and he did not let anyone stop him from following his path. Crosshair only hoped he would find that kind of clarity someday.
"You okay?" Hunter asked, noticing his brother's thousand-yard stare.
"I'm fine." Crosshair automatically responded.
A particularly loud clap of thunder roared above them, startling the young clone asleep in the other room. None of the troopers even flinched though, their nerves were used to the loud explosions from the battlefield. In a matter of seconds, Omega wandered into the medbay.
"How's Melany doin'?" She hopefully asked.
"Same as she's been doing." Both Hunter and Crosshair responded simultaneously.
Omega carefully sat at the foot of Melany's bed, quietly watching her steady breathing. After a couple minutes of silence, Omega softly piped up, "Has anyone tried talking to her?"
Both of her brothers gave her confused looks, but Crosshair quickly remembered what she was getting at, "Apparently talking to someone in a coma helps them recover quicker."
Omega assuredly nodded at Crosshair's explanation, "Exactly. I talked to you when you were coming out of your coma, Hunter. I'd like to think it helped."
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise, "Uh, thanks, Omega."
She scooted closer to Melany and gently grasped her hand before softly talking to her. Crosshair and Hunter watched in amusement when Omega talked to her about how grateful they were to her for saving Wrecker. She then continued talking about some of her fondest memories with her brothers. At one point, Omega unintentionally squeezed Melany's hand and everyone froze when they saw her react to that motion.
"Did you see that?!" Omega exclaimed a bit too enthusiastically.
"What'd you do?" Hunter curiously asked.
Omega shrugged, "I just squeezed her hand."
"Do it again." Crosshair stood up and moved closer to the bed.
Omega continued coaxing her to wake up along with another hand squeeze. The trio noticed her take a deeper breath as if she was preparing to wake up so Omega tried it again, "Melany? Can you hear me? Are you okay?" She gently squeezed her hand once more.
A soft moan escaped Melany's lips as she began to stir. Feeling the sensation of someone squeezing her hand in a comforting way made her think of her deceased brother, "Evem?" Melany breathed as her eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few more times to help clear her blurry vision, surprise etched on her face when a familiar trio stared down at her in concern. "What…what happened?"
"Melany!" Omega excitedly cheered as she leaned forward to hug her, "You're okay!"
Melany softly laughed while she returned the hug, still slightly confused as to what happened. She glanced over at the chronos across the room and saw it was nearly seven in the morning, "How long have I been out?" She asked while carefully sitting up.
"Little over a day." Hunter replied, a small smile on his face, "Nice to see you awake though. You had us worried."
"I'm sorry, I don't even remember what happened." She nervously laughed.
"You save my life! That's what happened!" Wrecker's boisterous voice boomed as he strode into the medbay wearing a reg-sized poncho that barely covered his chest.
Melany's eyes widened in response, "That's right…" She was stunned as the memories of channeling the Force to heal him flashed in her mind.
"I owe ya one, doc!" Wrecker stepped closer and gently nudged her in a playful way. Well, gentle by Wrecker's standards.
"Careful, Wrecker." Crosshair hissed as he protectively stepped between Melany and his behemoth of a brother.
Wrecker feigned a pout, "Aww come on, Crosshair, she's alright now." He looked past his brother to address Melany, "You are alright now, right?"
"Yes…yes, I'm okay now." She stammered as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She place her hand on Omega's shoulder as the young clone helped her get on her feet. Melany thanked Omega and then turned toward Hunter, "You said I was out for how long?"
"A little more than a day." He responded straightforwardly.
"What?!" Melany stumbled back but fortunately Crosshair was standing behind her and effortlessly caught her by the elbow. She absentmindedly leaned back against his sturdy chest, grateful for the stability, as she wildly looked around at everyone, "Have you guys eaten? Do you need your bandages changed? How about-"
"Melany, we're okay." Omega grabbed her hands and squeezed them with a smile, "You've taken such good care of us, now it's our turn to take care of you."
Melany breathed a sigh of relief, trying to regain her composure. She suddenly realized she was still leaning back against Crosshair and quickly straightened herself up with a flustered apology. She glanced over at Hunter who had now taken a couple steps back from the rest of the group to observe her in the new light he saw her in. Melany sensed a strange mix of realization, intrigue, and wariness radiating off of him. She had a gut feeling he figured out what she was and she knew she would have to address it with him before he told the rest of his squad, if it was not too late already. But until an opportune moment arose, she would have to continue playing it off as if she did not know he knew.
Finally getting her bearings straight, Melany walked up to Wrecker and admired his burly 6'9'' frame, noticing the small poncho covering up his bare chest and making a mental note to take them shopping soon. "How are you doing, Wrecker? I'm sorry I haven't been able to follow up on her injuries."
"I feel great! Never better!" He enthusiastically chuckled, "I'm glad you're doing alright, Melany. Omega told me about all the things you've done for us. We're real lucky you found us."
Melany giggled at his open-hearted kindness, noting how differently he expressed his emotions in comparison to his reserved brothers. "Well, you can thank Rex. He's the one that notified me about your whereabouts-" She froze before quickly patting herself down, "Has anyone seen my comlink?"
"I have it." Omega carried over a small container with Melany's personal items inside, "I collected all your things here."
"Thanks Omega." She smiled at the young clone before digging out her comlink. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, there was no message from Rex. She hid her disappointment well as she excused herself. She needed a warm shower to clean up and some alone time to comprehend what had happened. As she stepped away, the squad of clones dispersed to their designated rooms for a short rest; Wrecker and Omega took the two guest rooms upstairs while Hunter and Crosshair decided to share the larger downstairs guest room. While Melany was unconscious, Hunter insisted Omega move to an upstairs guest room because he did not like the idea of her being alone downstairs while everyone else was asleep upstairs. Besides, if Hunter and Crosshair were going to share a room, the downstairs guest room was the biggest of the three.
Melany stepped into her bedroom and quickly closed the door behind her. Almost in a daze, she slowly found her way into her bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror, cringing at her appearance. She knew the sacrifice she was making when she decided to Force-heal Wrecker, especially given his dire circumstance, but she still did not know what to expect. This was her first time ever attempting such practices. Overall her face looked the same, still supple and smooth despite her stressful upbringing and the war. But her hair was the culprit of showing the consequences of her actions. The hair along her temples were faded gray now, but it was nothing that could not be fixed.
After primping and prodding her hair and body for a bit, she decided to take a shower in hopes the water will wash away any strange sensations she felt from finally reconnecting with the Force. Since she had cut herself off from the Force for such a long time, the familiar feelings of warmth and peace brought a smile to her face and a wave of relief washed over her soul. It felt wonderful to reconnect to something so powerful and so familiar, yet there was still a sense of dread and guilt tugging at her heart. She knew better than to call upon the Force like that. She knew there were powerful people hunting down Jedi and if any corrupted Force-wielders should feel her tremors in the Force, she would be putting everyone in the compound at risk.
Meanwhile, Wrecker and Omega were taking naps in their designated bedrooms while Hunter and Crosshair attempted to get some sleep themselves. Both brothers were laying flat on their back and staring at the ceiling, Hunter with one arm tucked behind his head and Crosshair with his hand resting on his abdomen. Each were both in deep thought about something different but with one common link…Melany. Hunter was preoccupied thinking about her true identity and her past while Crosshair was concerned about what happened in the medbay and if she was truly okay or not. Despite the wall of pillows they built between them on the bed, they each knew the other was still awake.
"You should get some rest." Hunter suggested.
"I'm fine." Crosshair sharply responded.
"You haven't slept in nearly two days."
"You keeping count?" He scoffed.
"I'm just looking out for you. It's my job."
"We're retired. You're not the squad's commanding officer anymore, Sarge." Crosshair snarked.
"I meant…" Hunter sighed, debating whether or not he wanted to respond to his brother sarcastically. "It's my job as your brother to look out for you." He responded sincerely.
Crosshair hesitated, "Like I said. I'm fine." He said a bit gentler before rolling away onto his side and signaling the end of the conversation.
Hunter continued to stare up at the ceiling, listening to the many sounds his enhanced senses picked up on. Other than the pounding rain on the windows and rumbling of thunder in the distance, he heard the shower upstairs from Melany's room turn off along with the sound of Wrecker's notorious snoring. He continued to listen to delicate footsteps walking around upstairs, no doubt Melany freshening herself up, and he began to pick up on Crosshair's steady breathing. Several more minutes passed until he faintly heard the sound of footsteps softly coming down the stairs as if someone was trying to be quiet. He knew it would either be Melany or Omega, Wrecker could not be that stealthy even if his life depended on it.
Slowly rolling off the bed, careful not to disturb Crosshair, Hunter stealthily crept to the door and exited the guest room. He was shocked but not surprised to find Melany turning on the double decker ovens and gathering ingredients necessary to make breakfast. From what Omega told him about Melany, she seemed to take her job in hosting guests very seriously and tended to go above and beyond the call of duty to serve them. At the very least, this opened a possibly rare opportunity to talk to her alone and ask her questions about her past.
"I thought you'd be resting for a while. This doesn't look like resting." He commented in a low voice, trying his best not to startle her as he approached the kitchen.
"Oh!" Melany jumped and quickly turned around to face the culprit, "I didn't see you there, Hunter. You really are a stealthy fellow aren't you." She placed a hand on her chest to help ease her racing heart, "And as for resting, well, I could say the same about you."
"I've been in a coma for a few days, I got more than enough rest." He casually crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen island.
"I've been in a coma a little over a day, I also got more than enough rest." She smirked while tying her apron around her waist.
"Fair enough." Hunter nodded his head with a low chuckle. He silently observed her as she began putting ingredients together for who knows what. Hunter knew someday soon he and his brothers would need to learn how to make food themselves. They could not rely on rations or Shep's cooking for the rest of their lives. "Would you like some help?" He offered when he noticed a perplexed expression form on her face.
"I'm just trying to get my bearings." She opened her pantry and tilted her head in confusion, "Seems like some things have been moved around."
"Yeah, that's our fault." Hunter guilty rubbed the back of his neck, "When you were asleep, we sorta restocked your shelves with the most recent supply drop off. Omega told us she overheard you talking to your vendor about taking inventory and putting things away later in the evening but between the situations with Wrecker and I, you never got around to it." He pointed to the datapad laying on the kitchen island, "Omega took inventory of everything we brought in, just as you said."
Melany's wide eyes stared back at him and her lips were parted in surprise, "I can't believe this." She breathed.
"I apologize if we put things in the wrong spot-"
"No, no. Don't apologize. There's nothing to be sorry for." She stepped closer to him with a grateful expression, "What you and your family did was incredibly thoughtful and I can't even begin to express my gratitude. Thank you, Hunter."
He briefly locked eyes with her before quickly diverting his gaze away, a small amount of blush creep up his neck, "It was all Omega's idea."
"Well, I'll be sure to thank her when I see her next." She nodded with a smile before returning to what she was working on in the kitchen.
Hunter silently slid into a stool at the kitchen island and continued watching her for the next couple minutes. He wanted to ask her about her Jedi past but he did not know how to bring it up casually. She obviously wanted to keep her identity a secret or else she would have introduced herself differently. He wondered if 'Melany' was even her real name or if she was living under an alias. Hunter could not recall hearing about a Jedi named Melany but then again, his squad hardly interacted with any Jedi during the war. These were the moments when he would simply ask Tech to research her background and his brother would undoubtedly already have an entire file on her prepared to present. As much as his squad enjoyed teasing Tech about his researching obsession, his studious curiosity really did prove to be invaluable.
Melany noticed Hunter's eyes were following her as she made her way around the kitchen but the vacancy in his stare made her realize his mind was elsewhere. She could sense his melancholic and wistful feelings so she decided to gently break him out of his trance. "Starblossom?" She softly spoke, placing a bowl of freshly cut fruit in front of him.
That seemed to do the trick as he rapidly blinked himself back into the present, staring down at the bowl in front of him. "What is this?" He questionably glanced up at her.
"Starblossom." She pushed the bowl closer to him, "Omega told me Shep normally serves fruit for breakfast so that's what I've been serving her and Crosshair every morning. They both seemed to like it."
"Crosshair tried something new and liked it?" He stared at her in surprise while slowly reaching for a piece of fruit.
"Yes." She continued stirring something in a mixing bowl.
"Did he give you a hard time about it?"
"Uh, not really." She nonchalantly shrugged until she felt the disbelief emitting off of him, "Is that abnormal?"
"It takes a while for him to warm up to people. It takes even longer for him to learn to trust them." He nodded in amusement before taking a bite of the fruit, "Seems like you're an exception."
"Oh don't start singing my praises just yet. You should've seen the first time I offered him water right after he woke up." She playfully rolled her eyes at the memory.
Hunter reached for another piece of starblossom with a smirk, "Given by your tone, I'm gonna assume it took some convincing."
"Oh most definitely." She giggled while she finished pouring the last of the batter into muffin pans.
Hunter watched her put a couple trays into the double ovens and set a timer for whatever she placed inside. Noticing the bowls and mixing utensils in the sink, he stood up and sauntered toward the pile of used dishes. "May I help you clean these?" He offered as he grabbed a sponge with a curious expression.
Melany paused what she was doing and stared at him in surprise, "Uh, yes?" She coughed as she stepped closer to him and regained her composure, "Yes, that would be a wonderful help. Thank you."
As the duo stood side by side at the sink, one washing and the other drying, an awkward silence fell between them. After a couple minutes, Hunter casually glanced over at her before returning his focus to scrubbing the bowl in his hand, "If I haven't already thanked you for everything you've done for my squad and I then thank you. When you were asleep, Omega spoke quite highly of you. Telling us all about your hospitality and how you saved us from the wreckage and the, uh, manka cats?"
"She's too kind. But you're welcome nonetheless." She gave him a small smile when their fingers brushed as he handed her the bowl, "I noticed you're wearing the spare trooper clothing I left in the closet."
"Uh, yeah…" He looked down at his maroon long-sleeve shirt and dark brown cargo pants, "Omega said it was alright to use them so I kinda borrowed some stuff after I showered."
"I'm glad. That's what the clothes are for." She gave him a quick up and down glance, noticing his well-maintained brunette locks, "And I see you found the combs too. Wouldn't want anyone wandering around looking like a baby wookie." She teased with a smirk.
Hunter immediately groaned, "Omega."
Melany let out a heartfelt laugh, "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." She playfully winked at him with a giggle.
Hunter perked up at her opportunistic phrase, "Actually, speaking of secrets-"
Suddenly Melany's comlink beeped to life. She swiftly pulled it out and checked the comm ID, smiling when she recognized the signal. "It's Rex. I've got to take this."
"You mind if I listen in?"
"Um…" She hesitated, uncertain if she wanted him to join. However, this conversation was about Hunter and his squad, so it only made sense to have him present. "Of course you can come. Follow me."
Melany gave him a towel to dry his hands while she removed her apron. She then led Hunter through the compound, into the garage and opened the secret door which opened up into a hidden communications room. Hunter observed the crowded room in awe while Melany quickly typed in a series of key codes into the holotable to ensure the transmission would be encrypted. Once completed, a hologram of a clone trooper appeared and Melany smiled at the familiar face, "Hello Rex, I've got a surprise for you." She waved Hunter over to join the chat, not pausing to let her old friend speak and accidentally reveal her true identity, "Look who I found crash landed in the forest near my compound."
"Hey Rex. Good to see you." Hunter stepped closer to Melany and nodded at the former-clone captain.
Rex looked genuinely surprised to see him standing beside Eve-no, Melany. "Good to see you too. Both of you." He added as his eyes lingered a bit longer on Melany than intended. "Well, I guess this answers the question I planned on asking." He chuckled before addressing Hunter, "How's your squad doing?"
Hunter gave a brief recap about what had happened since escaping Tantiss and Melany chimed in when questions about the squad's conditions were brought up.
Once they got Rex caught up on everything, Hunter asked one of many questions buzzing around in his mind, "Have you received word from Echo?"
"Last time I talked with him, he and the clone prisoners were safe on Pabu. He was concerned about the rest of you though. But then our transmission was cut off and I haven't been able to reach him since."
"Have you tried recently?" Melany inquired.
"Yes. Just before I contacted you we tried all of our comm channels to contact Echo but no response."
Just as Hunter was about to ask a question, another familiar face entered the transmission on Rex's side, "Sorry to interrupt Rex but-well, hiya Melany, good to see you." The clone's face lit up in excitement upon seeing her.
A delighted smile spread across Melany's serious expression upon seeing an all too familiar face, "Hello Gregor. How's the head?"
"Oh it's doin' great. I've come to the conclusion that my skull is tougher than Beskar." His raspy voice giggled.
"Gregor?" Hunter looked back and forth between the trooper and Melany in confusion.
"Hey I remember you! Hunter, right? Squad of 99s?" Gregor's exuberant giggle was infectious, even making Hunter crack a small smile.
"That's right." He chuckled, "How do you know Melany?"
"Oh I'm practically a regular at her place." He fondly smiled at the woman who has attended to his fair share of injuries.
Rex placed a friendly, yet firm, hand on his brother's shoulder, "Gregor is one of the finest commandos I've fought alongside with but he has an affinity for injuries."
"But I made it out of our last mission with hardly a scratch." Gregor proudly smiled with a giggle.
"Hardly?" Melany crossed her arms with a raised eyebrow.
"Anyway…" Gregor guiltily rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry to interrupt, but Howzer informed me that one of our Imperial contacts sent an encrypted transmission and he just decrypted it." His typically lighthearted expression turned serious, "Turns out the reason we can't reach Echo is because the Empire has put an Imperial blockade around Pabu. All of their communications are being jammed, hence, no message."
"What?" Hunter angrily growled.
"Howzer said that as of now it's been a peaceful siege but things could take a turn for the worse soon." Gregor continued.
"Is Howzer available to speak with?" Hunter crossed his arms, his jaw clenched tightly. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Melany uncomfortably shift ever so slightly at the mention of Howzer. He made a mental note to ask her about that later.
Gregor and Rex exchanged a knowing look before the latter explained, "Yes but no can do. Only Gregor and I are allowed access to Melany's commID and these transmissions. Getting access is solely on a need to know basis. Not even Echo knows."
"It's to help protect the trooper program." Melany explained to Hunter.
"And to help protect Melany from getting on the Empire's radar." Rex added, a concerned expression on his face when he looked at her, "The less people who know about her, the better."
"That too." She nodded, her eyes lingering on Rex a moment longer before shifting her attention to the other trooper, "So why the siege, Gregor? What does the Empire want with Pabu?"
"It's not about Pabu, it's about who's on Pabu…or in this case, who's not on Pabu." He pointedly looked at Hunter.
"Me?" The former-sergeant blinked in surprise.
"Not just you, Hunter. The Empire is lookin' for your entire squad. Tarkin's been wanting more information about Tantiss and he thinks your squad holds all of the answers."
"That's ridiculous." Hunter furrowed his brow in disbelief, "We don't know anything about Tantiss. We barely found it's location, let alone what kind of research they were doing."
"Although you don't know doesn't mean someone else on your squad doesn't know." Rex gave him a knowing look.
"Omega." Hunter tiredly sighed.
"Crosshair too. He was held there for a long time." Gregor chimed in.
Hunter firmly shook his head, "He doesn't know anything. He was a prisoner."
"Tarkin may not see it that way. Crosshair and Omega are considered loose ends on the mystery of Tantiss." Rex countered.
A solemn silence fell over the group. Melany could feel a mix of frustrated exhaustion radiating off Hunter. From what Omega told her, the events surrounding Tantiss were quite traumatic and Melany felt an overwhelming amount of empathy towards this weary squad who just wanted to retire and live out the rest of their lives peacefully.
She understood the desire to step away from the fight and live a life far different from the one the were accustomed to. That was the gift she was given when she stumbled upon this winery on Alderaan. And every day she was grateful to the previous owners who took her in and gave her a second chance at life. A second chance this squad was desperate for. A second chance that would never come as long as the Empire was still searching for them. When Melany started this clone transition assistance program, she vowed she would do whatever it took to ensure the clones under her protection were given the necessary tools to successfully adapt to a new incognito life. This was a promise she took very seriously.
"Alright. So what's our next move?" She prompted, breaking the silence.
"Our?" Rex and Hunter both looked at her incredulously.
"Yes. I want to help." She crossed her arms and gave Rex a look he knew all too well from the few times they fought together during the war. He recognized her fierce look of determination and he knew better than to argue with her.
"Well, I guess we should come up with a plan then." Rex admirably regarded his old friend, the thought of her getting back into the fight both worried and intrigued him. But he had to admit, it was going to be interesting working alongside a Jedi again.