Chapter 40 - I Won't Lose Strength (2:11)
Author's Note: FYI, I think I'll have to skip posing Vision for the next few weeks. :( Life is crazy and I've only drafted a few more chapters (it's crazier how close we are winding towards the end, yikes), AND the Anakin rarepair week stuck itself in the MOST inconvenient time as usual Lol, and our posing schedule is crowded trying to do some for that. So. I'll end up skipping Vision for a few weeks. Sorry :( On the bright side, I hope to continuously release it for a while straight afterwards. But life is unpredictable :(
~ Rivana Rita
"You heard the kid," Hunter says, inclining his head. "Let's make this fast."
"We have no reason to delay," Tech replies.
"You okay, kid?" Wrecker worries.
"Nope. I don't wanna get fried to death. Yikes. Can we get moving?"
"We need to see if we can find anybody," Omega replies.
"Uh, think if there's someone alive here, there's something the Empire's trying to keep hidden. They're going to blow this whole place up," I point out flatly. I don't think we have long. They might already be on their way.
"Where is everyone?" my sister asks, looking around, shining her flashlight across the walls. "We haven't seen anybody. Is it supposed to be this quiet?"
"We don't know why the ship crashed yet," Hunter points out, "It seems like they died on impact, or worse."
"What's worse?" Omega asks.
"A shadow monster," Wrecker says seriously.
"A what?"
There's a screeching sound behind us as Wrecker stumbles, and I whip around, blaster raised, even if I don't actually See danger. I'm nearly shooting my own brother now? That's ridiculous.
Wrecker bends down to pick up the electrostaff he stepped on, oohing it over. Tech spots some scratches on the wall, shining his flashlight at it. "Something... unfortunate happened here," he announces.
"Whatever did this wasn't human," Hunter adds.
"Oh, yeah, no kidding," I mutter with an eyeroll. "I don't think even I could manage that."
"I will get the power restored and check data logs on the bridge," Tech decides, turning and starting to head down the hall. I remember the fire, the flashes, the danger, the fighters, the fall, remember Crosshair out there all alone, and lurch forwards.
"Uh, no. I'm going with you."
He hesitates for a moment, but dips his head in a hod, eyes flitting to Hunter for approval.
"By yourselves?" Omega asks worriedly.
"Your concern is not warranted," Tech promises, "We will be fine."
"We'll be careful," I promise, spreading my hands, flashlight and blaster still in hands. "Promise, okay? Stay safe. Don't get eaten. See you in two minutes!"
I sprint down the dark hall after Tech. It's a bit weird to be alone with him on a mission together, but not like we've never had to do it before. It's just... unusual. We usually bicker too much for it to work safely without limb misplacements. But something's nipping at me, buzzing in the back of my brain, in every step and coating the halls. Something's... wrong.
Something about being in these halls reminds me of something. a sort of flip-flopped déjà vu. Like I've been here once, I'll be here again. Another future feeling. Something about the hall's darkness, being alone here – but I think Tech's not gonna be the one with me in whatever it is I'm seeing.
Tech steps into the cockpit, shining his flashlight around and finally settling on the control panel, approaching and slowly pushing up his visor. I follow him, flashlight and blaster still in hand, activating my comm. "We reached the cockpit," I tell them, "You got anything yet?"
"Not exactly," Omega answers, "It looks like a research vessel. There's some Kaminoan cloning technology back here, but I don't know what it is or what it's for."
"Kaminoan?" I repeat. "Wat? Why?" Then it clicks. "Wait, guys, I think this shuttle's Imperial. We might wanna be careful."
"Yeah, I figured," Hunter sighs, "Tech, anything?"
"Not yet. Still rerouting the reserve power," he answers. I shift closer to him, uneasiness curling in my gut, half from tension, half from the crushing knowledge that I'm not always going to be able to rely on him always being at our side to know things. Cuz he's not always gonna be. I know that now. There's a flicker as the ship's systems flick on, dim lighting shining down on us and the various screens around the room lighting up one by one, even if half of them are cracked. "Stand by. The grid should be restored... momentarily."
"Can you teach me how to do that?" I ask. "Just in case someday we're..." Saying it makes it real, but I have to be real. It's something I gotta think about. "You're not there to do it, and I have too instead?"
"That is what you have Echo and Hunter for."
"But what about when I don't?"
"You don't have to fill the role of all who are absent, Vision."
Tech noticed I do that when no one else has? I don't even remember Hunter saying it. How much have they seen that they never tell me?
My split moment of thought is interrupted with a shuffling from the hall, and I jerk forwards, blaster raised. "I'll check it out," I whisper-hiss, slowly stepping towards the hall, scanning. I don't see anything, but it's definitely out there.
"I am going with you," Tech tells me flatly.
Ah, fine. I creep into the hall, keeping to the side of the doorway opposite Tech and ducking into the hall, but nothing jumps us. Something's twitching behind a damaged panel. I creep closer. Tech holsters his blaster and pulls the panel aside. I keep my blaster out just in case – that's a lot of trust for all our bickering, expecting me to react in case something tries to kill us.
Instead, when the panel clangs to the floor, all it reveals is a droid. Some kind of medical droid, from the looks of it, badly damaged.
"Danger," it croaks. "Danger, danger, danger..."
"Goodness. Can you stop saying danger and tell us what's goin' on?" I ask, waiving my flashlight hand in the droid's eye piece.
"What attacked this ship?" Tech demands urgently.
"D-d-danger," the droid croaks and dies, head toppling sideways and blue eyes going dark.
I groan. "Typical. That's not creepy or anything." Up in the hall steam spills from something in the ceiling. Doesn't look good. "Tech, can you get the grid working so we can get outta here? I don't think we have very long."
"Already done," he replies, "We are ready to go."
"Couldn't've said it sooner." I holster my blaster again, sprinting towards the exit.
"Vision, Tech," Hunter's voice crackles over our comms a few steps down, "We've got a problem. Get off the ship. Now!"
"Empire?" I guess.
"No, it's what they're researching," Omega answers, panting a little. She must be running, "Whatever it is, it got loose."
"And it's headed your way."
"Yeouch. Okay, we're on our way." We run down the still darkened halls, Tech still staring at his datapad. I skid to a stop what's got to be just a short distance down at the brilliant electric lighting in the hall. The fuel or a power generator of some sorts. Across from us are Hunter, Wrecker, and Omega, but right by the electric generator, happily eating it, is some sort of gigantic, scaly monster.
It looks – it looks familiar, actually, despite the unnervingness of a monster that big. Guess Wrecker was right. But why can I swear I've seen that thing before? Or's that, like the rest of it, something I will see?"
"Fascinating," Tech breathes, wide-eyed as he looks at the towering thing, as though it's not wagging its giant tail and snarling at us.
I tilt my head back to look at his bug-eye helm. "Seriously?"
It approaches, slowly, and I think it's about to pounce, but then Omega starts firing her energy bow at it, and the creature whirls to snarl at her and our brothers instead. It snarls viciously.
"Take cover," Tech warns, reaching out, grabbing my shoulder and yanking me behind him. He fires at the generator, and the thing explodes. I yelp, raising my arm to cover my face, but the brilliant light still stings my eyes. Over me, Tech's doing the same.
"You could've warned me you were gonna blow a thingy up in my face!" I shriek.
"I could not have been clearer," he argues, shaking his head.
"Sure-sure."
My eyyyyyes.
I look past the fire to where Wrecker has bodily shielded Omega, and blink again. "Hunter, why are you covering Wrecker? You're tiny. That's not gonna work."
Tech sprints past me, jumping from the ship's flaming hole and sprinting outside towards where the creature probably vanished. That explosion somehow didn't kill it? What is that thing? It's like our blasters couldn't even do anything to it. Maybe blasters are the wrong approach. Kashyyyk, whatever connection thing, was a thing.
Wrecker sprints after, and Omega. Hunter pauses, looking down at me. "I'm not that small," he grumbles good-naturedly.
I smile at him. "Nah. It's just cute."
"Come on," Hunter says, nodding towards the hole, and I sprint forwards, jumping out and running through the flaming grass up to Tech.
"The creature appears to be headed in the direction of the village," Tech warns.
"We're the ones who let it out. We have to neutralize it before it hurts anyone," Hunter replies.
"How?" Wrecker protests, "Our blasters are useless on it."
"I don't think blaster fire is gonna be the answer here," I point out, "Gungi used the Force to connect with those creatures on Kashyyyk, remember?"
"I don't think it's safe to get close enough for you to try," Hunter argues, "Besides, even if you have the Force, you're no Jedi."
Ouch. "Hunter, I don't want all those people to die because we made a mistake."
"Given the fact that the crew was most likely eaten by the creature, I doubt it is currently hungry," Tech replies flatly.
"It ate the crew?!" Omega shrieks, jumping back to cower at Wrecker's side, who grabs her shoulder comfortingly. Not that it makes her stop looking panicked.
"How is that helping, Tech?" Wrecker complains.
"Uh, now's the time to shut up," I whine.
"It ate the crew," Omega mutters, eyes wide with panic.
"Access the lab files, and find out what species we're dealing with and how to stop it," Hunter instructs, cutting in before someone else can explode, and considering Tech is raising his hand in that typical 'I'm about to roast you' speech, I'm grateful.
"Mmm, I can help," my sister offers, dropping her hands from where they were crossed over her chest, "I know my way around Kaminoan tech. Viz can help, too."
"You three go. Wrecker, with me."
"It's happening," I mutter, looking around the burning grass. This is what I saw in my vision. "Hunter, stay alert. The Empire's gonna be on us in minutes."
"We'll be careful," he promises, "We got a short time window closing. Come on."
We break apart, me throwing another final glance back at Hunter and Wrecker as we sprint back towards the ship and climb inside. Omega turns back to give me a hand, and I grab it without thinking, scrambling back up the few feet drop from the ship edge back inside. We gotta move fast.
Omega leads us back to the research area or wherever it was they'd gone. I'm actually impressed I remember some of this stuff. It's a bit different, definitely not things I've seen in a long time, but still none quite like I'd seen on Kamino. It's weird.
It's also strange to see, a sharp reminder of what things where like back on Kamino. We... everything was happier than. I thought I'd get to live anormal life, one together with my brothers and sister, instead of being ripped apart like we have been. I...
I used to think I'd get to be with Crosshair forever, that we'd never have to be apart, and that... Omega and I, we used to be different. Before Bracca, before Crosshair, before everything.
Back when he was still my brother.
But she always used to be Nala Se's favorite. I was just her experiment. Pet project. I never really... maybe that's where it all started. Maybe we've always bene like this and I just didn't notice. Because she was always meant to be light and outgoing while I was always dark and distant. Because she was meant to be whole and I'm just permanently broken, because I was never meant to be anything more.
I...
It had never mattered if I lived or not because I was really just a fancy test. Something to see how well she could achieve whatever test it is she was aiming for. I still don't know. I'd like to ask her someday, maybe, if I ever see her again.
Except that I can't, because she's gone.
"This data is highly encrypted, even within the ship's own system," Tech muses, working on his datapad by one of the controls.
"Start here. This is used to extract and manipulate a host's genetic material," Omega says, gesturing, connecting something beneath one of the panels, and the aqua screen lights up.
"You are familiar with this type of cloning?" Tech inquires, turning around and returning to the console behind him where Omega pointed him to.
"Not exactly," my sister answers slowly, voice dipping, shaking her head a little, left hand on her hip. Whatever memories this brings, I think they're hard, but she's always been closer with Nala Se than I was. never got that. Sure, she cared about my sister. But I'm not my sister. Took me forever to realize that. I'm still figuring it out. But Crosshair was my best friend. Not hers. And he's gone. "I heard rumors of other Kaminoan experiments, but Nala Se kept that data away from me. I think whatever they were doing was happening off-world."
"Look at this. These appear to be designs using the creature's genetic material for modified armor plating," Tech muses, studying over some detailed schematics of some sort. It all looks like gibberish to me, but sure. Let's roll with that. "That must be why it was unaffected by our blaster fire."
"Then how do we stop it?"
"Uncertain. However, this confirms that the species feeds on energy, which propels its rapid growth," Tech replies, going to another control and typing on it.
"You mean it's gonna get even bigger?" Omega asks.
"Yes," he answers, eyes narrowing at the screen. "Much bigger."
"Then why didn't it eat me?" I ask, leaning an arm against a table, staring blankly. I know nothing about this, honestly, but machines have never been my good spot. I can fly, though not so well, but for hacking and whatever else, I'm not so good at.
"Eat you?" Omega squeaks.
"I'm energy?"
"Considering that you are not a source of flowing electrons, it would not have found you appetizing," my brother is quick to inform me.
I shake my head with an eyeroll. "No one finds my jokes funny."
"Are you okay?" Omega asks me, straightening from where she was leaning over one of the equipment pieces.
Uh. Second time being asked that on the mission... third, actually. "Yep. I mean, sure. Just... Seeing stuff from Kamino again, it's... it reminds me a bit of... Do you miss Nala Se?" Idiot. Of course, she does. Because she gets more attached to people than me. And she's nicer. She wouldn't try to cut her own sister's throat.
"Sometimes. It's just hard to know she's dead, but... I'm glad to be where I am."
I think I should feel like that, too, but I really can't. I hate that I can't. I just... can't. I don't miss Kamino. I hated it there. It was so trapped, so cooped up, but I was actually hopeful back then and it's such a clashing, wild mix. Also when I realize that actually, there wasn't a single point of my life where I've actually been happy. Which. Is so messed up. I've got Hunter and Echo and Tech and Wrecker and Omega. Yeah, I'm missing Crosshair, but I have enough that shouldn't even matter.
But it does.
Cuz. He's still my best friend.
And he's still so far away.
But I'd do anything to get to be with him again, see that irritating smirk and feel his hand on my hair. To hear his voice as something other than screams or a distant, wispy memory of his fury.
"Hunter, the creature is the same species that attacked Coruscant during the war," Tech warns, whatever he's talking about. Not like I really existed back then. "You must not let it get near the power grid, or it will increase exponentially in size."
"Too late," Hunter grunts.
Uh oh. That's not good. "You might wanna hurry," I warn. "Remember what I said about Imperials? Because I think we're about to hit that timeframe right about, uh, now." We only have a minute or so, I'm betting, which isn't long. I wish I could help Tech out in the meanwhile, because we really, really need this info. What's the Empire doing with the creature here?
Armor plating? They were gonna rip the poor thing's scales off and use that for impenetrable armor? That's cruel. The poor creature is officially my pet.
"Tech, Omega, Vision, you've got Imperials inbound," Hunter warns over comms. "Get out of there."
"On our way," I promise instantly, turning back to my brother. "C'mon."
"Not yet. I am not finished transferring all of the data," Tech argues, still rapidly typing on his datapad. As if that's the most important thing in the universe right now.
"You know they're about to blow up the ship with us on it, right?" Right on cue, the ship shudders violently. Explosions. Ah, the gunships. Here they come.
Omega does the smart thing of just reaching beneath the controls and yanking the cord out, shutting the screen off. "Come on!"
She sprints for the door, and I grab my brother's hand, sprinting after. We make it into the hall before the ship starts shuddering. They're blowing it up, right on cue. Flames spark from the halls, along with a violent array of electric sparks, reigning down on us. my hand wrenches free from Tech somewhere on the way, and I'm thrown against the wall from the force of the ship's shaking, the structure being ripped apart by laser fire.
"Door's just ahead," Omega grunts, Tech scrambling to pull her up when she stumbles, too, and we run.
It's the hole, technically, not that I point it out.
There's still a foot drop through the exit, that I'd normally take a pause at, but I have to jump it all at once to get the distance – probably been feeling that jump for a while – and Tech yanks me away from the fire's line. He, Omega, and I roll behind some sort of surviving structure, debris from the wall explosion, maybe, and we stay there crouched in the darkness for a moment, panting against the thick smoke clogging the air as the sound of laser fire disappears.
I slowly look skywards towards where the Marauder is spinning between what must be dozens of gunships, taking down a few as Hunter and Wrecker fight their way towards us. We gotta make a fast retreat. Oh, I'm also hoping Crosshair's not in any of those.
"I hope we don't know any of those people," I say pointedly, eyes following one of the spiraling, flaming ships.
"Unlikely," Tech responds, "We know very few Imperials."
Perks to not having friends, I guess. Don't have to see 'em die.
"Hunter, we are clear of the vessel and heading to the landing zone," my brother reports.
"Copy that," Hunter answers briefly. They've got their hands full as it is. might be a few minutes.
I stand up, brushing myself off. "Well... I guess I know what it's like to get nearly toasted now."
"That was close," Omega agrees, brushing some of the ashes from her pants. The landing point is near, and we don't break stride until we reach it. Thankfully, for once I wholeheartedly agree with all the running we have to do. But still, stars, I'm exhausted. If I'm not careful, the sleep thing is going to start catching up to me. Happened before.
And the air's thick with smoke. It makes it hard to breathe, stinging at my eyes and itching my throat, distant flickers of Kamino running in my head.
We sprint for the ship when it glides downwards, ramp lowered for us. Tech helps us both aboard. I jump into one of the seats across form him, yanking the securing mechanism down over me, just in case we go for a plunge, and Tech pulls Omega's over her, then shrugs his backpack off to do the same for himself.
Hunter throws a glance back at us, then hits the engines and spirals us up and out.
Finally.
**w**
Lula is laying across Omega's lap as we sit in the gunner's mount together, taking a few minutes to breathe after the nearly-burning-to-death situation. That was close. My back still hurts from our last mission. Bruised unhappily. An' I think I jumped wrong. Tech's gonna banish me to just-sitting if I tell him.
Hunter's leaning over Tech's shoulder as he works on the data, and Wrecker's pacing as he waits. For once, even Wrecker seems freaked out, and that's unnerving. If Wrecker's worried about something real-life-ish, well... we've got a problem.
"The crashed vessel was part of an Imperial cloning operation," Tech reports, and Wrecker moves to stand at his right. I shift closer to look down, even if I'm never gonna make heads or tails out of this info.
"The Empire cloned the Zillo Beast?" Hunter repeats, staring blankly.
"Yes and no. The directive came straight from the Supreme Chancellor before he became Emperor," Tech replies, 'cuz that makes it so much better.
"What's he want with it?" Wrecker asks, sitting on the edge of the computers behind Tech.
The screen flips to something showing the fully grown zillo, and some sort of chemical readings. "The creature's genetic material has the potential to be weaponized in the hands of the right scientist," Tech muses.
...uh oh.
"Where were they taking the creature?" Hunter asks.
"Unknown. The ship did not have a destination logged." He leans back, glancing up at Hunter, which is something he only does if there's a serious point he's trying to make. "Hunter, there is far more to this than we realized." From what I have gathered, I suspect the Empire did not destroy the cities on Kamino to end cloning." Hunter looks away from the screen he's been staring at and back to our brother, and they briefly hold eye-contact as Tech keeps talking. "They merely wanted to control it."
Hunter pulls back and walks a few paces away. I know what he wants, and I know what I want, because if this works, it's going to mean the end for all of us. But we all made a promise, too, and we're going to keep it. He's still quiet for a long moment, his smokey presence swirling before he finally turns back. "Send the data to Echo and Rex," he orders. "See what they can find out."
Omega straightens, eyes following him as he disappears to the cockpit. She looks down thoughtfully, maybe a tiny bit worried. "I don't know what to think about this," she says finally.
"Things like this are... why Echo needs to go. These are the things we have to stop from being made, but... we can't do everything ourselves." Crosshair. We could if Crosshair was here. Because things actually made sense then.
"If there's something we can do, I wish we could do it," Omega admits, "Yeah, we're supposed to be settling down, but... I don't know if I want to. I mean, we keep on nearly dying, but... I want to help other people, too. And if the Empire makes this armor, what are we gonna do then?"
"I guess I'd have to call Anakin for help."
My sister laughs. "Do you think he'd help us?"
Truthfully, I know he would. I believe in him. I Saw what he'll become. "He already did. He saved Echo and I. we couldn't have gotten out if he hadn't put us out that window."
"You could have been killed."
"Falling is fun!" I protest, "You should try it sometimes."
"What are we gonna do 'bout Cid?" Wrecker asks.
"That is a good question," Tech replies, "Considering that we have nothing with which to give her, we are best not returning."
"Yeah, she sent us after the Empire again. I've got enough of that," Wrecker grumbles. "But where are we gonna go?"
"We can ask Phee for help," Omega offers.
"You sure asking a pirate for money is gonna work?" I ask, tilting my head to study her, flicking my hair out of my face again.
"She's a friend," Omega protests.
"You have a valid point," Tech concurs, "We have gone on missions with her before, and despite her... inclination for dangerous situations, she has proven to be more reliable and trustworthy than Cid."
"Has she?" I gripe, though at lease Phee, for as irritating as she is, hasn't ditched us to starve to death because she was tied up with invisible ropes. I got issue with her, but she could be worse. I guess. I'm still sore about Hunter nearly falling to his death and her laughing about it.
So. Yeah. I don't like the thought of working with Phee, either. Not if we have to deal with her being on the ship with us. Oh, whatever. Who listens to me, anyway?
Final Notes: Reviews are always appreciated! ^-^
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