Chapter Text
“How much longer until we’re in hyperspace, Tech?” Specter yelled from her position, manning the gun into the co*ckpit. She returned the relentless blaster fire that was currently battering the Marauder. The Rhokai certainly weren’t going to let them go easily.
“That depends on when Echo plans on getting the drive back online.”
“I’m working on it!” Echo growled loud enough for all to hear. Another explosion rattled the ship. “I thought Specter was supposed to be helping with coverfire.”
“I am helping! Though I might be able to actually hit someone when I’m not being jostled about by the lunatic who’s flying the ship!” she yelled, swearing to herself. Omega smiled a little at Specter’s
remark but winced as she was thrown against the seat restraints. The creature beside her squawked in its cage.
“I don’t think Ruby likes this very much,” Omega observed.
“You named that thing?” asked Wrecker before grunting from the ship being hit again. “What’s with these guys?”
“Well, we did steal from them, Wrecker,” Specter answered. “Hunter, feeding one to you.” She directed her barrage to drive the chasing ship towards Hunter’s firing range.
“I see him.”
“Technically, the Rhokai stole the lizard first. We are merely intercepting it,” Tech explained.
“They don’t see it that way,” Hunter mumbled. Tech’s evasive maneuvers were gratuitous, enough to where Ruby’s cage slipped from its spot, opening and letting the creature loose. Wrecker screamed and kicked his feet.
“It’s loose! It’s loose!” he grunted; the lizard crawled up his legs and around his head. “Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!” Wrecker waved his arms. Omega hopped down from her seat to try and wrangle the lizard.
“Stay calm. You’re scaring her,” she tried to soothe. Wrecker still thrashed about until Ruby fell off and rolled away, squealing. Omega scrambled after her.
“Anytime we can leave would be wonderful!” Specter shouted, growing tired of the relentless blaster fire.
“Hyperdrive’s online,” Echo said a second later. And just in time, Omega trapped Ruby in her cage again.
“Got her,” she proclaimed just as the ship escaped into hyperspace.
“That is one strange-looking lizard,” Cid said; the creature hissed.
“What’s your client want it for?” Specter asked, rolling her neck and shoulders. The Trandoshan grumbled and shrugged.
“Maybe it’s a pet. Maybe he wants to turn it into a stew. Don’t know, don’t care.”
“As long as you get paid,” Hunter grumbled, finishing her thought.
“Now you’re catching on.” Cid smiled, “And guess what? That means you get paid too. Bring the lizard in the back,” she instructed, waving them on to follow her to her office.
“Hunter?” Omega spoke up, smiling with Wrecker behind her. He glanced between them.
“What are you two up to?”
“The mission’s over. Can we go?” Wrecker asked sweetly.
“Again?” he sighed.
“It’s a tradition. It makes the kid happy,” Wrecker explained, whispering as if Omega couldn’t hear him. Although he looked just as excited and hopeful as the girl. Specter couldn’t help but smile.
“Uh-huh. The kid,” Hunter repeated, skeptical. He looked back at Specter, tilting his head at the two; she rolled her eyes but shrugged. She caught his meaning.
“Why don’t I come with you?” she suggested, giving Hunter a wink. Wrecker and Omega nodded and accepted her into their group.
“Don’t take long,” Hunter waved them off. Wrecker laughed as he and Omega ran out, Specter trailing behind them.
Omega squealed and hopped from one foot to the other as the vendor readied their snacks.
“Best part of the mission,” Wrecker said, handing the girl her own bag. Omega agreed, already munching away.
“That’ll be 14 credits for the Mantell Mix,” the vendor sneered.
“Uh, yeah… uh, put it on Cid’s tab,” said Wrecker.
“14 credits? That’s ridiculous, it’s more than a whole meal and a half from 79’s,” Specter exclaimed. “Wrecker, you know this is going to add up on our debt.” Wrecker and Omega only shrugged sheepishly.
Specter picked at Wrecker and Omega’s Mantell Mix, keeping an eye on their surroundings.
A hooded figure caught her eye. They lingered a short distance away, their back was turned to the trio, but she could feel them watching. Specter elbowed Wrecker in the side to get his attention.
“Ow! What the–” he trailed off, spotting the figure as well, “well, that doesn’t look suspicious at all.”
“My thoughts exactly. Just keep your eyes up,” she said.
“What is it?” Omega inquired.
“Nothing hun, let’s just get back to Cid’s, okay?” Specter ruffled the girl’s hair. Omega nodded. Specter stood from her spot at the stand and the group began to make their way back.
Specter knew the figure would follow them. She kept a hand on the blaster at her hip, watching the hooded figure in her peripheral vision. Whoever they were, they kept a safe distance. Unease settled in Specter’s gut.
The group turned the last corner toward’s Cid’s.
“Omega, go inside,” she whispered. The girl nodded and walked into the club, where Specter knew Hunter and the others were waiting.
She nodded at Wrecker beside her before they both abruptly turned to face the hooded figure that had followed them from around the corner
“Who the hell are you?” she snarled at them, who now stood a mere few feet away. Wrecker stood behind her, rolling his shoulders and preparing for a fight.
The figure—a man—straightened and raised his hands in surrender. Still Specter raised her blaster, tracking his every moment.
He lowered his hood slowly, and Specter gasped with relief.
“Rex?” she exclaimed, taking in the sight of the familiar trooper. He smiled, glancing between her and Wrecker.
“Good to see you too, Specter. You haven’t lost your touch.” he chuckled.
“Cap’n,” Wrecker saluted, “Where’ve you been?”
“It’s… a long story,” he shrugged. Specter rushed forward to hug her old friend, standing on her toes and burying her face in his neck. He smiled and returned her embrace.
“Sorry for pointing my blaster at you,” she mumbled.
“No offense taken,” he said with a chuckle, “are the others here too?”
“Inside,” she let Rex go and led him into the club, Wrecker following close behind and clapping the former captain on his shoulder.
“Look who it is, guys!” Wrecker bellowed as they walked back into Cid’s.
“Rex?” Hunter, Tech, and Echo said in unison, rushing to meet the clone at the entrance.
“It’s been a while, boys.”
“It has,” Hunter sighed.
“Ba ba ba– another clone?” Cid growled, coming out from her office, “this ain’t a clone clubhouse you know. You just walk in and act like you own everything.” Specter stifled a giggle at the Trandoshan’s sour mood, watching as she grumbled to herself and returned to her office. Hunter clapped a hand on Rex’s back.
“Why don’t we catch up?” he said, leading the group towards the bar.
“Imperial records marked you as killed in action,” Tech noted.
“Yeah, well I’ve been keeping a low profile,” Rex shrugged, “Being dead in the eyes of the Empire has its perks.” He turned his attention to Omega, who sat watching from across the room, “I see you’ve made a friend.”
“That’s… a long story too,” Hunter shrugged, “How did you find us?”
“The Martez sisters told me they discovered a group of rogue clones on Corelia.”
“So you were their contact, I had a feeling,” Specter mused.
While the group caught up, Omega stepped closer to the scene, almost hiding behind Specter’s legs.
“I thought you didn’t like the regs,” she spoke up.
“We like this one,” Wrecker hung his arm around Rex’s shoulders.
“Omega, this is Rex,” Hunter introduced.
The clone knelt down to her height and looked kindly into her eyes. “I’ve met many clones in my time, but never one like you. No offense to Specter.” Specter gave a two-fingered salute. Omega met his eyes, looking him over.
“You’re a generation one,” she observed.
“Now, how’d you know that?” Rex smiled.
“From the lines on your face.” Rex chuckled at the girl.
“Yeah, I guess I’ve been around,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
“You got that right,” Wrecker teased. He stepped forward before groaning and bringing a hand to his head. “Tech, I need one of those med patches.”
“You used the last one,” Tech reported. Rex seemed to take special interest in Wrecker’s headaches turning towards the brute with an inscrutable look on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just a headache,” Wrecker said, but he still groaned in pain.
“Which are becoming more frequent,” Echo added.
“Is that so?” Rex straightened, and Specter noticed that the concern in his voice was now overshadowed with suspicion.
“If you’re concerned about the so-called inhibitor chips, don’t be. Our deviant nature appears to have impeded their functionality,” Tech spoke up.
“Except in Crosshair,” Echo sneered.
“You’re telling me you haven’t removed your chips?” Rex practically snarled.
“No, not yet,” Tech said, nonchalant as ever.
“Rex?” Hunter stepped forward, wondering why the captain was growing upset. He even managed to maneuver Omega away from Specter.
“Those chips make you a threat to everyone around you. Even her,” he stood protectively in front of the young girl. “You’re all ticking time bombs,” he said, redirecting his implication to the rest of the Bad Batch, almost frantically. Specter saw his hand itch toward his blaster.
“Take it easy, Captain,” Hunter took another step towards him, hands out in order to try and calm him down.
“No, I’ve seen what happens when the chip activates, and I don’t want to bury any more of our brothers.” Rex hung his head, the pain of guilt and sorrow etched on his face. “Trust me. It is not something you can control. I couldn’t,” he warned, looking at each of the Batchers. “It’s a risk you do not want to take.” Hunter considered his words and looked over at Specter, who looked just as concerned.
He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching down as if to say, “What do you think?”
She grimaced as though she had bitten her tongue and furrowed her brows as if to respond, “We may not have a choice.”
“How do you suggest we get them out?” Hunter relented.
“Good question.” Rex thought for a moment. “When I find what we need, I’ll be in touch.”
Specter had long since given up on trying to rest through Wrecker’s groaning and Tech’s tinkering. Wrecker sat across from her, his foot tapping too loudly as he bounced his knee. Tech sat beside her, working on a scanner that would allegedly find the chips implanted in their heads. Wrecker held his head, grunting between loud breaths. Specter tried to keep herself distracted by fiddling with Hunter’s vibro-knife, counting how long it would take for him to realize it was no longer sheathed at his belt. For someone with heightened senses, he sure let that knife go easily. Specter sometimes wondered if he pretended not to notice just so she could have her fun.
“I don’t like this plan,” Wrecker complained, abruptly standing up and beginning to pace.
“We agreed to meet Rex on Bracca. That’s what we’re doing,” Hunter said, stepping into hold and placing a reassuring hand on Wrecker’s shoulder.
“He wants to cut open my head,” the brute objected, still clutching his head.
“All of our heads, actually,” Tech corrected, still working on the scanner. Specter chuckled.
“Not mine. I don’t have an inhibitor chip,” Omega perked up. Wrecker grumbled.
“Why not? Now, that’s not fair!”
“How’s the chip scanner coming?” Hunter asked.
“Since Rex’s chip was removed, I am able to establish a baseline by comparing his brain scan to ours. Allowing for the detection of any cellular anomaly.” Tech’s report was followed by silence.
“He means, ‘It’s almost finished’,” Omega translated, jumping off of Gonky. Wrecker huffed.
“Do we really have to do this?”
“If Rex is sure, we should trust him. And besides,” Specter stood up and returned Hunter’s knife, who looked at her, baffled, “you aren’t going to be much help on missions if you’re in pain, let alone a liability.” Wrecker slouched in complaint, but nodded in agreement.
“What is this place?” Omega asked as the Marauder exited hyperspace and drifted into the atmosphere of Bracca. She peered through the front of the ship, jumping up and down to try and get a better look. The planet’s surface was littered with what once were Jedi starships. Now, they were merely skeletons of an old and extinct republic.
“A starship graveyard,” Hunter answered grimly.
“Oh yeah, real charming,” Specter mumbled.
“I’m picking up Rex’s beacon,” Echo chimed in, guiding the ship toward the incoming signal.
They touched down in a secluded clearing, which made for a makeshift landing pad. Rex appeared, making his way to the group as they exited the ship.
“Right on time,” he remarked, shaking Hunter’s hand and nodding to the rest of the group.
“How’s a junk planet gonna help us?” Wrecker grumbled, still holding his head, although the pain had temporarily subsided. Rex turned to lead the way, putting his helmet on.
“Follow me.”
The group made their way across what felt like miles of debris. The air was heavy, and the heat was almost sweltering. Specter trailed toward the back of the group, helping Omega to scale the larger pieces of debris that littered their path. Beads of sweat formed at her hairline, though the vents in her helmet made the heat at least bearable.
“Bracca may not be much to look at, but it has exactly what we need. I had my inhibitor chip taken out on a Jedi cruiser just like that,” Rex explained as the group made it to the top of the hill, overlooking a massive skeleton of a Jedi cruiser. “That’s where we’re heading.”
“Then why’d we land all the way over there?” Wrecker asked, pointing back from whence they came. Specter heard the sound before she saw it.
“Everyone down!” Hunter commanded. They all dropped but held on to their blasters; Omega scooted close to Hunter.
“That’s why,” Rex said in a low voice. It was a patrol platform carrying a few people who were armed and on the lookout.
“It’s the Scrapper Guild,” Tech reported, looking up from his wrist monitor.
“They control this entire planet,” Rex mentioned.
Specter scoffed, paying them no mind and directing her attention to Tech’s wrist monitor.
“Seriously, what doesn’t that thing tell you?” Tech glanced at her, unamused.
“Well, it obviously can’t tell me the names of those scrappers,” he responded flatly.
“Can it tell you my favorite color?”
“No.”
“Do you even know my favorite color?”
“Is that relevant?”
“It’s maroon,” Hunter interjected. Specter beamed under her helmet.
“See? Hunter knows, and he doesn’t need one of those data things.”
Tech mumbled under his breath—Specter didn’t even need to ask him to repeat himself, knowing it was something rude.
“We need to keep out of sight from their patrols.” Rex completely disregarded their conversation, speaking low and urgent. “Let’s move.”
The group eventually found an entry point to a ruined but somewhat intact cruiser. While Specter was grateful to finally be out of the sweltering sunlight, the hallways were littered with obstacles, and the air felt almost too still as the Bad Batch and Rex made their way through the wreckage.
“Fives tried to warn me about the chips, but I didn’t understand at the time,” Rex explained, leading the group with Echo beside him.
“It’s still hard to believe now,” Echo sighed.
“How did you guys find out about them?”
Echo pointed at the little girl in their midst: “Omega.”
“The kid?”
Omega was either unaware or indifferent to the ongoing conversation. She followed close behind Specter, pausing momentarily to take in her surroundings. The girl was practically awestruck. “Woah,” she breathed. The vast chamber echoed her voice. She rushed to keep up as the group walked on the edge of an old panel that dipped into a pool of green water. “It’s much bigger up close.”
“This is an original Venator-class ship from the first batch off the line,” Rex introduced.
“First off the line, huh? Just like you, Rex,” Wrecker teased with a laugh. Specter heard a pair of footsteps behind her stop, so she turned to investigate. Hunter had paused and was looking intently at the water.
“What is it?” Tech asked as he came up behind him.
“Stay above the waterline,” was the only thing he said before continuing on. Specter did her best to shrug off his cryptic tone.
“The last time I was aboard one of these, it didn’t end so well,” Rex said with a shake of his head. Specter grimaced. With the end of the war came a whirlwind of confusion, and though Rex hadn’t told her everything, she could only imagine the loss he’d suffered as his ship and brothers went down before his eyes.
“If the inhibitor chip isn’t something you can control, how’d you get yours out?” Echo asked, pulling Specter out of her thoughts.
“I had help. And now, I can help all of you.”
The group was deep within the ship now, surrounded by the darkness their flashlights couldn’t penetrate. Omega lightly held onto Specter’s hand. They stopped at the end of the hallway, which opened up to a deep chasm.
“The medical bay’s at the other end,” Rex pointed across the chasm to another hallway. “Anyone got any ideas?”
“I got it,” Specter spoke up, grabbing a cable found from the side of the hallway. Securing it on their end, she backed up, took a running start, and leapt across the chasm, landing into a roll. She brushed herself off and tied the cable to her end of the hallway before giving a thumbs-up to the boys and Omega. Rex whistled, and Hunter chuckled. Hunter grabbed onto the cable first, crawling across it and planting his feet on the ground where Specter waited on the other side.
“Show-off,” he muttered with a chuckle, nudging Specter in the side and watching as Rex followed his lead across the chasm.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Specter replied.
“For now, but let’s not celebrate just yet.”
After Echo Tech, Omega made her way across the cable. Rex went to help her down, but not before Hunter stepped forward with his arms outstretched to catch her.
“Nicely done,” Rex said once Omega’s feet were firmly planted on the ground.
“You’re up, Wrecker,” Echo called out. But the brute looked nervous and inched away from the edge.
“Uh… Yeah, my head doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m fine. You guys go without me,” he excused.
“It’ll be fine, you can do it!” Specter encouraged, beckoning him over.
“He’s not exactly a fairy like you, Specter,” Hunter muttered. She smacked his chest.
Wrecker looked over the edge again and at the cable, considering his choices. Not even Specter was sure if it could support his weight. But he took a breath and knelt down to the cable, groaning as he grabbed hold and started scooting across. Wrecker exhaled in relief once he had gained a few feet of distance, until the metal groaned and he shifted a little.
“Woah,” he froze, the line wobbling beneath him. Specter held her breath. “That was close,” Wrecker said with a sigh of relief.
Without warning, the cable gave way and snapped. Wrecker screamed as he fell, still trying to hold on.
“Wrecker!” Rex and Omega called after him, holding on to the cable. The cable had miraculously wrapped itself around Wrecker’s leg, causing him to stop just short of the water below.
“Woah, woah!” Wrecker grunted as he frantically tried to pull himself up a little.
“Are you alright?” the captain called out.
“No! Smells awful down here!” the brute reported, gagging a little.
“Hold your breath then,” Specter teased over the edge, earning a lighthearted laugh from him, though he was still anxious.
Specter thought she might be seeing things when she first noticed the movement in the water below Wrecker.
“What’s that down there?” Omega asked. Chills made their way down Specter’s spine.
“Wrecker, start climbing,” Hunter commanded urgently.
“Why?”
“Hurry!” Hunter insisted.
Wrecker wriggled at the end of the cable, just barely finding his bearings when a tentacle shot out of the water and latched onto him, attempting to pull him under the water. Wrecker screamed and flailed against the cable and the beast that roared and sent goosebumps down Specter’s arms.
“Wrecker!” Omega shouted for her friend.
“Grab the cable. Get him up,” Hunter ordered. The rest of the clones jumped on and started to try and pull the cable up, Omega keeping watch over the side.
“Faster! Pull faster!” Wrecker pleaded, losing his grip. The clones grunted, having to deal with the combination of Wrecker’s weight and the creature’s grip on him. “Woah!”
The creature roared again and completely dragged Wrecker under the water. The sudden change in weight made Specter fall back.
“Wrecker!” Rex called out. His only reply from the murky waters were bubbles and slight splashes. Tech helped Specter onto her feet as they held onto the cable again, waiting for any sign.
It was quiet for a moment before Wrecker splashed and broke through the surface, gasping and screaming but holding tightly onto the cable. “Pull!” The group pulled again, finally managing to slowly but surely pull up their squadmate. The creature roared again as it lost its prey. Wrecker was able to hoist himself up, coughing with strained breath.
“What was… that?” he asked. Rex almost laughed while the rest of the group caught their breath.
“Makes you miss battling clankers, doesn’t it?” he patted Wrecker on the shoulder as he got up. Specter chuckled at the remark; she never thought she would actually miss being in action in the war. At least then, she had a purpose and knew what she was doing. Hunter offered her his hand and helped her, nodding down the hall for them to follow Rex.
Wrecker easily pushed open the doors to the med bay; critters chattered and squeaked, scattering as the crew entered the abandoned room. Echo went over to the main control panel and was able to get the lights up and the system running.
“This will do nicely,” Rex commented.
“I would no longer call this medical bay a sterile environment,” Tech countered, grimacing at the deterioration and dirt.
“Do you prefer to use the facility on Kamino?”
“This will do nicely.”
Specter inspected the room, peeking behind pieces of broken wall for anything that might pose a threat. More creatures ran from her flashlight, but nothing out of the ordinary. She turned—face to face with an arachnid creature the size of her hand. Specter yelped and swatted it away, earning a few chuckles from the boys.
“It won’t be so funny when you find one in your blacks,” she mumbled, shrugging off their humorous glances, shivering from the encounter.
“I’ll calibrate the surgical pod,” Tech said, breaking the silence. Machines whirred, screens beeped, and electricity pulsated: the surgical pod came to life, casting a soft blue glow into the room. “Time to get scanned, Wrecker,” he waved the chip scanner.
“Let’s get this over with,” he groaned. Omega looked up at him, clearly worried for her friend, before taking his gear and setting it aside.
“Hunter,” she put Wrecker’s helmet down, Hunter did the same to his, “just because the surgery worked on Rex, doesn’t mean it’s safe. This is dangerous.”
Rex came up behind her and put his own helmet on the ledge. “It’s more dangerous to leave their inhibitor chips in.”
“We have to do this. It’s worth the risk,” Hunter said, putting what he hoped was a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“And what if it goes wrong?” her voice cracked, “I’ll be left here with no one.” Omega’s shoulders slumped, and her expression drooped.
“We’re not going anywhere, Omega. You’re stuck with us for the long run. Got it?” he flashed her an encouraging smirk. Omega put her own small hand on top of his and smiled a little, nodding in understanding.
“I promise it’s going to be okay. Whatever happens, we will be there,” Specter added. Omega took a deep breath, seeming to accept the situation at hand. A loud beep from Tech’s scanner sounded through the room.
“I think I found something,” he said. The group gathered around to look at the results, sans Wrecker, who clutched his head and groaned. “Ninety degrees from his right orbital floor, below the parietal and temporal intersection,” Tech pointed out. And there it was, a blip inside Wrecker’s head. Specter’s heart ached. There it was, the proof she’d been dreading. All this time they’d been fed the lie that they had free will. Since the beginning, they’d always been meant to destroy the Jedi. She thought back on the countless missions her squad had completed with Jedi Masters at their side. It was truly awful to think of the loss Rex and others like him had suffered.
Wrecker let out a pained growl, suddenly shoving the scanner away. “Get that thing away from me,” he snarled, his tone venomous and dangerous. Something in the room seemed to shift, and uneasiness settled in Specter’s gut as Wrecker’s groans grew louder.
“Something’s not right,” Hunter observed.
“No kidding,” Specter remarked.
“We need to speed this up,” Rex said, nodding at Tech, who turned on the surgical pod. “You boys got lucky. Very few clones were immune to the effects of Order 66. It’s rare.” He and Hunter moved away, letting Tech do what he needed to with his squadmate. Specter propped herself on the table next to Wrecker.
“You okay, big guy?” she rested a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her away, responding only with a low growl. Specter glanced at Tech, who readied his supplies.
“When the regs attacked the Jedi on Kaller, we didn’t understand why,” Hunter continued. “We couldn’t save the general, but at least we helped the Padawan escape.”
Tech approached Wrecker with a sedative. “Relax, this won’t hurt a bit.”
Something within Specter told her to move. She quickly and quietly slipped off the table, moving to join the rest of the group in the back of the room.
At that moment, Wrecker seized Tech’s wrist, twisting it back as the vial of sedative fell to the floor.
“Wrecker,” Tech warned. The brute’s other hand gripped his neck. Tech strained against his grip as Wrecker choked him. “Wrecker,” he pleaded once again. Wrecker lifted him off his feet.
“Boys, look alive,” Specter warned, her hand hovering over her blaster, drawing the attention of the others.
“You’re in direct violation of Order 66,” the clone said, his voice dark. Tech cried in distress before being thrown across the room, his back hitting the wall, supplies clanging against the floor as Tech was rendered unconscious.
“Wrecker?” Omega tried, going to step towards him. Wrecker got up from the bed and grabbed his blaster and helmet, looming over the others.
Rex drew his blaster, but it was quickly knocked out of his hand. Wrecker opened fire. In the chaos, Hunter scooped Omega up in his arms and brought her to cover first. Turning just in time for Specter and the others to join him behind a small barricade.
“He’ll destroy the equipment if we don’t get him out of here,” Echo said as Wrecker continued his barrage of fire.
“You’re all traitors,” Wrecker yelled over him.
“We’ll draw him out. Omega, you stay with Tech and watch the equipment,” Hunter instructed. Hunter shared a glance with Specter, who took the signal to shoot at a pipe in the ceiling, releasing smoke and providing cover for the rest of the clones to leave the bay to draw out their rogue friend. He coughed, but took the bait and followed. Rex tried to stun him, but Wrecker’s blaster fire was relentless. From the other side of the hall, Hunter knocked his gun out of his hand when he threw his knife at the bigger guy, getting his attention. Echo interjected, attempting to stun him but to no avail; Wrecker grabbed him by his head and threw the clone at Rex, knocking both of them out.
Shouting in frustration, he went forth and hit Wrecker with an empty air canister instead. “Come on, Wrecker. Snap out of it!” Hunter pleaded.
“All clones in violation of Order 66 shall be terminated,” Wrecker growled, sounding almost droid-like. They wrestled for control, but Wrecker grabbed Hunter’s second knife, stabbed his pack and threw him against the wall, knocking him out. Before he could even turn, Specter dropped from the ceiling, wrapped her thighs around his neck and squeezed, twisting and using the momentum to throw Wrecker onto the floor. The move worked easier on Hunter when they sparred, but Wrecker weighed drastically more, causing her momentum to be ever so slightly off.
“You know you’re being a real pain,” she said through gritted teeth. While she had him down, struggling from the grip of her legs, she went to reach for a blaster and stun him; her concentration faltered, and he took the moment to pry her legs off and throw her across the hall. Specter dropped her gun but was able to at least land on her feet. Not wasting another second, she ran at him, teeth bared, dodging his fists. She slid, hoping to strike his legs, but he stepped to the side at the last second; Wrecker grabbed her by the throat, pressing her hard against the wall. Specter yelped at the force, but she still tried to kick her legs at him. She managed to get a kick in before he slammed her down onto the floor, knocking the wind out of her and nearly rendering her unconscious as her unprotected head hit the ground. She strained, attempting to rise to her feet, but stumbled and fell back to the ground.
She watched through hooded eyes, bracing for a final blow. Wrecker loomed over her before a shot hit him from behind. Behind him, Omega stood defiantly with a blaster in hand. He turned his focus and charged at the girl as she took off out of sight into the dark hallways. Specter felt the anxiety begin to settle in as the thought of the young girl alone with a volatile Wrecker after her solidified.
She watched as Rex, having regained his consciousness, took off after the pair, struggling to her hands and knees, fighting off the dizziness and gravity. Hunter was a short distance away, slowly coming to and rolling onto his side.
“Sarge,” Specter called, her voice hoarse. She knew her throat would bruise given how hard Wrecker had choked her. Hunter stirred some more and Specter tried to crawl toward him. She coughed before trying to speak again. “Sarge, c’mon. He’s after Omega,” she pleaded. Hunter groaned as he slowly propped himself up, Specter coming by his side.
“Are you okay?” he said as they helped each other to stand and find their bearings.
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, resisting the urge to bring a hand to her throat. “Let’s go,” Specter nodded down the hallway where Rex had gone.
“Good soldiers follow orders,” they heard Wrecker growl.
Specter froze just before she turned the corner to another medbay. A chill ran through her. Crosshair had been the last of her brothers to utter that line. She braced herself for the worst, rounding the corner just in time to see Rex stun Wrecker, heaving a sigh as the brute fell to the ground.
Omega paced back and forth, looking into the surgical pod every now and then to check on her friend.
“Is it supposed to take this long?” Hunter asked, looking over at Rex.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never been on this end of it,” he admitted.
“Would it be wrong of me to tell him I totally won that fight and knocked him out?” Specter asked, massaging her neck which was still sore. Hunter snickered.
“He’d never believe you,” he said with a smirk. Specter smacked him with her helmet and crossed her arms in a pout.
“The procedure’s complete,” Tech announced, just as the console gave a hum. The platform moved the unconscious Wrecker out of the pod, and Omega immediately rushed to his side.
“Wrecker,” she called, shaking his torso, hoping to wake him. He didn’t stir. “Wrecker!” Omega tried again. She looked worriedly at the others.
“He should be awake by now,” Tech said, looking at the console. “He is alive, but his vitals have not stabilized. We won’t know more until he regains consciousness.” The clone looked up at Rex and Hunter. “This could be a while.”
Rex turned to Hunter. “Why don’t you take Omega topside and get some air?” he suggested.
“No.” Her refusal came clear. “I’m staying until he wakes up.” She pulled a chair over to Wrecker’s side, making herself comfortable. Specter shook her head at the little girl’s stubbornness, then noticed Tech making his way over to her with the chip scanner.
“While we wait on Wrecker, why don’t we get started with you next?” he suggested. Specter nodded, letting him scan her head. The machine beeped, ready with a result, Tech looked at it with a furrowed brow and ran the scan again. “Hmm. Interesting.”
“I know, I’m quite the character.” Specter tossed her hair back.
“No, not that. There aren’t any detections of the inhibitor chip,” Tech answered, showing her the scan. Specter’s face scrunched in confusion.
“What? Are you sure?” she looked up at Tech, who only nodded affirmatively.
“That is quite excellent news. Looks like you’ll be able to skip out on the surgery,” he shrugged, walking away. He hardly noticed the shock that painted Specter’s features. Her mind reeled, trying to connect the dots. How could she not have a chip?
“You alright, Spec?” Hunter asked, pulling her out of an imminent spiral. She shrugged but still didn’t look too happy, not meeting his eyes.
“Hmm? Yeah… I think so,” she said, though Hunter hardly looked convinced. She didn’t blame him,” I just… need some fresh air. She stood abruptly, donning her helmet and making her way out of the room, not caring how they all watched her go, doing her best to ignore the worry she’d seen on Hunter’s face.
She wandered for a little while, finding an open ledge with a view outside. The space channeled what little breeze there was, bringing a slight chill to the otherwise stifling air. Specter sat there, removing her helmet and setting it in her lap. She drew her knees up, staring into the viewscreen of her helmet as if she might find some sort of answer there; memories flooded in of Kaminoans seeming to take extra care with her… and not in an endearing way.
Specter recalled the last time they had been on Kamino, how Nala Se looked at her in such a way that made her feel as though she was not supposed to exist.
By the time Hunter found her, she hadn’t moved.
“I know what you’re going to say,” she started, “I should stay with the group. I risked exposing us to the scrappers.”
Instead, he kneeled beside her, following her gaze on her helmet. “What’s wrong, Specter?” he asked gently.
For a moment, Specter wasn’t sure what to say, so she said nothing, not even lifting her gaze to meet Hunter’s. She felt him shift beside her, patiently sitting beside her in comfortable silence.
“I… if I didn’t have a chip, then that would mean the Kaminoans didn’t intend for me to be a soldier. So why did they make me? What’s the point of me if I wasn’t supposed to fight?” she ranted, growing more and more frustrated. “I thought I was just supposed to be CT-9905.” Hunter sighed.
“Specter, who you supposedly were in the past doesn’t affect who you are now. You are one of us.” He shifted to kneel in front of her, so she had to look at him. Her eyes met his. “We’re all starting a new chapter in our lives. And yes, maybe it’s scary not to know your original purpose, but now you can truly be yourself.”
Specter couldn’t help but smile. “Now you sound like Omega,” she giggled. Hunter rolled his eyes but smiled. “Thanks, Sarge. I guess it was just all the stress that got to me. I’ll be better, I promise,” she said with determination. Hunter stood up, offering his hand to her.
“You don’t need to be any better than you are now,” he said. Specter wondered if Omega had somehow gotten Hunter to reveal a sweeter side to him; she was starting to like it and appreciate it more. He stood, offering his hand to help her stand up. She took it almost bashfully, righting herself with a heavy sigh. He gave her hand the slightest squeeze before letting it go. “Let’s head back inside.”
Wrecker slowly came to, grunting as he moved his arm to pat Omega on the head.
“Hey, kid. Why… why the long face?” he said, groggily.
“He’s awake!” Omega announced. The rest of the clones came around to check on their teammate.
“Oh. You made it.”
“Wow, Tech. You actually sound excited for once,” Specter teased. Tech ignored her.
“Welcome back,” Hunter clapped the big guy on the shoulder as he sat up. Wrecker chuckled and got off the bed.
“One chip down. Three to go. Who’s next?” Rex offered.
Specter placed the bandage on Tech’s head, who had just woken up from the surgery.
“There, that ought to do it. How are you feeling?” she asked her squadmate.
“I feel fine. But I do wish to apologize; I did not intend to upset you by dismissing your concerns about the chip,” he admitted.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. But she noticed his apology sounded rehearsed and realized that “Hunter put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“He did. Though I argued against it because I know that you know it was not my intention,” Tech explained.
“Well, it seems like something he would do,” Specter said with a giggle, handing Tech his gear.
Meanwhile Wrecker knelt in front of Omega, regret painting his face.
“Listen, Omega. About what happened…” he hesitated. Omega patiently listened, holding the side of his face with her small hand. “I… I tried to control it. I tried as hard as I could. I just couldn’t make it stop.”
“I know, Wrecker,” she reassured, “It’s okay.”
“But still. I’m sorry,” he hung his head. Omega dug something out of her pocket, pulling out a handful of Mantell Mix. Wrecker gasped in surprise and delight.
“The mission’s over. We can’t break tradition,” Omega said with a smile.
“Thanks, kid,” he said, popping a piece in his mouth.
“Ew, Omega that was just in your pocket?” Specter watched in disgust. The two ignored her and ate anyway. Specter looked around the room instead, noting the absence of her Sergeant and the Captain.
“Things aren’t like before,” she heard Hunter say, staying hidden and quiet in the shadows. It was the same ledge she had escaped to earlier; Rex was probably about to head off. “Our priorities have shifted.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“Omega needs us, and I have to do what’s best for my squad.”
“Which is what?” The question silenced Hunter for a moment, Specter waited to hear what her leader would say as well. It seems she had picked an interesting time to play spy.
“I’m still figuring that out,” Hunter admitted. Specter suppressed a huff.
“I guess we all are,” Rex admitted too. “When you sort things out, let me know where you land. Tell the team I’ll see them around.”
“Stay out of trouble,” Hunter said as they clasped their arms in farewell. Rex laughed.
“Funny. I was gonna say the same to you. Good luck with Specter,” Rex winked before putting on his helmet and starting to walk off. Hunter recoiled at the remark, Specter froze completely, not daring to peek from her spot.
“Right,” Hunter drawled. Specter couldn’t tell what tone he said it in— whether he was amused, confused, or knew something she didn’t. Last she checked, she wasn’t difficult to deal with… as of late. “Captain,” he called out. Rex paused and looked back at Hunter. “If you’re ever in a bind, you know how to reach us.” The clone captain gave a two-fingered salute before disappearing into the fog of Bracca, off to who knows where. A moment passed.
“You can come out now,” he called. Specter knew she had finally been caught, stepping out from her spot to stand by Hunter. She chose not to ask about what Rex meant about her, figuring Hunter would tell her in due time.
“We’re pretty much ready to go, Sarge. Back to Cid’s?” she asked.
“Not quite yet. We’ll camp here for the night and head out tomorrow.”
“Good. But I can’t wait to get off this planet, it’s giving me the creeps.” Specter walked back inside, Hunter following.
Neither of them noticed the scrappers’ transport hovering overhead. They didn’t glance upward to realize they’d been spotted, nor did they know that the Empire would soon be aware of their presence on Bracca.
