Chapter Text
“Sometimes fortune favours the foolish and their doomed missions”
“We’re sure this is the planet they’re holding him?”
Hunter wasn’t really asking rather stating the fact he already knew all too well. Having gotten the information from their most reliable source. The one having been double and triple checked by Tech and Echo to avoid the SNAFU from mission having gotten Cody misplaced in the first place. The one and only source they could rely on even if the previous mission details had clearly been leaked to the Empire by someone part of the Rebellion. As of yet, the culprit remained unknown and threading lightly was key. Keeping information in need to know basis only especially for this particular mission. Trusted personnel only involved.
“It’s coming from one of our own. Not an outside source like the other mission did.”
The Captain was trying really hard to remain calm even if he had a hard time doing so especially with Hunter pressing on at each turn. But Hunter was clearly on the edge, nothing soothing about him at the moment. And this was Cody they were talking about! Well, every single life was important, but Cody was known to them all. If it was Rex or any other clone missing, they would do the same effort. These days they would, with too many clone lives lost already.
“But… how can we be sure?” Hunter pressed on, but it was just him trying to make sure no further mishaps or delays were going to happen having already spent enough time in trying to find the one micro size needle in an infinite size of a haystack that being the galaxy. “And that Cody is held there… alive?”
“I am sure, Hunter.” Rex’s eyes were on Hunter’s the stare speaking volumes. Meaning for Hunter to shut the hell up and trust him already. Trust them, the vod’e. “There were, um, eyewitnesses of the same.”
“Locals?” Tech asked, having thought that would be the case.
“Kind of.” Rex sighed, seeing the untrusting look on Hunter’s face continuing. “The two contacts managed to escape the place. They had someone on the inside helping them. But they had seen Cody there.”
“They contacted our trusted allies out there, letting them know of the clone being held there. Having apparently recognised Cody because he had helped them in the war.” Gregor had been present when Rex had gotten the news of where Cody was held.
“We have to believe these people, they have nothing to gain by lying. And that Cody is alive.” Echo pressed on, trying to assure Hunter of the same. That the mission to save Cody would succeed. “That there still is loyalty among those having been on the receiving end of help.”
“Guess some good deeds do go unpunished.” Crosshair’s solemn comment roused Hunter from his haze.
With a loud rather theatrical sigh Hunter, was finally getting the message. No further objections or questions forthcoming. Having been on the edge for so long. And this wasn’t even his first rodeo, going after someone important who was missing. “It’s just…I’ve been there, before.” It was a poor excuse he knew quite well. They all had. Been there before.
“I know Hunt. But, Cody is important to all of us. He is part of this family. Our very large family.”
Rex considering all of the clones part of said family even if the Bad Batch, well, mostly Hunter seemed to still see himself as an outsider of the greater whole despite the rest of the team having kind of gone with the flow ever since joining Rex’s Cause officially. But Hunter still kept his distance, for whatever reason. Guess it was time to change his viewpoint after all.
“I… I know Rex. I know.”
“So, you trust in us enough then to go after Cody. In Echo and Tech to have checked the intel?” Rex wanted to hear the words spoken out loud. He wanted Hunter to say it himself for the effect it would have on the Sergeant himself.
Hunter just stared at Rex, somehow finally realising he had been a royal pain in the collective shebs. “Yeah, Rex. I trust in you and the rest of the…” Hunter paused, guess the word family when it meant the whole of the clone-hood was not as easy for him to fathom as it seemed to be for Rex and the rest.
“The regs?”
“Yeah, the regs.”
Rex harrumphed. “We’re family Hunter. All of us. Regs and Batchers and the lot.”
“Yeah… family.” Hunter stated under his breath.
Rex let out a small smile. Guess there still was hope for the fearless leader of the Bad Batch.
*
“Our target is two klicks away to the west.” Gregor was in the lead of this mission, Rex having put him there as Hunter was too close to it all, wearing his heart on his sleeve to trust to make the right decisions when push came to shove.
“On foot we should be there in no time.” Hunter deduced, having checked the scanner and made some calculations of his own. Being over-vigilant to say the least, but the rest of the team did not comment on it. After all, Tech was there doing his thing constantly.
“What are we waiting for then? Les go peeps!” Wrecker was only too enthusiastic as well. First was the mission after a while having spent way too much leisure time in his own mind and secondly, he hated to see Hunter all sad and broody and aching inside. So, rescue it was!
“Soon Wrecker. Soon.” Gregor chuckled at the enthusiasm of the powerhouse of a clone. “According to the intel, there will be a change in guard in an hour from now and that means some hustling around and unmanned posts for a while. That’s our window to get in.”
They waited for a spell, Gregor checking his pad for the umpteenth time. The plan carefully crafted and calculated by Echo and Tech visible. No wanting to deviate from it if not needed.
They sat there observing for a spell, waiting for the order to charge.
“Alright team, let’s go!” Gregor ordered finally, him and the Bad Batch getting a move on through the thick foliage towards their goal. “Cody awaits us!”
*
They were close. So close now Hunter felt he could almost smell Cody.
With his enhancements, he probably could as well. But there were several feet of thick concrete between them and their target. The structure the prisoners were held in according to the intel and their scans housing the one person in the wide of the galaxy Hunter was not prepared to live without. But Hunter also knew he needed to keep his head on straight. There was no room for a single mistake as lives were at stake. Theirs and Cody’s.
“We’re early. Give it another ten minutes or so.” Tech had been scanning the area nonstop ever since they made their way to the enemy stronghold.
Hunter felt the pins and needles all over his body, the anxiety hitting him hard again.
“Breathe Hunt.” Crosshair was right by the Sarge’s side and softly whispering to Hunter, trying to calm the man down. “Slowly count down from a hundred.”
Hunter wasn’t objecting to Crosshair’s advice even if he felt so totally frustrated. After all, his team was only trying to take care of him, to make sure Hunter would be okay. Even if he wasn’t. Not until Cody was safe in his arms again.
Several moments passed, Hunter deep in his own mind when he felt the nudge on his side.
“Let’s go Hunt!”
The rescue team quickly made their way to the structure. The carefully placed explosives the perfect distraction on the other side of it while the team was to get inside from the opposite side. With thanks to the clever hacking of Tech they had the floor plan of the base.
Echo hacked into the mainframe, finding their target location in no time giving the go ahed for Wrecker to detonate the bombs to create the diversion. The lot of them heading towards the holding cells where the prisoners were located at.
As the team reached the cells, they could see several prisoners housed there. Some in better shape than others. They were all nat-borns though, Cody nowhere in sight. But leaving them there was not something they were prepared to do, knowing what the Empire was doing to its prisoners. Torture and experimentation.
“Where is he?” Hunter’s frustrated tone demanded.
Tech made some more scans, trying to locate the clone DNA. Tech having managed to make a feature to his own scanner to scan for specific DNA.
“Behind that door.” Tech pointed at the next room opposite of the holding area. “Looks like there is some kind of lab there.”
“What of these others?” Wrecker asked.
“We let them out.” Gregor told him, Echo already in the system, the doors to the cells opening.
The prisoners got out, nodding only as they started leaving, getting out by themselves.
“There is a hangar behind that door.” Echo told them. “Can any of you pilot a ship?”
“I can.”
“Me too.”
“Good. You have a few precious minutes to get there and off this planet, so hurry!”
The nat-borns were already gone when the rescue team reached the other room. Heading Tech’s warning while Tech was at the door, hacking the keypad before they could enter.
What they found was a lab as suggested, filled with all kinds of rattling and beeping equipment. A few empty tanks and several computer consoles. The room had been left unmanned for some reason. No medical or other personnel in sight.
“Better for us I guess.” Gregor commented.
Scanning the immediate area visually, they could see two medical beds in the farthest corner with one occupant lying on one of them. Seemingly unconscious and securely tied to the bed.
“Cody!”
Hunter rushed to Cody’s side, with Tech and Echo in tow while Crosshair, Wrecker and Gregor secured the room standing guard by the door.
Hunter could see the condition Cody was in. The man clearly, having been experimented on. Dry blood marring his handsome face… Hunter felt the lump in his throat forming. The tears prickling his eyes. Quickly trying to find any signs of life in the Commander.
“He is alive.” Tech let Hunter know after scanning Cody.
Hunter could only nod, the words getting stuck in his throat.
“We better get him loose and take him out of here!” Echo started helping Hunter with the binders, getting Cody loose from the restraints
Between the three of them, they managed to get Cody off the bed and onto a hover cart they found in the supply closet thanks to Tech’s quick thinking. It would be slower for them to move through the forest with it but Cody was in no shape or form to walk, barely being among the living. And Tech did not dare to let Wrecker carry him as they had no idea if there were internal injuries, the scanner not as accurate as that.
“We need to go. Now!” Gregor urged them.
It took a mere moment, the team getting on its way back and out, leaving the enemy hold behind them. Wrecker detonating another volley as they left. The enemy confused of the distraction leaving the team to get away safely without much in resistance.
“Boom!”
Wrecker smirked pressing the detonator as they jogged towards their ship with Cody tucked between them on the hover cart.
*
They were finally safely in the ship, headed to base. Home. The concept itself something they had all craved way back when and now, they all had one. Be that one of the bases or one of the safe havens the clones had settled. It was the one and the same. The thought of having one though still getting some used to.
Hunter was watching vigilantly over the sleeping Cody. As he stirred, Hunter was immediately fussing over the man. Making sure Cody would be as comfortable as possible before they reached home base and the medics could do whatever needed to be done.
“Hey!”
“Hey!”
“You’re finally back!”
“Looks that way.” Cody winced, the pain present in his body.
“Does it hurt bad?” Hunter worried immediately.
“Nah, just when I move. Or breathe.” Cody chuckled, but it wasn’t as bad as that. He’d been in worse situations.
“It was touch and go there for a while.”
“How bad?”
“You need to stay in the med bay for a while, according to Tech. But you’ll live.”
Tech having managed to make a few more thorough scans with the Marauder’s gadgets.
“Sorry.”
Cody wanted to apologise. For what he wasn’t quite sure. But he had broken his promise to Hunter… Cody’s hand found Hunter’s, finally able to move even if it took much effort, trying to ignore the pain despite the meds Tech and Echo had put him on as soon as they had gotten to the ship.
“Is okay, love.”
There was a long spell of silence hanging between them, neither speaking, simply staring at each other. The love they shared present there,
“Promise me never to leave me again.” It was a demand, a softly spoken one, but a demand just the same.
“So, you want me to lie to you? Is that it?” Cody tried to make a joke of it. But…
“Yes! Lie, cheat, whatever it takes to make that promise to me. I can’t stand it if something happened to you.”
Hunter felt the tears prickling behind his eyes again, he did not want to cry. But an errant one slipped past his defences. Cody catching it with his finger.
“Alright love, I promise I will never leave you. Again. Fingers crossed.” Cody too spoke in hushed tones.
“No Codes. For real this time.” Hunter sounded rather serious and demanding even if he knew it was an impossible request to make from any of them. Yet, a white lie would be preferable at this point to calm him down.
“Fine, Hunter my love, I promise to never leave your side.” Cody was smiling as he said it, the words spoken in earnest even if they both knew deep down Cody might need to break the promise again. Still, the sentiment was catching as Hunter smiled too.
Hunter leaned in to kiss Cody, keeping things light. Despite his condition, Cody responded in kind only too happy being back with his partner. Trying to make good on his promise, to never leave his heart again. His love, his partner, his, Hunter.