Chapter Text
They had been at it for the better part of the rotation.
Booting up old systems, browsing through data long since forgotten only to find that one small needle in the midst of an infinite size of a haystack. The other two having dozed off some time ago having gotten tired of just waiting for the other two. Alas, Omega and Ventress were still busy doing their job, relentlessly so.
“Anything yet?”
Omega expelled a breath, then another, a sigh of sorts even if she had been trying not to do so much of it. But having not gotten a hint or even a clue as to the M-Count research Ventress was looking for.
“Nothing.”
Ventress too was frustrated. Not that she was letting it show. But she was sure they were on the right track. After all, the intel Ventress had gotten from the various sources having been complied by the cyborg clone, Echo… it had to be right! Right???
“There has to be something here. I am sure of it.”
Ventress kept on pushing through the fatigue. Her eyes stinging from staring at the screens for far too long without taking a break. But breaks and relaxation was not really part of the former Sith’s repertoire and so, she kept on working.
Omega sensed the fatigue and frustration in Ventress. Feeling not so great herself, but they were going around in circles. At least, that’s how it felt like. As if someone had put some booby traps along the way inside the files keeping those non wanted out from the precious research files.
“What, what if we take a break? Eat something and perhaps, something of an idea will pop up while having some distance to these systems.” Omega was sure it would work. “That’s what I usually do when I get stuck on something.”
Ventress let out another hefty sigh. Stretching her body for a bit too. But the Child was right. They needed a break, their brains needed it too and guess their bodies as well. No matter the Force, the humanoid body could do only so much.
“Fine. We’ll take a short one. Have some… food. But then, it’s back to work. Alright? No fun and games!”
Ventress having observed Omega getting easily distracted while taking her breaks, especially around the sniper. The two hanging out usually resulting to some shenanigans Ventress did not much care for.
“Agreed.” Omega smiled and stepped towards the slumbering duo, waking them both up before going for her backpack where she had some snacks and drinks to share.
*
“I think I’ve found something.”
Omega had been sifting through some files she had managed to gain access to after some effort. Having had hunch or rather a gut feeling or then it was food related? Alas the churning sensation inside of her had led Omega to this path and now it looked like she had hit the bull’s eye.
Ventress immediately stepped by Omega’s side, visually scanning the data Omega had pulled onto the screen. The data containing charts, lists filled with names, none which were recognisable to either of them but several formulas as well.
“Looks like we hit the jackpot!”
Ventress looked happy enough. Well, as happy as the non-Jedi could only be, rarely expressing such emotions on her face. But there was a hint of a smirk there if one dared to look close enough. Nobody did of course, but Omega could sense the giddiness in the woman right beside her.
“There are some names here too, but I don’t see any familiar ones. These were not clones.” Omega could see the dates starting to pop up alongside the names with profile pictures and short bios attached to the subjects. “So many species…”
“Indeed.” Ventress too though, was surprised. “The Kaminoans were nothing if not thorough with their research and science.”
And Ventress wasn’t wrong either, as they were the best in the galaxy to do any kind of scientific development. Cloning in particular. As proof of that, the large clone army of the GAR.
The data scrolled further on the screen, the duo reading what they could understand from the slightly cryptic remarks having been placed on each testing subject. Still, the overall message was quite clear. This was what they had been looking for indeed. Omega had been correct in her, hunch.
“From the looks of this… if I am reading this correctly, the Kaminoans had been doing research on the M-count since… Well, if these dates are accurate, which we have to assume they are, for a few hundred years. Before the Empire and guess, Palpatine’s current interest in the matter.”
Omega turned to look at Ventress just then, the ex-Sith being equally as baffled as Omega was. The consensus of what they had learnt from the limited data and intel received from their allies of the goings on on Mount Tantiss was that it had been the Emperor with Doctor Hemlock were the ones having started the whole ordeal with the clones and Nala Se. The M-Count reproduction and all. Clearly, they had all been in the wrong?
“This, this changes everything.” Ventress looked almost, well, pale if she could turn any paler that is.
“We need to download this all.” Omega was immediately on the task, the data-rod pushed into the system as she initiated the process just like Tech and Echo had taught her to do. “I am sure this is something we need to get to the right people and better sooner than later.”
Ventress could only nod, staring at the screen still, confused about what the two had just stumbled upon. As clearly, this was much bigger than the Empire, the Emperor or Tantiss even. This, M-count cloning having been going on for much longer. Only they had no idea as to whom it was having initiated the whole thing and what possible end results if any there were out there none of them were aware of.
“We need to go through the whole data.” Ventress sounded slightly deflated, surprising Omega as usually donning a calm and cool exterior was a big part of the package of the non-Jedi mentor of Omega’s.
“I'm sure Echo can help us do this so much faster.”
As relying on Echo’s cyborg enhancements was their best bet to go to get to some answers sooner than later. The data of interest for sure to them both, but there could be some advantage intel in there too for the rebels and whatever Ventress was a part of. As by now, Omega had an inkling there was more to Ventress than personal curiosity, her cover story so far in all of this. Something about the truth and helping others Omega felt through their still rather shielded connection.
To Be Continued