Chapter Text
‘Sometimes fitting into a small vessel, no matter how uncomfortable the ride, is a must.’
“There are twelve clones, ready and waiting for a transport out. That is, if you are willing.”
And so, how could they possibly refuse?
To leave their own behind?
Having learnt the lesson already the very hard way and no matter how crowded the Marauder might just get with twelve more passengers on board? Well, the team was sure they would all fit.
Leaving those twelve troopers behind was not an option.
Because these were all, clones.
Kin, brothers in arms, family even and this was what their rebellion was all about, right? Freeing the clones. Well, they were helping others as well, but mostly, this was all about the clones and their future. At least, this was Rex’s hope.
The Bad Batch had made their way to the contact point as provided by Agent Weeda.
Having had a relatively easy way out of the ISB building and midtown, arriving to the secluded hangar bay at the edge of a less used imperial structure.
That one was from Crosshair’s information archive, having become quite familiar with most things Empire, especially on Coruscant during his stint with them. Crosshair having done some thorough digging into all kinds of interesting imperial files before he was caught. Just because. And he had been right to do so as now, all that intel was put into good use.
With the scrambling devices permanently installed into the Marauder, it was relatively easy to fly her in and out of enemy territory. Having managed to camouflage the ship as well to some extent on the outside, a small paint job having been done.
Flying below any visible line of sight, they were fine. For now. Tech being quite the expert at flying through some pretty tight spots was good too. With a little help from Echo of course.
Tala Durith, their other imperial contact, an ally, working with Agent Weeda was there to welcome the team as they arrived to the hangar.
“Welcome back Commander! Despite the circumstances.”
The Lieutenant greeted Crosshair and the rest of the Batch with a hint of a smile, most likely happy to see someone for the pickup of her rescues after all.
“It’s just Crosshair now, Ma’am.”
Crosshair cringed slightly, the subject clearly touchy to the sniper still.
Crosshair knew Tala Durith from before. Her having been the one who had helped him escape from his certain death. Crosshair had trusted her like he trusted Agent Weeda. And he had been right in doing so.
And so, here they were, about to rescue several clones from certain death. A déjà vu of sorts for Crosshair for sure. As per indicated by Weeda during their encounter, these clones had all been waiting to be, well, decommissioned, in the worst meaning of the word.
“They seem to be in a bad shape.”
Hunter noted having seen the visibly scared and scarred clones, all of them huddled together in a tight group in the corner of the bay.
As clearly these clones had been deployed only after the war ended. Shinies as they were called in the good old times. And whatever the Empire had done to them… well, they could only begin to guess. And it certainly did not seem good at all.
“Yes, I managed to rescue them from an imperial laboratory, of shall we say, a somewhat dubious reputation.”
Tala seemed visible guilt ridden of what her Empire was doing to people. Clones and others too, those redeemed insurgents, enemies of the Empire, whatever the excuse used.
“I’ve kept them hidden for a few days, because well, I really did not have the option to leave them there due to their, decommissioning date being so very close.”
They all knew what that meant of course. Death.
Being experimented on, used for whatever needed and then only rewarded by death, that was the clone agenda now for the all mighty Empire these days.
“I am sorry.”
Tala sounded earnest. And she really was. Sorry.
Having made her fair share of really, really bad deeds for the Empire, she was now doing her very best in trying to counter said deeds. Do her fair share to help others like she had done for not only Crosshair and the clones present, but others as well.
“Well, the important thing is, that we are here now and these clones will get their chance for a new life.”
Hunter was grateful to the Lieutenant for her helping strangers, risking her own life in the process.
The same fate awaiting her, that of torture and death is she was ever found out. Then again, the Batch was doing the exact same thing. Weren’t they?
“Here, this is all the data I’d managed to recover from the lab of them.”
Tala offered the data rod to Hunter, him accepting it.
“You better get going. Even if this is a remote location, the Empire has eyes and ears everywhere.”
Tala reminded them then. And she wasn’t wrong either.
“We will.”
Crosshair agreed and glanced at Hunter.
“She is right. We’d better get back to the ship.”
Crosshair knew better than anyone how the Empire worked, of their vigilance even if people did not know any better.
“See you again then!”
Tala waved her goodbyes and in a blink of an eye, she was gone.
Echo and Tech with the aid of Wrecker had already aided the shaky and rather skinny clones into the ship. Tech running scans on them and trying to make them all as comfforbtale as possible, while seating them where they could as there really weren’t too many options available inside of the shuttle. The floor was covered with blankets and whatever the squad had found for their rescued clones comfort. Buckling them up for the take off where they could.
And so, with Marauder packed up to the hilt, with all the rescued clones inside, with only Hunter, Crosshair and Wrecker on the platform ready to embark, they heard someone close behind them make a, rather odd comment. Much to all their surprises.
“Well, well, well… Back so soon?”