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Echo can tell Howzer’s getting impatient waiting for him to retrieve the files. He keeps glancing down the corridor and then back at Echo, blasters raised in both hands. Echo is making the extraction as quick as he can manage without setting off an alarm, but clearly it’s not fast enough for Howzer.
“Echo, are you almost finished? We need to go!”
Echo’s trying to concentrate on the files, but he glances across at the former captain. “Almost there – are we still clear?”
Howzer nods shortly. “Yeah, still clear. Haven’t heard anything from Gregor in a minute though – Gregor? You there?”
There’s a crackle on the other end of the comm. “Sure am, Howzer! How’r things on your end? The retrieval cooperating?”
Howzer snorts. “Yeah, everything’s fine, though it’s a little slow for my taste. We’ll see you soon.”
“You got it!” Gregor’s comm clicks off as Echo extracts the last of the files onto his scomp.
“Alright, Howzer – let’s go.”
Howzer yanks his helmet on, concealing a look of relief. He presses his comm. “Gregor, headed your way.”
There’s another crackle, but no response.
* * *
Echo and Howzer reach the end of the corridor and pause, glancing around the corner to confirm that the coast is clear. No troopers in sight. Their footsteps bounce off the walls conspicuously as they head toward the hanger bay and their way out.
Echo taps his own comm. “Gregor, we’re on our way – do you copy?” There’s no response. “Gregor! Do you copy?” Nothing for a moment, which is unusual for Gregor. Usually, he’s accused of talking too much. Without slowing, Echo presses his comm again. “Gregor!”
Another moment of silence. Then, there’s a click and Gregor’s voice comes through strained and tense.
“I – they – you gotta turn back now!”
“Gregor? What’s going on?”
There’s a thud and they can hear Gregor grunt in pain. “Go!! Eghh, get out of here!” The comm goes dead.
Howzer glances at Echo. “They’ve got him!”
Echo nods. “I know, Howzer – come on!” He picks up his pace, with Howzer on his heels. If the Empire has Gregor, they’ve only got minutes before the whole base goes on lockdown, and only minutes before Gregory’s questioned, tortured, or worse. He and Howzer have to act fast. The doors to the hanger bay are just up ahead.
Echo signals to Howzer. “Remember those crates all along the eastern edge of the bay? We can use them as cover, try to get a visual on the situation!”
Howzer nods. “Right – let’s fan out, so they can’t count us.”
“Good plan. No comms once we’re in unless our cover’s blown - we’ve already used them too much.”
“Copy that!” Howzer’s raised both blasters again and Echo takes a firmer grip on his own.
“Ready?”
“When you are!”
Echo slams the control panel, and the doors slide open. As the large, open hanger comes into view, they split off and Echo dives behind the crates to his right.
There are no troopers on this side of the hanger, though there’s a few clustered down toward the other end, near the flank of a transport shuttle. Echo can’t tell what’s happening from this distance, but they’re clearly observing something, and he can guess what – or rather, who – it is. He glances in Howzer’s direction and sees his silent figure skirting behind the crates toward an AT-ST parked against the south wall. Howzer pauses and signals something - it’s difficult to make out. When Echo shakes his head to let him know he hasn’t understood, Howzer straightens and signals again: it’s Gregor. Echo’s throat tightens. He’s started to signal back when a voice crackles through his comm. It’s unfamiliar and cold, and Echo freezes.
“Insurgents, we have one of your own at blaster point, and you can imagine what will become of him if you proceed any further! Surrender yourselves now and he might be kept alive. You have five minutes.”
Echo doesn’t move even after the voice has finished speaking through Gregor’s comm. Even if the storm troopers don’t know exactly where he and Howzer are, it won’t take them long to start looking. But, if they’re using Gregor as bait, well, there really isn’t a choice. As important as it is to get these files to Rex, they can’t abandon one of their own to the whims of the Empire.
Echo glances across to where Howzer had been positioned a minute ago – he isn’t there. Echo has only seconds to process his absence before there is an explosion that rocks the hanger and the AT-ST bursts into flames, spitting scrap metal everywhere. Taking the hint, he breaks cover, drawing his blaster as he runs toward the squad of stormtroopers, who seem caught off guard by the explosion. Before they can react, he hits two of them with stun blasts and slams into a third, sending the trooper flying into the side of the shuttle. He catches a glimpse of Gregor on his knees in the middle of the chaos, a surprisingly wide grin on his face given the circumstances. There’s blood trickling down his jaw, but otherwise he seems unharmed.
Just then, Echo’s sent skidding across the slick floor by one of the stormtroopers he’s disarmed. He rolls out of the way as blaster fire spatters the ground beside him. He can hear shouts and more shots off to the left – Howzer seems to be distracting the reinforcements. Echo dives behind a stack of crates, trying to buy himself time to think up a plan.
He’s moving his hand to his comm to contact Howzer, when there’s the sound of a nearby blaster shot and a cry of pain. Echo can feel his stomach drop as he dives around the crate and fires at the trooper supporting Gregor. As the trooper falls to the ground, Gregor collapses too, the smile whipped off his face. Echo crosses the space between them like it’s nothing and pulls his helmet off, dropping to his knees beside him.
“Gregor!” Gregor’s eyes are closed, but he grimaces at Echo’s touch. There’s a bloodstain spreading across his shoulder blade and a blackened hole in his armor – the stormtrooper must have shot him point-blank.
Echo rolls him over as carefully as he can. “Gregor, are you with me?”
Gregor’s eyelids flutter and he lets out a hiss. “Echo… oh… kriff,” he pauses for breath, his teeth gritted. “I’ll… be okay…”
Echo shakes his head. Gregor’s features are taught and he’s clearly in a lot of pain. “Right. Hang on - I’m working on a way to get us out of here!”
Gregor nods, and then doubles over, coughing. When his coughing subsides, he tries to smile at Echo. “Agh… it better… be a good one!”
Echo gives him a curt nod back. “It better.” He presses his comm. “Howzer, can you meet us near the transport shuttle? I have an idea to get us out of here, but I’ll need a few of your grenades.”
Howzer’s voice carries over the sound of fierce blaster fire. “I can! Give me one minute.”
Gregor chuckles hoarsely. “You know… I like… grenades! I… guess this is… a…” he breaks off coughing for a moment, “…good plan.”
Echo clenches his uninjured right shoulder. “Howzer’s be here in just a moment – hang in there, Gregor.”
Gregor makes a weak movement which might be a salute.
Howzer runs up to them a moment later, accompanied by a barrage of blaster fire. He’s got a handful of grenades. “Gregor! Kriff, are you alright?”
Gregor moans and mutters something and Echo nods. “He’s hanging on as long as he can.”
Even with his helmet on, Echo can tell Howzer’s concerned. “Right, what’s the plan?”
“Do you think you can get inside the transport and turn on the autopilot? If you set its trajectory for the hanger wall, that should cause enough damage to cover our escape.”
Howzer nods. “I can do that, yeah - how’re we gonna get him out of here?”
Echo slides his helmet on. “I’ve got that covered.”
* * *
Once Howzer’s disappeared into the shuttle, Echo drags Gregor behind the wall of crates, trying not to grimace every time Gregor cries out in pain. Crouched behind a crate, he lets out a long breath and closes his eyes. Gregor’s usually pretty unfazed by injury, so even without a medic background Echo can tell this is serious. He’s trying not to let his concern for Gregor compromise their chances, but it’s becoming clear that they’d better get out soon if he or any of them are going to live.
Something brushes his scomp and he glances down to find Gregor’s hand wrapped around it. Gregor’s eyes are shut, though they’re creased at the edges and the corner of his mouth is upturned. His breathing still sounds ragged, but he seems surprisingly calm.
Echo rests his own hand on Gregor’s, “Thanks for your patience – just another minute.” The corner of Gregor’s mouth curls a little further.
There’s an awful screeching sound and Howzer skids behind the crate, gesturing for them to move. Echo nods and bends over Gregor.
“I’m going to lift you and it’s gonna hurt – ready?”
Gregor nods weakly, “…yeah.”
“Alright.” Echo takes a hold of Gregor’s waist and hoists him over his shoulder as Gregor hisses. “Sorry! Let’s go.”
They move down the aisles between crates, trying to steer steadily west toward the bay’s open doors. The shuttle screeches across the hanger behind them, and there are yells and more blaster fire. Echo spots an opening between the crates up ahead and he’s heading for it when a blaster shot whirs past him just shy of his helmet and smashes into the floor a few paces away.
“Take cover!” Howzer shouts behind him, and he’s shoved against a crate, out of the line of fire.
Echo shifts Gregor, trying to get a visual on their pursuers, and he moans softly. At least he’s still conscious. Howzer’s across the aisle in the thick of a firefight, his blasters firing so fast they’re blurred. There are at least a dozen stormtroopers making their way toward the three of them. Echo’s considering setting Gregor down so he can get a better shot when another explosion shakes the hanger, and the east wall bursts into flames where the shuttle’s slammed into it.
He turns toward Howzer, “Run!”
They reach the hanger’s threshold and dash across it, into the scrubby landscape beyond. There’s a squadron of stormtroopers rounding the northern end of the hanger, but they’re too far away to be a problem.
The going is tough with Gregor in his arms, and Echo’s grateful when Howzer runs ahead to get the Remora. As the ship approaches, he shifts Gregor again, and is startled to see how colorless he is. The smile is gone from Gregor’s face, and he’s completely lost consciousness. As Howzer helps Echo lift him onto the ship, they exchange glances.
How long can Gregor hang on?