Fixing Our Broken Pieces || The Bad Batch

Chapter 15: But I love you so

Wrecker, Tech, Echo and Orla were only a few minutes away from reaching where the Marauder should be. Echo hopelessly tried Hunter several times on his comm link but no answer. It was more likely that he had run into Crosshair's troops but the group didn't expect what was coming.

"I don't like how it's so quiet," Orla mumbled, the Marauder was just behind a large wreckage and they all cautiously approached it. Wrecker peered his head around the corner, gasped, and ran out to the ship.

"Wait Wrecker," Tech tried to stop him, expecting a stealthy approach. The rest poked their heads around together and were startled to see that Hunter was passed out on the ground, blaster and helmet knocked to the side of him. Omega was nowhere to be found.

"No," Orla's heart sunk to her stomach, she imagined the young girl running up to her once she'd found them and they could fly back to Ord Mantell. Orla would say to come to Zelda's instead of going back to Cid's and finally be able to show them round her ship. But there were no happy squeals, only the shouts of panicked voices from the other clone brothers.

For a moment, Orla's feet stuck to the ground, unable to move, unsure if what she thought was happening was actually happening. She only started running when Echo shouted Hunter had been shot.

"How? Where?" she skidded to a stop to assist in helping carry Hunter's body to the ship. She had no issue with carrying all his heavy armour. She kept his neck steady in line with his chest by keeping her fingers deep in his hair, trying to avoid a strain in his neck. His small groans and breathing were the only thing keeping her certain he wasn't dead.

"He was shot in the chest plate," Echo shouted out over blast shots that were coming from Crosshair's troops who had caught up with them. The three clones crowded around her, Wrecker shooting at their enemies. Orla wasn't paying attention to that, only on getting Hunter safely on that ship.

Tech flew them off the surface while Orla settled him down on the copilot's chair. His upper body dropped momentarily, still drowsy, Orla steadied him. He struggled to catch his breath, each one felt like a tug on his chest, but he still managed to say something.

"He, he took Omega."

"Who, Crosshair?" Wrecker throws down his weapon but Hunter denies his speculation.

"No a bounty hunter," he groans loudly, trying to control his breathing. He reaches out for Orla's shoulder who is kneeling down in front of him to balance himself, "we have to find her."

He? There are more bounty hunters?

☆☆☆

The chase wasn't over yet, Crosshair was still on their tail, full of more rage and vengeance than usual. Orla helped Echo and Tech with the controls, while Wrecker manned the guns and Hunter sat out with an injury. Orla had to quickly wrap a splint around him, with no time to properly assist, but needed to treat him quickly once they had escaped Crosshair.

"Any sign of that bounty Hunter?" Hunter asked through gritted teeth, his injured rib not holding up well.

"The only vessel in our scanners is Crosshair's and he's right on top of us," Tech answered, steering through Crosshair's shots. He managed to shoot one of the engines but not disable it. Wrecker shouts back that it's getting hot back here and Tech prepares to jump.

"No without Omega," Hunter snaps, not being able to bare the thought of leaving her behind.

"The bounty hunter who took her is long gone. We'll have no chance of finding her if Crosshair shoots us down," Echo argues with sorrow and misery wishing he didn't have to say it.