🐺 ~PROJECT SAC-1~ ⚔️

Chapter 7 - If Given a Second Chance- 🤲🏻

There was still some annoyance at Hunter's actions, and it would take time to process this tragedy. When Tech's shoulders slumped in grief it alarmed Hunter as he thought it meant his efforts were rejected, but a weak nod from the brainiac made some of the tension leave his shoulders. As such, the stoic and gruff leader - it seemed that all the members of Bad Batch were experiencing uncommon behaviors - shifted so that he pulled his equally awkward squadmate into a clumsy half-hug since Tech was four inches taller than him. Tech had to hunch slightly at the loving movement but it elicited the smallest of smiles from him, which Hunter declared a great victory.

Somewhat back to his old self, Tech was about to helpfully spew facts he learned about how to handle grief when his comlink shrieked.

Hunter speedily released him and Tech cleared his throat to steady his wavering voice, pressing the answer key. "Havoc 2 here."

"Tech?" A female voice said weakly.

"Agent?!" They exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yeah, it's me."

"What's going on?" Hunter asked with bated breath, though the sweet relief was absolutely welcomed.

"What is your status?" Tech fretted, not liking the sound of her feeble tone.

"I need a pickup and a medpac." She informed them, alarmingly sounding like she got the wind knocked outta her.

"Are you hurt?" Hunter demanded.

"Why else would I need a medpac?" She retorted, mistakening him for being angry. "Just please hurry." They heard her hiss in pain.

"I don't suppose you can create a power surge so we can track your location?" Hopeful Tech asked.

"I can't." Their hearts sank, "All I can do is tell you that I think I'm in a cave upriver from where the base used to be."

Knowing they could work with that, Tech nodded. "Hang tight, we are on our way."

And Hunter was already contacting the generals, telling them to turn the cruiser around.

🟣◾🔺◽🔻◾🔺◽🔻◾🟣

Hunter protested Cody's insistence that he and the generals help look for the hero of Silva and this mission, but much to his annoyance they insisted joining the search party. Tech told him that more people meant that more area could be covered in less time, thus giving SAC-1 more of a fighting chance against whatever injuries she sustained, and deep-down Hunter knew he was right. But he wanted to be the one to save her, for it was his fault she was in this situation in the first place. SAC-1 was alive, and he had to make this right.

Obi-Wan and Cody went to the destroyed base to make sure any possible stragglers wouldn't be any trouble. Each carrying his own medpac Hunter, Crosshair, Tech, Wrecker and Anakin searched the forest around the river for SAC-1.

It took ten minutes before Hunter finally sniffed out her trail, but a wave of panic never experienced before nearly paralyzed him when the trail happened to be blood. Running so fast he practically flew along the path she had no choice in creating, discovering the sizeable cave hidden underneath the massive roots of a large tree, two minutes from the trail's start. And in a brief moment of recollection, he remembered how she'd researched this river beforehand. 'Guess it wasn't such a pointless event after all...'

Hunter whipped out a flashlight and rushed in. The wind was knocked out of him when shining the beacon at a truly horrific sight: the hunched figure of SAC-1 in burnt, cracked and in some places completely shattered clone armor at the back of the cave.The white of the armor was stained brown and red from mud mixed from dirt and blood. Her helmeted head hung from Maker above, hopefully not a broken neck, and a blaster was in her limp hand and-