The Runaway {Hunter} (WATTYS 2022)

Chapter 27

Late chapter, sorry. But it's here now!
~

The group didn't really know where they were going. They had just nearly escaped Saleucami when they ship started to run into some problems. Echo enlisted Cora's help, although she wasn't the best with the mechanics side of things, she helped where she could.

But Echo was thankful either way.

It was something to help distract Cora, although she didn't see it that way, Echo did. Echo say how quiet and to herself the Senator had become, and it worried not just him, but everyone else on the ship.

Hunter walked up to the front of the ship, a box in his hands. Echo lay down on the ground under a control panel. Cora flipped switches, testing the panel when Echo asked. Tech sat in the pilots seat, working on something rather then helping fix the ship.

"Here." Hunter threw a ration to Tech as he caught it. He dropped one in the tool box of Echo's and held one out for Cora to take.

She put her hand up to stop him and shook her head.

"Cora." Hunter sighed. "You haven't eaten since you got here." He looked at her, her eyes fixed on the panel in front of her.

"I'm not hungry." She said softly.

Echo pushed himself out from under the panel, looking up at the Senator. "Come on," he huffed, "You need to eat."

Cora looked down at him, not quite making eye contact. "I told you," she said calmly, "I'm not hungry."

"If Rex were here, he'd want you to eat." Echo said sternly.

Cora locked eyes with Echo. "Don't do that." She whispered.

"Seriously, Cora." Hunter leaned forward.

"No." She said back.

Echo and Hunter exchanged a look. Hunter shook his head and walked back towards the back. Echo pushed himself up, looking over Cora's shoulder at the panel.

Cora felt guilty. She wasn't hungry but she knew she had to eat. She was afraid she couldn't stomach anything. Back on Saleucami, she watched Wrecker eat some fresh fruit that had been picked and felt sick to her stomach.

"Echo, lights cut out again." Hunter said from the back. "I thought you fixed it."

"Yeah, add it to the list." Echo grumbled as he walked over to Tech. Cora shifted her weight on her feet and followed close behind.

"The ship got hit hard when we fled Saleucami." Echo sat down next to Tech, who was testing a headband looking gadget. "Several systems have been glitching ever since. Repairs would go faster if I had some help... no offence Senator." He glanced up at Cora as he turned in his seat.

"None taken." She shrugged.

"As soon as I finish building this scanner." Tech said. "Testing the functionality of our inhibitor chips takes precedence."

"But I thought you said they were defective." Echo slowly turned to Tech, his attention still on the scanner he was building.

"A theory this device will be able to prove."

"Isn't that a bad idea." Cora turned to him, "What if you activate them?"

"I don't think that can happen, but if it does-"

"If it does?" Cora cut him off. "Tech, I've seen what it can do, and I don't think it's a good idea."

The last thing Cora wanted was for this batch of clones to turn on her, and Omega. Her heart sank at the thought of them having the same fate as Lark. She prayed that would never happen but it still made her nervous. Especially with this batch, they were stronger and better then any clone force. Lark and his men were like tiny fish compared to these sharks. She didn't like this idea at all.