Shadows and Shades (#4 Post-Order 66 Series)

Shadows and Shades - Part 13

"There's been one other development. Using the files we recovered from Wayland, I have been able to create a treatment for us that will decelerate our aging."

Tech's delivery was so easy and effortless that it was almost as if he hadn't just told them life-changing information. Crosshair almost let the toothpick fall from between his teeth, only recovering at the last millisecond. Iden let out a small gasp next to him. They'd of course discussed his accelerated aging very early on in their relationship, and Iden had taken the news rather well, all things considered. He had supposed perhaps losing people close to her so early in life had made her cherish whatever time she had with those she cared for, even if it was only going to be for a limited time. Maybe since she knows it's coming, that makes it easier. Now, a spark of hope flashed in her eyes as she turned to look at him, her fingers flying to cover her mouth.

"Crosshair," she breathed.

He was sitting still, unsure of how to react. He'd never really been one to mourn his shortened lifespan, figuring it was just part of being a clone, but now, his mind flooded with possibilities that he'd never dared to consider. A life with Iden and his brothers, a full life, growing old together, perhaps even living to see the Empire fall. All of that suddenly had been placed within his reach, and he was unsure of how to react to the overwhelming flood of emotions he suddenly felt. Reaching over, he slipped his hand into Iden's. Tech was still jabbering away, something about side effects and the process taking a few years, but Crosshair barely heard any of it as his eyes met Iden's, and he saw the same thoughts and possibilities dancing behind her eyes.

A life together.

He smiled, squeezing her hands in his. Her eyes were glistening.

"Crosshair, are you listening?" Tech's question snapped them out of their fantastical haze.

"Yes. I get it. It'll take some time and there'll be side effects."

Tech blinked at him, raising an eyebrow before continuing. "Correct. You'll need anywhere from a few days to a week to recover, but we can make that happen once you return. We'll have to monitor your cellular activity over the next few years to ensure the process works, but so far, results have been promising."

Crosshair rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide the smile that was smeared across his face. "Can't wait to become one of your science experiments."

"To be fair, I tested this on myself first, so I'm not asking you to do anything I haven't already done."

"Not as comforting as you might think, Tech," Crosshair joked dryly.

Tech shrugged, clearly unphased by his brother's teasing. "There's one other thing. I'm sending you schematics on how to construct a camera like the one Senna and Hunter used on Naboo. If possible, we'd like you to try to scan and take pictures of the weapon on the other side of the factory. This should be simple enough for Iden to construct with relatively easy to procure components. Let me know if you have any questions or difficulties." The datapad beeped to alert them of the file's arrival.

"Don't push too hard to get the pictures too quickly. We don't want you to get caught," Hunter cautioned. "Once you're able to feed the data back to us, we can decide on next steps. But the first thing we need to figure out is what the Empire's working on there." His eyes flicked between the two of them, his brows dropping into something reminiscent of an accusing stare. "I trust Rampart is still unaware of your presence."

"We haven't seen him around recently," Crosshair replied.

Hunter's eyes moved to Iden. "And what about Commodore Vena?"

And there it is. He knows.

Crosshair tried to keep his face neutral. Iden swallowed hard, but met Hunter's gaze evenly.