Z stumbled alongside the shock troopers as they hauled her through the corridors. She was getting her balance back, slowly, but it wasn't easy. If the clones currently grabbing her arms decided to drop them, she probably wouldn't be going anywhere. She had to watch her feet, to make sure she didn't stumble.
It was strange to feel so...wrong.
She was supposed to be fast, have good reflexes, and be ready for anything. Yet, she had to watch her step while walking on a flat surface. It didn't help that her hearing was going haywire. One second she could barely hear anything, the next, she could hear everything. One of the troopers dropped her arm, and she stumbled as the other pulled her through a door. She tripped over her own feet, and the clone yanked her back up.
"Ass." Z muttered, and the trooper's grip tightened. Well, it was good to see the reg's attitude hadn't changed. She didn't even realize she was back into the makeshift prison until the clone shoved her into the same cell they had previously taken her from. Z landed roughly on the floor, muttering a few choice words before propping herself up on her elbow as the ray shield slid back into place.
"Are you alright?" Hunter asked, kneeling next to Z as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "Where's Crosshair?"
"They have him." Z replied, trying to think for a moment. "Somewhere in the medical wing, I don't know exactly. The regs weren't very talkative."
"Do you know why he was brought to the medical wing?" Tech asked after a moment.
Z winced as she tried to push herself to her feet, her legs buckling immediately, "No." Hunter grabbed her arm, much more gently than the regs, as she sat on the bench. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the cell walls.
"I think that's enough questions for now," Hunter paused, "Let's try not to give Z a brain aneurysm." He said the last part with a bit of humor.
"Much appreciated." Z agreed, massaging her forehead with her hand. "Though it feels like I already have one." They lapsed into silence for a few minutes.
"I didn't take the Kaminoans to be the type for torture." Echo muttered quietly to Hunter.
"I know." The Sargeant paused. "It's harsh, even for them."
"The Kaminoans do not inflict pain without believing they have a reason. They must have been trying to perform some sort of procedure on Z, which ultimately failed." Tech chimed in.
"And I'm assuming they're doing the same to Crosshair right now." Hunter stated.
---
"Mistress Nala Se." Admiral Tarkin said, not turning to face the Kaminoan. "Do you know why CT-9900's procedure was unsuccessful, yet CT-9904's was?"
Nala Se froze for a moment, "I assume that CT-9900's inhibitor chip was too damaged for the procedure to take root."
Tarkin hummed, "Do you know the consequences of lying to an Imperial, Mistress Nala Se?"
"Yes." Nala Se replied with a dip of her head, "Admiral."
"Good. It's best if you do not forget them."
---
"I've got it." Tech announced. "Why didn't I think of it before? This is not a prison."
"Are you sure about that?" Z asked from where she was leaning back against the walls. "Because if it walks like a prison and talks like a prison..."
"I'm with Z on this one." Echo nodded.
"This is a Kaminoan facility. It was built prior to the clone wars. There were no barracks or prisons when it was constructed." Tech insisted.
"Well, how does it help us?" Hunter asked.
YOU ARE READING
The Shadow
Fanfiction"She's one clone, she can't be that much trouble." The recruit said harshly, and Crosshair pinned him with a stern look. "I trained her. Wherever you are, you are not safe. You stay behind cover, and you might just survive." --- CT-9900, the firs...
