"Good. Then we're all in agreement." Cid whispers to the huddled group of clones. Alona and Hunter caught the end of her sentence and raised inquisitive eyebrows. "Now, all we gotta do is convince those love birds."
Alona crossed her arms behind her back, standing tall beside Hunter. "Convince us about what?" She asked with an innocent hum, pursing her lips at the group that had been taken by surprise at their appearance.
Wrecker cringed, rubbing the back of his neck while he struggled for words. "Uhh, well, we took...we took a vote, and we wanna go after the war chest." That alone made the Force-User's heart drop, staring at the group incredulously.
"It's unanimous. Even Killjoy over here agreed." Cid said, nodding to Echo, who's eyes widened at the nickname, his back straightening.
Hunter frowned, specifically at Cid, but then made sure everyone else knew he was upset too. "Serenno is Imperial occupied. Need I remind you what they did to Alona?" He stopped and gestured to Alona, standing with a metal hand hidden under a glove, and exhausted eyes. "We've stayed off the Empire's radar since Kamino. Why in the world would we chance it now?"
"Because the contents of just one of those containers would be worth more than all the jobs you pulled for me combined." Cid exclaimed, waving the data card around expressively. "You can buy your freedom."
Alona's eyes vaguely softened, glancing over at the blonde headed girl who was studying hard on Tech's spare datapad. He had set up an entire curriculum for her based on what they did as a job. She was learning how to identify all ships in the Imperial fleet, weaknesses, etcetera.
Hunter shook his head, that tight expression on his face never fading. "We're already free."
Cid scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's cute you think that. Clearly, you're not paying attention to what's happening out there, but I am. It's only a matter of time before the Empire comes here." That makes Alona squirm. "And then my little operation is over, which means no more jobs for you."
Alona closes her eyes for a second, letting out a conflicted sigh before turning her head to Tech.
"She does have a valid point." At Tech's words, Alona saw Hunter's face beginning to slowly ease up. If Tech saw this to not be as risky as his bandana-wearing brother, then maybe Hunter should consider following along on this mission too. The only thing holding him back from agreeing was his concern for Alona.
"You wanna really be free? Then pull off this heist and you'll have the means to disappear. No more risky missions. No more living hand to mouth. You can have a future. Isn't that what you're after?" Cid continued, gesturing to the kid. Hunter and Alona both glanced over at the girl, the same smile on both of their faces, just by merely watching her study.
Maker, they were willing to do anything for this kid, weren't they?
Alona dropped her head, muttering a curse before looking Cid in the eyes. "Fine, but I reserve the right to punch you if this all goes wrong."
–
"The Sith control everything, you just don't know it."
Alona sighed, running her hand over her face. This was a bad idea. Dooku both sickened and angered Alona to just about the very limits of her considerable self-control. She was headed to his home planet to raid his war chest, which was without doubt guarded by a bunch of troopers. This idea was going to go so very wrong.o
The Gray Jedi watched Hunter tap and drag things across the screen of the navigation systems table, feeling slightly calmer just by having him around her. One of his hands tapped a soothing beat on the console and Alona began breathing along with that rhythm, desperate to pull her head out of the past. Into a more positive mindset.
Echo emerged from the cockpit, standing between the couple's chairs with a contemplative expression. He let out a sigh, placing a hand on the back of Hunter's chair. "I know why you two agreed to this mission. But we can do better things with Dooku's fortune than hide." His words were met with silence from the brunettes.
Alona chewed on her lip, taking in Echo's words. She was stuck between wanting to keep Omega safe or fighting against the Empire. She knew she wanted Omega to be safe, to have a life a kid like her deserves. But then there was the prophecy, Alona was created to do more. She was meant to bring balance to the Force, how was she supposed to do that if she was out on some remote planet, away from all the action, the conflict?
"With what we're up against, we have to be prepared to fight. That means numbers and weapons." Echo hisses between his teeth, making sure his point is loud and clear.
Hunter scooted his chair back to face Echo, wearing a gruff look. "That's not the kind of life this kid deserves." He retorted, attempting to return back to his work.
"Our lives are like this because of Omega." Echo says a little too loudly. Alona gives him a scolding look while Hunter pushes him further away from Omega's room. The couple huddles closer to the cyborg clone.
"What, do you think her curtain is made of beskar? What if she heard you?" Alona hisses quietly. She glances over at the closed curtain, feeling weary about the situation.
"Taking her off Kamino was the right thing to do." Echo says quickly, pulling his arm out of Hunter's tight grip. He lowers his voice, taking the aggressive hint. "But there are others out there who need our help. We've seen what the Empire is doing throughout the galaxy, to Alona. We should be doing more." He concludes, walking back into the cockpit.
Alona bit down on her lip even harder, her stress levels at a high. She just wanted a freaking break. A day without the Empire being spoken into existence. A day without being in physical or mental pain. A day without nightmares or flashbacks. Unfortunately a day like that has only occurred once or twice in her entire life. Relaxation wasn't something the galaxy had in store for her tired body.
Both Echo and Hunter had points. Omega deserved a good life, a life where she could be a child. But the Bad Batch has skills like no other. Skills that would be a tremendous asset, like Rex said on Bracca. Clone Force 99 was too gifted, too skilled, to be doing what they were doing now.
It was the same for Alona, as well. She was a powerful being. And despite growing up fighting a war that ended up being all for nothing, Alona knew she couldn't stop. She couldn't give up.
But she loves Omega, and she loves Hunter. And a big part of her would drop everything just to spend every waking day with those two. Even if those days were spent on a remote planet far away from all the chaos.
"Maker, why is life so hard?" Alona asks with a heaviness that Hunter knew went deeper than just the issue from the last few minutes. She sat down in the chair and placed her head in her hands, deep in thought.
Hunter walked up behind her chair, placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing firmly. He stared at the floor, eyes frozen, not even taking the time to blink. He was asking himself the same question. Why must life be so hard? Will things ever go smoothly for the people that have worked years without a break?
"We'll be alright." He whispered, trying to convince both Alona and himself. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, then took a seat in the chair beside hers.
–
Normally Alona would be in the front of the group, ready to protect them from the very beginning. But as the clones filed down the steps of the Marauder, Alona lingered to the back, the tips of her toes at the edge of the top step. She had a heaviness in her chest, it had appeared the second they had dropped out of hyperspace.
Omega stayed back, looking up at the woman who was obviously in distress, doing a bad job at hiding it. The blonde grabbed Alona's hand, giving her a reassuring look.
"So, where is this palace?" Wrecker asked curiously, looking around at the bright colored trees surrounding the Marauder. The flora extended all the way up the mountains.
Tech looked up from his data pad, pointing to one of the mountains. Luckily one of the shorter of the assortment. "The city is on the opposite side of this mountain range." He explains simply, leading the way. Wrecker and Echo follow swiftly.
Hunter glanced up at his girls, who were yet to descend the steps. "You two coming?" He asked, though it wasn't an impatient question. He wasn't annoyed with them. He was giving them an option, they could stay on the ship if they wanted. He just wanted his girls to feel seen, heard. Safe.
He wasn't going to force them into putting themselves in danger. Not ever again. They would always have an option, a way out.
Alona sucked in a deep breath, puffing her chest out and nodding to herself. "Yep. Yeah, I'm coming." She declares, glancing down at Omega and squeezing her hand as they walk down the steps together.
Hunter slides his helmet over his head and follows behind them, making sure his squad remains together.
Alona smiled, noticing the old lightsaber hilt on Omega's belt. She had kept Alona's remaining orange saber, instructed to only use it as a last resort. She wasn't trained enough yet to use it full-time.
Hell, even now that Alona was fully trained with her saber, she often stuck to kicking people in the head.
It was more satisfying.
Upon reaching the top of the mountain, the mercenary squad peered out at the city, which had been completely destroyed. Alona clenched her gloved fists, her eyes scanning the rubble left over from the terrifying attack.
"That's the city?" Omega asked in disbelief, her eyes full of sorrow. "What happened to it?"
Echo turned to the blonde, his tone laced with hatred for the monsters who condoned this attack. "Imperial orbital bombardment. Same as on Kamino."
Alona watched Hunter falter when Echo spoke that last sentence. She had noticed his minor but obvious reactions to any mention of that planet. He didn't like talking about it, and he often refused to look at anyone from his squad when the topic did come up. She had a feeling he was blaming himself, and she made a mental note to talk to him about it later.
Because it was not his fault. If anything, it was Alona's. Vader could track them by sensing her presence, he had planned to fight her for quite some time. She just allowed it to happen, albeit unknowingly, but Alona thought herself to be smarter than that.
She should have shut herself out from the Force. Cut off all special connections she had and learn how to shoot a blaster.
The squad continued moving, now down the opposite side of the mountain, towards Dooku's old home. There were at least one hundred crates, Dooku's war chest, sitting outside. There was an uncountable number of troopers on the premises, doing their jobs to the best of their abilities.
Tech pulls his binocs out and assesses the area. "It appears that they are beginning to transport the war chest off-world. Our window of opportunity is quickly closing." He warns, standing back up from his kneeling position.
Echo sighs, audibly through his helmet. "There's over forty troopers down there." He groans.
Wrecker chuckles and collides his fists together. "That's nothing." He states confidently.
Omega tapped the large clone's leg, a scolding quirk of her eyebrow being his first warning that he was getting too excited. "Stealth, Wrecker. Remember?"
Alona's heart was pounding in her chest, and she was able to hear that more than the conversation taking place next to her. She needed to concentrate, they were on a mission. If there were any slip ups, the Empire would know they were alive.
Hunter with his heightened senses, picked up on her half-awareness and he reached out, grazing his thumb against her knuckles. "You don't have to come along, cyare. Go back to the ship." He said quietly, wishing the two of them were alone. He would wrap her in his arms and hold her until her uneasiness went away.
Alona shook her head. She was strong. She could do this, she needed to do this. "I'm alright, Hunter." She replied, following the others as they trekked down the mountain. They all paused upon hearing the roar of a ship's engine.
"Imperial escort ships. The standard protocol for when high-level cargo is being transported." Tech chimed, slightly easing the squad. They were afraid they had been caught already.
"That's their protocol when transporting stuff like this? How stupid can this Empire possibly get?" Alona questioned in exasperation. It was a wonder how the Empire managed to stick around for so long. They were utterly stupid.
"You guys get to the nearest container and grab what you can. I'll be the eyes on the ground." Hunter determined, a small shake in his voice. He was worried about being apart from both Omega and Alona. But he knew one day sooner or later he would have to give them space in circumstances like these. "If things go sideways, I'll divert their forces and buy you some time."
Alona watched him start down a separate path on the mountain, then turned to the rest of the squad and followed loosely with them. She made sure to keep her eyes on Omega, so she stayed towards the back of the group.
The mountain was pretty steep, so it was hard to be stealthy when your ankles wanted to twist and slide across the terrain. But they made it to the bottom and peered out from the edge of the treeline, assessing the situation.
Echo presses the comm button on his helmet. "In position. And the second transport's launching." He reports to Hunter. Alona watches the transport ascend high into the air. There was one left, they were running out of time.
"We've got roving patrols. Stay alert." Hunter chimes from the other end of the comm. Alona exhales, watching three unaware troopers pass them on their perimeter sweep.
"Let's go." Echo determines, leading the group along the treeline. They run over to the transport, climbing inside of the large metal container. Alona and Wrecker stand guard, their backs pressed up against the wall while they glance out at the few troopers that weren't doing their job so well.
One of the troopers pauses next to the transport upon hearing a small thud, which would be because of Tech. Alona didn't have time to react before Wrecker stunned the trooper and pulled him up and inside with them, setting the unconscious man between them. Alona stared at Wrecker with wide eyes. He didn't understand why that was the wrong move.
"What? I did it quietly." He whispers, gesturing with a confused hand.
Tech took a step forward. "They will definitely notice when he does not report in." He explained with a slightly distressed tone.
Alona bit her lip and looked down at the trooper in plain white armor. For just a few short seconds she was transported back to Kamino, being dragged out by clones in unscuffed armor. She sucked in a breath, forcing herself to remain in the present. No way was she going to be the reason they got rediscovered.
"Well, let's be gone by then." Echo replied swiftly as he, Tech, and Omega resumed their search through the crates for stuff that looked incredibly valuable. Alona and Wrecker resumed watch, their backs straight and their heads focused...for the most part.
Alona's eyes drifted over to Dooku's castle, the Sith man vibrant in her mind. She's reminded of Anakin, of Obi-Wan. Of Grievous and Ventress. And then Alona started wondering if other Jedi were dealing with the same aftermath symptoms as she was. Were they questioning the entire thing? Were they denouncing the Jedi order like Alona did not too long ago?
The Jedi were meant to be peacekeepers, but the entirety of Alona's padawanship was spent as a soldier. An expendable soldier for the Republic. And that Republic was found to be ruled secretly by a Sith Lord, the one to manipulate Anakin to the dark side.
It was all for nothing.
"I'd say that qualifies as high value." Echo says a few minutes later, looking into the medium sized box Omega had opened up. Tech walks over and peers inside as well.
Omega picked up one of the many gems in the box full of gold and shiny rocks. "How could all of this belong to one person?" She asked in bewilderment, her eyes shimmering at the beauty of the gem.
Alona took a deep breath to contain her composure. "The majority of Count Dooku's fortune was taken forcefully from the people who lived on the worlds he controlled and exploited." She replied, feeling a burn in her shaky throat. She had seen his destruction and it was heartbreaking.
"That's what corrupt people do." Echo adds on, his voice laced with disgust for the deceased Sith Lord.
Omega frowned, looking up at her clone brother. "But isn't that what we're doing?" She asked in confusion.
"Depends on how we use it." Echo replied, his head turning to look at everything else stored inside of the large transport.
Just then the sound of the unconscious trooper's comm going off sent panic to the group. Alona gave Wrecker an I told you so look, then peeked her head out to see the group of troopers crowding together to assess the situation.
Echo raised a hand to press the comm button on his helmet. "Hunter, I think we're about to have some company." He warned. Alona sighed and ran a hand through her hair, a new habit she picked up after breaking her habit of biting her lip when she was nervous.
Actually, she still had that habit, but she was trying. Life was just too stressful.
"Are you clear?" Hunter's voice chimes from the comm.
"Negative. We could use that diversion about now." Echo grimaced, glancing down at Omega. The blonde was mesmerized by the jewels.
"On it." Hunter replied instantly. And about three seconds later, there was a loud explosion about thirty feet from the transport the rest of the squad was on. "I'm heading your way, be ready." He then says.
Alona blew a gust of air out of her mouth and walked over to Echo and Tech, helping them latch the crate shut. She then uses the Force to carry the heavy crate over to Wrecker. "That one goes first. I'll cover you." She tells the tallest clone.
Wrecker picks the crate up and places it on one shoulder, hopping down from the transport and handing Alona his weapon. She walks alongside him as they head to the treeline, being cautious not to be seen by the Imperial troopers.
Once they reach the wooded area, Wrecker sets the crate down and kindly takes his blaster back from Alona.
"Where are the others?" Hunter asks, running over to the two.
Alona whirls around, her heart dropping when she saw that the doors had slid shut. "Still in the container." She tells him.
"Tech, the ship's taking off. Get out of there." Hunter urges his brother.
Alona's arms were frozen at her side. "Hunter, I..I don't think they can." She said with her brows furrowed. There was an increasingly worrisome churn in her stomach, which led her to believe something had gone wrong.
"Hunter, we're trapped in the container. We can't get out!" Omega's panicked voice chimes. The three adults in the woods turned to each other, no doubt with the same unnerved expression.
"We're on our way." Hunter says quickly, lowering his hand from his helmet.
Wrecker waved a hand across the other two warningly. "Uh, Boss? I think they know something's up."
Alona, Hunter, and Wrecker watched as every trooper on the ground formed a perimeter around the base, prepared to take down anyone that tried to pass through.
Hunter sighs, the visor of his helmet now looking straight at Alona. She gave him a supportive nod, knowing that their time under the Empire's radar was over. It was unavoidable at this time. "We're done hiding anyway. Alona, just please keep the laser sword to a limit." He replies, nodding towards the base.
Alona placed her metal fist against the palm of her flesh hand and grinned. "I have some other tricks to try out anyway."