Fixing Our Broken Pieces || The Bad Batch

Chapter 3: Soldiers and Spies

Hunter stared at the tall figure in front of him, his heart thundering. She wore a green top tucked into brown trousers that were cuffed above a pair of combat boots. Her hair was curly, short and a dark shade of brown. She had teal eyes which looked strangely familiar, and he could make out a small cylinder shape attached to her belt. Over it, was a dark brown robe. Then the thing that stood out the most was a small blue crystal tied around her neck. She stood confidently, so unafraid that he could predict if he were to make the wrong move she would shoot him instantly.

Tech could see Hunter's anxiousness written all over him as the girl kept her blaster pointed with a steady hand, he may look tough but he certainly wasn't acting like it.

"Should we be worried?" Tech queried but Hunter didn't answer. Instead, he slowly removed his helmet and set it down hoping it might hint they didn't mean any harm.

Orla relaxed her hands unintentionally on her blaster when the clone removed his helmet. It wasn't because she was admiring his longer shaggy hair or his sharp jawline or even his brown eyes. Really she remembered what the Holocron told her, that "honest men will look her in the eye." 

"Let's hear them out, trust me," Hunter said to his squad. He was the first to lay down his weapon with his hands up followed by Tech, Wrecker, Echo then finally Crosshair.

Orla, with her team, led the squad towards the camp. They stood by while Orla spoke with Saw who moved quickly past his team to reach Orla first. He had to keep calm with the batch of clones behind her.

"I thought you were supposed to stay out of sight?" He hissed close into her ear, glaring at Hunter who hadn't taken his eyes off Orla.

"I think you need to hear these clones out. Honest men will look you in the eye remember?" Orla said, quoting what the force had told her.

"So?" 

"So, one of the clones removed their helmet, I can't explain it, I just know they're not under the Empire's influence."

"Aw, you got a crush on one of them."

Orla punched him and Saw flinched.

"Well one of them hasn't removed their helmet, not very "hoesnt" of him." Saw pointed to the only clone with his helemt remained attached who Orla would find out to be called Crosshair.

"Hm good point. What if track them when they leave? I have a homing beacon inside, I'll be able to track them for a few light jumps."

"Most likely they'll return to Kamino where you can't follow them, it's a waste of time." Saw insisted but Orla had a strong feeling.

"Maybe, but something tells me they won't want to stay for very long and I wanna see what they're up to."

"Why? They're only a bunch of clones. The sooner they leave the better." 

"Maybe," Orla still wanted to know more, Saw left Orla to venture into the woods while he stepped forward to speak with the clones.

Hunter watched Orla leave into the forest, he had been keeping his focus more on her than what was going on around him and he hadn't even questioned why they were no Separatists.

"What is it?" Echo could see Hunter was distracted.

"Nothing,  just... who's that girl?"

"Does it matter? They're clearly not Separatist forces, they're Republic fighters."

The lightbulb finally switched on. "Why would Tarkin send us to attack our own forces?"

Saw came back out from the crowd, "because we refuse to fight for an Empire."