The Runaway {Hunter} (WATTYS 2022)

Chapter 11

"Ah!" Tech stopped in the hall. "It appears the signal is back."

Everyone turned to follow Tech as Hunter took off his helmet, placing it under his arm. The group had checked a few rooms now and found nothing. Cora didn't want to admit that she was loosing hope, especially after all the trouble they went through to be here.

"It's from up ahead." Tech said pointing down the corridor.

Rex, who was checking a room, turned from the doorway and ran up next to Hunter and Tech. He was eager to find his old friend. The group ran down the hallway, the wind still blowing below them as the desert sun kept the building warm. The group came to the end of the hall and Hunter pointed to a lone door in front of them.

"In there." Hunter said.

Rex rushed to the door, looking for a way to open it. He knocked on it a few times, trying to hear what was beyond the door. Cora went up to it, taking her helmet off, she pressed her ear up to it, trying to listen in.

"Tech, open this door." Rex said.

Cora heard a noise, but it's wasn't coming from inside. Looking to the small screen next to the door, it came to life as Wat Tambor's face appeared.

"You clones are so predictable." He taunted.

"Wat Tambor." Rex growled.

"Your algorithm predicted nearly every move you made to infiltrate Purkoll."

"There is no algorithm." Rex argued. "We know your holding a prisoner of war here!"

"Prisoner? I don't know what you mean, Captain." Wat turned to Cora who was behind Rex. "But maybe your friend knows." He whispered.

Cora gave him a look, glancing at Rex. Hunter and Tech looked to each other, then to Cora. Cora didn't want to look at them, instead she focused on Rex.

"We are leaving here with our friend." Cora stepped closer.

"Your friend is dead." Wat said seriously, "His mind is ours."

"Liar." Rex said angrily.

The sound of metal got the attention of the group as a squad of droids stepped into the walkway, behind them. They all turned around, seeing that they had been cornered into the area.

"Execute them!" Wat yelled through the comm to his droids.

Hunter placed his helmet back on his head as Wrecker started to blast the droids. Cora did the same and saw Hunter flip his knife out from his arm piece and throw it toward the droids. As the droid dropped to the ground, Hunter gave no warning and ran out to grab his knife. Tech and Wrecker had been used to this but it caught Cora off guard, causing her to take out her blasters and help cover for Hunter. A group of droids went flying from the back as General Skywalker rushed in, using the force to push droids away and taking them down with his lightsaber. In no time, Hunter flipped his knife again and took out some droids, Wrecker and Cora covering for him. Cora placed her blasters back on his hips and grabbed her knife, running out into the group of droids with Wrecker next to her. Wrecker punched and swung his fists at the droids as Cora slid on the ground and took them out from the legs. Crosshair joined the group and fired next to the General. Tech and Rex soon joined, both firing their blasters as well.

Cora stood from her slide and looked to Wrecker. A group of droids were coming from behind him. "Wrecker get down!" She yelled.

Wrecker ducked in his, his back arched. Cora took the moment to run forward and jump on his back and jump back down on the other side of him, taking out a couple droids as she slashed her knife. Looking up, she saw that all the droids were now gone and broken around them.

"That was awesome!" Wrecker cheered to Cora as she stood up. "You can really fight!" He said smacking her back, which knocked the wind out of Cora.

She chuckled and patted his back, "Thanks." She coughed.

Their victory was short lived. Another batch of droids came marching down the hall causing the men and Cora to hid behind the wall where the door they needed to open was.

"Tech, open that door for Rex!" The General yelled over the blasters.

"Yes, sir!" Tech rushed towards the door as Cora's back as pressed to the wall, Rex by her side.

"I hope you two find what you're looking for." Hunter said to Cora and Rex.

Rex nodded his head and rushed to Tech who was trying to open the door. "Senator Tane," the General turned to her.

"Yes, General."

"Go with them."

Cora nodded and rushed over to Rex and Tech, the door sliding open. She hesitated, looking towards the men fighting the droids. Hunter turned his head to her and caught her gaze. The Sergeant nodded to her, before going back to shooting the enemy. Cora turned back and followed Rex and Tech into the room.

The big empty space gaze Cora a bad feeling. Purple electricity zapped around them on pillars. As they walked forward, the floor was lit with small yellow lights, but the room was still dark. Ahead of them, was a computer, above it looked like some sort of door, white a fogged over window.

"I don't like the look of this."Rex said as Tech and Cora stopped to look at the door above them.

Tech walked forward and started playing with the controls on the computer in front of them. The door released some cold air as the sound of buttons clicking filled the room.

"I'm definitely picking up a life form in there." Rex walked closer as Tech continued to bounce around on the controls. Cora followed next to Rex as the door hissed and released the pressure. "It seems to be a stasis chamber. I think I can get it open."

The sound of electricity hummed around them as the pressure was released from the chamber. Cora stood with Rex, waiting for Tech to get it open. It machine powered up and powered back down once Tech pulled some levers. The anticipation of the truth with Echo was burning in the room. Cora could feel the anxiety dropping from Rex. He was a clone who was good at hiding his emotions, but she always knew when he was on edge. Cora could read Rex like a book.

The chamber doors swung up, the cool mist spilling out over to the floor. A body came falling forwards, but their body was still connected to the inside. As he fell, Cora said the lifeless eyes and pale complexion of Echo. He fell forward and dangled there, his body thin and mangled from the things he had been through.

Cora gasped and took a step back, the sight of Echo had scared her. Not much scared her, but this was a whole other type of scared. Echo's eyes twitched as the hum of comms was heard from Echo.

"Oh gods." Cora mumbled.

"Echo." Rex gasped. The Captain stepped on the panels and reached up towards his friend, grabbing his body so he wouldn't hang from his wires. "Tech. We got to get him out of here. Figure out how to unplug him from this mess." Tech nodded and ran towards the panels on the other side of the room.

Rex started to rip the wires from his back and lifted him down to the ground. He leaned him against the base of the control panels, taking off his helmet to look at his friend. Cora took hers off and kneeled on the other side of Echo. Echo didn't even look at them, his eyes fixed forward, like he was already dead.

"What have they done to you?" Cora whispered.

The Senator looked to Rex, seeing the pain and emotions painted clearly on his face. He wasn't hiding them now, not after seeing Echo this way.