𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐒 ( THE BAD BATCH )

X. LOST IN SPACE

Aria hated to sit uselessly while others were occupied with their own things, especially when Echo was trying to fix the multiplying malfunctions within the ship. As soon as he fixed one thing, another appeared out of nowhere and he was at it again. Tech was supposed to help him, but instead, he was tinkering with some device that no one questioned him about. It seemed like it was nothing new when Tech worked on some inventions of his.

Lights went out suddenly. It's been a few hours since they've been stuck in the glitching ship, flying to anywhere Tech programmed the course.

Aria sighed as she chewed on the ration that Hunter gave her and Tech a moment ago. She was currently occupying the co-pilot's seat, next to Tech. The least she could do was pay attention to the controls on the panels in front of her in case something happened that nor Tech, nor Echo kept an eye on. This way she wasn't entirely useless.

Aria stretched in her seat, although she regretted doing so when she felt the stitches nudge at the skin of her shoulder. She wanted to relieve her back from the tension caused by sitting for a long time, slouching so she wouldn't touch the back of the chair with the bruise that formed under her skin.

"Echo, lights cut out again," Hunter said from the other part of the ship. "I thought you fixed it."

"Yeah, add it to the list," Echo grumbled. He moved to another panel behind Aria as he did so. "Repairs would go faster if I had some help." Echo glanced at Tech pointedly.

"As soon as I finish building this scanner. Testing the functionality of our inhibitor chips takes precedence."

Aria paused to look at him in confusion. "But... they don't work," she said slowly.

"It's a theory this device will be able to prove," he explained. Aria shook her head.

"Tech, they're not working. If they were, you'd never have a reason to escape Kamino. Or you'd killed that padawan on Kaller in the first place."

During an approximately short time on the same ship, Aria chatted with Wrecker for some bit and he told her where they were at the time Order 66 was given. He told her how weird Crosshair have gotten and that he was more spiteful than normal, his sarcasm and playfulness (although well hidden, obvious for his brothers) completely gone from his expressions, movements or tone of voice. Aria could imagine that Crosshair's inhibitor chip wasn't broken or inactive to begin with like his brothers'.

Tech didn't look up from his work as he answered her.

"Well, yes, but we can't be sure if they are not active at one point."

Aria turned back to the panel with mixed emotions. After a moment of contemplation, Tech might be right. She assumed their chips weren't affecting them at all because of their mutations, which could disturb their functionality and make them useless altogether (except for Crosshair). But there could've been a way to trigger them, and if the Empire were ever to discover how to do that lightyears away from where they were, it'll become a serious problem not just for the clone brothers, but for Aria and Omega.

Aria was certain she wouldn't be able to protect herself from the four men if they were to turn against her in a blink of an eye, let alone keep Omega out of harm's way. Especially with the injury she'd gotten on Saleucami.

"Agreed. Proceed," Aria exclaimed lightheartedly, not without a hint of worry lacing her voice that surely didn't go unnoticed.

"Can we get back to the matter of our ship?" Echo asked ironically, glaring daggers into Tech's head.

Aria didn't know him from this side. In the med-bay where she have treated him shortly after Skako Minor, he seemed more patient and kind than what he was showing in the face of new circumstances they all found themselves under. But she couldn't blame him, the situation at hand was taking a toll on each of them and they coped in various ways. She could say it was stressing Echo out that he was responsible for the ship running and the fact that Tech wasn't helping, it annoyed him.