Jedi Fugitive (The Bad Batch)

55

Astera:

"He was there?!" I couldn't help the loud outburst as Omega finished her recount of the Senate meeting. As soon as we'd cleared the shipyard, Echo and Rex had taken the information we'd stolen from Rampart's ship and raced for the meeting point with the only speeder available, leaving us to make our own way back to the garage. Part of me had been tempted to go with them, just to see part of what had once been home, but Hunter had stopped me yet again. In hindsight, he had definitely been right

"He was there," Omega confirmed, a joyless frown fixed on her face. "Emperor Palpatine appeared at the Senate meeting. And he used Rampart's crimes to approve the 'Imperial stormtrooper.'"

Not even the unseasonably warm night could have prevented the chill sweeping through me. Though I was sure Sidious wouldn't have seen me, I was now more grateful than ever Hunter had insisted I go with him instead. And judging from the look on his face, he felt the same.

Echo's fist clenched by his side. "How could this have happened? We had them right where we wanted them!"

"Palpatine's a master manipulator." The bitterness roiling in my mind had bled into my words, giving them a sharp edge. "How else do you think he stayed in power so long and wiped out the Jedi without them knowing?"

"Palpatine was one step ahead of us in the war, and he's still several steps ahead of us." Rex's frown seemed now permanently affixed to his face. "We played right into his hands."

"I don't understand," Omega said miserably, glancing up to Hunter to provide her with answers. "We did the right thing. We told the truth."

"And he twisted it to his advantage," he responded softly. Despite the gentle words, his brow was furrowed as deeply as the rest of ours, belying his anger.

"The Emperor wanted us to implicate Rampart to get what he was after all along." Rex's grimace deepened. "Senate approval for his stormtrooper program."

"The fate of all clones is now sealed. Because of us. What's gonna happen to them?"

Silence fell over us as the bleak reality of Echo's words sank in. Riyo had fought for clone rights after they were phased out of the military, but our actions and Sidious's bill had seen that it wouldn't happen.

"I don't know," Riyo said eventually, the first words she'd spoken since our rendezvous. She raised her head, a steely glint in her eye despite the grim expression she wore. "But I will keep fighting for the clones. You all deserve the same rights as every citizen. I won't give up."

The last words were directed at Omega, who acknowledged them with a firm dip of her head.

"If you need anything, Rex," Hunter began, clearly intending to wrap this up, "just say the word." He nodded briefly to Riyo. "Senator."

Echo stepped forward, his mouth opening and ready to say something, only for Hunter to meet him first and lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Wherever you end up, remember what I said."

"Try not to get blown up again, will you?" I grinned at his exasperated eye roll. He'd finally spoken up during the Senate proceedings, telling Hunter whichever way the meeting went, he couldn't keep standing by and letting the Empire continue using and mistreating the clones. He needed to do something about it. And like I'd suspected, he'd only been met with support from his clone brothers, especially Rex, glad to strengthen his network by any means.

"Yeah, and don't get into trouble without us." Wrecker punched him in the shoulder with a cackle before turning back and heading for the ship with Hunter. Omega's lips parted in shock and she approached him, her face screwing up in a worried expression.

"Without us?" she asked tremulously, peering up at the cyborg clone with wide eyes. She was the only one who didn't know yet, and it was that knowledge that had me hanging back as Tech said his farewell to Echo and departed too, leaving Echo to break the news to Omega.

"I'm going with Rex." I heard him tell her gently, before I turned to Riyo and Rex to give them some modicum of privacy.

"It was good to see you again, Riyo. I'm glad to see that there's someone who cares enough to fight for the clones. And that you won't be alone. You've got two of the best men in the 501st Legion to help you do it."

Riyo smiled almost sadly. "I'd like to say I'll see you again, but I think we both know it might not be possible."

My own face dropped a little at the realisation. It would be too dangerous to consider visiting her on Orto Plutonia, let alone Coruscant. I was lucky enough to have seen my old friend this time around. "I suppose this will be our final goodbye then."

This time it was Riyo who hugged me first, her arms winding tight around me. "Be safe out there, Astera," she whispered. "I've seen too many of our friends die in recent times."

"Of course." I forced a smile as we broke apart. It hurt too much to think about those we'd lost. Padme, Anakin, even Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Though they had survived the initial order, I still didn't know if they'd escaped the aftermath. They could very well have joined the death roll in the months that had passed. "Take good care of her for me, Rex," I told him in an effort to distract myself from the bleak thoughts. "May the Force be with you."

"Will do, Astera."

"Yes, sir," Omega choked out to Echo, drawing back from him and wiping at her eyes with a sniffle. I took that as my cue, stepping up behind her and slipping an arm across her shoulders.

"Take care, Echo."

"Keep an eye on them," he told us as we turned to make our way back for the Marauder. Omega nodded again, too close on the verge of tears again to say much of anything.

"We will," I called back for her, letting her throw both hands around my waist and hold me tightly as we walked to the ship, where Hunter stood at the entrance, waiting for us.

Omega didn't say anything once we were in the ship, breaking away from me and only allowing Hunter to check over her briefly before climbing the steps of her room to watch Echo as the Marauder lifted away from Trace's garage and rose for the surface of the planet.

"She'll be okay, right?" I watched her hug Wrecker's Lula close to her chest with such a desolate expression that my heart nearly broke for her right there and then. The tight feeling strangled my chest, making it hard to breathe. A feeling I'd experienced far too often as the Clone Wars had raged on. And one I'd never quite get used to

"Just give her some time," he said quietly, his eyes also fixed on her. "She'll adjust. We all will."

I didn't respond, too afraid I would choke up if I did. Omega was too young for any of this. I hadn't been much older than she had when the Clone Wars had first begun, but at least I'd been prepared for this life. She'd never had that luxury. She had a breaking point, and she was approaching it fast.

It was with that in mind that I suddenly found myself silently promising her to find her a real home. Someplace she could be safe, and someplace she'd never have to worry about losing anyone to the Empire ever again.