Lost in the Familiar

Chapter 15 - Before It All Starts

Somehow, Anakin thinks they're going to walk into a living nightmare. He can't even say why. He just... senses it. They land in the hangar by the Marauder, and he feels it even stronger.

"Something wrong?" Fives asks dryly.

"Yeah. I don't know what," Anakin tells him, "But I think they've gotten... caught up in something in our absence." Something decidedly unpleasant goes without saying.

"I'd almost be more surprised if they hadn't," Fives says with an amused huff.

Anakin can't even say what it is, but he just... knows. It's actually Wrecker and Tech they run into first, which strikes him as odd. They're near the ship, though doing well at staying hidden about it.

"Let me guess," Fives says the moment he lays eyes on him, "Something's gone wrong?"

"I would say 'wrong' is a mild understatement," Tech grumbles.

Anakin sighs. "What happened?" he queries, "I'm here to return Fives, but if there's something you need me for..."

"Somebody stole Cid's parlor," Wrecker complains, "We tried to help her get it back, an' it didn't go so well."

Gangsters, no doubt. That happens all the time in the crime world.

"So, where's Hunter?" Fives asks, "And Omega?"

"They... got captured," Wrecker supplies.

"Are they still on planet?" Anakin queries. He has no idea what they're getting into but considering the severity of what's happening in the Outer Rim, it's not surprising many crime lords are moving inward. He doesn't know what it is they walked into, but it's nothing good.

"Well, no," Tech replies, "We attempted to intercept, but we arrived too late."

... He's not even going ask what exactly happened. "Who do we need to look for?" Anakin asks, "Who took the parlor?"

"Their names were Maul and Savage Oppress," Tech says, "They were making a deal with the Hutts."

Anakin sighs. Loudly. He knows the Huts, and he dials Asajj's frequency. "Asajj," he says dryly, "Your horned friends are getting into trouble."

"What?" she asks, confused.

"The Zabraks you freed from the Malevolence are causing trouble here. We're on another mission." He looks up at Wrecker at Tech. "Which Hutt were they dealing with? I can't imagine there's many left."

"The one they were dealing with was Ziro."

"He's based off Coruscant," Anakin replies, "Guess we're heading back there. I know the Hutts. I have dealt with them before. What happened to Cid?"

"Cid's dead," Wrecker supplies.

Ah. That explains it – they probably got captured, Maul labeled Cid as the culprit and sent Hunter and Omega off into slavery. The clones always have been slaves, but at least it wasn't... like that. Anakin knows how the Hutts are. He can only imagine what's happening to them, what could happen to them, and they have to move fast.

Force. Omega's just a child. Hunter isn't much older. The clones have never had anybody to take care of them, and somehow, that makes it even worse. They've never had anyone to protect them, to shelter them, and Hunter certainly hasn't. Fives may have, somewhat, but it's not the same. It's not...

Omega's so small, the Hutts wouldn't risk hurting her too much yet. They're picky about permanently damaging their property. They wouldn't make that kind of mistake. Hunter, though... they probably don't have much time.