Omega stayed in shock, and kept glaring with all the fury she can muster at the place where Hemlock had just stood two minutes ago.
She felt a whirlwind of emotions.
Fury – that he was ready to send her and her brother to a death sentence just because they couldn't let out any data.
Guilt – that it was her who had led him to his death. If they had gone into hiding in the first place, if she hadn't bargained to be closer in exchange of getting something she knew he wouldn't give, he might not have had listened to getting to die in ten days.
Helplessness – that how the hell can they escape? And where were her vode?
And most of all, hope. That they may make it out of here. The trip to Mustafar may not be the end of their story.
She couldn't even begin to guess what must Crosshair be feeling. She looked at him, hoping for him to lash his anger at her.
"Crosshair?"
"Don't say my name!"
She had expected it, but she couldn't help flinching. He was shaking while glowering at her with loathing.
"Shut your mouth up. If it weren't for you, I would never have had defected with my brothers. They never would have returned to Kamino and left me there. You replaced me. You were of more value than me."
He let out a mirthless laugh.
"I don't know why I broke out of my cell to warn you. I was a kriffing fool, and I have to pay the price. I'll die a traitor, I'll die with no one to even remember my name, and it's all because of you!"
She could feel her heart stop beating. She forgot to breathe. She wanted him to let his rage escape, but she couldn't help feeling how badly hurt she was feeling.
"You say that they had come here to rescue me. You told me that Hunter was reluctant, of walking you all into a trap, when I already was snared into that trap, left alone to suffer! The moment Tech died, the moment the one who vouched for me fell, he turned back. He never meant to come for me. He never even returned for us. He'll come for you and you only, like your brothers did on Daro, they came for him and didn't spare a glance at me. Even when I rescued you from drowning, they pointed their blasters at me!"
He was beginning to scream now.
"So, I order you, I beg you, shut up! Don't you call me your brother, you freaking death sentence, you lab scrabber!"
Omega stayed silent until finally Crosshair collapsed, out of tiredness.
She knew he wasn't that cold and cruel, but the Empire had hardened him and brainwashed him, yet she couldn't stop her tears from falling.
He was right.
She was the reason why he'd ended up in the Empire in the first place, and now she'll be the reason why he'll die a traitor.
She sniffled, and laid down on her side. If he was going to die, then she will die with him too. She will not be the sole survivor of the story.
She had just begun to drown in her dreams, when she heard someone stand up. It took all in her willpower not to turn around.
"Omega?"
She looked over her shoulder to see Crosshair.
"I'm...I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Crosshair. I'm sorry. You are right. I drew you all into a death trap."
"I shouldn't have had said that."
"You needed to let your grief out. You didn't have a choice. It's OK."
He fell to his knees tiredly. "I just don't want to die alone. I've always dreamt of dying with valour on the battlefield, not in a prison cell for treason. I don't want to die a traitor, when I've given my whole life to war. I want to go home. I want to see my vode again, one last time."
"And we will. I have a plan, Crosshair, and I know it will work." He looked at her with hope and disbelief. "I assure you, our story will not end as fugitives."
*****
"So what you're telling me, is that when they take me for interrogation tomorrow, I have to kick them down, and you'll take their blasters and stun them?"
Crosshair asked in hushed tones with eyebrows raised.
"That's right," she said, ignoring his eye-roll. "Then one of us will run to the comm room and releases an unauthorized signal, while the other goes down to the main hangar to find ourselves a ship."
"You do know right that the comm room is guarded heavily?"
"Then I'll tag along and we'll both stun them all." Problem solved. She looked up to confirm one last time that she had successfully disabled the surveillance in the room, thanks to the lessons with Tech. But they still kept their voices low enough to not be heard clearly.
"OK."
"Once the signals are released, the gas will escape. The troopers run in from the alarm, and once they're inside, we barricade them in. Mind you, we'll need to let out multiple signals, to attract more stormtroopers."
"Never thought you could be that evil."
"Learned from the best."
She snuck a look in time to see him give a small smile.
"When we're done barricading them, we let the prisoners escape, specifically of S-2. More forces sent, chaos erupts, and we're free to go to the main hangar. Beforehand, we'll need to have bombs placed on the Zillo Beast prisons. Let me finish," she snapped, seeing Crosshair open his mouth. "We also place the bombs inside the channels where the poison gas is released. I believe the network is spread across the facility."
"What good will that do? Hemlock is immune, and the troopers are masked." Crosshair pointed out.
She blew an exasperated breath. "I had treated a batch of troopers who had lighted up a flame near the gas' production labs, resulting in the gas canister exploding in flames. The gas is highly inflammable. It needs only a spark to burn a place down."
"Genius." That was something, coming from Crosshair.
"The bombs to the Zillo Beast are only to be detonated when the situation gets out of control, when we can't handle the firefight any more. Once we are safely out with our ride from the hangar, we kaboom the whole facility."
She dusted her hands.
"And if we let the beast out?"
"Then we shall have approximately ten minutes before it makes its way to the hangar. It can take later than that, but not earlier."
Crosshair laid down. "But I must remind you, we do not have three people, and we need someone to set the explosives and let the false transmission."
"I can let the false transmissions, but I know just the thing for the bombs!"
"Thing? Or do you mean, man?" Crosshair repeated, until realization dawned. "You had your medical droid crosswire some more droids."
"You're quick. As we speak, AZI is debriefing 6 more droids on their part. And no, they will not tell anyone else, due to the restraining bolts on them."
Crosshair gave a light chuckle. "You know, kid, you're making me feel good about this."
"I know it's good. After all, I'm the mastermind." Omega bragged, shrugging.
"When do we do this?"
"We have ten days left. We begin two days from today, to be sure no one eavesdropped on us and to improvise in case something unexpected occurs.. Also, Vader returns from his detour after five days, so it's better if we're gone before he comes back."
