The Bad Batch: Book 2

Part 24: Don't Look Down

Echo's POV

The moment we came up to the leader I took out my blaster and began to look around for anyone. As we saw that we were clear we stepped around the monitor.

Hunter: "Wrecker, get to work on the hatch."

He said as he showed him the hatch on the ceiling. Wrecker quickly went to work.

Rex: "Haven't been in these maintenance tunnels since the war."

Me: "Gotta say, Rex. Coruscant's the last place I'd expected you to be."

I said, making him look at me.

Rex: "It's worth the risk. More and more of our brothers are waking up to what's been done to them. I can't turn my back on them."

Me: "How many have you reached?"

Rex: "Not enough."

He said as he crossed his arms.

Rex: "Troopers who know too much are a liability to the Empire. I am working with a few contacts I trust, but we're spread pretty thin. Help's hard to come by these days."

Wrecker: "Got it."

He placed the cutter away and slid the doors open.

Wrecker: "Great. Ray shields."

Tech: "Leave it to me."

He said as he turned around and began to type on the monitor.

Hunter: "And how are we getting onto Rampart's Venator?"

Rex: "I'm taking a lesson from your squad. We improvise."

At that moment the ray shields turned off. We all went up the ladder. Wrecker was first and as he removed the cover he stepped out. As all of us were down we began to make our way towards the Rampart's Venator with our backs down. As I was running I was taking in the words Rex said. He needed help. I can help him.

Hunter gave us a sign that troopers were coming so we all took covers behind some pillars. As they went by we went forwards. As we got closer to Venator we stopped.

Me: "There's not enough cover."

I said as I saw that there were a lot of troopers.

Me: "We won't get across the shipyard undetached."

Hunter: "Not on foot."

He said, making me look at him. I followed his look to see a droid on the platform and I immediately knew what he was thinking of.

Hunter: "Move!"

He yelled in a whisper. All of us began to run towards the droid who began to rise the platform and we all took hold of the platform before he was too high in the air. The droid began to fly the platform towards the ship. I took a seat on the shelf and took hold of the platform so I wouldn't slide off. Wrecker grunted.

Rex: "He's still not better with highs?"

Wrecker: "Don't look down. Don't look down."

Me: "This is him better."

Wrecker: "Don't look down. Don't look down."

Me: "Usually Luna keeps him calm."

Rex: "Why do you guys call her Luna now instead of Lunar?"

Me: "She said that Lunar died on Kamino."

Tech: "I have bypassed the controls. Hang on."

When he said: "Hang on" he really meant it because the moment he took control of the platform we began to fly forward with the maximum speed. Suddenly we began to fly up towards the ship.

Hunter: "Tech?"

We came on the top of the ship.

Tech: "Now!"

All of us jumped down the platform. Rolling over I quickly picked myself up and followed others to the doors. The moment Tech opened them we stepped in. Rex took the lead and we followed. Coming into the control room Tech opened the doors and Rex and Hunter shot the two troopers down. The moment they fell on the ground unconscious we stepped in.

Tech: "Well that's unfortunate."

He said as he looked down at his monitor.

Rex: "Wanna narrow that down?"

Tech: "Energy conduits are offline. The only way to retrieve the data is to restore power, which will most likely signal a security breach."

Hunter: "How much time will we have?"

Tech: "Not much."

Me: "Then let's make it quick."

Tech took out the battery from behind his belt and the moment he looked at me I nodded. As he placed the battery inside the control system I turned the ship on and the room lit in lights. The power was back online and the alarm went off not a second later.

Hunter: "We're gonna have some company. Wrecker seals the doors!"

I was standing next to Tech when I heard voices from behind the doors. I couldn't move.

Hunter: "The doors won't hold much longer."

Tech: "I am expanding the file transfer as quickly as possible."

At that moment the doors flew open and troopers began to shoot at Hunter, Rex, and Wrecker who were standing appositive to them. The three of them took covers as they began to shoot back at them. Because we were standing behind the wall they did not see us. Hearing ships I looked towards the window to see them flying past the window.

Hunter: "New plan. 14,5, 86."

Wrecker: "All of them?"

Hunter: "Yes. Echo, man the cannons. Deal with the air support."

Me: "On it."

I took over the controllers of the guns and began to shoot at the shuttles that were flying around us. I managed to shoot two of them down as the other two flew away.

Tech: "Data transfers are complete."

Me: "Plan 5, set!"

Hunter: "Activate."

I activated plan 5 and the moment the ship began to move I and others ran out of the room as Wrecker took the troopers out.

Rex: "Security teams will be swarming this trench. We need an exit strategy."

Me: "Got one. We're going over them."

Rex: "Over them?"

At that moment the ship fell from the holders that were holding her up. Because of the hard shake, I fell a little but then I quickly picked myself up and opened the doors to which we came. We all stepped into an escape pod except for Rex.

Rex: "These escape pods are nonoperational."

Tech: "We only need them to eject. I can handle the rest."

Rex: "This should be interesting."

He said as he stepped into the escape pod and closed the doors behind him. We all took a seat and as Tech took hold of the control system we flew out of the ship and crash-landed. The moment we stepped moving Hunter opened the door and looked out.

Hunter: "Not bad."

He said as he stepped out. We followed.

Tech: "I was off by 6.4 meters. Not my best."

Rex: "It's almost morning. We need to hurry."

He said and all of us ran to the tunnel that we came out of.