A Galaxy Freed (Book 4)

Chapter 2: Echo

          Rex pulled out the holopad I caught him listening to earlier. "I'm sorry for not bringing this up to you both sooner, especially you Fives," explained Rex. I couldn't tell the expression Fives was showing. It looked like a mix of both anger and sadness. "I knew he was your best friend and someone you regarded with a lot of importance. I just needed solid proof before I could share my theory."

"How...how long have you known about the possibility of Echo being alive?", Fives asked.

"I've had my suspicions ever since the battle at the mine on Cynda. It's like they knew exactly what we were going to do before we did it. There was just no way they could have correctly guessed each tactic we would have tried in order to defeat them."

I remembered that battle. I left before the clones showed up. I was kept hidden from them. "I remember that fight," I mentioned. "Even if I did not stay when you all arrived, I recall asking Vinera how her soldiers fought the clones off so well. She never gave me an answer. I'm guessing this is the reason why. If I knew about Echo, believe me, you both would be the first to know. I'm just as shocked as you are."

"If you thought it was Echo, then why did you resort to the idea that it was a traitor back on Coruscant?", Fives asked to Rex.

"Truthfully, I didn't want to believe it. It seemed impossible. I mean...we saw him die at the Citadel."

Fives's eyes looked to the floor. "Yeah...", was all he could say.

"After we found that woman who was working for Vinera to gather information on the holocron the Jedi Generals have been trying to pinpoint the location of, I got to digging." He placed the holopad on the table we were sitting at. "The Republic has many spies across the Galaxy who send us intel every now and then. We haven't been getting many responses from them, probably due to Vinera keeping a low profile; however, she let something slip. And that something is huge." Rex opened up a recording. "A spy stationed on Anaxes noticed that the old Cyber Center used by the Separatists was sending out a signal of some kind."

"Anaxes?", I questioned. "I never heard of it."

"Rex and I fought there what seems like years ago now. The Republic has a strong base there that protects the rest of the Core Worlds from attack," answered Fives.

          "Had", corrected Rex. "It was destroyed right under our noses. The men stationed there didn't even have time to let us know."

"What!?", Fives shouted. "Is that why Coruscant was able to be so easily invaded?"

"I think so," replied Rex. "Kane, are you sure you don't know anything about Anaxes?"

I looked as confused as he did. "I wasn't sent there. I know that for certain," I responded. "Before we captured the mine on Cynda, Vinera said she had the intention of destroying a major Republic base, but she went alone."

"You mean to say she killed everyone in that base before they got a chance to send for reinforcements?", asked Fives with a look of shock. Rex shared the same expression.

"Don't underestimate Vinera. I've never seen someone as powerful as her. Wiping an entire army of clones out was child's play to her."

"She must have activated that Cyber Center before she left then," said Rex to himself. "Listen to this." He played the recording:

"CT-1409...CT-1409...CT-1409...CT-14---"

          The recording stopped abruptly. "It sounds like a call for help," said Rex. "The signal somehow went unsecured just long enough for his voice to get heard by the spy, who then sent it to Command.