Guarded (#2 Post-Order 66 Series)

Guarded - Part 27

"That the last of it?"

Wrecker grunted as he carefully placed the final bags in the back of the speeder. "Should be." He'd been so excited the night before that he'd hardly slept, and now he just wanted to get into the speeders so he could doze on their trip out to Keren. They'd packed light, only bringing their armor and a few weapons just in case. They didn't want to attract too much attention and hoped they wouldn't run into any Imperial checkpoints. Dressed in civilian clothing, they were hoping that the bags that contained their armor would just look like normal overnight bags. They'd pried up the seats to stuff their weapons underneath, but there hadn't been room to hide much else.

Hunter nodded at him, pulling the hat he had on a little lower and glancing over his shoulder at the captain, who was giving Tarren one last briefing before they headed out. Saré had opted to stay behind with him as well to help coordinate the incoming militia groups.

Wrecker strode forward, scooping the handmaiden up for one last big hug. "You stay safe, alright?"

She giggled, giving him a peck on his cheek. "Same to you, big guy. You still haven't taught me how to disarm one of those fancy bombs you were working on the other day."

"I promise I will next time I see ya," he said, grinning as he set her back down.

"You'd better," she teased, winking at him before walking over to Hunter and embracing him as well.

"Thanks for everything, Sergeant. Don't think I ever mentioned how much I appreciated you getting us out of Theed."

Wrecker watched as Hunter grinned sheepishly. "That's our job. No need to thank us."

Saré nodded a bit, chewing on her lower lip. "Feels like I should, especially after so many didn't make it out." Wrecker's face softened a bit at the mention of the other handmaidens. He knew Saré had taken the news of their deaths pretty hard, and that was what she had used to fuel herself when he was teaching them about explosives. She'd thrown herself into it with such fervor that she'd easily become the best pupil he had. Hunter's eyes darted to Wrecker nervously as he reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze before moving past her.

Typho approached them, pulling a wide-brimmed hat over his head. "Ready, gentlemen?"

"When you are, Cap," Hunter replied.

"Very good. Let's get moving then. We've got a longer haul than the others. They should beat us by a few hours."

Waving one last farewell at the people behind them, Wrecker piled into the back of the speeder with the gear while Hunter and Typho took the front. Carefully, Typho pulled the speeder out onto the road way, the trees rushing past.

"Remember, if we get stopped, we're heading to Keren to meet up with some friends for work at the marina. They've always been short on workers there, and it's not uncommon for people to show up looking for work. Sabé's a friend that's letting us stay at her place until we can find more permanent lodging."

Wrecker nodded. He didn't always do well at remembering the details of his covers, but this one seemed simple enough. He leaned on the door, letting his fingers reach out and dance through the breeze as the speeder wove through the forest. The large clone still felt anxious. He'd missed his brothers and was excited to see them and to see Senna again, but he also felt a little bit of trepidation that he couldn't quite pin down. He'd noted the difference between Crosshair and Echo in their meetings, how Crosshair no longer seemed to be carrying as much resentment towards his brother. Wrecker wondered if it would be the same for him when he and Crosshair were finally back in the same place.

He'd spent months after his brother's return trying to determine out what the secret was to getting him to be normal with them again, but he never had figured out the right thing to say or do. Wrecker had watched as his brothers had experienced similar struggles, but he wondered if Echo had finally figured out the secret, the way to get their brother back. He'd laid awake at night trying to imagine if it had been a conversation and what had been said. Words had never been Wrecker's strong suit, so if it was a conversation he needed to have with Crosshair, he worried he'd say the wrong thing or not be able to convey how he felt well enough. Will he ever be able to forgive me like he did with Echo? Or will he just hate me forever? He'd been frustrated because he couldn't even find the words to ask Hunter about it. Maybe I'll just talk to Echo about it when I see him.