The Defective Clone

Chapter Twenty One

Darkness

As Tipoca City began to fall apart you all struggled to get out of the city & all collapsed & fell to the bottom of the sea with the city in pieces. After the city reached the bottom you fell unconscious but awoke to find yourself trapped under debris. You looked around & saw Azi & Omega then you saw Crosshair, stuck, trapped, & unconscious. “Omega! It’s Crosshair, he’s stuck!” You say. “So are you.” Omega says as you sigh. “Where’s the rest of the team?” You ask. “On the other side of the wall they're…” Omega pauses as water begins to flood the room. “Hunter, do you copy? Tech, Echo? Is anyone there? Wrecker?” Omega calls over comms. “Yeah kid, are you ok?” Hunter asks. “Not really, the room is flooding & Crosshair & Y/N are stuck.” Omega says. “Omega, take care of Crosshair first.” You say as Omega looks at you then nods & tries to pull the debris off of Crosshair just as he regains consciousness. “Greetings CT-9904 you survived the aerial bombardment but are now moments away from drowning.” Azi says. “Get this off of me.” Crosshair replies. “Azi, help!” Omega says as you manage to break yourself free & help Omega to the best of your ability.

As soon as you break Crosshair free you stay with Crosshair while Azi & Omega help the rest of the batch & manage to get the door open. When you all reach the batch on the other side you all take a sigh of relief. “What have you done?” Crosshair asks. “The Empire opened fire on the city we weren’t gonna leave you behind.” Hunter replies. “We don’t have time for this, we need to get topside before this entire structure sumerges.” Tech adds. “If you wanna stay here & die, that's your call.” Hunter says as you all run off except you who looks back at Crosshair before catching up with the group, Crosshair follows.

As the city reaches the bottom of the ocean you all collapse to the bottom all still alive. “I believe we have landed on the ocean floor, there is no way to accurately calculate the damage, most of the facility must be…. Compromised.” Tech says as the room begins to flood. “We need to get to a space that’s more secure.” Hunter says. “Follow me.” Tech says as you all follow him to the batch’s old barracks. “Ironically, our old barracks is one of the few compartments habitable, only temporarily.” Tech says. “This is our room? What happened to it?!” Wrecker asks. “At least the smells are gone.” Echo adds. “Check it out, our board is still here.” Wrecker says. “All those missions together, & you threw it away.” Crosshair says. “We made a choice. & so did you.” Hunter replies turning to face him & you who was sticking beside Crosshair. “Soldiers follow orders.” Crosshair says. “Blind allegiance makes you a pawn, a real leader protects his squad.” Hunter says. “Look where that’s gotten you, they’re all going to die here, because of your failed leadership.” Crosshair says as you push past Hunter & go over to Omega. “No, we're not, look. We landed on the underwater tunnel. If we use it to reach the base post we could get back to the Marauder.” Omega says. “Accessing the tube will be… challenging.” Tech adds. “Better than staying here.” Echo chimes in. “We have to try.” Omega says. “She’s calling the shots now?” Crosshair asks. “Do you have a better idea?” Hunter says pushing past him. “My scans indicate the tunnel is directly below this maintenance deck. Azi says with the precise will to maintain an air tight seal this might work.” Tech says. “Oh, what do you mean might?” Wrecker asks. “”Stop worrying yourself Wrecker. We’ll be fine as long as we get out of here.” You add. “The tunnel is clear.” Azi says as he checks the tunnel & you all hop in the tunnel walking through the system until Crosshair realizes the glass is breaking. “We need to go back. There must be another way.” Crosshair says. “That would be unwise, I am afraid this is our best option.” Azi replies. “Are you done complaining? You know if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Wrecker says. “Something on your tiny mind Wrecker?” Crosshair asks. “All that time, you didn’t even try to come back. We still would’ve taken you.” Wrecker says. “Let him go Wrecker, Crosshair has always been severe & unyielding, it is his nature. You cannot change that, he cannot change that.” Tech says. “Why are you defending me?” Crosshair asks. “I am not. Understanding you does not mean I agree with you.” Tech says. “Azi, this doesn’t look very safe.” Omega says seeing claw marks along the tunnel walls. “This enclosure remains a viable safe area for transport.” Azi says. “Let’s keep moving.” Hunter says as you all slowly follow behind one another until you all hear a loud noise in the distance. “I think we got a problem.” Hunter says stopping in his tracks. “Azi? These tunnels are protected right?” Omega asks. “Only when the power is operational, which it is not.” Azi replies. “Run1” Hunter orders as a weird sea creature attacks while Azi manages to get rid of it by turning on the power. “It appears I have caused this structure's remaining power to short out but you have survived the transient. This outcome is satisfactory.” Azi says as you all continue to climb upward until you reach Nala Se’s lab once again. “What is this place?” Hunter asks. “Nala Se’s private lab, Omega says this is where our mutations were manipulated & enhanced.” Tech replies. “How would she know?” Crosshair asks. “Because she was there. Omega was created before us, technically she is older than we are.” Tech says as you all wander around following Omega until you find a problem. “That tunnel was the only way to the Marauder.” Omega says. “It seems that once again, we are trapped.” Azi says as you all look around for the time being. “Azi? What’s wrong?” Omega asks as she notices something’s wrong with Azi. “My battery cells are depleting. I apologize for the inconvenience.” Azi says. “Long range comms are down& our oxygen levels will be critical in a few hours.” Echo informs. “This is what happens when you let a kid call the shots.” Crosshair says. “That kid saved your life. Unlike the Empire, who left you for dead.” Hunter says. “That’s your problem Hunter, you take things too personally.” Crosshair replies. “They destroyed an entire city.” Hunter says. “They did what needed to be done. Kamino, regs, the Republic, the time is over the Empire will control the entire galaxy, & I am going to be a part of it. Hunter, you made the wrong choice.” Crosshair says walking off. “Don’t fool yourself, all you’ll ever be to them is a number.” Hunter finishes as Crosshair goes to sit over on the window sill & you walk over sitting beside him Omega as well. “You never liked it on Kamino did you?” Omega asks. “Go away.” Crosshair replies. “I understand, I spent most of my life in this lab, I was alone down here until you four were created. That’s why I was determined to find you all again.” Omega says. “Being a clone doesn’t make you one of them.” Crosshair says. “I wanted to believe that it was the inhibitor chip that made you like this but I was wrong.” Omega says walking off, you stayed. “Crosshair, I want to stay with you. Your brothers may have not wanted to come back for you but I waited so long for me to come find you. I never told any of them, not even you about this but I do have my own inhibitor chip, I’m a defective clone, like you all, except Echo because he’s a reg. But wherever you are in the galaxy I want to follow.” You say. “Why bother? You’d just end up getting yourself killed.” Crosshair asks. “& so would you. But you're the elite squad Commander, they follow your orders & I am willing to follow yours.” You say as Crosshair looks off, looking away from you & you rejoin the batch as they plan out a plan to use the medical capsules to escape & that’s exactly what you all did. Wrecker placed charges along the glass & you all stayed in the capsules until you reached the surface, Azi lead the tubes to the top until he ran out of energy & Omega made the decision to go back after him. “I’m going after Azi!” Omega says through her comm. “Omega! Don’t!” Hunter orders as she opens her pod & swims after Azi running out of oxygen as she grabs Azi, she looks up towards the surface where Crosshair aims his sniper at Hunter then sends a grappling hook & latches onto Azi pulling Omega & Azi back up to the surface Hunter grabbing Omega from Azi.

After Crosshair rescued Omega as Omega rescued Crosshair he lowered his sniper looking around to see the rest of the batch not hesitating to stun him, he threw his rifle over to Wrecker & he grabbed it. “We should get going.” You say as everyone agrees & use your hands to move the pods to get over to where the Marauder was.

After reaching the Marauder you all helped each other up & you all stared off into the distance where smoke remained from Tipoca City that was now on the ocean surface below. “It’s all…. Gone.” Omega says. “So many memories, never forgotten.” You add. “Crosshair? Are you coming with us?” Wrecker asks. “None of this changes anything.” Crosshair replies. “You offered us a chance Crosshair, this is your’s.” Hunter says. “I’ve made my decision.” Crosshair says. “We want different things Crosshair, that doesn’t mean that we have to be enemies.” Hunter says as Crosshair looks off in the distance turning his back on Hunter & all of you expect you & Crosshair stay behind. “You're still their brother Crosshair, you're my brother too.” Omega says as she runs to meet Hunter on the Marauder. “What is Y/N doing?” Hunter asks. “Hunter, Y/N never told you but Y/N has an inhibitor chip & is a defective clone, like we are. Y/N is choosing to stay with Crosshair, it’s Y/N’s decision to make, not ours. Now let’s get going.” Tech explains as he fires up the engines & the Marauder leaves & disappears into the clear sunny sky, you & Crosshair both turning back to watch them leave. “So what now?” You ask as a Venator Class Star Destroyer appears from afar, transport ships leaving from it. “Come on. This war isn’t over.” Crosshair says as you follow him onto the transport & walk onto the destroyer.