NOBLE: The Bad Batch

𝟒: Undeniable Questions

Mentions In Chapter: MatteoSN7 & Serinwee06

21 BBY | Month 6, Day 20
Ord Cestus | Unknown conditions - Space
Medical Space Station

The Havoc Marauder floats silently in orbit above Ord Cestus, docked at the massive space medical station. The ship is in the process of being refueled, and new medical equipment is being transferred to the Marauder's ramp for pickup. The station is filled with chatter, and much of it centers around a recent incident involving Ahsoka Tano and her good friend, Barriss Offee. Their used starship, TB-73, had been infested with Geonosian brain worms following a previous mission, forcing Ahsoka to make difficult decisions in order to deal with the parasites and save whatever lives she could, including her own. The vessel is now quarantined and undergoing a thorough cleaning inspection.

Inside the Marauder's cockpit, Noble sits in the co-pilot seat, her datapad resting in her lap as she tries to relax. Behind her, Wrecker snores loudly, his large frame slumped in the adjustable heavy-duty chair with his Tooka doll, Lula, held close to his chest. Noble glances back, a small smile tugging at her lips as she watches him sleep.

In the back of the Marauder, Tech and Hunter perform system checks, discussing things from their last missions and follow-ups to their next tasks. Their voices are low but focused, occasionally punctuated by the tap-tap-tap of Tech's datapad.

Meanwhile, Crosshair strolls into the cockpit with usual impatience. He glances at Wrecker, then kicks the leg of his seat with a swift nudge.

"Wake up, you big lug. You're drooling all over your doll," Crosshair mutters, his head thumping with a minor headache.

Wrecker jolts awake, blinking rapidly as he hugs Lula closer. "Wha-Huh?"

Noble turns her chair slightly, watching the two start bickering. A hint of amusement in her eyes, though it fades as her attention shifts to the figure standing just outside the Marauder at the open ramp-the tall, Kaminoan form of Nala Se. She stands there motionless, her gaze fixed on the clone sharply.

There's an underlying tension whenever Nala Se is involved or any Se for that matter-especially given the way the Kaminoan is both a guardian and an overseer of her existence after Lina Ru. Nala's sudden presence here so far from Kamino only deepens that unease.

A small mutter escapes her lips: "God, please help me..."

She glances back at Crosshair and Wrecker, who are still in the midst of their argument, now trading half-hearted insults. With a sigh, Noble walks to and eventually down the ramp.

"Why are you here?" Noble asks quietly, a hint of nervousness in her voice, adjusting her glasses. "Shouldn't you be on Kamino? With Omega?"

Nala Se doesn't answer immediately. Her expression remains inscrutable as she gestures for Noble to follow her down the corridor leading away from the Marauder. Noble hesitates for a moment but eventually falls into step beside the Kaminoan, leaving the ship behind.

Hunter, noticing her departure, steps closer to the ramp and watches the duo, his brows furrowed with subtle concern. As Noble and Nala Se disappear through a sliding blast door, the Sergeant himself stands at the exit of the Marauder, torn between intervening and respecting his medic's space. He no doubt knows how much Nala Se's presence unnerves Noble, even without her explaining the situations that revolve around her past, but this conversation seems personal.

Still going on, Crosshair and Wrecker's bickering has escalated into a full-blown exchange of mock-insults.

"Why don't you use your head for once, Wrecker? That tiny brain of yours can't be that small..." Crosshair drawls in his usual icy demeanor.