The Great War • Hunter

66.Crosshair

    After dinner everyone was hanging out around the plaza while Tech continued to gather information from the data stick.

Wrecker was chasing Omega and Lyana in circles around the tree. Every once in a while one or both of the girls would scream when he caught up to them.

    Alona was leaning up against a column with a rag held under her nostrils, having yet another nosebleed. She was occupying herself by watching Wrecker and the girls play, finding herself smiling every time Omega's laugh echoed across the plaza.

    "Alona, what's bleeding?" Hunter asks before she can even see where he's coming from. She glanced over her shoulder at him and Echo, his question answered by the bloody rag she held to her face. "Another one?"

    Alona nodded, looking back over at Omega. Wrecker creeped up on her and Lyana again, their screams and laughs booming loudly. "I'm gonna bleed out if this one doesn't stop soon."

    "You've never had a nosebleed." Echo frowns, leaning against the column next to hers. "Except for when that droid almost crushed your face. But that was injury related."

    Alona laughed, leaning into Hunter's side. He wraps his arm around her waist. "That was true until I got pregnant. I get them quite often now."

    Echo whistled, taking a swig of his beverage. "That's wild to hear." He said in disbelief, reading Hunter and Alona's expressions. "You guys do seem really happy, though. So you all plan to stay here indefinitely?"

    Hunter sighed. "We haven't decided yet." He said quietly, watching Wrecker chase Omega around the tree. His thumb gently caressed Alona's bump. "But, to be honest, it might be the best thing for us."

    Echo nodded vaguely. "I'd say so."

    Alona removed the cloth from her nose, sighing in relief after realizing the bleeding had stopped. "So, what have you been up to?" She asked, tearing her gaze from Omega to Echo.

    "Rex and I have built up a small network of clones. Some are in hiding, underground. Others act as our contacts within the Empire." Echo explained, keeping his voice quiet so other people can't listen in.

    "Echo, you've seen the power you're up against. You can't defeat them." Hunter expressed, glancing at the clone out of the side of his eye.

    Echo shook his head. "It's not about that. It's about fighting for our brothers." He spat back, his gaze hardening.

    Alona started to zone out, chewing on her bottom lip while she thought about Anakin. It was all so hard to comprehend, so hard to come to terms with. She would fight for her brother, but he's too far gone right now. He's too indulged in his new Empire to realize what had truly happened, how he had been corrupted and manipulated.

    "I understand why you're doing this..." Hunter trailed off, letting out a conflicted sigh. He didn't want to start an argument. But he needed to know how far Echo was willing to go. "...but when will it be enough?"

    Hunter knew that not all the clones could be saved. Alona saw how his feeling of hopelessness is overwhelming him into inaction. Instead of rescuing clones, he was here on Pabu, actively avoiding the Empire. The Hunter Alona knew during the clone wars would probably be doing the opposite, but so many things have changed and it's made their situation much more conflicting.

It didn't help that Alona had been having these visions, not ones that she could see, but ones she was able to hear clearly. Luke will find out about Vader one day, and maybe–just maybe–it would help draw Anakin back. Alona couldn't do it, she had a different responsibility now.