Rising From Ashes

Chapter 8 - Kamino

Alema Syndulla

Omega, at least, knows where to go. The tension as we enter the underwater tunnel to the facility is running high. Omega is scared and upset. Tech himself is uncharacteristically restless. Echo and Fives are, too. "We'll get them back," I say quietly.

"The chances are not in our favor," Tech replies bluntly. I may not know him well, but it still hurts to see. I can feel the deep-rooted ache, a need to get his brothers back. He doesn't care about anything else anymore. He only cares about protecting Omega, but otherwise, if I weren't here, he would go in there blindly, recklessly, alone.

"They never are," I remind, "But we always work it out. The Jedi Order was built on hope. That's what we stand for."

He stares at me for a moment, then returns to studying his datapad, or at least pretending to.

"Are... you alright?" Echo inquires of Omega quietly. My gaze turns to her. She's... crying.

"It doesn't matter," she answers, shakily, "Hunter is what matters."

I don't promise her it'll be alright. All I can feel is the need burning me inside out again, the same as on Ryloth, the feeling that I have to protect them. I'm tired of being helpless. And I'm afraid of where that will take me. I'm terrified of... of what that icy feeling inside me means.

I haven't planned a mission in such depth... ever, actually. It's like when Anakin and Aniya infiltrated the Citadel on Lola Sayu, except at least it's a water planet instead of lava planet.

We enter Nala Se's lab where we meet AZI, and Omega tells us for the first time that she was there when her brothers were born. Tech pulls up the schematics for the facility as I asked him to.

"Alright," I say finally, studying the maps, "I'll track Hunter. Tech, Omega, and AZI, go the medbay closest to Hunter's location, assuming you can get it working, anyway. Echo and Fives, you're with me. I'll lure Crosshair and Wrecker to your position. I'm a Jedi, so they won't focus on anyone else when they see me."

We split up after entering the facility. Hunter's position is moving, which is annoying, but I contact Tech and Omega to tell them the changing position, anyway. This is nothing we can't make work. All the clones are gone now, and something about this place is too... empty. I know something very, very bad is about to happen, but I force myself to tune it out and focus. I'm on a mission, and I can't get distracted.

I can't –

"Stay here," I tell Echo and Fives, stopping at the end of the hall to where Hunter's comm is. "You can stun them as they pass. Or take out anyone else with them. I'll go in alone."

They look at each other uncertainly. "Yes, ma'am," Fives says finally, very, very reluctantly.

"Hey, I'll be fine," I assure, "Just stay hidden. They need to think I'm alone." My heart rate spikes anyway. I'm afraid to see them again. Afraid to be alone, but I need to be. (Maybe it's that I think I deserve to be, after I left, after I failed, after... after everything.)

"Are you sure?" Echo asks. I glance over at him – I'm fully grown, and near his height now. I'm close to seventeen. I remember a time when I was younger, when I was shorter than everyone, when I was still small and when I would climb onto the barrels of enemy tanks to make them blow each other up because I thought it was fun. Because really, it was fun to watch them blow each other up. I had back on Jabi'im when... I first met Aniya.

I don't think I can answer him verbally, so I take a moment to try calming myself. (I'm never going to have that again.) "Yes."

I ignite my lightsaber, and Echo and Fives disappear around the corners at either end of the hall as I plunge my blade through the door.