Something to Prove (A Bad Batch Fanfic)

Trust

You storm into the Marauder and throw your things in your room. Echo and Hunter follow you. 

"Don't you guys have some sort of 100% mission success rate?" You say, raising your voice. 

Echo sighs. "That was during the Clone Wars. This is a different time."

"There were so many credits in that chest! What will we tell Cid?" 

Hunter places a hand on your shoulder. "We'll figure it out, alright? You don't need to worry about that." 

You move his hand off of your shoulder. "I am worrying about it! I just want to see my father, and you won't let me!" 

"We're trying to protect you." Echo says.

"I don't need you to 'protect me'. I can fend for myself, thanks."

~ 

Hunter and Echo leave your room, sensing that you need space. You feel such a mix of emotions: sadness, rage, and fear. Captain Kaldor's words echo through your mind.

Even if I wanted to take you to your father, it's not like he'd want you. You're a mistake. 

You huff in frustration. Captain Kaldor was rude to you from the start. As you watched your father join the Empire the day the squad rescued Omega, Captain Kaldor told you that you would never amount to anything, and, to be honest, you still believe that. 

"You'll never be as great as Commander Crosshair." He said to you. "You may have his skills, but you don't have even a fraction of his loyalty or his discipline. You're nothing." 

Those memories still hurt to think about. While his words stung, they also are the words that drive you to do more and to never give up on your goal of proving to your father (and to Captain Kaldor) that you're worth something. You're startled by Wrecker opening your door. 

"Kriff, Wrecker. You scared me." 

"Oh, sorry. Tech was wondering if you wanted to fly with him." His voice gets unusually quiet. "Y'know... like old times." 

"I don't know if I'm in the mood right now." 

Wrecker simply nods and leaves, closing your door. You feel slightly guilty for saying no, but things with the squad are awkward. You've grown apart from them ever since Crosshair left. It makes you a little bit sad, but you're also still upset and hurt that the squad won't let you do what you want. After all, you aren't a kid anymore. You just wish that the squad would stop treating you like one.

~

You spend the way to Ord Mantell writing in your notebook what happened in the mission. Ever since you were younger, you've been keeping track of all of the missions you've been on. Your notebook is almost full because you've been going on missions since you were around Omega's age. You chuckle looking at your younger self's description of the missions. You're much more analytical in your recent mission descriptions than you were when you were younger, and it's a bit sad to think about. You close your notebook as the ship lands. As you leave your room, you glance back at your rifle and decide to take it with you. 

Tech looks at you, surprised, when he sees your rifle on your back. "You're bringing... that? You will not need it." 

Hunter chuckles. "Just like her father." 

"You never know..." You try to defend yourself. "There could be danger." 

"On a neutral planet with only civilians?" Echo teases.

You glare at him.

"Alright, you two. Let's go." Hunter says, walking off of the ship.

~

You feel disappointed as you walk into Cid's Cantina. Your eyes adjust to the dim lighting. The same familiar customers are here like always. You're one of the first people to walk into her office. 

"Where is it?" She asks.

"We didn't do our job." You say.

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that." Echo chimes in.

"We were surrounded!" Omega says.

Cid sighs. "Fine, fine. I'll let you off the hook. I'll tell you right now, though, that this mission is not easy."

You smile smugly. "I can handle it."

"We can handle it." Echo reminds you.

"How would you all feel about another Imperial mission?"

~

"What do you mean we won't be fighting Kaldor?" You ask after Cid tells you more about the mission.

Cid raises an eyebrow. "What's your obsession with him, anyway? It's weird." 

"He's a kri-" 

Wrecker elbows you. "The kid." 

"Oh, right. He's downright evil. He told me I was a mistake. He said that my father-"

"Okay, okay. I don't need your entire life story." Cid rolls her eyes. "Geez." 

"You're the one who asked."

"So... we go to an Imperial planet and gather intel?" Omega says, making sure she understands the mission.

"Yeah." Cid responds. "The intel isn't for me. I don't like politics."

"Well, like it or not, you'll have to get involved with it sooner or later." Echo tells her.

"That's a problem for Cid of the future."

~

You sit down next to Tech in the cockpit once you all go back to the ship.

You sigh. "I can help you take off, I guess."

"That... that would be nice." He responds.

You look behind you and see that Omega is studying the types of ships on Tech's datapad.

He's teaching her just the way he taught me. You think.

You press all the necessary buttons to start the ship. It's muscle memory by now from all the times you've flown the Marauder. 

"Ah, so you have not lost your skills." Tech comments.

"I may not have your level of intelligence, but I am smart." 

"I was not saying you weren't smart. It's just nice to fly with you again."

You look away from him. "I... I guess it's nice to fly with you too." 

~

You and Tech land the ship on the Imperial planet. You go to your room and get your rifle and leave the ship with the others. You look around you and see that the once nature-filled planet has now been turned into another one of the Empire's things to destroy.

"Still want to join them?" Echo asks.

You're at a loss for words. 

Hunter moves past you and Echo and walks towards the Imperial base that is in sight. 

"Tech, what's the best way to enter this base?" He asks.

"I believe it would be best to enter through the ship hangar. The door to the hangar is almost always open." 

"You'd think they would keep it closed." Echo comments. 

"Well, some of them aren't the smartest." Wrecker laughs. 

"Like you're one to talk." Tech mutters.

"Hey, I heard that!" 

~

All of you approach the ship hangar. Not surprisingly, there's a fair amount of soldiers and officers in and outside the hangar. 

"Great plan, Tech." Hunter sighs.

"This is the best way to get in. Would you rather have had us try to go in through the front?"

"Fair point. Y/N, can you take some of those people out?" 

"I can, but I don't want to." 

"Would you stop acting like a teenager?" Echo groans.

"If you let me leave and join the Empire, you wouldn't have to-"

"Settle down, you two." Hunter interrupts. "Please, Y/N. We need you to do this."

"Alright, alright. I will." You position yourself so you're not in plain sight but can still get some good shots.

"Be quick. If someone sees-" 

You take your first shot and stun one of the soldiers before Hunter can finish his sentence.

"Relax. I've got my father's blood, after all." 

~ 

You stun the rest of the soldiers and officers with ease. 

"You're... you're identical to Crosshair." Omega says, marveling at your skills.

"Yeah. I guess I'm like a clone too, just not of Boba Fett." 

All of you sprint into the ship hangar. Tech maps the way for all of you. 

"We must go to the central control room." 

"I don't think all of us can go. It's too risky." Echo says.

"I'll do it." You say. "I'll get the data. You all can distract the guards." 

"Can we trust you with that?" 

"Yes." You say, making eye contact with Hunter.

~

You're in front of the squad as all of you run down the hallways of the Imperial base. Tech instructs all of you where to go. Although you don't want to admit it, there's something exhilarating about disobeying the rules and running through the hallways. 

"Alright. This is where we'll leave you. Let us know when you're done gathering intel." Hunter says, giving you the data stick.

You take it from him and enter the control room. You plug it into the dashboard of the panel. 

"Let's see... I'm looking for a mission report from around two weeks ago." 

The data begins to download. You think of an idea: you could search for information about where your father is stationed. Your finger rests on the key for the Aurebesh symbol for 'c'. 

I have time... You think. 

You search up 'CT-9904' and click on your father's file.

~

You notice that the data has downloaded. You're busy looking through your father's file, so you haven't alerted anybody in the squad that the data has downloaded. 

Huh. It's harder than I though to find where he is. Maybe his is more secure because he's a commander. You think, scrolling through.

You hear Hunter's voice on your com. "Have you downloaded the intel yet? I think you're going to have some company soon. We'll try to hold them off for as long as we can." 

"It hasn't finished downloading yet." You lie. 

Come on. It can't be that hard to find the base he's stationed on. You think, frustrated.

You find another section of information in his file after the mission reports. 

"I bet it's in here." You say, sighing in relief.

You suddenly feel yourself being choked, not by the Force, but from someone behind you putting you in a choke hold. You desperately try to get the person's hands off of your neck, but it's no use. Your body can't get enough oxygen. You go unconscious, your body slumping to the floor.