The Bad Batch: Book 3

Part 5: Helping Hand

Hunter's POV 

A vine flew towards Wrecker making me pull out my blaster and shoot at it. 

Boy 2: "Don't fire! It gets hostile when you shoot."

Wrecker: "You mean is not already hostile?" 

Boys: "No!" 

The vines began to go towards Wrecker and me. I took another step back making my back hit the tree. Suddenly a vine came behind us and grabbed Wrecker. 

Wrecker: "Hunter!" 

I grabbed my knife and ran up the tree cutting the vine to free Wrecker. The vines let out a scream of pain and went back into the forest. 

Boy: "Come on!" 

They began to run and we quickly followed them. As we stopped I looked back to see if vines were coming after us. I couldn't see any. 

Wrecker: "What was that stuff?" 

He asked as he was trying to catch his breath. 

Boy 2: "Slither vines. The Empire made it. It's some kind of experiment weapon until they lose control of it." 

Boy: "Probably why they ordered a Base Delta Zero on their facility." 

Boy 2: "We'll be safe on the crag. The slither vines haven't spread there." 

Boy: "Yet. And this time doesn't touch anything." 

Wrecker: "Yeah, yeah." 

We followed the boys and made sure that we didn't touch anything. We came to a campfire that was hidden under rock cover and there behind the fire seat anything boy—another clone. 

Boy 3: "Who are they?" 

He asked as he set up and pointed his stick at us. 

Boy: "Clones. We found them by the overlook." 

I removed my helmet and looked around. 

Wrecker: "It's quite a place you got here." 

The only room that they had was a small light that was barely working. 

Boy 3: "What do you want?" 

Me: "We're looking for a young woman. She was taken by an Imperial named Hemlock. Her name is Luna." 

Boy 3: "Never saw a woman around the lab. But I know Hemlock." 

He said as he set behind the fire again. 

Boy 3: "He was in charge until things changed. One day, the Imperials started packing up and shipped out. So we made our move and escaped." 

Boy: "We were the only ones that made it out before the orbital bombardment." 

Boy 2: "Even the clone troopers left us to die. Said they were following orders." 

Wrecker: "We get it. We've lost people too." 

I took a step forward. 

Me: "We can take you to someplace safe, but we need to find out if Luna was here or where Hemlock took her. There has to be some initial in that base." 

Boy: "One of the control room panels was still intact during our last scout. I tried to use it to send a signal, but there was no power." 

Me: "Can you take us there?" 

Boy 2: "No way. That area is covered in slither vines. It's toxic." 

Boy 3: "Stak's right. Going near those ruins is a suicide mission. You are on your own."