21

Rain lashed the windshield of the Marauder as it descended on Teth.

The Batch had left in a hurry, prodding a sleepy Omega and a still-drunk and quite grumpy Wrecker from their beds and to the ship. Saedii had sat in the cockpit the entire flight, anxiously waiting for more information from Rex, but the comms had been quiet.

So had she. She hadn't said a word since they'd left. Too busy fighting to control the rush of emotions that sought to play out over this news.

Hunter stayed close by her side, but other than a few whispered commands to Tech, he too had been quiet.

It was a grey morning on Teth. Early enough that breakfast would still be out in the cafeteria, but still sometime before noon, judging by the troopers on watch. Down below by the landing pad, the faint yellow outline of Commander Cody was waiting for them.

Saedii pushed back the rush of panic at the sight of him. Urged herself to be calm. Whatever happened in this meeting, at least she would know the fate of Wolffe and the 104th. For better or worse, she would be getting closure.

Boots scuffed on the metal in the doorway as Echo joined them. He glanced over the group, gaze lingering just a little longer on Saedii, before announcing, "Wrecker and Omega are up. They want to come."

"Only if Wrecker behaves," Crosshair grumbled. "He whines when he's hungover."

"Hey! I do not!" Wrecker's outraged voice shouted from the back.

At the word behave, Saedii glanced at Echo. She hadn't apologized to him yet for telling him off. She wondered how mad he was going to be when she finally worked up the nerve to say it.

Echo was watching her, too – though not in anger. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Of course he was concerned about her. Even after snapping on him, he only thought of her well-being. It was so Echo.

"I need to know," Saedii insisted.

He nodded as if he understood.

Hunter shifted infinitesimally closer. A silent show of support.

Cody had his helmet on as he stood waiting in the rain. At the sight of Saedii, he snapped into a sharp salute. "Commander."

Even in the wake of the Republic's downfall, he was a stickler for protocol. Saedii nodded in acknowledgement and murmured her own, "Commander Cody. Is Rex waiting for us in the briefing room?"

"Not this time." Discretely, Cody tipped his head in the direction of the far tower. The very same that was hiding the remainder of the Jedi Order. "Rex wanted some...additional opinions."

Wrecker let out a groan. "Does this mean there won't be any food?"

"Whining. I told you," Crosshair hissed in Echo's ear.

"Shove it, Cross!"

"Wrecker, take Omega to the cafeteria. The two of you can grab some food while we meet with Rex."

"But I want to come!" Omega protested.

"Yeah, me too!" Wrecker added.

Hunter shot the two a look before stating, "It's not up for debate. The rest of us will follow your lead, Commander."

Saedii pulled her hood up as they walked towards the tower. Behind her, she heard the clicks as the guys put on their helmets and the squish of mud between their boots. Stomping footsteps behind them announced Wrecker and Omega's departure towards food.

A few troopers near the main building saluted as they passed. Saedii and Cody acknowledged their salute, but the rest of the Batch did not.

The rope bridge connecting the main monastery to the tower creaked with their weight, swaying in the downpour. The ropes sagged, waterlogged in the rain. Saedii eyed them uncomfortably, but somehow, they held.

Gregor opened the door for them. "Glad you lads could make it. Meeting's just getting started."

"Watch the mud!" a thin voice called out.

Down the stairs, the golden form of C-3PO appeared, waving his arms. "R2 and I just cleaned that walkway."

"Uh, sorry," Cody said gruffly. He gave a pitiful stomp of his boots, splashing grey mud on the floor.

C-3PO sighed. "At least wait for me to bring you a towel."

As the droid disappeared into a closet, Echo lowered his voice and asked, "I thought he was a translator droid?"

"He is," Cody said with a long-suffering kind of tone. "But recently, 3PO has appointed himself a nanny for the Skywalkers. He...takes his job very seriously."

As if to prove Cody's point, C-3PO appeared then with a handful of towels.

Once they'd all wiped off their boots, they were allowed up the stairs. Towards the room all the way at the top, which had come to serve as an impromptu meeting room for the last remaining Jedi.

It was a mess.

The beds in the corner were unmade. Floating highchairs were crusted with dried food. Toys and baubles scattered the floor. Robes and ornate dresses hung over the backs of the couches, while an overflowing pile of jewelry balanced on a nearby table.

It was a far cry from the Council Chambers in the Temple.

In the midst of the mess, Rex and Ahsoka sat next to each other on the couches. Ahsoka looked at ease, reclining, but Rex looked perturbed by the mess. His back was rigid as he sat and he kept eyeing a giant lula next to him.

Obi-Wan was there as well, chatting with Happy – one of Rex's new lieutenants who, unlike his name, never smiled. Next to him, trying to ignore a screaming Luke in his lap, Anakin looked half asleep.

"This is where we're going to have a debrief?" Crosshair asked in disgust.

Secretly, Saedii agreed with Cross. This wasn't a conducive environment for a high-tension meeting.

"We can't exactly bring the Jedi with us, since they're supposed to be a secret," Gregor said reasonably. He grinned good-naturedly. "So we thought we'd bring the meeting to the Jedi."

"R2 and I just made some coffee," Padme's voice called from around the corner. A moment later, she emerged with Leia on her hip and a massive pot off caff in the other hand. Behind her, carrying a tray with empty mugs, R2 gave an excited beep!

There were other Clones here as well. About five, each hand-selected by Rex to serve as his advisers, most of whom Saedii knew only by name. Omega had dubbed them Rex's "sidekicks". At quick glance, Howzer seemed to be missing. Everyone else was accounted for.

There was an organized rush for caff. Gregor shoved his way to the front of the line to grab the first cup.

By the time everyone was properly supplied with caffeine, Saedii was nearly bouncing out of her skin.

"If everyone's ready, I believe Rex has information for us," Obi-Wan began over the rim of his mug.

The attention shifted to Rex, who nodded solemnly. The effect was slightly lost though as, at his feet, Luke began to bang a model cruiser on the ground. "A few of my sources report that the Empire has built secret prison facilities for Clones that have begun waking up. We believe that we've found one of those facilities."

Echo leaned forward, frowning. Crosshair rubbed at a scuff on his armor.

"Prisons?" Cody, from his pot at Obi-Wan's left, looked surprised. "If the Clones are defecting, why would the Empire go to the trouble of keeping them alive? They've made no secret of the fact that we're expendable."

"It seems like these facilities have been exporting armor and weapons. Presumably for the new Imperial soldiers. The Clones are there to provide free labor."

"You mean slave labor," Padme said with heat.

Rex nodded slowly.

Every Clone in the room bore a matching expression of horror. Every Clone except Crosshair, who didn't look too upset.

"Where?" Ahsoka asked.

"Hareth is the only one we've found so far, but we suspect there are at least two others."

Obi-Wan was looking speculative. "And how many Clones are at this facility in Hareth?"

Rex and Cody exchanged a brief look before Rex said, "Howzer estimates at least three thousand."

Three thousand Clones.

If they rescued that many, then the Rebellion would increase exponentially. It was like an instant army. They would still be massively outnumbered, of course, but it was better than what they had.

Saedii couldn't hold it in any longer. "Are Wolffe and the 104th there?"

Behind her, Hunter adjusted his weight.

"My sources confirm that Wolffe and the remaining 104th legion were sent to one of these prisons," Rex said carefully.

"But you don't know that they're at Hareth?"

Rex answered curtly, "No. Not yet."

Saedii tried not to let her disappointment show. She'd been hoping for news – any news.

"Howzer is scouting out the facility," Rex continued, pulling up a transmission of what appeared to be a very long, one-story building in the middle of a vast desert. "He'll try to confirm Wolffe's presence before we go in, but either way, I want the liberation of this facility to be our main priority."

Gregor and the other Clones nodded. Agreeing that this was important.

"I don't see how this constitutes an emergency," Crosshair said lazily, causing several heads to turn in his direction.

Happy turned a very heated look in Crosshair's direction. "You don't care that our brothers are being used as slave labor? That they're –"

"What I mean," Crosshair interrupted, "is that they're still alive. For now, it appears the Empire has no immediate desire to kill them. There's no need to rush in to get them out."

"No need?"

"Settle down, Happy," Cody warned. "I'm sure Crosshair didn't mean it like that."

By the look on Crosshair's face, he absolutely had.

"Actually, Crosshair appears to be incorrect." Tech was reading off his holopad. He glanced up. "According to my files, Hareth's atmosphere contains trace amounts of toxic gases. Prolonged exposure can lead to increased risk of liver failure, lung disease, and even death."

Rex's expression didn't change. He must have known, then.

Obi-Wan looked troubled. "Tech, how long until that exposure becomes dangerous?"

"Based on this data, ninety days or more would be inadvisable."

Three months. The Clones only had three months on Hareth before they'd die. It was an incredibly short time line. Saedii couldn't help but wonder how many Clones had already died.

"Emergency enough for you?" Happy demanded of Crosshair.

Crosshair gave a little shrug.

Across the room, Leia gave a happy squeal as R2 dangled a doll in front of her. Padme handed her the doll to try and get the baby to quiet down.

Gregor drained his cup. "When do we leave?"

"A couple of days." Rex glanced up over the assembled Clones and Jedi. His attention lingered on Ahsoka before turning to the room at large. "I don't want to make concrete plans until I've received Howzer's latest intel, but however we do this, it's going to be tough. We have three thousand brothers that will need to come off world. A facility that needs to be shut down."

"We could use a Jedi," Cody said lightly, glancing at Obi-Wan.

"Hang on. I thought we were trying to keep them a secret," Happy said harshly.

"Don't worry, Happy. I'm a master of stealth." Anakin grinned.

Saedii was sure she saw Cody roll his eyes.

Ahsoka, too, shot him a look. "You're about as subtle as a black hole."

"While I appreciate the offer, General, I think it would be better for you to stay here," Rex said. He looked to Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. "All of you. For now, the Empire thinks you're dead. We need to keep it that way."

Saedii sat up straighter. "The Empire doesn't think I'm dead. I can go."

"No," Hunter said at once.

"Why not?" Happy challenged. "She's a Jedi. We could use the help."

"She's a Padawan," Crosshair pointed out.

Saedii opened her mouth to argue, but Obi-Wan cut in and said, "I know you're eager to get Wolffe back, little one, but you have to consider the danger."

"If you're talking about the Inquisitors, I've fought them twice –"

"While you are becoming a skilled duelist, the Inquisitors are proving themselves to be dangerous adversaries. Pong Krell chief among them."

At the reminder, the stump of Saedii's arm throbbed beneath her prosthetic. She resisted the urge to rub it. "What are the chances that an Inquisitor will be there?"

"It depends." Crosshair turned to Rex. "The timing of this discovery seems to be convenient. Right when Saedii is found to be alive again, Wolffe and the 104th are found."

Happy glared. "What are you implying?"

"He believes it could be a trap. For the Empire to lure Saedii out of hiding," Tech finished for him.

"Not everything is about the Jedi."

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Crosshair demanded. "All of this is about the Jedi. The war. Order 66. Everything."

"Alright," Cody intercepted before Happy could argue further. "That's enough. Let Rex finish."

Rex turned to Saedii. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, kid, but I haven't made any decisions yet. Once we get Howzer's next report, we can talk about it further if you still want to go."

She was going. Whether Wolffe was there or not, there were Clones that needed help. She wasn't about to abandon soldiers who'd shown the Republic only loyalty.

"In the meantime, Hunter, I'd like you and your team to stay close. I could use some of your expertise on this," Rex said carefully.

Hunter didn't look happy about it, but he agreed. Some of the other Clones didn't look too excited by this either, Saedii noted.

From the floor, Luke waved his hand at Anakin. The mug of steaming caff in his hand suddenly shot across the room, shattering against the wall in a firework of ceramic and coffee.

Anakin stared at the mess for a long moment before letting out a very long breath. "I, uh, think this meeting's over for now, Rex. I've got some cleaning to do."

Saedii looked excitedly over towards Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, eager to get some training in. But Hunter laid a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Let's get you something to eat before you run off."

Her stomach gave a very subtle rumble. With a begrudging look Ahsoka and Obi-Wan's way, Saedii followed Hunter out of the room.