53

White plasma erupted against the painted target, scorching a hole in the direct center. Thin trails of smoke slithered into the air, and the faint smell of burnt wood filled the small clearing.

From her place at Saedii's side, Omega smiled. The blaster in her hand hummed idly as she pointed it at the ground.

"Not bad," Crosshair commented. He stood on Omega's other side, arms crossed. A drathroot joint dangled from his lips.

"Not bad?" Wrecker demanded in outrage. "It's perfect! She hit the bullseye!"

"She took too long to shoot."

"Come on, Cross! She's still learning."

"An enemy won't stand still and wait for her to shoot. She needs to be faster."

Omega didn't seem dismayed by Crosshair's feedback. If anything, it seemed to invigorate her. "I can be faster."

Crosshair drew his drathroot joint out from his lips, blowing out smoke. "Then prove it."

With a determined sort of air, Omega raised the small blaster and looked at the row of targets that Wrecker had set up for her. Trees pressed in around them, casting thick shadows so that the small clearing they'd found was hidden from the sun.

According to Hunter, the three Clones – Crosshair, Omega, and Wrecker – had been out here all morning. Omega, it seems, had insisted on blaster training when she'd been saved. Crosshair sat out with her every morning, giving her pointers, while Wrecker provided much needed motivation.

Today, Saedii was here for moral support. Though after her disastrous therapy session with AZI, she wasn't sure how well she was doing.

On her other side, Kalth was quiet too. Watching the target practice with a disinterested sort of air.

The bark of the blaster in her hand was the only sound in the otherwise quiet forest. It bounced off the rock at their back, echoing in the valley.

Two more targets shuddered with holes. Both with perfect circles at their center.

A very proud smile filled Omega's face.

"Like I said – not bad." Crosshair shoved his joint back between his teeth. "But you are still only firing at stationary targets. Hitting a moving target is much harder."

"Then give me some moving targets," Omega said, not missing a beat.

"Improve your focus time and I will."

Omega's lips pursed and she looked at Saedii. Gesturing to the targets. "What do you think?"

"I think you're doing well," Saedii said encouragingly. Sure, Omega was taking nearly five seconds to lock onto her target and fire, but she'd only been doing blaster training for a few months now. The fact she was hitting the center on every shot was extremely impressive.

Kalth gave a little scoff. "The Clone's right. You're taking too long."

Saedii shot him a look, but Omega merely held out the blaster to him. "Will you show me?" she asked him.

With only the slightest of hesitations, Kalth stepped forward and grabbed the blaster. Turning towards the targets, he raised the gun and fired five quick shots. Down the line, in perfect succession, all five targets glowed as his shots hit the direct center.

"Wow!" Omega said excitedly. Her eyes were on the still smoking targets.

A flicker of a smile played along Kalth's face.

"Nice shot, kid," Wrecker agreed.

Crosshair rolled his eyes. "Once again, the targets aren't moving. If you really want to test yourself, you'll need to –"

There was another bark of the blaster. Drathroot exploded in Crosshair's face as Kalth shot the joint out from his lips, leaving only a small sliver still clutched between his lips.

Wrecker howled in laughter, but Omega looked amazed.

"You were saying?" Kalth taunted. For a moment, his tone was full of so much amusement that it nearly sounded like his old voice. A far cry from the voice of the Inquisitor that Saedii had grown used to.

Slowly, Crosshair pulled the small little bit from his mouth and flicked it onto the ground. "Hilarious," he said in a tone that was clearly not entertained.

Soft crunching footsteps approached through the trees. The group all turned as Hunter, Echo and Tech emerged. The looks on their faces killed the light mood in the clearing.

"What's wrong?" Omega asked.

Hunter was looking at Omega, but it was Echo that answered, "Rex and Padme just intercepted a public transmission."

Something uneasy churned in Saedii's gut. She had a feeling she knew what it was about.

"It appears the Empire has put out a bounty on all of us," Tech said, the calmest of the bunch.

"What do you mean by that?" Wrecked asked.

But Saedii knew. "It's for the whole Rebellion, isn't it?"

Tech nodded. "Yes. Rex, Cody, Howzer, Wolffe – every ranking member of the Rebellion has a sum of ten million credits on their heads."

That would complicate things. Rex would have to be extra careful when running ops now, and Howzer wouldn't be able to do any covert missions. The mention of Wolffe's name made Saedii even more anxious.

"It's not just them," Hunter added, grim.

"Hunter is right. There are bounties for all of the Jedi, Senator Amidala...and all of us, as well," Tech said.

Crosshair's expression grew appropriately serious, but Wrecker gave a little laugh. "Alright! This is the first time we've had a bounty."

"That is not a good thing, Wrecker," Tech said tartly.

Omega was looking at Hunter. "Do I have one, too?"

"Yeah, kid. You, Saedii, and Kalth." Hunter's eyes slid over to Kalth, who stiffened at that news.

Saedii pulled in a slow breath. "How big?"

Tech adjusted his goggles. "I do believe that you and the other Jedi have set a record for the largest documented bounty."

Karabast. That wasn't good.

Every bounty hunter in the galaxy would be looking for them now. Any planet they stopped on could turn into a potential fight. Or worse.

In the silence that followed, the faint sounds of Clone voices from far up on the mountain slowly trickled down, only just louder than the calls of birds further in the trees. Uncertainty flooded the Force around them, choked with fear.

Saedii glanced at Kalth beside her. He was glaring at the ground.

"What are we going to do?" Omega asked, sounding so calm. So mature. A far cry from the scared child she'd been only a year ago.

Echo and Hunter exchanged a loaded look. Saedii knew that whatever they said next wasn't going to be popular.

"I think it might be a good time to go lay low somewhere off-grid," Hunter said slowly.

Immediately, Omega and Wrecker looked angry.

"We can't leave!" Omega insisted, looking to Saedii for help. "What about the Clones still trapped on Mount Tantiss? Rex will need my help to free them."

"Rex can do it without you."

"I'm the only one that's been there. I know the base better than anyone here. He needs me."

Hunter's lips thinned. "I'm sorry, kid. I know you want to help, but I'm not willing to risk your safety."

"Why do we have to leave? We're off grid here," Wrecker complained.

Omega quickly added, "Wrecker's right. No one will find us here. It's the safest place for us, and we can still help."

"Actually, now that every ranking member of the Rebellion has a sizeable bounty, there is a considerable risk associated with this sector," Tech said.

"We've taken risks before."

"Things are different now, Omega." Hunter's eyes flashed over Saedii for a brief moment. And without asking, Saedii knew that the real reason Hunter wanted to leave was not just because of Omega's safety, but for hers.

"Saedii," Omega begged, turning towards her. "Tell them. We have to stay."

But Saedii's mouth didn't seem to work.

In her mind, she saw all the months spent in Fortress Inquisitorious. All the hours spent strapped to that stone table, a needle jammed into her neck. And she knew that her bounty was for her to be taken alive. That if she was caught again, it would not be death waiting for her.

Only a year ago, she would have insisted the risk was worth it. Would have been brave enough to take the chance.

Now, she didn't have much courage left.

At Saedii's continued silence, Omega's expression hardened. "What about Anakin and the others? Do you really want to leave them?"

"Omega," Hunter warned.

Saedii reached up and brushed the necklace at her throat. "I don't know what I want, Omega. I don't even know if I could be a Jedi again."

"You are a Jedi. That hasn't changed."

But Omega was wrong. Everything had changed. Saedii especially.

Maybe it would be good to lay low for a bit. As much as Saedii wanted to help Obi-Wan and the rest, this morning had revealed that she had a very long journey of healing ahead of her. She would be no good for them now, as damaged as she was.

"We can always come back. It doesn't have to be forever," Hunter said.

Realizing that she'd get no help from Saedii, Omega turned to Echo next. "You don't really want to leave Rex, do you, Echo?"

"I want what's best for this squad." Echo was determined. Firm.

"But Rex needs us –"

"Rex understands. We've already spoken with him."

Wrecker looked uncomfortable at the betrayal that crossed Omega's face. He turned away, staring determinedly into the trees. Kalth, too, was checked out, lost in thought. Not paying attention.

Pain rippled across Omega's face. Very softly, she said, "None of you saw what I saw. You don't know what the Empire is doing to the Clones in Tantiss. If you did, you wouldn't be able to walk away."

Saedii grimaced. She had seen what Omega had. The torture. The grotesque bodies. The human experimentation. Only that brief glimpse had been enough. She couldn't even imagine what else Omega had seen while she was there.

The boys all grew quiet at the emotion in Omega's voice. The fear and anger. In the short time that Saedii had been freed, she knew that Omega was trying just as hard as Saedii was to hide the trauma she still held from her own imprisonment.

But Omega wasn't trying to hide it now.

Her throat worked as she looked at all of them. When she met Saedii's eye, Saedii had to turn away from the tears that glistened along Omega's cheeks.

"No one deserves the kind of torture that those Clones are being put through," Omega insisted. Her voice was thick with emotion. "If it were any of you trapped in there, I'd want to stay. We owe all of our brothers the same effort."

Crosshair rubbed aggressively at his jaw. Tech blinked, seeming at a loss for words.

But it was Echo that said gently, "Rex and the boys will get them out. They don't need us."

"But don't you want to help?"

"Honestly, kid," Echo said, very slowly, as if he was afraid of how Omega would react. "I'm more concerned about the seven of us here. This squad is my priority."

At that, Kalth finally glanced up. His expression was unreadable.

"As much as I want to help Rex and my brothers, I want to keep us safe. No matter the costs," Echo finished.

Before Omega could argue, Hunter added, "We can still help in whatever way we can from Pabu."

Disappointment flooded Omega's face, but Wrecker looked up in delight. "We're going back to Pabu? Finally!"

"Yes. Phee has generously extended an offer for us to stay with her, while the news of our bounties dies down," Tech reported. A faint pink flushed worked into his cheeks at the suggestive chuckle that Wrecker gave.

"I'm sure she did!"

"Are we sure Pabu is safe?" Crosshair was looking at Hunter.

Once again, it was Tech that answered, "With the cloaking shield that I assembled for them last year, Pabu has remained off the Empire's radar. There are no established trading lanes out in that sector of the system, and no record of a habitable planet –"

"It's the safest place for us," Hunter summarized.

Omega still seemed disappointed by this. She looked desperately at each member of their group. Searching for an ally.

She found none.

As bad as Saedii felt to leave, the thought of returning to Pabu and laying low for a while was appealing. She needed somewhere quiet to heal. To work through the demons that stalked through her head. In a year or two, perhaps, she could be ready to come back and do her part. But for now, she wasn't strong enough.

Angry tears glistened in Omega's eyes. Without another word to any of them, she stalked back towards the path that led to the monastery.

"When are we leaving?" Saedii asked. Her thoughts were on Wolffe. On Anakin and Obi-Wan and Cere. And on Kalth, who was as still as stone at her side, not looking at her.

"Tomorrow morning," Hunter answered.

Echo rubbed at one temple, like he was fighting a headache. "Tech and I gave the ship a tune up and some minor modifications. It's ready when we are."

"Just need to start packing." Hunter looked at Wrecker.

The giant Clone grinned. "Leave it to me."

As the others turned towards the path, following in Omega's footsteps, Saedii turned to Kalth. A question waiting.

But he just ground out, "You should go pack," before he, too, followed after them, disappearing up the trail.