You felt the ship slow and lurch lightly as the Havoc Marauder carefully landed on the surface of Felucia. Lifting your restraints, you watched as the soldiers gave their gear one last look over before lowering the ramp of their ship. Hunter approached you, his face hidden by his helmet.

"Remember, this is an extremely delicate mission. We should be in and out quickly, but if we aren't, don't contact us. The last thing we want is a signal traced back to any of us, including you." He said. You looked at him worriedly.

"But what if there's danger?" You asked. He held up a hand.

"Don't worry. We've landed the ship far away from any patrol routes and the wildlife avoid the area." He answered. Tech leaned over beside him.

"The high-frequency sound waves are a deterrent for most native species. Not to mention that the area is located far from-"

"Get a move on." Wrecker growled, giving Tech a harsh shove before following him down the ramp. Crosshair trailed them without so much as a glance in your direction.

"In the unlikely event that we don't succeed, Central Command has been given a set time. If we don't contact them by then, they'll send a rescue shuttle, got it?" Hunter added. You hesitated but gave him a small nod. He returned it. Then, taking a quick second to secure his blaster to his waist, he stepped out of the ship and the ramp closed behind him. You entered the cockpit and watched their figures disappear in the tall blue fungi. You couldn't help but worry. You were used to either being in a med bay, far from battle, or with the soldiers on the front. Granted, you were kept in the back where it was safe.

You weren't really used to sitting back and waiting like this. The air was so still now that they had set out. The only sounds were small clicks of the ship as it settled. You let out a sigh and stepped out of the cockpit. As pretty as the view is, sitting still was driving you crazy. You decided to examine the medical supplies and keep a mental note of what you had on hand. But part of you was distracted by worry. You shook your head to clear it. Dwelling on it wouldn't do any good. Instead, you focused on examining what supplies you had.

*****

Flurries of light were flung between the two fleets of starships. Fighter pilots soared and swooped about, igniting the battlefield with explosions and bullets. And from behind the Command Center of one of the ships, was a tall, robotic figure. A cape was draped over his shoulder as he folded his hands behind him.

"You summoned me, General Grievous?" A Command Droid said in a monotonous voice. He turned to look at it.

"Yes." He began. "This attack seems rather... unusual."

"What are your orders, sir?" The droid asked. Grievous turned his yellow eyes from the battlefield to the planet beneath them. He was silent for a moment. The amount of ships they sent were hardly enough to drive the Separatists away.

"I don't think they plan on winning this battle." He said, looking back at the destruction in front of him. "Perhaps they've learned about our secret weapon." He looked over his shoulder at the droid.

"Command every outpost and manufacturing facility to increase security. We can not let those plans be stolen."

"Yes, sir."

"And if there is a security breach detected," Grievous said. "I want that facility destroyed."

*****

The sun had begun to go down and you had returned to your spot in the cockpit. You received small updates here and there, but you could tell the original signal had been rerouted due to the interference. You guessed Tech must've done that to avoid leaving a traceable signal. Still, it made it hard to hear. And to make things worse, you hadn't received an update in a while. You looked at your comlink, gnawing the inside of your cheek. You hated this. You looked up and let your eyes wash over the landscape. At least the view was nice. That is, until you noticed some strange movement in the forest. You knitted your brow and leaned forward. What was that? As the shapes drew near, you froze up.

Battle Droids. A small group of them was making their way directly toward the ship. Your thoughts raced. Hunter said there were no patrols out this far. You tried to see how many of them there were. You couldn't quite see through the brush, but there weren't too many. You looked around in a panic. They were going to find the ship. You scoured the ship for a place to hide until your eyes fell on a vent. It was an old trick but it just might work. You had just enough time to grab a screwdriver from Tech's desk, undo the vent, and set it back into place before the ramp had opened. You tried to control your shaking breath as loud metallic footsteps sounded. Two droids entered, blasters gripped in their hands.

"Secure the perimeter. There are potential hostiles in the area."

"Roger Roger." They had begun to do a sweep of the ship. You held your breath as one approached the vent you were hiding in. Your heart collided with your ribs as it drew near, only slowing when it passed by and entered the cockpit. You watched as it examined the space before turning to face another droid.

"We have confirmed this to be a Republic ship but there are no lifeforms on board." It said. "There are storage areas for weapons, but they are empty."

"Contact the command tower. There has been a breach. Tell them to detonate the facility."

"Roger Roger." Your breath caught in your throat. The droid's footsteps faded as they left the ship. Quietly, you slipped out of the vent and reentered the cockpit, shutting the door behind you. Peeking through the window, you examined your current situation. There were three battle droids in total and they took positions around the ship. You could see one relay information, most likely updating the facility. You had to warn them somehow. You looked at the comlink in your shaking hand. Gathering yourself, you pressed the button.

"Hunter, come in!" You said, your voice shaking. There was silence at first before a voice came through.

"What are you doing?!" Hunter's voice was sharp. "Are you trying to get us killed?! I told you that contacting us-"

"It's not going to matter if you don't listen to me!" You said. "You have to get out of there, now! A patrol found the ship and they just gave an order to detonate the facility!"

"What?" As he spoke, you could hear alarms blaring on the other side of the comlink.

"Detonate. That means there's a bomb somewhere." Tech's voice added. "It would have to be located on the bottom floor to destroy the entire facility. I might be able to hack into it, but I need some time."

"That's going to lead the clankers right to us!" Wrecker shouted.

"We don't have a choice." Tech replied. As they spoke, you noticed one of the droids outside perk up and look toward the ship. Your eyes widened. They'd picked up your signal.

"They know I-I'm here." You said.

"How many of them are there?" Hunter asked.

"Three." You said, unable to take your eyes from them.

"Do you know how to use an EMP bomb?"

"Uh, I've seen others u-use them." You stammered. The droids were beginning to approach the ship again. You had to keep them out as long as you could. You shot out of the cockpit and ran toward the ramp. You slammed your fist on the button and it began to close. The droids saw you and began to charge the ramp. You ducked behind the wall as they ran toward the ship but the ramp shut before they could enter. You breathed heavily. That wouldn't stop them for long.

"There are some in the crate farthest in the back. You need to use-" Before Hunter could finish his statement, blasters and yelling sounded, then silence.

"Hunter!" You called into the comlink. But all you could hear was crackling. You yelped as the ship's door let out a creak. The droids were beginning to crack into the outside control panel. They would have this door open in minutes.

"Okay, okay. The crate in the back." You repeated to yourself as you ran toward the cargo hold. When you entered you paused. The crate you needed was pressed under another.

"No, no no no!" You exclaimed as you looked at it. However, you saw that the lid was slightly ajar. Desperately, you reached a hand into it and grabbed the first thing you touched. You yanked it out and saw that it was an EMP bomb. But how could you get close enough without getting mulched? The door behind you let out another whine, making you throw a look over your shoulder. You looked at the bomb in one hand and the comlink in the other. Another plan popped into your head.

You rushed back into the cockpit and placed the comlink on the pilot seat before stepping out and shutting the door. The door creaked again. They were almost inside. You had just enough time to slip into one of the rooms and hide behind the wall as the door slammed open and the droids marched in. You closed your eyes tightly and clutched the EMP as they charged past you.

"The signal is coming from the cockpit!" A droid said. You heard the door open and they sprinted inside. Gathering every ounce of courage you had, you pressed the button on the EMP, stepped out of your hiding place, and rolled it into the cockpit. The droids paused and looked at it before an electric blast charged through them. They jolted and collapsed, smoking slightly. You breathed heavily, your heart slamming into your sternum. Your ears pounded as the adrenaline finally subsided. Finally, you leaned against the wall and slid down it, letting out a sigh. The danger was over.

Eventually you stood and entered the cockpit, stepping over the fallen battle droids. You wanted to contact Hunter, but there was still a chance that it could put them at risk. The facility hadn't exploded yet but you thought back to the last thing you heard from them. Worry chewed at your stomach as hours passed before four familiar figures approached the ship. You let out a sigh of relief as the Bad Batch charged out of the forest. They were running quickly, though you noticed Tech clinging tightly to his right arm. You stepped out of the cockpit just as they got on the ship. Even with their armor on, you could see them visibly relax at the sight of. You approached them quickly. Before you could speak, Wrecker shoved his way through and pulled you into a hug that lifted you off the ground.

"You're okay! I was worried there!" He shouted. You wheezed at his tight grip and he set you down. You turned your attention back on all of them.

"Are you guys hurt?" You asked them.

"Are WE hurt?" Hunter repeated. "You're the one who was ambushed by clankers."

"I'm alright." You assured him. "I managed to use that EMP on them." He looked over your shoulder at the droids before letting out a chuckle.

"Not bad." He said before he stepped aside. "Tech's the only one with any serious injury. The rest of us are a little scratched up, but that's all."

"And the weapon plans?" You asked. Crosshair held up a small disk.

"It's all on this." He said. You smiled.

"I was worried." You said. "But I'm glad you guys were able to deactivate the bomb."

"We didn't." Tech said and you tensed.

"W-what?" You stuttered. He held up his datapad.

"The launch couldn't be stopped but I was able to tamper with the timer. I set it to explode in a few hours, but if I press this button..." He handed the datapad to Wrecker, who's eyes lit up. "I can shorten the timer to zero." Wrecker let out a laugh as he walked into the cockpit. Everyone followed as he pressed the button. The whole cockpit was illuminated by a massive explosion a few miles away. A rumble followed not long after as a shockwave rippled through the forest.

"Woah." Wrecker breathed. "You're the best, Tech!" He gave Tech a pat on the shoulder, causing him to flinch. Your smile faltered.

"Here, let me take a look at that."