I'm back with another Chapter! Enjoy <3

   TW: Claustrophobia, Order 66, monsters, childhood trauma, needles. 

   Please keep your arms and legs inside the Havoc Marauder at all times. This is gonna be a bumpy ride! (wORd CoUnT 3375)

 The air is thick with humidity as we wander through the large freighter, water splashing up onto our boots.  Rainwater has pooled inside the ship, causing the lower levels of the ship to be filled with water.  The water seems to have a directional current, as if a river is flowing through the craft.  I wonder if there is a hole somewhere, allowing a barely existing river to move through the metal, coming out at some lower point.

     Rex's voice echo's through the large space as he speaks, although I am no longer following along with his story.  As the light slowly becomes low, the group flicks on their flashlights, the artificial glow filling the metal cavern. 

    Omega stumbles ahead of me, and I see Hunter pick her up, placing her onto solid ground next to the stream.  Echo holds out his hand, helping her onto the rusted path above the water.  Hunter nods to Wrecker, and the giant man pulls himself up, his boots scrapping the rusted surface.  Hunter clambers up after him, holding out his hand to me. I sling my rifle over my shoulder, taking his hand. 

  "Thank you."  I say, observing the narrow pathway that leads into darkness.  A feeling of unease fills my stomach, and I swallow.

  "Of course, Mesh'la."  He returns, his deep voice edited by the helmet.  I follow behind him as the path is only large enough for one, corroded supports hanging from the edge.  The quiet sound of moving water can be heard, the noise slowly diminishing as we move deeper into the ship. 

  As the walls close in around us, I feel as if I am going to vomit.  I slowly reach out a hand to the rusted barrier.  I can't do it. 

  "Hunter," I choke, and he stops immediately, turning to grip my shoulder as I stagger towards him. 

  "I d-don't think I can go any deeper."  I whisper, closing my eyes tightly, trying to ignore panic rising in my chest. 

  The dark closet of my childhood fills my mind. The sound of my mother arguing with Fennec as I sob, curled up in a ball in the corner of the small closet as the walls slowly close in on me. 

  When Hunter yanks off my helmet, I half expect to look up into the face of my sister as she opened the closet door and I tumble out.  But instead, I see the calm visor of the clone Sargent's helmet as he cups my face in his gloved hands.  His thumb runs over my cheek.

  "Hey, listen to me, okay?" 

  I swallow, nodding as I place my hand over his.  Tech calls to him from the front of the group, and he responds. 

  "Go on ahead, Tech," He says, tugging off his helmet. "We'll catch up."   

   He props his flashlight on the ground as I kneel on the platform, trying to return the air back into my lungs.  There are dark spots in the corner of my vison, and I wonder if the walls continue to move towards us, if they will eventually crush us between themselves, so we will be nothing more then dust to throw to the four winds--

  "Ava, listen to me."  Hunter says sharply, giving me a slight shake.  When he uses my birth name I seem to snap back into reality, barely making out his brown eyes through my tears. 

  He grabs my hand, placing it on his chest.  He has removed his chest plate, and it lays next to him, next to the flashlight.  I curl the soft fabric of his blacks between my fingers, a sob slipping past my lips.

  "Ava, I need to you to breath with me, okay? Breath in-" I feel his chest rise under my fingers, and I try to inhale air back into my lungs.  The air barely makes it past my lips when I choke, coughing.  Hunter remains calm before me, his brown eyes watching me.  Once I calm myself down, he begins again, coaxing me to breath with him. 

   This time, oxygen fills me, causing the panic in my chest to slowly fade. 

  We do it again, and again, and again. He shows me how to breath again as we kneel on the walkway, the light of the flashlight casting our shadows on the walls. 

     (Time skip brought to you by my my banged up and broken OC.  :P )

   We meet the group at the edge of a drop off of about thirty feet.  The walkway appears to have corroded over time, collapsing into the water below.  The pool of water at the bottom is eerie and quiet. Bubbles of foam float at the edges and the stench of rotting flesh is faintly in the air.  It does not look safe for swimming. 

"Sorry, guys," I say quietly, and Rex places a hand on my shoulder. 

    "It doesn't matter." He says, nodding at Hunter. "Tech has found a way across.  We will have to climb." Hunter glances at Wrecker, who is staying as far away from the edge as possible, his head in his hands. 

  "Let's make this quick." Hunter says assertively, moving to crouch before Omega, explaining to her that we will have to shimmy our way over the water with a large rope that Tech found.  I place a hand on Wrecker's shoulder, trying to provide him as much comfort as I can, speaking up.

   "I can head over first." I say, watching Rex's visor turn towards me. 

  "You sure?" He asks, his tone suggesting that I might be too weak from my breakdown.  I shrug.

  "I'm scared of cramped spaces.  Not heights." I explain. 

  And, if the rope snaps, I know how to swim. 

Rex shrugs, but Hunter is worried.  I can see it in his stiff posture.  I gently brush his hand as I walk by him, peering over the edge. 

  "Try to keep your legs wrapped around it at all times."  Tech says, looking up from his data pad. "It will lower your chance of falling by 45.12%."      

  "Great."  I say, reaching out my hands to grasp the rope.  I awkwardly swing myself upwards, crossing my ankles above the rope so I am hanging perpendicularly to it.  Inhaling deeply, I move along the rope, hand over hand.  My rifle swings, hitting my back.  The rope creaks, and I pause, nervous. 

  I hear the murmur of Tech and Hunter speaking, and I continue moving.  Sweat drips down my forehead and I tilt my head to see that I don't have much farther to go.  Reaching the other platform, I drop down, legs slightly shaking. 

  "It's all clear!" I call, watching Rex reach up and grip the rope.

    The clone captain makes it across with no trouble, dropping down next to me. 

  "Send Omega over!"  He calls, and we both wait in quiet anticipation as Tech lifts Omega up, attaching her like a monkey to the rope.  She moves very slowly, continuing to glance down at the water worriedly. 

  "You got this, Omega!" I call, moving to the edge and placing my hand on the rope.  She looks up at me, her blonde hair falling over her hazel eyes.  A look of resolve comes over her face, and she moves along the rope, reaching the other end.  She drops into my arms, giving me a smile as she slides to the ground. 

  "You did so good."  I whisper to her as Tech begins to clamber onto the rope.  She gives me a hug, and I return it, holding her in my arms. 

   Everyone is across, except Wrecker.  He stands nervously on the other end, his large hand gripping the rope.

  "You can do it, Wrecker!" Omega yells encouragingly.  Wrecker's groan echoes across the cavern, but he swings himself up, moving towards us.  The rope sags under his weight, hanging two or three feet lower than it did with the rest of us.  I glance at the water, watching the foam move as if disrupted.  A  feeling of dread fills my stomach, and I glance back up at Wrecker just as the other end of the rope snaps. 

  He cries out as he drops, his body swinging in an arch towards the water.  Hunter yells his brothers name, stepping towards the edge. Wrecker clings to the rope as it comes to a stop, his helmet tilted up at us.

    Bubbles start forming beneath him, and I hear Rex yelling for us to pull him up. I grip the rope behind Tech, pulling with all my weight.  The rope is yanked out of our hands and we fall backwards, scurrying to the edge to see a large beast in the water.  A round mouth  full of teeth is sitting just below Wrecker, and the creature screeches, reaching out it's long tentacle- like arms to grip Wrecker's legs, slowly pulling him towards the water's surface. 

  "Pull him up!" Omega screams fearfully, and I shout for Wrecker to start climbing.  I swing my rifle off my back, shouldering it and looking through the scope, firing eight rounds into the creatures gaping mouth.  It screams, but I only seem to have angered it, for it grabs Wrecker with renewed strength, yanking him under the water's surface. 

   "No!" Hunter cries, falling on his knees dangerously close to the edge.  We are all silent, our ragged breathing sounding through the cavern. 

  There is furious splashing, and a large hand reaches up and grabs the rope. Rex is shouting orders again, and Hunter is on his feet.  I shoulder my rifle again, blasting the creatures arms as they reach up to ensnare Wrecker again.  Echo is next to me in a flash, pulling two blaster's out of their holsters.  Wrecker hangs from the rope with one hand, letting out battle cries as he slashes at the creatures arms with his vibro-blade. 

  I drop my rifle next to Echo, rushing back to the rope and gripping it with both hands, pulling backwards with all my strength.  Wrecker's hand grips the platform, Rex and Hunter rushing to assist him. 

  "That was not pleasant." Tech remarks, glancing over at me.  I nod, my breaths coming in short gasps. 

  "That makes you miss battling clankers, huh?" Rex says to Wrecker, chuckling.  Omega steps forward silently, wrapping her arms around Wrecker, her clothes getting soaked from the water on his armor.  He wraps a single arm around her, sighing.

  Echo steps forward, handing me my rifle.  I nod my thanks at him. 

  Rex straightens and  Wrecker stands up, picking Omega up and holding her to his chest.  She buries her head into his neck, and he nods.

  "Let's move." 

  I move towards Hunter, gripping his hand.  He intertwines our fingers, giving my hand a squeeze as I slowly follow behind him into the dark hallway.  He reminds me to breath as the pathway narrows again, and I try to obey him, taking a deep breath through my nose and releasing it through my mouth. 

  The group slows as the pathway widens, turning into a corridor as large as the ones on Kamino. My breathing becomes normal, and I feel my heart rate return to normal.

  "The medical room should be around here somewhere."  Tech mutters, the light from his data pad shining up in his face.  Rex moves his flashlight along the wall, finding a half open door. 

  "Ah," Tech says, adjusting his goggles. "There it is."  He leads the way into the room, with Rex following after him.  Wrecker sets Omega down, raising a hand to his head.

  "You go on ahead, Kid." He says, groaning. "My head aches." Omega slips through the door, and Wrecker follows after her.  I slip my hand from Hunter's, removing my helmet and following them through the door. 

   Echo moves around the room, trying to figure out how to turn on the lights. 

   The facility is small, about a quarter of the size of the facilities on Kamino.  A large machine stands at the end of the ill-lit room.  It is what Tech explains is a surgical machine.  It can work faster and more effectively than a team of the most skilled surgeons in the galaxy. 

   There is a quiet hum, and a few lights flicker on, a coating of dust making the light a dull yellow. 

  "This is not the most sanitary workspace."  Tech musses, setting down his flashlight and pulling off his helmet.

  "Would you rather it be a lab on Kamino?" Rex says, sarcastic. 

  "This will do fine."  Tech corrects quickly, guiding Wrecker to the machine, sitting him down on the bed. 

  Echo goes to work at one of the computers, causing the machine to start with a whirl.  Hunter and Omega stand next to me as Tech places a kind of scanner on Wrecker's massive head.  The scanner resembles a headband.  It seems to make Wrecker even more agitated, and he groans loudly, resting his head on his hand.

  "You boys got lucky," Rex says, crossing his arms across his broad chest. "Not many clones were spared from the control of the inhibitor chip." 

 Omega places a hand on Wrecker's shoulder as he groaned again, looking up at me nervously.     "I don't like this." She whispers as Tech speaks up.

  "I have identified the location of his Inhibitor Chip.  It is next to his right frontal--" 
We all jump as Wrecker yanks off the headband, shoving it at Tech.

  "Get it away from me." He growls, before putting his head back in his hands.

  "We need to speed this up." I say, pulling Omega away from the giant man.  There is something seriously wrong. 

   Echo's hand moves faster as he taps away at the keyboard, and the machine's whirling becomes significantly louder. 

     "Prepare to sedate him," Echo says, his eyes not leaving his work.  Tech picks up a large bottle of medicine, inserting a needle into the top and filling the syringe.  I hear him speaking calmly to Wrecker.  I move towards Hunter, just opening my mouth to speak with him when everything goes wrong.

  Tech starts sputtering.  I spin around, screaming Wrecker's name, but the giant only stands, his hand around Tech's neck. Tech's eyes are wide, unbelieving.  When Wrecker speaks, it no longer sounds like Wrecker.  His voice is void of emotion, his eyes dull and un-seeing.

  "You are in direct violation of order 66."  He says, his voice booming off the walls. "And for this reason, you must be terminated."  

   And then he throws his brother into the wall, and the rest of us stare in shock as Tech crumbles to the ground.

"Wrecker?" Omega's voice peeps up as the large man stoops down, scooping his helmet and blaster up off the floor. As Wrecker's visor raises to look at us, I freeze.

Everything seems to pause for a moment, the sound of the machine's becoming distant in my ears. Rex shoves me aside as Wrecker raises his blaster, firing in the spot where I had just been standing. The clone captain steps in front of Omega, yanking his blaster out of its holster. One swipe of Wrecker's hand and it goes crashing into the light above us, fragments of glass falling on top of us.

I push Omega towards the door, stumbling as I hear the sound of Rex's body slamming into the ground.

"Go!" Hunter is behind us, trying to get us away as Wrecker's helmet visor turns to us.

Wrecker is probably one of the most powerful and destructive humans in the galaxy. For a moment, I feel a tremor of fear move through me as I realize we are the prey. Being hunted by this massive predator who will stop at nothing until he captures us.

And we don't have our blasters. The inhibitor chip caught us off guard, trapping our friend in it's grasps when we where least expecting it. Even if we did have our blasters, I am not sure we would be brave enough to use them. I sure wouldn't be.

The door crashes open as Wrecker bashes through the metal, raising his blaster and firing at the three of us.

Hunter pulls us to the side, rushing us down a dark hallway.

"Take her and get out." He whispers harshly, pressing a hand to my stomach and pushing me against the wall as Wrecker's shadow moves closer to us.

I nod, my throat dry. He turns, and I wrap an arm around Omega, running with her into the darkness.

We make a great many turns as I try to put space between us and Wrecker. My mind is moving at a million miles per hour, and I slow, looking for a place to hide and gather my jumbled thoughts. Omega is quiet next to me, and that is what scares me most.

With my senses heightened from adrenaline, I pull Omega behind a large sheet of metal that is propped up on a crate. Crouching behind it, I glance around.

Do I go back? Do I hide Omega here, head back and try to retrieve a blaster from the medical room?

"Delta?" Omega whispers, concerned with my silence. I pull her to my chest.

"I'm going to leave you here, okay?" I whisper into her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Stay quiet, and I will be back."

"Promise?" She asks. I nod quickly, not wanting to terrify her.

"Of course."

I scoot her deeper into the shadows of the hiding spot, a plan formulating in my mind. I will move stealthily, staying in the shadows and make it back to the medical center. I will retrieve a blaster and find Wrecker and then stun him—

That is when Omega screams. It is a gut wrenching sound, and I spin around, kicking Wrecker in the knee and watching him collapse.

"Run!" I scream, afraid that if he gets his hands on us he will kill us.

I am up and running, my brain barely processing the sound of his heavy footsteps behind us as we gallop through the freighter, our heartbeats pounding in our ears. Omega stumbles and I pause, pulling her up as Wrecker grabs my arm.

I shove her forward as he yanks me backwards, my shoulder throbbing in pain. Omega looks back with eyes as wide as the galaxy, fear shining in her hazel orbs.

"Run!" I scream, struggling.

The words barely form around my lips when he yanks me upward, a sickening pop sounding from my arm. I gasp as he drops me and I crash to my knees, my free hand gripping my shoulder as my arm hangs limply at my side.

"Wrecker!" I plea as he glares down at me, raising his blaster. "Wrecker, this isn't you!"

"Assisting traitors is in direct violation of Order 66." He says. His voice is like a droid, programmed and monotoned. "And like a traitor, you must be executed."

"Wrecker..." I trail off, seeing something flash in his eyes. I see him for a moment, not this monster that the chip has created. His hands are shaking violently, but I still see his finger tighten around the trigger.

The seconds slow, and I see a flash of white and dark blue. Omega stands in front of me, the blaster barrel pointed straight at her chest. Her blonde hair sits in a ruffled pile on top of her head, and her eyes are filled with tears as she looks up at him.

His finger loosens around the trigger.

"We're your friends, Wrecker." She says, her voice strong as it echos across the hallway.

I see Rex limp into view, grasping his leg. He raises his hand, a blaster visible as he fires a stun round, and Wrecker collapses before us.

"There you girls are!" He says, stumbling and placing his hand on the wall for support. "I was worried about you."

Heh. Fun ending, huh?

Bye Loves!!

- ❤️Kena

  Thank you all so so much for 13K reads! I couldn't have done it without you all!!! 

-Kena