Astrid watched helplessly as Rex and the boys successfully secured the cable across the gaping chasm. Her stomach twisted at the mere thought of traveling across it with only the assistance of a cable. She subconsciously stepped away from the edge, straight into Echo.

"S-sorry," She stuttered breathlessly as she felt her knees wobble.

"You all right?" He asked.

Astrid tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Mhmm."

Echo wasn't convinced in the slightest. He looked straight at Tech and nodded his head toward Astrid. Tech merely frowned with a puzzled expression. Echo face-palmed and groaned inwardly.

"Hey, Tech," He said, "Maybe you could help Astrid across?" Without waiting for an answer, Echo grabbed the cable and made his way over the chasm, smirking under his helmet at Tech's confusion.

Astrid felt her heart beat so swiftly that she worried she might pass out. That would certainly top off all of her embarrassing moments of the day. So she squeezed her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palm. Hopefully, the light pain would help clear her head from all of the worst possible scenarios she was imagining.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Tech tried to assure her. "Don't worry, the cable will hold." 

Astrid glanced at his yellow-tinted goggles and saw the sincerity in his eyes. Tech was easily the most intelligent person she'd ever met and if he believed the cable would hold, then she trusted that the cable would indeed hold.

"Okay then," She whispered. Astrid grabbed the line and pulled her legs over it, copying Omega's example. Slowly but surely, she moved along the cable keeping her thoughts on anything but the fact that should her grip loosen she would fall into the watery depths and drown.

She heard Tech and Omega's encouraging voices, but fear was taking over her senses and she couldn't comprehend what they were saying. Then, Omega's voice was suddenly quite close and Astrid actually understood what she said. 

"You did it!" Omega grinned, "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Astrid nodded in reply, not yet ready to use her voice, and plastered on a smile for Omega's sake, as she lowered herself from the line. The medic took a few steps away from the edge, relieved it was over.

Shortly after, Tech eased himself down from the cable and stood near Astrid. He asked her, "Are you feeling well?"

Astrid frowned in confusion but noticed his gaze was directed at her hand closest to him. Her hand was apparently shaking.

"Yes, I'm alright," She waved off his concern with a smile she hoped looked nonchalant. His eyes squinted slightly at her "calm and collected" act but he decided not to question her further.

"You're up Wrecker," Hunter called over to the lone burly soldier on the other end of the chasm. 

"Uh," He said anxiously as he backed away from the edge, "Yeah, my head doesn't hurt anymore. I'm fine. You guys go without me."

"You can do it," Omega encouraged, "Just keep your eyes on the cable."

Wrecker groaned but forced himself to grab the line. He scooted down the cable a few feet, but it suddenly loosened and he nearly lost his grip.

"That was close," He said with a nervous chuckle.

Then, the line gave out and Wrecker yelled as he fell toward the water. Astrid gasped as the cable abruptly whipped past her feet, knocking her backward. She lost her footing and stumbled toward the edge. At the last second, she threw her arms out in front of her, scrambling to find a grip.

"Astrid!" Omega said with a panic-stricken face.

"I'm alright," She lied, "Help Wrecker first."

Tech knelt beside Astrid, ignoring her request, and gripped her forearms. 

The others trusted that Tech was fully capable of assisting the medic, so Rex called down to Wrecker, "Are you alright?"

"No!" Was his response, "Smells awful down here!"

Beside them, Tech pulled Astrid up and helped her to her feet. 

Astrid sighed in relief and felt her heart hammering in her chest. "Thank you, Tech."

Before he could respond, Omega's worried voice said, "What's that?"

"Wrecker," Hunter ordered, "Start climbing."

"Why?" Wrecker asked.

"Hurry!" Omega insisted.

Just then, a red tentacle emerged from the greenish depths, entangling itself around Wrecker's torso.

Astrid stared in shock and said in quiet wonderment, "A dianoga..."

Then, the tentacle jerked downward, taking Wrecker along with it.

"Wrecker!" Astrid and Omega said at once.

"Grab the cable," Hunter instructed, "Get him up."

The soldiers tugged the cable upward using all of their strength. But below them, Wrecker had unsheathed his vibro-blade and slashed the tentacle in half, causing the others to stumble from their momentum.

"Faster!" Wrecker called, "Pull faster!"

The creature roared in protest at its severed tentacle, wrapping another around Wrecker once again. Finally, the dianoga heaved Wrecker down, now fully engulfed in the murky water. 

"Wrecker!" Rex called out urgently. Astrid and Omega both stared in horror. They all observed the choppy water until they saw a cluster of bubbles gurgle to the surface. Wrecker emerged gasping for breath and coughing out the foul water.

"Pull!" Omega said determinedly. Together, they tugged the cable against the creature's strength. Echo moved toward the edge with his blaster drawn and shot at the dianoga's open jaws. At last, the now-injured creature released its hold, freeing Wrecker. The soldiers heaved the cable up. Astrid was instantly by his side, and with Rex's assistance, they helped the burly clone away from the edge.

Wrecker breathed heavily, "What...was that?"

"A dianoga," Astrid answered helpfully.

Rex chuckled, "Makes you miss battling clankers, doesn't it?"

Wrecker groaned, "Yeah."

✵   ✵   ✵

Rodent-like creatures scurried through the corridors and into various crevices in the walls as the group trekked on. The walls, once smooth and tidy, were now chipped and rusted. Chilly metallic air wafted through the abandoned starship, creating a nauseating sensation. 

Astrid tried to imagine the massive vehicle airborne, but her mind had trouble picturing such an incredible feat. Though her surroundings were undeniably unpleasant, she found enjoyment in pondering what it might be like aboard such a vessel, when it was humming with life.

"Tech?" She found herself asking, "Have you been aboard many starships before?"

Tech looked up from his datapad. "Not a great many," He explained, "Most of our missions took place on various planets."

"Ahh," She pondered his answer until the others in front of her halted at a half-closed door. Rex knelt down, bringing his head low so as to see the inside. Tech moved forward to help the captain lift the busted door. Everyone piled in, flashlights in hand, and took in the room's contents.

Tech lifted his visor as he glanced around, noticing another rodent hidden in the walls.

"This will do nicely," Rex commented.

"I would no longer call this medical bay a sterile environment," Tech objected. Silently, Astrid agreed with him. The room could only be described as unsanitary.

"Do you prefer to use the facility on Kamino?" Rex pointed out.

"This will do nicely," Tech decided, this time without hesitation.

"I'll calibrate the surgical pod," Echo announced, placing his helmet on the floor. Mere seconds later, the lights flickered and the medical console powered up. Astrid placed her medical bag down, Tech following suit. He removed his helmet and retrieved the chip scanner from his pack.

"Time to get scanned, Wrecker," He said, moving over to the muscular clone, who was currently sitting down, grasping his head.

"Let's," Wrecker said through clenched teeth, "Get this over with."

Astrid felt compassion toward him. The poor guy was obviously in immense pain. She helpfully grabbed his pack, setting it beside the soldiers' helmets. Tech carefully placed his invention on Wrecker's head and pulled out his datapad. He tilted the screen for Astrid's viewing as a red dot appeared on his scan, blinking steadily.

"I think we found something," Astrid announced with a serious expression.

"Ninety degrees from his right orbital floor," Tech spoke up, "Below the parietal and temporal intersection -- "

"Get that," Wrecker said, his eyes shut tight, "Away from me!" He removed the chip scanner from his temples and shoved it against Tech's chest plate.

Omega moved forward, placing her small hands on Wrecker's head. "Something's not right."

Astrid was thinking the same thing, "We need to speed this up." The medic stepped to the side and typed away on the console, prepping the machine in order to perform the surgery successfully. The medical pod hummed to life, emitting a bright blue glow.

As Wrecker's agitation swiftly increased, Astrid wondered why the Kaminoans would willfully install chips inside a person's brain. A chip that would inevitably cause violence, disorder, and tragedy. It was a horrible thing to allow not to mention heartless, and it went against a medic's pledge to keep people safe and healthy. Although, Astrid supposed the Kaminoans were not medics. They were advanced scientists, willing to do anything in the name of science, whether it be creating mutants or planting dangerous inhibitor chips in one's brain -- or in this case, an entire army.

Rex spoke up, "You boys got lucky. Very few clones were immune to the effects of order 66. It's . . . rare."

Hunter replied, "When the regs attacked the Jedi on Kaller, we didn't understand why. We couldn't save the general, but at least we helped the padawan escape." His voice trailed off as he, Rex, and Omega moved to the other side of the med bay.

From beside Astrid, Tech arranged his medical syringe with a sedative. "Relax Wrecker," She heard him instruct his brother, "This won't hurt a bit."

Astrid typed furiously at her station but she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. Unexpectedly, she heard Wrecker's loud voice, "You're in direct violation of order 66."

Then, the burly clone released a battle cry. Astrid turned her head in time to witness Tech get slammed into the wall behind him, rendering him unconscious. Before she had a chance to react, Wrecker moved forward and violently forced her to the side. Astrid's face was knocked into a spare crate, causing her nose in particular to sting from impact. She suspected that it would soon begin to bleed.

She wearily pulled herself from the floor and into a sitting position. She heard the sound of glass shattering, a noise that made her ears ring. The sound of blaster fire soon followed.

"You're all traitors." Wrecker's voice boomed. Hunter noticed a spare capsule lying around, which he threw at Wrecker, creating a foggy diversion. Wrecker coughed at the thick mist but regained his composure and hurried after the sergeant, Rex, and Echo.

✵  ✵  ✵

Annika sprinted through the haphazard wreckage, up the inclines, and leaped across obstacles all the while fighting the terrifying sensation in her gut. She traced the Batch's tracker beacon, which was fortunately activated already, and pushed her legs to go faster. Though, the Jedi cruisers on all sides of her vision certainly didn't help. 

Memories of her master and her wolfpack flooded her brain. Involuntarily, she thought of Master Plo Koon's unwavering calm and Wolffe's stoic expressions. 

If only they were still here. Annika shook her head to clear her wandering thoughts. She needed to focus on the mission ahead.

Her sides began to ache and the winds were stealing the moisture from her eyes. But she continued to move as fast as she could. She jumped from a crumbling structure and finally found her way into the starship. Annika turned through corridor after corridor, hoping she remembered the way to the med bay correctly.

A loud crash sounded up ahead and Annika's blood ran cold. Her body halted midstep as she witnessed Wrecker firing his seasoned blaster at his own brothers.

The chip had taken control of his mind.

Annika barely had a chance to inhale a shaky breath before she noticed Wrecker was gone. With great effort, she forced her body to move forward. She spotted Rex taking cover behind a wall. When his eyes met hers, they widened in fear.

"Traitor!" Wrecker shouted into her ears, making her heart stop. His arms wrapped around her body, squeezing the air from her lungs. His blaster, still in hand, dug into her stomach uncomfortably. Subsequently, a heavy force slammed into Wrecker, whose grip lessened. Annika took her chance and broke free from his deadly hold. She coughed roughly, stumbling away from the burly clone as Hunter shifted his attention away from her.

Annika inhaled deeply, and thankfully, the air was returning to her lungs. She could hear the sounds of Hunter and Wrecker fighting without seeing them. She coughed one last time, then, she sprang into action.

The Jedi lunged at Wrecker, who had Hunter in a chokehold, and used her momentum to force him away. Wrecker's grip on the sergeant released, but not before banging the sergeant's head against the metal wall he was pressed up against, knocking him out. 

With one steady movement, Annika focused her concentration on using an invisible force to push Wrecker further back. The muscular clone was rammed into a nearby wall and slumped to the floor. Annika's heart clenched at having to do such a thing to poor Wrecker, but she couldn't let the chip continue to control him into hurting anyone else.

She turned her attention to Hunter and heaved his limp body over to his back.

"Hunter? Wake up." She urged desperately. The Jedi gingerly maneuvered her slim fingers around his head, feeling for any bump. Feeling none, she moved her hands away from his head --

Whack!

Annika's vision faded into blackness.

✵  ✵  ✵

Astrid gasped. She heaved herself up and rushed to Tech's side. There, she adjusted his armored body into a slightly more comfortable position.

"Tech?" She whispered, still shaken from Wrecker's aggressive outburst. The goggled clone groaned and stirred, but his eyes remained closed. Astrid placed her fingers against his neck, checking for a pulse. Thankfully, he was alive.

Deciding she couldn't do anything except wait for him to awaken, she tended her bleeding nose. She retrieved a clean cloth from her pack and wiped away the droplet of blood that had been quickly nearing her lips.

She heard Tech cough lightly and then clear his throat as he sat up. Dropping her bloody cloth onto a nearby crate, Astrid rushed to his side.

"Are you okay? Where do you feel pain?" She asked him, her brows crunched in concern.

"I - I am fine," He grunted.

"You hit your head pretty hard, Tech. Are you sure you don't feel dizzy or lightheaded, perhaps?"

"I only suffer a headache -- " He paused when he finally looked at her and noticed the streak of blood that was once again running down her nose. "But I should be asking what happened to you?" 

At that time, Omega entered the medical bay. She appeared troubled but when her gaze landed on a conscious Tech, her features relaxed. "Tech! You're ok!" She glanced at the medic, "He's ok, right Astrid?"

"I am fine," Tech answered for her.

Omega gasped, "Astrid! What happened to your nose?"

"Oh, I already forgot about that," Astrid grabbed her previously bloodstained rag and held it against her nose to prevent any further bleeding. "Wrecker . . . uhh pushed me when the chip took over his mind -- is he alright? Was anyone else hurt?" She asked as she suddenly recalled the previous events more clearly.

"Where are the others?" Tech also questioned.

Omega replied as she wrung her hands, "They went after Wrecker a few minutes ago and they're hauling him back now."

"Hauling him back?" Astrid's face was puzzled.

"Yes," Omega drew out the single word. "Rex had to stun him."

"I see," Astrid said, "Are you ok, Omega?" Astrid asked the little girl with a compassion-filled face.

Omega nodded in reply, as Rex's voice sounded from the corridor. "Incoming," He said as Echo and he towed Wrecker's limp body toward the cot.

"Tech, Astrid, we need to get this operation going - and fast," Tech and the medic gave a quick nod and got to work. Within moments, Wrecker's cot moved under the medical machine, and the tinted blue light engulfed his body. 

Astrid and Tech faithfully stood by the control console, to ensure the procedure's success. The duo alternately typed at the console and observed the scan on Tech's datapad. Harmoniously, Tech and Astrid worked side by side until the operation was complete.

"Now," Astrid said to a curious and worried Omega, "We wait."

"For how long? Is he gonna be ok?" Omega's concerned gaze was on her burly brother, who was still unconscious.

Staring into his datapad, Tech replied, "He should be fine and I estimate that he will awaken in approximately one hour. Two at most."

His words did not seem to console Omega. Astrid placed her hand on the young girl's slender shoulder and offered her a smile, "Don't worry, Omega. Tech and I are confident he'll wake up soon. Wrecker's a tough one. In the meantime . . . would you like to pull up a seat beside him?"

Omega nodded eagerly and scanned the room for a seat. When she spotted an overturned chair, Astrid helped her push it upright and move it beside Wrecker's cot. There, Omega loyally waited for her brother to awaken, unrestrained by the inhibitor chip's clutches. 

He would finally be free from the nightmares.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───⋮✧