Hunter's eyelids reluctantly fluttered open as he groaned at his throbbing head. The sergeant breathed in deeply and subsequently felt the steady weight on his chest. To his great surprise, Annika's head was lying in what must have been an uncomfortable position, against his faded chest plate.

Hunter blinked in confusion. What had happened? Where were they? 

Then, it all came back to him.

Witnessing Tech get thrown into a wall. Seeing Annika's panic-stricken face. His fight with Wrecker.

Suddenly, Annika began to cough violently. The sergeant quickly moved her so that she sat with her back against his chest. Annika took in a very uneven breath, desperate to fill her lungs with air.

Hunter forcefully patted the space between her shoulder blades. After a rather long fit of coughing, Annika finally began to breathe somewhat normally.

"You alright?" Hunter asked. Annika nodded in reply but she couldn't seem to meet his gaze of concern. The sergeant offered his hand, which she reluctantly accepted. Although Hunter had proven trustworthy, Annika couldn't fully shake the unease that lingered in the air when he was around her. After all, he was still a clone and his chip hadn't yet been removed.

"We should find the others," Hunter said. In her head, Annika heartily agreed. The silence made her anxious. But she didn't dare voice her agreement since it felt as if her voice might possibly trigger something in Hunter's brain.

The sergeant led the way back to the med bay, where they found Tech and Astrid talking in hushed tones presumably after performing Wrecker's surgery. Nearby, Omega was sitting on the chair, affectionately and worriedly gazing at Wrecker's unconscious form. On the other side of the room, Echo and Rex seemed to be conversing as if no time had passed since they last saw each other.

Before fully entering the room, Annika halted her step, pausing in the doorway. She nervously pursed her lips and lightly tapped Hunter's shoulder, still avoiding eye contact.

"Hunter," she said quietly as she rubbed the back of her neck, "I think I'm going to go and explore the cruiser until everyone's done with their removal. I don't want to disrupt the procedure or trigger any dangerous thoughts . . . "

Hunter looked at her for a moment before finally nodding solemnly. With that, Annika turned on her heel and slipped away as quickly as she could. Her eyes were beginning to sting and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold back her tears. The events of the day had summoned the memories Annika had tried her best to bury under a thin veil of numbness. Nonetheless, her efforts were in vain.

The Jedi turned and hurried through several eerie corridors before entering the control deck with its panoramic view. As she gazed at the junkyard before her eyes, it felt as if an invisible fist was clenching her heart. She related those rusted starships with their tattered exteriors to her current situation. The starships, once grand and intimidating, were now defeated and pathetic.

Just like me, She thought bitterly.

The entire Jedi order, an ancient religion, had been wiped out in a matter of days. 

Well . . . not the entire order. The more positive side of her mind pointed out. And she couldn't help but wonder if there were others out there. After all, she wasn't the most powerful Jedi in the order. Thus, if she was able to survive, so could others.

These thoughts brought hope into her soul even if only a drop. But her heart soon crashed back down into depressing depths when she recalled her dead Master. Plo Koon was an excellent Jedi Knight - one of the best. Nevertheless, he too had been defeated by the horrific Order 66.

He couldn't have prevented it, "He never had a chance." She said aloud so as to affirm herself of the fact. 

If only he were challenged to a duel, then he would have had a fighting chance. Plo Koon was the only Jedi to ever defeat master Yoda in a lightsaber duel. If he had to duel Darth Sidious, the evil Sith lord himself, Annika had full confidence her master would arise victorious.

Instead, he was shot down from his ship by the men he trusted with his life. The men who dutifully and faithfully fought for and with him every day. The men he too willingly risked his life for on the battlefront.

These thoughts finally broke the dam that had been holding her tears at bay. She sank to her knees, no longer able to keep herself standing. While using her wrists in an effort to dry her unceasing tears, memories of her past flooded her mind mercilessly.

She relived all the terrible visions of that scarring day and remembered the sound of the Jedi's tormented screams. All at once, the gutwrenching noises blurred into one cry of pure agony and despair. 

Annika heard her own voice among them.

She sobbed violently, finally experiencing the anguish from her trauma, after shoving it far away from the surface. As soon as she began, she knew she would cry until she simply had no tears left to shed.

When Annika's hazel eyes at last started to dry, she simply sat, staring at nothing. It seemed that now that she had released her emotions, there was nothing left to feel. Her mind had entered into a state of dangerous peace. A state of . . . numb.

Annika readily welcomed the oddly comforting sensation, for as long as it would spare her from her heartache.

After a long stretch of silence and solitude, the Jedi felt another presence.

Hunter.

She could easily recognize his authoritative yet compassionate aura. In one movement, she shifted her puffy eyes away from his gaze.

"Annika," He said ever so softly, "What's . . . wrong?"

Annika swallowed the lump that was clogging her throat and summoned the steadiest voice she could muster. "Nothing, really. Just . . . reliving unpleasant memories."

"You sure you're alright?"

Annika pursed her lips and nodded to the man behind her, still hiding her face. "Mhmm, yeah. I'm alright."

There was a long stretch of silence and Annika wasn't sure if he was still there.

Then his deep and softened voice cut through the silence. "Everyone's done with their procedure now - though Astrid only just finished Tech's so he's still knocked out."

Annika lightly nodded her head in acknowledgment. "That is good."

When Hunter spoke again, slowly, his voice was drastically closer - barely a few steps away. "Annika. If you ever need to talk . . . I'm here."

The Jedi couldn't resist any longer. She shifted her body and turned her face upward toward his as she was still resting on her knees. And when his grey-brown eyes met her hazel ones, her heart practically melted.

He was Wolffe's brother. Both clones share the same genetic host. And for a split second, Annika thought she was beholding Wolffe. Alas, Annika hadn't the slightest clue of his whereabouts. Nonetheless, she stood up and flung herself into Hunter's arms. She scolded herself for doing something so foolish, but she couldn't find the strength to pull away - not when his embrace reminded her so much of Wolffe.

Sensing her resistance to let go, Hunter lightly squeezed her close in a comforting gesture. Annika gazed up at him once again, with lips trembling, and she simply couldn't look into Hunter's grey orbs without thinking of Wolffe.

The duo stared into each other's eyes for an intense few seconds, until Annika's vision began to blur from the tears. She rested her forehead against his armor as she wept once more. She sobbed uncontrollably and clung to him as if her life depended on it.

Hunter hesitantly stroked her auburn hair, surprised at its intense silkiness.

"Just breathe, Annika," He encouraged as she struggled to inhale a shaky breath. "There you go." Annika's breathing finally evened. "That's better." He whispered against her hair.

Reluctantly, the Jedi detached herself from the sergeant, her eyes still shining in the corners. She kept her gaze on Hunter's scratched-up chest plate, too afraid to look at him directly. Then, she felt his finger underneath her chin, tilting it up so she had no choice but to look at him. With quick and deliberate movements, Hunter swiped the teardrops from her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" He asked with sincerity again. The worry crease on his forehead indicated concern.

Annika pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and responded truthfully, "Yes. I-I'm okay now." Then she whispered the last part. "Thank you, Hunter."

One side of his mouth quirked up more than the other as he smiled warmly at the Jedi. "Anytime, Annika."

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