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wild-karrde · 2 months

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Guarded - Part 3

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A/N: NEW CHAPTER REWRITE ALERT! This was honestly one of the chapters I was most excited to rewrite, and I hope you all love it as much as I did. As always, thank you to the wonderful @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this for me!

Chapter Rating: G

Warnings: none

Word Count: 4.8k words

It was late, and as usual, Tech wasn’t sleeping. Hunching over several datapads at the table in the main sitting room of the suite they shared, he rubbed his temples as he pored over the information Captain Typho had provided him. He was certain to pass out when exhaustion overcame him, either in the chair he was sitting in, or perhaps he’d be lucky enough to make it back to the bedroom he was sharing with Echo. He was surprised to hear his brother’s snores already from down the hall.

He rarely sleeps, so at least there’s that.

Sleep was never something that came easily to Tech either, not with the way his mind constantly turned, poking and prodding at information and cataloging it for later use. It was rather fortuitous that he’d proved capable of functioning on less sleep than most, and he often took advantage of the late hours to spend time alone with his thoughts.

The others had closed their doors, which had done little to muffle Wrecker’s grunts and louder snores as he tossed and turned. He’d wound up in a room by himself with Tech and Echo sharing and Hunter and Crosshair bunking together in the last remaining room. The tension between the sergeant and the sniper was still thick enough to cut with a vibroblade, but Tech was hopeful that perhaps the forced proximity would help lessen the strain between them.

Perhaps they’ll even have a fruitful conversation at some point.

He didn’t always necessarily express himself in the same ways as his brothers, but he knew he really had no right to be critical of anyone’s interactions with Crosshair. After everything that had happened, he could barely look his brother in the eye.

I missed it. I just assumed he was correct when he stated his chip was gone. I should have known. I should have noted the differences in his behavior, the headaches.

I just missed it.

The guilt wracked him nearly every second he was around Crosshair, and it had made his interactions with him difficult, so he’d limited them. He knew if they were to effectively function as a team again, it was something he would have to overcome. That seemed to be the biggest challenge for him at the moment, but one that could not take priority over the mission they’d been tasked with.

Tech had been going over the security system for the palace, memorizing protocols and trying to get an idea of where vulnerabilities existed. He still wasn’t sure why they were needed here, but he was determined to do his best to help anyway. The work made him feel useful in a galaxy that had seemingly decided he and his brothers had outlived their utility. He understood the move to decommission the clone army from a practical standpoint, but it didn’t make him less resentful of the treatment of his brothers, both what he had observed with his own eyes and what was still just rumors. He just hid that resentment far better than most, deeming it an unhelpful feeling in the long run when there was so much more to be done, including helping the brothers the Empire had abandoned. And people like Queen Nodala and Captain Typho, whether that help was desired or not.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing the indentations on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose left by his goggles as he sighed deeply.

By all accounts, the system is sound. The only vulnerabilities lie in the human factors. Logs. Timeliness on rotations. And only so much can be done about that.

A quiet, nearly imperceptible sound in the hallway made Tech turn his head just in time to see a shadow pass under the door. It could have been anyone walking by in the night, but something about how quiet it was, clearly intended to not draw attention, piqued his curiosity. Quickly, he slipped his boots back on and slid his blaster into its holster before quietly opening their door and stepping out into the corridor.

The only sound was the echoing of his bootheels on the marble flooring as he pursued the shadow as quickly as he could without drawing attention. Stealth had never necessarily been his strongest skill, and he felt especially exposed, striding through the seemingly inescapable moonlight that poured in through the large windows.

At least Wrecker’s not with me. He is physically incapable of sneaking up on anything.

Suddenly, Tech rounded a corner and was in the open air, a railing stretching out before him that looked out over the private palace gardens. Somewhere, a waterfall gurgled and the leaves of the trees whispered together in the cool night breeze. He shivered slightly before noticing he wasn’t alone.

A woman leaned against the railing, her long dark hair hanging down her back in waves. She wore an emerald green robe and matching slippers, a cream colored nightgown peeking out from underneath. Her elbows rested on the stone railing, and she had her eyes closed as if savoring the breeze that tugged gently at her hair.

Tech froze, watching her carefully for a moment before ultimately deciding she wasn’t a threat. Judging by the fact that no one else was around, he knew she was the shadow he’d been chasing, although he couldn’t understand the need for her to be sneaking around. Particularly since she presumably had permission to be anywhere in it at any time.

Cautiously, he approached. As Tech’s footsteps grew closer, the woman turned to look at him, green irises piercing him in the dark. He’d clearly surprised her, but she recovered quickly, smiling disarmingly.

“Good evening, Tech.”

“M’lady.”

Her smile flickered almost imperceptibly. “You don’t have to use formal honorifics for handmaidens.”

Pushing his goggles up, Tech tilted his head to look at her. He wasn’t sure if this was a test or just a ruse, but he decided to place his cards on the table. Honesty had always been his default method of engagement, even sometimes to a fault.

“Yes, but you’re no handmaiden,” he countered.

Her eyes narrowed and an amused smirk at her lips. “What makes you so sure?”

Tech moved to stand next to her, lowering his voice slightly. “Were all of the queen’s handmaidens present when we were introduced today?”

She thought for a moment, trying to determine where he was going with this. “Yes. We were all there.”

Tech nodded, watching her carefully.

“Alright. There were six handmaidens in the room. It was hard to see all of their eye colors, but one I did see definitely had brown eyes, very different from the queen’s eyes, which are green like yours. Another had a scar through her eyebrow, nothing terribly obvious, but enough to where she has a gap in the hair that grows there, which you don’t have. The two that were flanking the door we entered from were several centimeters shorter than you, a subtle difference, but one I noted. And of the last two, one had hair of a similar color to yours, but it was straighter, so unless you curl your hair specifically to sleep in, that rules you out, and the other has a widow’s peak, a genetic trait that you do not share.”

Her eyes were wide, but he shook his head. “These are all subtle things that could easily be covered one way or another should they be decoying for you, so I wouldn’t be too concerned. I just notice more things than most people. But yes, by process of elimination, you are Queen Kestia Nodala of Naboo…m’lady.”

She laughed quietly, shaking her head. “Very impressive. Although I’m not sure whether to let you talk to my Captain of the Guard or not seeing as he’s already very paranoid about my safety.”

“You are on the bad side of someone willing to send assassins to kill you. I would consider that cause to worry,” he replied.

The queen pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “I apologize for the subterfuge. I’m just not normally recognized outside of my regalia, and most don’t see me like this anyway. It always feels like armor, so to speak. People respect me more, but also, coming upon someone I don’t know well without it on feels…” her voice trailed off.

“Vulnerable?” he offered.

She huffed a laugh. “Exactly. It was a reflex of sorts, if I’m honest.”

He nodded. “That is understandable, particularly since we only met this afternoon. But I would argue that you are, in fact, quite vulnerable without a security escort.”

The queen nodded, a quiet sigh escaping her. “I just needed to get some air. Alone.”

“I apologize for disturbing you then. Good night, m’lady.” Tech turned on his heel to leave.

“Wait,” the queen said quietly.

Tech turned to look at her, and something in his chest fluttered as her eyes met his. He straightened his stance reflexively. It felt as though she was appraising him, weighing something in her mind. Her eyes were kind though, and he felt his face warm under her gaze. She watched him as he stood stiffly for a few more moments, hands clasped behind him. Finally, she seemed to come to some sort of decision.

“Would you care to walk with me, Tech? I’m having trouble sleeping, and I find the gardens help calm my mind. And,” she said, grinning mischievously. “It would be irresponsible for me to be out here alone at night without some sort of security escort.”

Tech dipped his head. “Certainly, m’lady.”

“So there’d be no reason to tell Captain Typho you found me out here then. Right?”

“I suppose not, m’lady.”

She nodded, striding towards the stairs before pausing, glancing back over her shoulder at him. “Oh, and Tech.”

“Yes?” he asked, pausing.

“We’re going to spend an awful lot of time together for the foreseeable future as you and your squad have been assigned as my personal security. When it’s just the two of us, please call me ‘Kestia’ or ‘Kes’.”

The lack of formality jarred him, but he nodded quietly as he followed her down the walkway to a set of stairs that led into the greenery. Her hands were clasped in front of her as she stepped onto a carved stone path, her robe and nightgown whispering around her ankles while his bootheels clicked against the pavement. They walked quietly for a while, Tech trying to determine the correct distance to follow, and ultimately finding Kestia matching his stride. He wasn’t certain if she was being intentional, but he surrendered after a few experimental pace changes, falling into step next to the queen.

If Kestia noticed his experimental prodding, she didn’t comment. She strode through the garden, and while she seemed relaxed, Tech could tell her mind was racing as she paused at certain features, breathing in the scent of various flowers or allowing her fingers to trail through leaves on a willow tree that hung over them. He’d experienced plenty of nights like this where his thoughts kept slumber at bay, but while he normally immersed himself in datapads, he could tell this was Kestia’s equivalent, her best way of working through a problem.

“If I may, what’s keeping you up at this hour, Tech?” the queen asked, finally breaking the silence as they followed the path along the trickling brook that wove throughout the garden.

He turned to look at her, meeting her eyes in the moonlight, glittering at him like precious gems. There was a hint of amusement playing at the corners of her lips, but her interest seemed genuine, not manufactured out of some sense of social propriety. He took a deep breath.

“Several things actually.”

She nodded. “Well, would you like to talk through them with me?”

He stared at her with a puzzled expression. She shrugged.

“I find it helps me sometimes.”

She seated herself on a stone bench as he stood in front of her, eyes trained on him like a pupil awaiting a lecture.

Nodding, Tech pushed his goggles further up his nose, trying to ignore the nagging fear that he’d bore her.

“I’m trying to determine the best way to increase our fuel efficiency on our gunship. It seems as though we’ve been running hotter than normal, and while I’ve run the usual set of diagnostics, I cannot seem to discover which part is faulty and causing the ship to consume fuel at a faster rate.”

She stared at him intently for a moment. “May I ask a potentially stupid question?”

He smiled slightly. “There are no stupid questions, m’lady. In my experience, those keep you from making stupid mistakes, which are more costly.”

“You’re still calling me ‘m’lady’.”

“A habit I shall endeavor to break. In the meantime, what is your question?”

“You’re operating under the assumption that it’s some part beyond the fuel system that’s misbehaving, causing the fuel pump to provide more fuel than would normally be required, correct?”

“That is the most logical conclusion, yes.”

“Have you considered that perhaps the fuel pump itself is faulty? Maybe there’s nothing driving a higher fuel consumption, but perhaps the pump itself is doling out excess. Or perhaps there’s something in the ship’s programming that’s making the pump think it needs to provide more than what is required.”

Tech’s mind was suddenly so busy, turning over her suggestion, he didn’t notice the queen’s surprised expression as he sat down abruptly next to her, nor her amused smile as his leg began bouncing energetically as he examined the feasibility of her line of thinking.

“That is not a thing I had previously considered,” he conceded, internally chiding himself. “It’s certainly plausible. I’ll have to check.”

She smiled, nudging his shoulder with hers. “Sometimes I find it’s easy to go down the path that is the most logical solution and get stuck there. Glad I could help. What else is on your mind? Perhaps I can help solve all of your problems.”

Tech nodded, missing the joke completely as he ticked down his list.

“I’m working on a new design for a cybernetic limb for Echo. He’d like to have the use of a hand while also maintaining his slicing capabilities. I’ve been attempting to come up with a housing that will be able to tap into his neural system the same way his current appendage does while also maintaining his scomp link within the wrist.”

“Ah, I’m afraid I cannot help you there,” Kestia said quietly, folding her hands in her lap. “Cybernetics are well outside of my area of expertise, and judging by Echo’s neural equipment that’s visible on his head, I have to imagine his is quite complex.”

“You would be correct, but I think there’s an elegant solution. I just have to tweak a few elements of the design concept I’m working on to ensure he’s comfortable with it.”

She hummed in reply, but Tech’s brow did not unfurrow. Kestia noticed.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” she pressed.

Tech felt his cheeks warm once more as he swallowed hard. He wasn’t used to having someone read him so easily so quickly, to seemingly understand him. His brothers did of course, but they’d spent the vast majority of their lives training together. Understanding one another without verbal communication was a necessity for effectiveness. And survival.

She’s a politician. Being able to read a room and those in it makes her successful. Of course she’d be able to notice things such as personal traits. She wouldn’t have been elected queen by such an overwhelming margin if she did not have such a skillset.

It did little to calm the sudden flutter in his stomach. He stood, taking several paces to put some space between them before turning back to face her, his hand stroking his chin as he thought.

“Yes there is another thing. But I fear it is somewhat forward and perhaps could be construed as rude.”

She tipped her head back and laughed, a reaction far from what Tech had expected. But at this point, he was starting to understand that the queen defied any and all expectations he had previously assumed.

“Well, it’s about time someone was rude to me,” Kestia joked. “Everyone defers to me constantly, so I welcome your forward thoughts and potential rudeness.”

Her mirth did little to decrease Tech’s discomfort, but her eyes were boring into him where he stood, and after quickly weighing the options, he decided candor would once again be the best approach. He unconsciously started pacing in front of her while she watched from her seat, her hands still clasped in her lap as she leaned forward, seemingly eager to hear Tech’s thoughts.

“Very well,” Tech replied, taking a deep breath. “I…I struggle to understand why we are needed here. You have a quite capable security force from what I’ve seen, so why recruit a secret fugitive clone team that the Empire is very interested in catching? What added value do we bring?”

She smirked, flicking something off of her robe’s fabric. “Honestly, I find your presence here equally troubling, but I was very much overruled by Captain Typho and several of my advisors and confidantes, including a certain senator that I know colluded with Typho to send you here. I would rather have handled this internally and on my own, but even the Naboo guard has limits. I’m sure you’ve noticed we don’t exactly have a strong military presence, so it’s not as though I could have some strong show of force to get my enemy to back down.”

Tech nodded. He had researched the planet and its culture and was well aware of Naboo’s hesitancy to militarize, even after the Trade Federation invasion that had occurred during Queen Amidala’s rule.

“Do you even know who the enemy is?” he asked.

“I do. But I doubt you’ll believe me.” Her expression was a neutral mask, completely unreadable to him. It frustrated him, especially when combined with her conversational obfuscation.

“I’d be more likely to believe you if you were candid with me about everything, including the reason why your life is in danger,” he retorted, trying to keep his mild annoyance from poking through his facade.

“Iden told you-“

“Resources. Yes, but you and I both know that a simple mining dispute doesn’t put the life of a planet’s elected monarch at risk.”

She eyed him carefully, clearly considering her options. Tech did his best not to cross his arms, fearing he’d portray hostility and send her retreating into the palace. Finally, she sighed.

“Will you tell the others?”

Tech nodded.

“It would be helpful if we understood our current situation better. Vague details make it harder for us to prepare and formulate any contingency plans. I cannot hide information from my brothers that will help keep them safe. And you.”

Something shifted within her as he watched. She looked away, still contemplating, but he could see her jaw set in a hard, determined line. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she dipped her head, appearing to come to a decision.

“Alright, I will trust you with this. My captain was hesitant because he is very fearful for my safety.”

“Understandable considering what happened to the last Naboo leader he was charged with protecting.”

“That wasn’t his fault. He-“

Tech cut her off gently. “I know it wasn’t. I am merely saying I understand his determination to protect you. He obviously cares very deeply for you.”

She smiled a little, her gaze drifting to a slightly more distant point. “Gregar and I were close as children. He’s always been protective, but sometimes I feel that Padmé Amidala’s death has made that part of him even more fearful.”

Tech nodded in understanding. Kestia’s eyes fell to her lap as she nervously picked at her thumbnail.

“A few months ago, I was informed that one of our mining survey droids detected a massive deposit of Bandorium in one of our lakes. The droid had malfunctioned and wasn’t even supposed to be in that area.”

Tech tilted his head. “Bandorium? I thought that metal only existed on Bandomeer.”

“Until this point, it did. Naboo would be the first place that it’s been discovered outside of Bandomeer.”

“Its use in cloaking technology and its rarity makes it incredibly valuable,” Tech recited, recalling one of the many articles he’d read on intergalactic mining during his time as a cadet.

“Indeed, which is why I had the droid’s memory wiped.”

Tech’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I’m afraid I do not understand.”

She nodded, still picking at her thumb before finally meeting his eyes.

“That metal is incredibly valuable to the Empire. They’ve pillaged worlds for far less. This deposit was found near Gunga City, the Gungan capital. In order to mine the deposit, the city would have to be destroyed and the population displaced. In addition, there are numerous Gungan holy sites within the vicinity that would almost certainly be destroyed.”

She stood, pacing in the grass as Tech had been a few moments before. Tech watched her quietly.

“I had the droid’s memory wiped because I did not want the Empire to get word of this discovery,” she continued. “We classified the information and limited any distribution, compartmentalizing where we could, but some of the information still got back to the Empire. Not the location, only I have that information. However, even just the rumored discovery was enough to inspire the Empire to try and coerce me into revealing the location. But I’ve seen how Imperial mining operations plunder worlds. I know that they’d consider the Gungans collateral.”

She stopped, turning to look at him, her eyes pleading for some sort of tacit approval, validation that she’d done the right thing. It struck him as odd, particularly from someone that seemed as set in her convictions as Kestia did.

“When I ran for this office and took my oaths, I swore to protect Naboo and its people, all of its people,” she said so quietly it was almost a whisper. “So I cannot allow that to happen.”

Tech nodded, contemplating the information. Kestia resumed her pacing.

“Unfortunately, I have made my distrust and distaste of the Empire fairly well known. I stand up against them, and they certainly don’t care for it. Moff Panaka has continued to offer his very unwanted advice about how I should disclose the location and allow the Empire to mine what is required, how it will strengthen Naboo and its place in the Empire, as if I would sacrifice my planet and its people to curry favor with those that are only hungry for power and subjugation.”

Her voice was angrier now, and a vein in her temple throbbed as her pace quickened. Tech was taken aback slightly at the aggression and passion coming from the monarch that had been so subdued when they first met. She suddenly seemed to remember herself, pausing her rapid steps to look at him, a flush spreading across her cheeks as she sheepishly tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “I apologize.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I am happy to listen if that is what you require.”

Kestia dipped her head gratefully.

“Anyway, there have been…threats made. Moff Panaka has repeatedly warned me that if I did not comply, there was a chance the Empire would intervene and elect a new monarch that would be more sympathetic to their cause, someone that would allow them to occupy. What they don’t realize is that I’ve destroyed all records of the location. The person that made the report directly to me has since died quite suddenly. I suspect foul play, but seeing as the threats and assassins haven’t stopped coming, I can only assume they didn’t get the information they needed. Information that only exists in my mind.” She paused, looking at him. “And now, yours.”

The revelation was shocking to Tech, and he let out a sharp exhale. He’d never been one to garner or pursue the trust of others, and yet, Kestia had entrusted him with this information after only a few hours. Information that the Empire was apparently willing to kill for. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his expression neutral. He’d have to examine how he felt about this later. For now, it felt important to keep Kestia talking, to glean as much helpful information as he could front his very sudden and unexpected rapport.

“You believe the Empire is attempting to have you killed in the hopes that the next monarch will access the information and reveal it.” It was intended to be a question, but it came out as more of an accusatory statement than intended.

Kes shrank back slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. She did not waver, but he could feel her appraising him again, trying to determine if she had misjudged him, if he would take her seriously.

“I do,” she said firmly. “They can’t risk an outright invasion and have the Empire’s name attached to my death, at least not yet, so they hire assassins like the one that recently visited my quarters.” The evening was warm, but Tech saw her shudder slightly at the memory. “I do not believe the Empire will risk an all-out war with Naboo yet to subdue me and my people.” She noted the twitch of his lips. “You disagree?”

He sighed. “A while ago, yes, I might have disagreed with you. Now, I’m not certain. The Empire has grown more dangerous as it’s become more powerful. More bold.”

She relaxed slightly, seemingly relieved that he at least didn’t completely discount her theory.

“Why not just remove you from office?” he asked after a few moments. “That seems the more politically savvy route. Attacking Naboo’s elected leader is a blatant attack on the planet’s sovereignty.”

“They cannot do it without support from our politicians here, and most of them are against occupation as well. I have plenty of support on my planet. The only way for me to be immediately removed would be…well, to kill me.”

Tech nodded. As conspiratorial and far-fetched as it sounded, he couldn’t deny her reasoning as the pieces fell into place in his mind. If the Empire could keep its name from being tangled with the assassin and pin it on some disgruntled political fanatic, then they could easily slip their own pawn into place while simultaneously tying the hands of any objectors. At best, anyone that made accusations would look like raging conspiracy theorists, and their political careers would crumble. At worst, the Empire would claim treason, and they’d never be heard from again. He sighed, scrubbing his fingers under the rims of his goggles again.

“So, now you know,” Kestia said slowly. “Do you believe me?”

Tech sighed, meeting her eyes. “I believe they will continue to try and remove you, but ultimately, if they do not succeed, I do not doubt they will try to make an example out of you and your people, one way or another.”

Her teeth dug into her bottom lip, and she quickly turned her back to him, wrapping her arms around herself as she stared out across the gardens. Tech slowly moved to stand next to her, studying her features as she thought. He was suddenly struck by how terrifyingly beautiful she was, and how much he found her determination admirable, even if he feared it was against insurmountable odds.

“They can try, but I will not yield,” she said quietly.

Tech hesitated before gently placing a hand on her arm. It felt like the correct thing to do, even though the action seemed to surprise them both. But she did not pull away, instead meeting his eyes.

“And that is why you need us,” he said softly. “To support you in this endeavor should the Empire ramp up its efforts.”

She watched him carefully, and Tech felt his stomach flip slightly under her gaze. She was somehow even more imposing when she was out of her regalia, a normal woman in every aspect of her appearance. And yet, here he was, trying to remain steady as she pinned him down with her emerald irises. After a few moments, she tossed him another grin that almost felt flippant after the conversation they’d had. He suspected it was meant to put him more at ease than anything, and he was once again struck by how naturally she deployed the tools of a politician. It should have unnerved him but it didn’t. At all.

Another thing to be examined at a different time.

For now, he felt content to just exist in this moment rather than planning six steps ahead, a feeling he was unfamiliar with. It felt pleasant as he took in the sounds of the garden, the feel of the breeze on his cheeks and in his curls, and the smile on Kestia’s face.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” the queen of Naboo said, a teasing glimmer in her eye. “I would rather you have wasted your time when this is all said and done.”

He gave her arm a slight squeeze, returning her smile. “As do I. Kestia.”

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wild-karrde · 3 months

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Guarded - Part 2

Master List | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

A/N: HI HELLO HOWDY. I know it's been a minute, but I'm STILL WORKING ON THIS REWRITE! And HERE IS THE NEXT PART! Just a reminder that if you get antsy, you can still read the rest of this fic (I'm leaving all the chapters on the master list). I'll just be updating them as I go, and the "Next Part" of the new chapters won't link to an old one so you can see where I am with the update. As always, thank you to the stupendous @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this for me!

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: language

Word Count: 4.4k words

Captain Typho led the squad of clones down the elaborate hallways, their boot heels clicking on the flawless marble flooring. Stained glass windows tinted the sunlight shining in, casting various shades of reds and purples across them as they walked in silence.

Crosshair took in the environment around him silently, his eyes scanning every inch of the palace they walked thorugh. It was breathtaking, particularly after he’d spent most of his life on Kamino, then starship after starship, and then of course the Imperial prison that he’d been placed in after attempting to return to the Empire. He shuddered slightly at the memory of the cool, dark cell that he’d been locked in. The single member of his Imperial squad that had escaped from Tipoca City had sealed his fate in the Empire’s eyes.

Traitor.

Rampart’s words echoed in his mind. He remembered hanging his head, studying his boots as the realization of his fate sunk in.

A traitor, but to who?

He was grateful that his brothers had rescued him from the prison, but he was also angry with them, angry that they didn’t come for him sooner, angry that they’d abandoned him in the first place. It seemed like anger was almost all he could feel anymore, but most of it was directed internally.

How much of it was the chip, and how much of it was me?

The Empire had told him his chip was removed from the start, claiming that they’d removed it to test his loyalty as a soldier rather than enhancing it, strengthening it so that he would be helpless to resist it. He’d never questioned that, even as he shot Wrecker while his brothers had tried to escape. He had planned on killing them all, drawing them out one by one, and not for a second did he question this sudden change in loyalty.

Good soldiers follow orders. Kill the traitors.

The enhancements to the chip had been so thorough that nothing in his mind had noted the difference. He’d heard Wrecker talk about trying to fight the chip when his own had activated, but Crosshair hadn’t even known to try. He fought back in some ways, but he always thought it was an internal struggle, his “severe and unyielding” nature, as Tech had put it pushing back against something else.

He hadn’t realized that the chip had been damaged by the Venator’s engines, hadn’t known that he’d been able to resist it after that. He just assumed he still had control, unable to differentiate where his own will ended and the chip’s programming began. He hadn’t even noticed the difference in how he viewed his brothers, how he no longer wanted to just kill them or the sudden remorse he felt for shooting Wrecker. He’d always just assumed it was him being conflicted and changing as the Empire evolved.

The most painful thing for Crosshair was that while he hadn’t noticed the abrupt change within himself, neither had his brothers, the ones that knew him best. Of course they’d initially suspected the chip, but when he told them that the chip had been removed, as he believed it had, they didn’t question it. They just believed him, believed that he was capable of the things that he’d done, and that was what tortured him at night as his brothers snored around him.

They thought I was a monster.

His chip had continued to degrade in the prison, and the headaches became more frequent. By the time Tech and Hunter had burst through his cell door, he’d been curled in a corner, rocking back and forth in agony as his brain felt like it was throwing itself against the inside of his skull. Tech had scanned him as soon as they’d gotten back to the Marauder, finding the bright abnormality in his brain immediately. The look of guilt that they all shared when they saw it crushed him as he realized what they’d thought of him. Now, his fingers absently drifted to graze the uneven scarring pattern on the right side of his head as he rehashed the memories.

Of course I was loyal to the Empire. I had nowhere else to go. And then, when they gave up on me, I had nothing. I still might have nothing, just the illusion of their trust.

Now, it was as if he was a complete stranger to them, no one knowing the way forward after what they’d endured. Hunter had tried to fall back into their normal routine, almost as if he refused to acknowledge Crosshair being gone in the first place, but it just made the disconnect even more apparent. Wrecker was borderline clingy, constantly trying to joke him out of his foul moods and playfully shoving him to try and regain some sort of normalcy. Echo very clearly had no idea how to be around him, and Tech was, well…Tech, going about his business as normal, but with the occasional guilty look when he thought Crosshair wasn’t looking. Crosshair suspected he felt the most remorse for not putting the pieces together sooner.

Omega had oddly been the most tolerable. He hadn’t forgotten what she said as they escaped Tipoca City, and neither had she. She’d been quiet in her attempt to reintegrate him into the team, never really pushing him. The first day back, he’d been sitting quietly in the back of the ship, chewing on one of his fingernails to try and calm his nerves as his eyes darted around the space he’d once called home. Omega had approached quietly, offering him a toothpick from his pack that they’d kept aboard the Marauder. He’d snarled at her as he took it, but immediately popped it between his teeth, chewing it as he mulled over what his future would hold.

But she stayed.

After that, she’d sometimes just sit by him quietly tinkering on something or reading on her datapad while he cleaned his rifle, never attempting an unnecessary conversation, but just existing near him in a way that the others seemed incapable of. She’d occasionally ask questions about his weapon, and he’d reflexively be annoyed, but it never seemed to deter her, and after a while, he gave in, describing the modifications he’d made and how the weapon worked. He’d noted Hunter watching them at times, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, which just annoyed Crosshair more.

He would never admit it, but he missed the kid, even if she was safer in the place she was now. They’d left her at the fledgling rebel base on Yavin 4 to continue her medical training beyond what she’d already learned on Kamino. She was eager to help the rebellion in any way she could, and Crosshair found that admirable, especially in one still so young.

The sniper was snapped out of his own thoughts as he ran into Wrecker’s back. He was immediately annoyed he’d let his thoughts get the better of him and even more annoyed when he noted Wrecker’s wide-eyed wonder. The large clone had stopped to stare up at the stained glass window that they’d just walked past. A woman with dark hair in a long red gown was depicted. The gown appeared to be fur-lined with massive amber gems accenting the hem. A golden headpiece framed her face as her long hair hung down her back. Her expression appeared solemn and, in Crosshair’s opinion, someone grief-stricken. At least as much as a stained-glass depiction could be.

“Is that-”

“Former Queen Padmé Amidala,” Tech stated. “After serving both of her terms, she served as a senator for Naboo, who died-“

“Serving her people,” Typho interrupted him. The captain’s face was stony, but Crosshair didn’t miss the clench of his fist at his side nor the sadness in his eyes.

“I apologize. You were in her service at the time of her death, correct?” Tech asked.

“I was.”

Hunter stepped forward. “I’m sorry. We never had the privilege of meeting the Senator, but by all accounts, she was kind and fought the good fight. Moreso than a lot of her political counterparts.”

Typho nodded, gazing at the window for another moment before turning wordlessly on his heel to continue down the hall.

Crosshair knew that look. It was one of a man that felt he had failed, one of guilt that he carried like a brand on his soul. It was a feeling Crosshair was all too familiar with.

They turned down a few more corridors before arriving in a hall that split off into multiple dormitories and suites.

“The queen’s suite is this door here,” Typho said, indicating a large carved wooden door to their left. The door was ornate and seemed mostly decorative, but Crosshair noted the blast door slats that were hidden along the edges of the frame, likely intended to seal in the event of a palace breach. The keypad to the right of the door seemed to be a straightforward biometric interface, one that could likely be overridden by a select few such as the captain in an emergency.

“Will we be allowed to inspect it for security purposes?” Echo asked, interrupting Crosshair’s observations.

“You may once we get you situated. We had an…incident a few rotations ago, which is the reason why you’re here.” Crosshair noted the captain’s eyes darting towards the keypad as he nervously flexed his fingers at his side.

He must have had to try out those emergency overrides the other night then.

Typho continued down the hall to the next door down. “This is the handmaidens’ dormitory. And this,” he said, backtracking to the door closest to the main hallway, “is where you’ll be staying. We’ll give you the codes to get in and out.” Reaching down, he punched a four digit code that Crosshair immediately memorized. Glancing over, he could see Tech noting it in his datapad as well.

The clones followed Typho into the common area of the suite, which had a set of couches gathered around a low table. There were several bedrooms branching off the main gathering area, and Crosshair rolled his eyes as Wrecker raced into the first bedroom.

“It’s got its own ‘fresher and everything!” he exclaimed gleefully, poking his head back out of the door with a wide grin.

“Two beds per room, so I’m afraid you’ll have to share,” Typho said apologetically.

Hunter chuckled. “After spending so much time tripping over each other on our ship, that won’t be an issue, Captain. We appreciate the hospitality.”

The captain nodded. “These uniforms are what you shall wear around the palace while you are protecting the Queen.” He gestured at a table where the uniforms had been laid out by the palace staff. Crosshair did his best to not immediately wrinkle his nose at the yellow fabric and brown, seemingly leather armor.

Those chest plates wouldn’t stop a stiff breeze. And they look like they weigh a ton.

Wrecker appeared to be far more enthusiastic about their new wardrobe, immediately reaching for the largest helmet, and letting out a whoop when it slid easily onto his head.

Typho smirked. “We’ve had larger guards in the past, although ones your size are few and far between. However, I’ve been assured that this uniform should fit you, Wrecker.”

“Thanks!” the large clone exclaimed.

The captain glanced around one more time at each of them before turning to Hunter. “I’ll leave you to settle in and get changed. I have other duties I must attend to. I’ll stop back by in a while to brief you further. Until then, I must ask that you not leave this suite unless escorted. There’s a signal pad by the door to summon an aide should you require anything further.”

Hunter nodded in acknowledgement, and with that, the captain slipped his helmet back on and departed with only the hiss of their door marking his exit.

“Well, this all seems…weird,” Echo said, picking up one of the Naboo armor pieces to inspect it.

“How so?” asked Hunter, neatly stacking his clone armor in one corner before pulling his shirt over his head.

“Well for starters, the queen’s older than I expected,” Echo noted, setting aside the new armor to start working at the latches on his own chest plate. “I thought all Naboo queens were teenagers. Senator Amidala was only fourteen when she took the job if I remember correctly.”

Tech already had the yellow tunic on and was cinching the provided belt around his waist. “You would be correct, Echo. Typically, the Naboo elect significantly younger queens. However, there have been some exceptions, such as Queen Réillata, who succeeded Senator Amidala. I believe Queen Nodala is actually the oldest monarch elected. She ran on a very anti-occupation platform, stating that she wished to protect Naboo’s sovereignty, which aligned with popular sentiments. Her opponent was much more lenient towards the Imperials. Nodala’s election actually was taken as quite the rebuke of the Empire, which has likely contributed to her ongoing troubles with them.”

“Sure, fine. But why are we here then? They’ve got a whole Palace Guard. What could we be needed for?” Echo muttered, finally managing to get his armor undone. It took him more time to get out of his kit with one hand, but he’d adjusted remarkably in the time since he’d joined their squad, and they all knew better than to offer to help him.

“I can answer that,” came a voice from behind them. They all turned to find the lieutenant from the throne room standing in the doorway.

Iden, Crosshair noted mentally. Short. Confident. Observant.

He’d noticed how her eyes hadn’t stopped scanning them since she’d first been introduced to them, and even now, she appeared to be mentally taking notes as she glanced around the room. He tried not to glare when her eyes passed over him, one eyebrow raising slightly in appraisal before she turned to address Hunter.

Bit of a bitch, but maybe that comes with the territory of being short in stature and having an authority position.

“Glad to see your uniforms fit,” she said with a grin, extending a gloved hand to Hunter. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Lieutenant Iden Vena, chief of the Palace Guard and head of security under Captain Typho.”

Hunter clasped her arm, and the rest of them nodded their acknowledgements, introducing themselves one by one.

“So, what is it you need us for?” Hunter asked. “So far, we’ve been given almost no information.”

“You are required because you can operate outside the bounds of the Naboo guard, even if you’ll be dressed like them,” Iden replied, eyes still roving over the group. “Many of our officers are volunteers, and even though they receive excellent training, it’s become increasingly apparent recently that additional help is needed if we are to protect the queen.”

Hunter nodded. “Captain Typho mentioned a recent incident.”

Iden’s mouth hardened into a thin line. “Did he now?”

Crosshair watched as her jaw twitched.

This was personal to her, he thought. Somehow, she feels the failure is hers. And she really doesn’t like feeling like a failure.

Iden took a deep breath, clearly weighing how much to tell them without her commanding officer present. Finally, she sighed, meeting Hunter’s eyes. “There was a lapse in our security. We have not completed the investigation yet, but it appears the rotation schedule was tampered with, although we have yet to identify how. Either way, an assassin was able to breach our external perimeter, scale the outer walls, and make it into the queen’s private quarters through a window.”

“Well, they clearly didn’t succeed, so at least your security held up where it counted,” Echo attempted to counter, but Iden shook her head, seeming to cringe.

“Actually, the queen was the one who shot him. We arrived moments later. He died before we could interrogate him.”

Echo and Wrecker’s mouths fell open slightly and Hunter and Tech exchanged a look. Even Crosshair felt his eyebrow raise in surprise.

The queen can handle herself apparently.

“There have been other attempts on the queen’s life of course,” Iden continued quickly. “That comes with being the leader of a planet, but they’ve become more frequent and more well-planned. This was the closest they’ve come, and we fear there will be more, which is why we’ve brought you in.”

“Who would want to do this?” Hunter asked.

Iden gave him a hard look. “We have our suspicions, but we are still investigating who could be responsible. As for motive, all I can say is that it is a resources dispute.”

Crosshair’s teeth clamped down on his toothpick in annoyance.

She’s lying.

“Not telling us what’s going on makes our job harder. You’ve got to know that,” Echo grumbled, echoing Crosshair’s own thoughts.

“I understand, but that is all I am able to tell you at this time,” Iden replied curtly, glowering at Echo.

Definitely a bit of a bitch.

The tension grew as the silence stretched out until Tech stepped forward, datapad in hand. “We were told we would be able to inspect the queen’s quarters. I’d like to get an idea of what your surveillance system looks like.”

Iden shot him a glare as well, but Tech didn’t appear to notice as he continued punching buttons on his datapad. Echo tried a more gentle tack.

“It’ll give us a better idea of how we can help you.”

The lieutenant narrowed her eyes, giving Echo a once over before finally nodding.

“Very well. This way please.”

Iden led them back down the hall and through the large wooden door. She used a code to enter, which Crosshair found interesting.

They must only use the biometrics for emergency entry. That makes sense. Probably on a separate circuit as well. Harder to fake those than an access code.

He did find himself annoyed that Iden cast a glance back over her shoulder before she managed to block his view of the keypad completely. It made sense from a security perspective, but it only seemed to drive home the point that they were outsiders, others brought in to help while not being given the full weight of the Naboo Guard’s trust.

Fine then.

The room itself was simple enough with a line of windows that looked out over the private gardens on the palace grounds, a few decorative paintings and tapestries, and a large bed tucked against one wall with matching nightstands flanking it. There was a small hallway that led back towards a connected private refresher with a massive closet tucked next to it, and at the end of the hall was a small private office that the queen presumably used when it was more convenient than working at the desk in the throne room.

Tech and Echo spoke with Iden in hushed voices, going over the layout of the security system while Hunter and Wrecker inspected the various rooms. Crosshair leaned against the window, peering out at the grounds below. Remembering Iden’s description of how the attacker got into the room, he walked along the line of windows, trying to find the entry point of the assailant. At the place where the windows met the exterior wall of the room, he found where he believed the man must have climbed up. The windows ended near a decorative stone column that protruded off the building, framing the edge of an arch that extended over the windows. There was just enough of a ledge where someone could have a finger hold that would allow them to haul themselves up and through the window. As the sniper’s eyes scanned the architecture, he noted a small indentation driven into the stone.

They had climbing gear. They planned this well in advance and knew what they were doing.

Leaning up against the window, he looked down. It was about a fifteen story drop to the gardens below. There was a line of trees that probably would have kept the assassin concealed from view for the first few meters, but they still would have been completely exposed for a majority of the climb.

They must have scaled the wall quickly in order to not be seen by the incoming guards. Or the guards were too stupid to note someone on the side of the building.

He pressed his fingertips against the windows, glancing at the mechanisms that allowed them to open.

Locked from the inside, thick glass, wouldn’t have been able to shoot it out with a single blaster bolt, and they knew it.

“How did the assassin get through the window?” he asked, and the room went silent. He felt irritation twist his gut, but shrugged it off as his brothers and Iden all turned and stared at him. He’d rarely spoken to them unprompted since his return, so hearing him ask a question was understandably somewhat of a surprise. That didn’t stop him from being annoyed by their reactions.

They want normalcy, but when I speak, they act like I’ve grown a second head.

He clenched his teeth a little tighter around the toothpick, but said nothing further.

Iden stepped forward, pointing at the pane at the end of the line of windows. “We believe he used some sort of device to disable the window lock from the outside, although we haven’t been able to determine what yet.”

Tech walked up to the window, adjusting his goggles as he inspected the locks. “This would have required a rather simple apparatus to de-magnetize the locking mechanism and enable the intruder to open the locks. It would not even register as a perimeter breach in the system, so an alarm would never have been triggered.” He turned to look at Iden, who was clearly struggling with the “simple” part of his statement.

“We didn’t really anticipate someone scaling the side of the building. The locking is mainly to keep them closed should there be a concussive explosion near the palace during an attack. The glass is blast-proof.”

Tech said nothing as he contemplated the information for a moment. “And now? Have there been changes to protocols in light of these recent events?”

“We’re working on replacing the locking devices with something more sophisticated,” Iden replied, clearly on her back foot in this exchange and not pleased about it.

“Excellent.”

Echo and Hunter exchanged a look. “So, how did the rest of the incident play out?” the clone sergeant asked.

Just then, the door behind them opened, and Captain Typho entered. “Ah, good. You got started with the inspection.”

“I was just asking for the details on the incident you mentioned,” Hunter repeated.

Typho walked to the bed, turning to face the window. “The queen was asleep but was startled awake by the sound of the window lock disengaging and the window opening. She said she sat up, saw the intruder, got out of bed, and took shelter behind this nightstand.” He let his gloved hand rest on the wooden surface of the nightstand as he stepped through the scenario. Crosshair noted how small the nightstand was.

She would have had to crouch down very low and hug the wall tightly to hide. Either the assassin is a terrible shot or the queen is incredibly lucky. Perhaps both.

Typho continued. “The queen was able to retrieve her weapon from her nightstand drawer. The intruder got up on the bed, standing over her. At that point, the queen decided to…erm…tackle him.”

“Tackle him?” Echo asked, stunned. Wrecker let out an approving laugh, a smile creeping across his face.

“Yes. She managed to incapacitate him and hang on to her weapon. She attempted to subdue him, but he did not comply, and she was forced to shoot him. He died before he could be interrogated further.” Typho’s eyes rested on a particular spot on the floor, clearly replaying the moment in his head. Crosshair assumed that was where they’d found the assailant, and an amused smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he imagined the scene.

The captain must have been absolutely fraught, walking in on the queen in her nightgown with a dead man underneath her. It was obvious to him that the queen and the captain shared a close relationship, although to what extent, he couldn’t be sure. Close enough to where she’s fine pushing his buttons in front of unfamiliar company, and close enough to where he feels comfortable pushing back against her, however subtly. He flicked the toothpick between his teeth to the other side of his mouth as he pictured the amount of force the queen would have had to hit the assassin with in order to tackle him, much less subdue him. It was hard to imagine the woman they’d met in the throne room doing such a thing, but her being alive was enough of a confirmation of what she could do. A woman capable of that hardly needs a security force, he mused internally.

Hunter was stroking his chin as he considered the scenario. “I understand you’re upping your security system on the windows. What other measures have you taken since the attack?”

“Each rotation schedule is signed off manually now. We no longer rely on the automated systems to generate it, so there should never be another gap to allow someone to penetrate our patrol area. In addition, we’ve doubled patrols for redundancy. We have a team inspecting all of our other security measures to audit any other shortfalls we may have, and any changes we make are being kept confidential among the security force. We would welcome your input on that as well.” Hunter turned to Tech who nodded in agreement.

“And then there’s you. We’d like to have one of you stationed with the queen at all times during the day, and then of course, you’ll be right down the hall at night. We plan on installing a panic alarm on the nightstand here that would allow her to alert you should something occur.”

Hunter bobbed his head in understanding. “Alright. We will work up a guard rotation schedule and supply you with it.”

“That would be most helpful and appreciated.”

Crosshair noted Tech had wandered back to the window and was inspecting the locking mechanisms again. As his brother fiddled with the controls, he watched as the window opened slowly. One thing about the entire exercise caught his attention, sticking in the back of his mind.

The window unlatched without any sound at all.

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