"Anakin Skywalker, fancy meeting you here." (Y/N) smiles.

"Master (L/N), it's good to see you." Anakin and
(Y/N) embrace.

"I've heard great things about you and your squad."

"I'm glad they're good things. Though I wish the circumstances of our meeting were better." (Y/N) replies sadly.

"Is it true then?" Anakin asked.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully Rex may be able to tell you more."

"Word is the general staff isn't completely behind this mission." Hunter and Rex walk over.

"I admit the idea that Echo is still alive is a long shot." Rex said.

"I'm sure the Council will approve the mission." Anakin stated.

"Just remember the primary goal is to learn how the Separatists are predicting our strategy, whether it's Echo behind it or not." (Y/N) states calmly.

"Well, if you want my opinion, sounds like a trap, but me and the boys will tag along anyway, if only to say 'I told you so.'" Hunter smirks at (Y/N).

"I'll make sure to get the 'go ahead' from General Kenobi." (Y/N) said.

"If you're certain he'll approve the mission, why wait? Let's get going!" Rex said.

"First, we have that 'thing' to do." Anakin intervenes.

"Uh, what thing?" Rex asks.

"You know." Anakin looks at Rex.

"We don't have time for that sir." Rex answers.

"Yes, we do." Anakin insists.

"We'll uh, let you sort this thing out." Hunter nods his head towards the ship.

"We'll be waiting on the ship with the rest of the team... Oh and Anakin?" Said (Y/N).

"Yes?"

"Do tell Padmé I said hello and we should get together soon." (Y/N) grins knowingly at Anakin's wide eyes.

Rex looks between Anakin and (Y/N), as if saying, she knows?

She does a half-hearted salute at Anakin before walking away with Hunter.

"So I want to know what that was?" Hunter asks.

"Probably not." (Y/N) answers.

(Y/N) and Hunter join the rest of The Bad Batch.

"We're all set." She tells them.

"You got permission from General Kenobi already?" Tech looked at (Y/N).

"Ah not officially yet, but it's me and Anakin, how could he say no?"

"I guess that settles it." The voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi said.

(Y/N) turned around and smiled.

"General Kenobi." She greets.

"General (L/N). He smiles.

They hug. (Y/N) can feel eyes on her and Obi-Wan.

"Anakin-"

"Is busy." (Y/N) says.

"Is he on a call with Senator Amidala?" Obi-Wan questions.

"I don't know, is he?" (Y/N) plays dumb.

"What am I going to do with him?" Obi-Wan rolls his eyes.

"I'd assume the council granted permission for this mission?" (Y/N) asked seriously.

"I don't know, maybe you should ask them." Obi-Wan challenged.

"Aw, you know the council doesn't like me much." (Y/N) pouts.

"Master Yoda, and Master Plo Koon do."

"And you do... right?" (Y/N) joked.

"Depends on the day." Obi-Wan chuckled.

"I take offense to that statement." (Y/N) playfully answered.

"In any case, safe travels on your mission (Y/N), may the Force be with you." Obi-Wan put a hand on

"May the Force be with you." (Y/N) said.

Back with the Bad Batch, Tech looks up from his datapad to see (Y/N) conversing with Obi-Wan happily. A small pang of something coursed through his body that he couldn't identify.

She's just talking to the General. Why is it bothering me?

"Tech? You okay?" Hunter asks.

"I am fine Hunter, why do you ask?" Tech replies.

"He's just noticing you staring at the General. I've seen that look before, you've got a soft spot for the General don't you?" Crosshair smirks.

"I assure you, I feel nothing but mutual respect for the General." Tech blushed furiously.

"Sure... just don't start writing Love letters in binary code." Crosshair slaps Tech on the shoulder.

Tech was rendered speechless.

"Aw Tech, we're just teasing you." Hunter laughs.

"Ya sure you're not jealous?" Wrecker yelled.

Crosshair hit Wrecker in the head with his rifle.

"Quiet!"

"Jealousy is an irrational emotion. I'm merely concerned about the potential distraction from our mission." Tech tries to reason.

"You gonna show General Kenobi who's smarter, and give him a run for his money?" Hunter asked.

"Ugh! You're all impossible to convince!" Tech sighs in frustration.

"That they are." (Y/N) walked back over to the group.

"What are they giving you a hard time about now?" She laughs.

"Nothing of importance." Tech answered quickly.

The Bad Batch looked at Tech with a grin on their faces.

XXXXX

The group was on the Marauder heading to Shako Minor.

Tech was piloting the ship, Wrecker was weight-lifting Gonky, Hunter was looking at a screen, Anakin was examining Crosshair's Firepuncher under his heavy gaze.

(Y/N) was up in the Cockpit with Tech, while he rambled about the history of Skako Minor. (Y/N) listens intently.

"So, how many missions has your team been on, General?" Anakin called.

"We stopped counting at 200." Said (Y/N).

"All the action sort of blurs together." Hunter adds.

"I know you work with Cody sometimes, but who do you guys report to?" Anakin asks.

"Not really anyone." (Y/N) answers.

The ship shakes violently.

"We are approaching Skako Minor." Tech informs.

(Y/N) looked at the planet, its dim yellow-tan hue palette very visible.

"It looks to be a difficult landing."

The group runs to a seat to stay secure.

(Y/N) takes the copilot's seat next to Tech. Pushing some buttons to try and stabilize the ship.

They could see Lightning and dust mixing together, making it extremely hard to see anything. Bumps were very much present when trying to find a spot to land. Tech found a flatter area to land the ship. However, no one could see anything besides the yellow dust blowing everywhere.

"Rex, what do we know about this place?" Anakin turns to his Captain.

"On this part of Skako, there's a race of locals, the Poletecs. All we know is they're very primitive." Rex tells them.

"'Primitive' is being kind. My intel says the Poletecs worship flying reptiles."

There's a thud on top of the Marauder.

Then a rather loud screech as a huge flying creature lands on the windshield of the ship. With a rider on its back. Startling everyone.

"Oh! What the heck was that?!" Wrecker yelled as he looked out the window.

"It's one of those reptiles." Tech says.

"I want that thing off my ship!" Hunter yells as the group hurries to get the creature off.

"Hold on! Hold on! Don't just run out there." Rex tried to say.

The Bad Batch didn't listen, as (Y/N) and Anakin follow them.

They run down the ship's bridge.

"Hey! Get off of there!" Wrecker yells as he points his blaster at the creature.

"Wait! Don't shoot! We need to talk to them!" (Y/N) says.

"Why?"

"She's right!" Says Hunter.

Two more creatures with riders on top swoop in to attack. (Y/N) just barely rolls under. She ignites her saber in defense.

The creature dives for Rex.

"Rex! Look out!" (Y/N) yelled.

She pushed Rex out of the way, then the creature grabbed (Y/N)'s right shoulder, causing her to drop her lightsaber. She was pulled up into the air. Never did the Bad Batch think they'd hear their General scream, but she did.

Tech picked up (Y/N)'s lightsaber quickly. As the rest of the Batch fired at the creature.

"I have a thermal reading!" Tech tried to keep his voice neutral, containing the fear he felt for the General's safety.

"Point-two-five east, elevation 175." Tech informed.

"Relax Tech, your girlfriend will be fine. I'll handle this" Crosshair said as he prepared his rifle.

Crosshair placed his rifle on Tech's shoulder to steady his aim.

He shot a tripwire at the creature. A direct hit. He hands the end of the wire to Hunter.

"What are you doing?" Rex asked, slightly panicked.

"Going for a ride." Hunter answers calmly as he attached the hook to his armor.

He's pulled up into the air by the wire and pulled into the distance.

"Is everyone just going to ignore what Crosshair just said?!" Anakin looks at Tech.

Tech couldn't bring himself to look back at the General.

XXXXX

Hunter struggled to stay with the creature. He could see (Y/N) dangling by her arm as the creature gripped it. He shot at the rider, who decided to keep swerving to try and get Hunter to let go. He wouldn't budge. Suddenly the rider jerked forward so quick, Hunter dropped his blaster due to the amount of force.

Guess I'm going for a longer ride.

The creature came up to a rocky mountainside. The creature steers in different directions in an attempt to get him killed. However, Hunter was just skilled enough to avoid the points.
They were coming up on a cliff, and if Hunter didn't make a decision soon, he'd be skewered at the point of the cliff. Hunter detached himself from the cable and landed roughly on the rocky cliff. Rolling to the edge of the cliff. He looks over and sees (Y/N) pinned to the ground underneath the creature that took her. Along with being surrounded by Poletecs.

"Tech, I'm with the General. Hone in on my signal." Hunter instructed through his comm.

Down below, (Y/N) was listening to all the growls and whatever language the locals were speaking.

"Uhm, there might be a slight communication error on my part." Said (Y/N) meekly.

XXXXX

Tech landed the Marauder. And the clones ran out to Hunter.

"That creature still has a hold of the General." Hunter states.

"We're going in, but remember what the General said, 'No casualties, disarm only.'" Rex told them.

"We're on it Captain. Wrecker, Crosshair! Rockslide!" Hunter commanded.

Wrecker gets behind a boulder and pushes it. The boulder slides down the mountain. Causing a ruckus and cover for the clones. They each slid down the mountain carefully. Once they reach the bottom, they begin firing at the locals' weapons, knocking them out of their hands.
Crosshair looks through his scope and sees (Y/N) still struggling to get out from underneath the creature. He aimed a dart at the creature's leg, and it hit his target. Making the creature lift its claw up. (Y/N) rolled out from underneath it. However, once she was out of the way of the creature, the boulder came straight at her. She had to roll herself away from that as well.

She picked herself up off the ground. She found the clones and Anakin cornering the Poletecs. The leader started saying something frantically in another language.

"Tech, translate what he's saying." Said (Y/N).

Tech slides down his visor over his goggled helmet.

"He says he does not want our war on his planet. That is why he took our leader." Tech looked at the group.

"We didn't bring the war here." Said (Y/N).

"It was Wat Tambor and the Separatists." Anakin added.

Tech speaks in the Poletecs' language. Ending on the word 'Separatist'.

"Tell him we apologize for what's happened. But tell him the enemy is holding one of our men prisoner in Purkoll. As soon as we rescue him, we'll leave his planet, for good." Rex said.

Tech speaks in the alien's language. The chief walks up close to Tech then said something to the locals. They whispered among themselves.

The chief looked back and started speaking.

"The chief says he will provide us with scouts and lead us to Tambor's city. From there, we're on our own." Tech translates.

"Any help is better than no help." Anakin shrugs.

XXXXX

"I believe this is yours." Tech hands (Y/N) her lightsaber.

"Oh! Thanks Tech." (Y/N) nods her head.

"Are you alright? That Keeradak has massive claws that are used for hunting and strangling their prey. Poachers don't normally get to see one up close before being devoured." Tech rambled.

"I'm okay Tech, just wasn't expecting to be grabbed by a giant reptilian bird thing." (Y/N) grins.

"Ah, I see how that is not exactly expected." Tech said with a twinge of embarrassment.

(Y/N) looked like she was going to reply, then Anakin came over to them and told them it was time to go.

XXXXX

The group hiked to the top of a mountainside cliff. The Poletecs that brought them there pointed to a building in the distance. (Y/N) had Tech thank them before they left.

"Hope nobody's scared of heights." Anakin comments.

(Y/N), Hunter, Tech and Crosshair turned to look at Wrecker simultaneously.

"Well, I'm not scared of nothing. I just... When I'm up real high, I got a problem with gravity." Wrecker stammers.

"Speaking of problems, I am no longer picking up Echo's signal." Tech says to the team.

"I... I don't understand. You said it was coming from this city." Rex points.

(Y/N) can sense the annoyance and urgency from Rex.

"I can only speculate, but it is possible there's a latency issue with the frequency caused by all these atmospheric disturbances." Tech looks at Rex.

"Or... maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap. And maybe your friend's actually dead. Well, I can't be the only one thinking of that." Hunter suggests.

"Look, every mission could be a trap. This one is no different. I'm telling you that signal is being sent by Echo himself! He's alive!" Rex argues.

"I think you're letting your personal feelings get in the way because you left him for dead at the Citadel." Crosshair sneers.

"Crosshair..." (Y/N) warns.

"I had no choice. You hear me?" Rex desperately says.

"Oh, I don't blame you. I would've left him for dead too. Besides, he's just another reg." Crosshair turns around and starts walking down the mountain.

(Y/N) already sensed what was coming, Rex punched Crosshair once, startling the sniper. Then again, knocking Cross down on his back.

Wrecker grabs Rex by the top of his blue armor.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone not your size?" He threatened.

Wrecker threw Rex off to the side. Once Rex regained his footing, he marched right back up to Wrecker, trying to make himself larger.

"You'll be a whole lot smaller when I'm through with you." Rex threatens back.

"That's enough!" (Y/N) used the Force and lightly pushed Wrecker and Rex apart.

"Hunter, take the boys with you and scout for a tower entrance." (Y/N) dismissed.

Hunter motioned to his squad to follow him.

Once the Bad Batch was out of range, Anakin looked at his Captain.

"Rex, I hate to say it, but... you have to prepare yourself for the possibility that Echo is dead, and this is all a Separatist trick."

"Sir, I have watched so many of my brothers fall during this war, and I try not to hang on to any one of them. But that changed when I heard that Separatist transmission. It was no algorithm. That was Echo's voice. I know it." Rex sighed.

"Rex, I will not apologize for my squad's actions, but you must understand that the way Crosshair is treating you, is the way we as outcasts were treated."

"W-what do you mean?" Rex asked with wide eyes.

"As an experimental squad, they were deemed as 'freaks' and 'defective', their entire lives, they were treated that way. They would never hear the end of it. For that, they choose not to trust any reg." (Y/N) explained solemnly.

Rex's eyes were wide with shock and confusion.

"If they've learned one thing, it's that every single reg is exactly the same."

"I-I had no idea." Rex stuttered.

"I can sense the truth in your statement Captain, however, I too... find it hard to believe." (Y/N) admits.

"With all due respect General, you say 'we' as if you were included...?" Rex asked.

(Y/N) could feel Anakin looking at her.

"That is correct Captain. When I was younger, I gained copious amounts of attention from other younglings due to my outer appearance. I found it very hard to make friends, until I met General Kenobi." (Y/N) said.

"I- I'm sorry." Rex made eye contact.

"I know you think it's Echo, But if, for some reason, you're wrong..." (Y/N) trailed off.

"Then I'll deal with it." Rex says firmly.

XXXXX

As Tech traced Echo's signal and opened the door, The Bad Batch kept watch trying to see through the sandstorm.

"We're in business, General. Tech regained Echo's signal. It's coming from this tower. How's it going, Tech?" Hunter asked.

(Y/N) observed Tech furiously typing on the door's control panel.

The door opened with a clunk noise.

Tech got off his knees and turned to (Y/N) and Anakin.

"Sorry it took so long."

"Hey Cross, check it out." (Y/N) said.

Crosshair raises his Firepuncher and looks around as he goes through the door.

"Yeah, it's a lift." Crosshair says.

"Well, we already knew that." Tech sarcastically responds.

"Wait, wait, wait. A lift? How far up are we going?" Wrecker panics.

"Don't worry, Wrecker. I'll hold your hand." Hunter teases.

"Hey! Cut it out, Sarge. Just give me some droids to crush." Wrecker bumps Hunter's shoulder, urging the Sargent to go forward.

"Stealth, Wrecker." (Y/N) reminds.

"No blasting, no blowing things up. Nobody knows we're here." Anakin adds.

The lift comes to a halt. The doors slide open and a couple of battle droids are walking around.

As soon as those doors open, (Y/N) knows her instructions will immediately go out the window in Wrecker's mind.

Sure enough, Wrecker lets out a battle cry and charges at the battle droids.

"Intruders! Attack!"

He starts smashing the droids, throwing them into each other, and blasting them. He even threw some off the docking pad.

(Y/N) can feel the slight annoyance from the rest of the group as the Bad Batch joins the gunfight.

"So much for stealth." Rex sighs.

Anakin looks at (Y/N). Who has her hand brought up to her face in a face palm.

Wrecker and the Bad Batch finished killing off the droids.

"Yeah! Hah! Ha-ha! Yeah!" Wrecker yells happily.

He turns to see Anakin and Rec staring at him in disbelief, and (Y/N) shaking her head.

"Uh... sorry. I just got excited." Wrecker says meekly.

"I've still got a lock on Echo's signal." Tech informs.

"Okay boys, let's hunt some droids." Says (Y/N).

"Now you're talking! Yeah!" Wrecker shouts excitedly.

XXXXX

The group comes up into the corridor, hiding behind the corner from the droids. Hunter signals to Rex, and they shoot down the droids in the corridor.

Anakin and (Y/N) walk out.

"Tech, where exactly is the signal coming from?"
(Y/N) turns to him.

"Strange. I just lost the signal." Tech said.

"What? How can that be? There's no 'atmospheric disturbances' up here." Rex takes off his helmet.

"Well, I have a new theory. I'm surprised I did not consider it earlier. The signal is only traceable during data transmissions. So until Echo dispenses more intel, I cannot pick up the signal." Tech explains.

"Okay, we're splitting up. Search every door." Anakin instructs.

"If someone finds Echo, contact the others. We go in together, just in case there's trouble." (Y/N) adds.

Anakin runs in one direction with Crosshair, (Y/N) runs in the other with Rex, Tech, Hunter, and Wrecker.

The group comes up on a couple of doors. Each of them runs to a separate door. Opening them to check for Echo.

(Y/N) stops at her tracks.

Tech and Hunter stop with her, looking at her, trusting her Force abilities.

"Wait. I can feel something-"

"Is it him?!" Rex