Chapter Text
“A Republic prison facility, you say?” Dex hummed, looking over the specs Tech had given him, “How soon?”
“Within the week.” Cross huffed out, keeping an eye on Morgan as she wandered around the room.
“That's tight. You clones are no joke in security. Who's the target?” Dex asked.
Cross shot Tech a look. This was the risky part: how much to say to get the job done but not so much as to blow their secrets wide open. “Not yet arrested.” Tech said, “We believe they will be seized in the next few days.”
“Hmm. How powerful?” Dex asked, sifting through the papers.
This part they couldn't get out of. “Jedi.”
Dex didn't even blink. “Then they'll be kept here.” He pointed at a set of cells away from the rest of them. “Designed to keep Force Users. That's gonna be one tricky job. Video on every door and hall. No blindspots.”
“Can we cut the power?” Morgan asked, wandering back over.
“No. GAR installations are designed to withstand EMP due to our use of droid poppers.” Tech shook his head.
“Everything built on something else here on Coruscant, can we burrow up or dig down?” Cross asked.
“You could, but that would take regulated plasma cutters and be too dang long. Plus, you have the cameras,” Dex reminded him.
Cross bit back a growl and considered the plan again, “Okay, so we'll have Hunter swap with one of the prison Corries-”
“No.” Tech shook his head, “I've been studying the Coruscant Guard and how they work. It's actually quite interesting; they act as almost a subset of-”
“Tech!” Cross huffed, “Why can't Hunter double as a Corrie?”
“Because they'll know.”
“Not to be insensitive, but Hunter can come across as a regular clone. The differences between you can't be that much, even despite being individuals. He just keeps his helmet on and uses the GAR codes you all use. What's not clicking?” Morgan asked dryly.
“They don't use GAR codes!” Tech burst, “That's why! They use police ones! Because they aren't a military unit here they function as police! Which you would know if you'd let me finish!”
Morgan looked properly stunned. Cross sighed; why had they brought a teenager along?
“Okay.” Wrecker said quietly from where he was holding Merrin, “Explain it, Tech.”
“The Corrie's use an adapted mix of GAR, police, correctional, and Senatorial detail codes because they cover all those jurisdictions. They are also always moving and shifting to cover their vast expanse of responsibility. You think campaigns are hard? Try policing a planet of a trillion people. And they're on their own. All the other companies come here for leave, but the Corries are always on 24-7 with no backup. As an unintended result, they tend not to trust their colleagues who come in from the front.” Tech explained.
“So they don't trust other clones, period.” Cross mused, “Interesting.”
“It's not just that.” Dex shook his head, “I've seen this guy; all their paint’s the same, haircut, everything. They have their own code running here, vanishing into the background. How they walk, talk, and act. All of it. Hunter goes in; they'll clock him immediately.”
“So, how do we get the cameras off?” Cross demanded, pulling everyone back on topic.
“I could just turn them off?” Merrin's quiet voice made them all turn to look at her. She blinked at them, tucking herself further into Wrecker's arms at their combined gazes.
“Whaddya mean, kid?” Wrecker asked, looking down at her and bouncing her in his arms.
“Our magicks can allow us to teleport and turn invisible.” Morgan said before Merrin could, “But she's not helping you! She's a child!”
Cross turned to Morgan before he could overthink this, “Can you teleport more than yourself?”
“Yeah? Why?” Morgan gave him a befuddled look.
Cross turned to Tech, “You can attach a camera to the system so you'll know when anyone cuts the cameras, right?”
“Yes. Why?” Tech asked.
“Whoever is doing this would have to cut the cameras and take out a guard. I say we use that to steal our target out from under them.” Cross explained.
“Wait, you want to break someone out before someone else breaks them out? Dex clarified.
“Yeah pretty much.” Wrecker nodded, “Okay so we let them cut the cameras, what then?”
“Then we have Morgan teleport our target to a place of our choosing before they can completely fall into the trap.” Cross finished.
“Won't they still be guilty of breaking out even though we did it and not the bad guy?” Merrin asked, tilting her head and frowning in the most adorable way.
“Not technically.” Tech shook his head, “If we forcibly remove them without their willing involvement, they're not guilty of escape. Like being taken hostage in an escape attempt.”
“Okay. So what do you need from me?” Dex asked.
Cross considered, “You wouldn't happen to have an empty property in the lower levels of the Warehouse istrict we could use?”