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hesthermay · 11 months ago

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 (𝐏𝐓 𝟔) — 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐏!

PAIRING: sergeant hunter x fem!oc reader

SUMMARY: a look into miri and hunter's past in the form of a filler episode <3

WORD COUNT: 1.4k

RATINGS + WARNINGS: general audiences, mature themes, fluff! use of she/her, female oc, jedi occanon typical violence or mentions of. found family trope. this chapter takes place during the clone wars.

NOTES: i have been so excited for this chapter! i love filler episodes, just silly or goofy or off course from the main objective, a little flashback, a way to expand on something without breaking thr main storyline; i just think they're so fun and useful. bring back filler episodes challenge: impossible. anyways here is our first filler ep in this story, i hope you like it and i hope it explains just a few more things :)

STAR WARS MASTERLIST THE GREAT FIGHT MASTERLIST

Truth be told, the kiss shared between Hunter and Miri in the hangar bay on Ord Mantell had not been their first one, but it had been arguably the most important.

The first one, much milder than that one, had occurred during the Clone Wars, some time after Miri had been assigned their general. It had been one of those rare nights where she had let herself follow Hunter to his bunk, sliding in before him and pressing against the wall, letting his large frame shield her from the outside. They had spoken, in hushed whispers, of the day they had just finished and the close calls the mission had put them in.

Not an unusual occurrence, but Miri had put herself in the line of fire for one of them and had gotten hurt. Something she did quite often, as reckless and selfless as ever, but this time it had worried Hunter more than it normally would have. He ran his fingers over the bacta patches on her arms before moving to the ones on her torso, covering the gashes the debris had cut into her skin, and thought about how close it had been to being much worse. “You really risked it today,” he stated, eyes flickering up to meet her gaze.

“It wasn’t that bad,” she countered, still maintaining the justification of her actions. “We didn’t know there would be that much heat by the control panel, and Tech needed cover. I did what I had to do,” she pushed, voice light despite the topic of their conversation.

“Miri, you could have gotten sliced in two,” he shook his head, as best he could laying on his side. “There was a different way to cover Tech where you wouldn’t have been so exposed.”

“Hunter, I know what I’m doing,” she sighed. “I’m a Master Jedi, and I’m your general; I could handle that and I did.”

Her words hung in the air between them, the small bunk going quiet as he thought them over. She was right, as much as it sometimes felt like a slap in the face, that she was his general. Whatever they had, whatever they were doing crammed into his bunk in the late of night, it was not allowed. His feelings, the way he worried for her, cared for her, was not allowed. The kiss he wanted to press to her lips so badly, because she was his favorite secret, was not allowed.

“I just,” he cut himself off, almost second guessing himself. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. We need you around here.”

Clone Force 99 had been doing just fine without her, they most certainly did not need anyone, but Miri had joined them and added to the fine machinery of their squad. She fit, as if she was made to, and they operated as efficiently as ever. But really, deep down and hidden from the light of day, Hunter needed her. He needed her so badly he didn’t even know how to feel about it, and these thoughts had him leaning forward, subconsciously pressing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. His mind caught up with his body when he felt her kiss him back, and he pulled himself away. Why he had done that, he did not know, and he could only hope the darkness hid the heat that gathered in his face.

“Hunter,” she whispered after a few seconds of silence. He hummed in response, still not speaking. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Her promise, spoken quietly to the man and the universe, the Maker and the Force, was followed by another light kiss.

-: ✧

When they had landed back on Coruscant, Miri knew she would not be seeing them for a few rotations as they were returning to Kamino. As she made her way down the steps, she fought off the grin that attempted to spread across her face. “Well, I’ll see you boys soon, alright?” She turned to face them once she was on the ground, looking up at them all huddled around the entrance of the ship. They were dropping her off, and when they got their next mission, she’d call them and they’d pick her up again; as they always did. “Stay outta trouble for me.”

Wrecker laughed, knowing that was unlikely, before they bid their farewells, all unique in their own way. Hunter was the last to walk away, wanting to see her until the very end, and she smiled at him right before the ramp finally closed and she had no choice but to back up to give them room to take off. As soon as the Marauder was gone, she turned and dashed off to the Temple, knowing she needed to give the Council her mission report, but wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.

And though Master Yoda and Mace Windu had drawn the meeting out a bit when her injuries were revealed, she made it out no more battered than before. Their usual reprimands and criticisms had been deflected, for she did not feel like letting them make her shoulders heavy today. The person she was searching for, however, was nowhere to be seen in the Temple, so her exit was made quickly and promptly.

The Senator’s apartment was a short trip by speeder, and she hastily made her way up to the correct floor. She found a giddiness bubbling in her chest, as if she was a child once again, running to her friend to share something big. The guards outside of the Nabooian Senator’s apartment stopped her short, and her words came out rushed. “I need to speak with Anakin Skywalker,” she panted lightly. “It’s…Jedi business.”

They stepped aside, letting her step forward and ring the buzzer, shuffling her feet as she waited. Once the doors slid open, Senator Amidala stood before her with a surprised smile. “Master Rocksled,” she greeted, stepping back to let the woman in. The doors slid shut behind her, and Miri attempted to reign herself in as she turned to the politician.

“Sorry to disturb you, Senator, but I have to talk to Anakin.” She was serious, and Padme’s brows furrowed at what could possibly be so urgent. This was not common, although Miri was one of the only people who knew about herself and the Jedi Knight, she did well to keep it hidden from the public.

But what was public knowledge was that Miri Rocksled and Anakin Skywalker were best friends. Had been ever since the boy had joined the Order, and Padme knew that if she insisted she needed to speak with him, it was important. “Anakin,” she called, and the man emerged from around the corner but a moment later.

“Miri?” He questioned when his eyes landed on her. She stepped forward, a pep in her step as she ventured into the apartment.

“Hunter kissed me.” She stated, hitting him right with it as she could not afford to beat around the bush. This information had been stewing ever since it happened, the need to share it with her friend almost causing her to explode.

Anakin didn’t respond, though his jaw dropped and he stared at her with his mouth open comically wide. “Twice,” she added, causing him to let out a short breath that resembled a laugh.

“Oh my Gods, Miri,” he grinned, stepping closer as well as his voice lowered, finding the information just as juicy as she had hoped. He knew this was going to happen, no matter how much the woman had denied it would.

“Wait,” Padme stepped forward, eyes wide at the information she had overheard. “Hunter, as in your Sergeant, Hunter?”

Miri whipped back around to look at Anakin, who scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, it kind of slipped out,” he apologized, guilt written all over his face as he grinned slightly.

She couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. “Such a gossip,” she chastised before turning back to Padme. “Yes, that Hunter.”

“Oh, wow,” Padme gasped. “That’s good, right? I mean,” she grinned, “you do feel quite strongly about him, don’t you, Miri?” There was a tease in her voice that told her Anakin had rubbed off on her, and it made her scoff jokingly.

“What am I going to do with you two?” She shook her head, and the couple laughed as Padme made her way closer to them. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but this was nicer than she had thought. They never got to spend time with other people as they really were, but Miri was a trusted friend and she did not need to hide from her. It was freeing, it was nice, and it was welcomed.

“The real question is,” Anakin held a finger up, pointing at her. “What are you going to do about Hunter?”

all works on this blog belong to hesthermay.tumblr.com: do not copy, repost onto other sites, or claim my contents as your own.

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hesthermay · 11 months ago

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 (𝐏𝐓 𝟓)

PAIRING: sergeant hunter x fem!oc reader

SUMMARY: the next mission for the bad batch causes some reflection on miri and echo’s parts, and a long overdue conversation is had. hunter and miri finally divulge their true feelings for one another.

WORD COUNT: 4.2k

RATINGS + WARNINGS: general audiences, mature themes, some angst, fluffy ending. female oc, jedi oc, use of she/her, canon typical violence, found family trope. the bad batch time period, follows the timeline of the show.

NOTES: told you i had more on the way. here it is! i wrote the ending for this chapter when i wrote like part 3 but it kept getting pushed bad but HERE WE ARE. enjoy it, take it in, i again have one more on the way

STAR WARS MASTERLIST THE GREAT FIGHT MASTERLIST

Regret had begun to settle in the pit of Miri’s stomach as she sensed the presence of someone just as they rounded the corner into Cid’s bar, narrowly avoiding the shot from Omega’s bow.

Regret, for she was the one that okayed the decision. Now she was beginning to wonder what could have possibly compelled her to do such a thing, she could practically hear Obi-Wan in her ear nagging about how this was a bad idea as Omega called out an apology to the patron before pulling the bright purple string back once again. The bow was neat, she would give her that; a weapon commonly used by the Zygerrians but one the girl had procured herself on their mission, she would need to learn to use it sooner rather than later.

Times are different, she thought to herself as she shooed Obi-Wan away. And I’m not you, she snarked, letting her focus land on Omega once again.

“Steady,” Echo urged as he stood crouched behind her, the one taking point in this lesson. He was an ARC Trooper before he ended up in their Bad Batch, and he had earned that title for a reason so Miri felt it was only fitting and the others soon agreed. “Arms level…and keep your eye on the target.”

Miri couldn’t help but glare slightly at the two regulars that never seemed to do anything but sit in Cid’s bar and spend whatever money they scraped up when they weren’t there. Their cheering and heckling was less than helpful, but alas, she knew when the time came for Omega to really use that bow she would not have the luxury of a quiet background. But, despite their noise her shot landed on the target and she gave Hunter a silent smirk in spite of them.

But when she was ordered to go again, her excitement shifted to childlike defiance. “But I’ve already hit the target three times,” she argued, looking up at her brother.

“Out of twelve,” he countered bluntly but not harshly. Her boys were all rough around the edges, but they were never mean. “That’s luck, Omega, not skill.”

She looked over at Miri for help, but the woman held her hands up. “Hey, don’t look at me,” she grinned, shaking her head slightly. “I spent years doing the same thing, over and over, every single day just to become a Padawan. It’s part of the gig, kid.”

Omega sighed, knowing they were right and she wasn’t going to get out of it. Her first shot was clumsy and rushed and echoed by more heckling. She groaned in frustration as one of them cackled and collected their bet as Echo leaned down to speak with her again. Her next shot was slower, but still missed as she lacked the strength and control needed for the weapon. It wasn’t her fault, though, out of all of them she was the only one who wasn’t trained from the time they could walk to operate weaponry.

Still, Wrecker leaned forward to whisper, “not exactly a natural, is she?” While Hunter only cocked his head in response, Miri shoved an elbow into his side.

“Cut her some slack; different starting lines, remember?” She whispered as she thought of, for the millionth time it seemed, little Ani joining the Order after everyone else in their age group and becoming a prodigy before their eyes. Her old life plagued her thoughts no matter how hard she tried to keep them at bay, but more often than not a whisper of Obi-wan would break through, a flash of a young Anakin appeared, or her Master, and everything there was to him, would come to her whether she needed it or not.

Miri was broken out of her thoughts by Cid hitting Wrecker as well, his outburst causing all attention to shift to them. “Okay, playtime’s over. We need to talk.” She harshly shooed the other patrons out of the bar, much to her appreciation, before turning back to the group. “I assume you lot know what a tactical droid is? They were the op—” she was cut off by Tech shooting forward from the back of their group, launching into his own explanation of what a tactical droid was.

It hardly phased them anymore, as Tech couldn’t sit still when someone else explained something he most likely knew far better, but Cid held her hands up in protest. “Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba,” she rattled to shut him up. “This is my briefing, Goggles.” Miri chuckled to herself as she shoved Wrecker from where he was perched before pressing some buttons on the computer base. The purpose of this briefing, another mission Cid wanted them to pull so she could collect.

“We haven’t decided if we’re gonna work for you or not,” Hunter responded after sharing a look with Miri and the rest of the boys. It was true, they hadn’t decided; there were factors of the job that were conflicting to their morals and values, to the standards they had held themselves to their whole lives, but keeping Omega safe was their top priority at the moment and that backed them into a corner with few options.

“Allow me to decide for you,” Cid offered. “You’re in! I’m talking a mutually beneficial arrangement,” she continued, trying to persuade them and Miri had a suspicion that she had a valid point. “You make money, I make money, and I watch your back,” she pointed at them. “With the heat on you, it’s the best option you’ve got.”

The corner they were backed into offered few options indeed, but one of them sounded better than all the others and Cid served it up on a dingy platter. They had no choice but to accept it.

“I know you’re in, I just told you you’re in,” she sassed before turning to Omega. “And you, you’re releasing too soon because of those weak noodle arms,” her large hands wiggled the girls little arms in emphasis before she took the bow and, advising her to build up her strength, landed three shots in the middle of the target.

Miri knew Cid had it in her, couldn’t do what she did or be who she was if she didn’t, but it left the others more than a little stunned. The sizzling marks on the wall stared right back at Omega as she looked from them to her bow and back, a new determination settling in her bones.

-: ✧

The retrieval of the tactical droid head had been, as almost all things were nowadays, rockier than anticipated. Details were left out, unexpected competition appeared, and Omega found herself in quite a scary situation, though they all made it out alive. Still, on the way back to Cid’s Miri couldn’t help but replay some of the events that stuck with her, because for whatever reason this mission had been different.

The way there was a trace of something familiar around the girls that showed up at the factory. Rafa and Trace, two sisters running jobs to make in the galaxy they all shared, a common occurrence. It wasn’t necessarily them, she had never seen them before, but it was something in the air that lingered ever so slightly, a disturbance in the Force around them that was akin to something she had held close at one point.

Who had they been around, and had they known it was a Jedi? Had they known she was one?

Or the way Wrecker had gone unresponsive for a bit. Odd, and they hadn’t gotten an explanation afterwards, which was even more odd. All that time had passed, all those things had happened to them and he was nowhere to be found? Ignoring their calls? Something had happened to him, Miri knew it, but she was still figuring out what it was.

And the way that Omega had gotten stuck so easily on the belt. Everything was happening so fast, so much was going on that she had been on her own and when she had become trapped Miri couldn’t help but feel so incredibly stupid. She was a little girl, and she could have suffered the unforgiving fate of discarded mechanics and damaged parts, and it was their fault she was there to begin with. Fear, a monster stronger than most, and guilt, an anchor only pulling you down, sat heavy in her chest as she once again contemplated pulling her saber out.

Oh, how the stakes seemed so much higher when her girl was involved. It was almost a warning, a wakeup call that she was falling out of balance and when the scales tipped they never went the right way.

Then there was how she had felt seeing the battle droids again. They were made to swarm, and that was exactly what she had seen them do almost every battle during the war. It had felt like an eternity, now that she was thinking back on it; the Clone Wars had taken so much from so many throughout the entire galaxy, and it had taken just as much from the Jedi. Politics had skewed their way of life even if they wouldn’t admit it, and the war conflicts had taken the forefront of all training and duties. Young Jedi stepping out on their own for the first time only to be thrown into travesty. Padawans, children, raised to fight in a war and knowing nothing else.

The Clone Wars had shaped her more than she had wanted, more than she had seen until then, because for just a second her throat closed up and her nerves buzzed at the sight of them all blending together, following an order they weren’t programmed to question.

But then there was the way she felt when Rafa had called them out on not knowing where the information they were collecting was even going, and the way it almost worsened when Hunter shot back that they were paid to retrieve and deliver, not ask questions.

That was not who they were. That…was not who she wanted them to be. They had never been like others, and now they were even more different. They wouldn’t let the Empire strong arm them into following them, into giving up. Rafa hadn’t believed her when she said it, and her shoulders hung low as she remembered how she had shook her head as she turned away from her and her words that came up short.

She felt good about giving the girls the intel, however. It didn’t make things easier for them, but it was the right thing to do. All this time, she had been thinking of them fighting the great fight, but everyone was fighting it. Whatever the great fight meant varied from person to person, but everyone was in it now, and Rafa and Trace were fighting it on the right side. Of course Cid wouldn’t be too happy about them returning empty handed, but the worlds would keep spinning and she would live to gripe another day.

Miri could tell that what Rafa and Trace were doing had stuck with Echo as he sat in silence as well; he had never wanted to do jobs like these, had never felt right about shifting his focus from fighting for the cause. Noble as ever, her one remaining domino, only ever wanted to do what was right, what was good, what he felt he was supposed to do; and she knew she couldn’t fault him for it for it was in his very genetics. But everything was so much bigger now. So much harder. They often couldn’t afford the luxury of not facing the consequences for being heroes any longer, couldn’t rely on ‘all means necessary’ when they weren’t the ones given the means.

They had all walked away from Order 66 and the fall of the Republic, but had no choice but to walk away different than before. Miri had been struggling with it the entire time, going from living under the thumb of the Order to the thumb of the Empire, shifting the parameters of what was allowed and what wasn’t.

Her head felt as if it were swimming in her thoughts when Hunter’s deep voice shattered the harsh push and pull of the tides with just a few words. “What’s got you lot so quiet?” When she looked up at him, something holy in a galaxy full of blasphemy, his eyes shifted between her and Echo.

For a moment it felt like they were waiting to see if the other would answer first, but after a few beats Echo’s voice filtered throughout the ship. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Doing what?” Hunter questioned taking a few steps forward to the seat nearest Miri.

“This, Hunter,” he stressed, brows furrowed tightly. “These jobs for Cid, her clients, they’re bad news. We knew how dangerous the intel on that droid head could be and we were just going to let her hand it over to anybody. That’s not what we do.”

“Echo—”

“Those girls are running jobs, same as us, but they’re actually trying to make a difference. What are we doing?”

“We’re keeping Omega safe,” Miri interjected, finally speaking up as the attention of everyone else shifted to them. “We’re trying to keep ourselves safe. What good are we fighting the Empire if we’re dead? Captured? Because I know they’d kill me as soon as they got me, and I’m sure they’d think up something pleasant for rogue clones,” her brows raised and Echo didn’t respond. She wasn’t angry with him, but if she had to do the work to find the answers then so did he.

“The age of the Jedi Order has come to an end. The war is over,” she shook her head, “and the Republic has fallen. The very things we were all meant for are no longer paths we can take, and while it will never be easy, Echo, I fear we may not have all the time to mourn the loss of it.” She looked to the others as she spoke now, her words meant for all of them. She had spent time reflecting, shuffling through the files in her mind to compile the thoughts because when faced with the question of what do we do, they needed an answer. “What we can do, what we must do, is trust in ourselves and trust in the Force; we have little choice in taking what we have all been through and coming out different from who we once were. So we better make it count, yes?”

Wrecker was the first to say anything, cheering at her words as they sparked the motivation she had been reaching for, but her eyes found themselves on Echo once again. His face said he knew she was right, but he didn’t like it. She hoped hers said that she knew, and that she just needed him to hold out for her. For Omega. For them all.

When she rose from her seat, feet carrying her towards the bunks as they all carried on, she paused as she passed the man still stuck to his seat. His expression was stoney, as if he was guarding what he was thinking from them. He didn’t look at her until she began speaking, his face pointed up at her now with a look of not knowing where to go next. “Nothing lasts forever, Echo,” she offered, voice soft as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He needn’t be lost, because what the Force willed would be so, and he wouldn't be alone for any of it. “This Empire will fall. One day.”

-: ✧

She had been right about Cid, she had all but chewed them a new one though she hadn’t cut them loose. They didn;t see anybody else doing her business for her so perhaps she needed them just a bit more than she let on when she moaned and groaned and complained. Yes, the worlds would continue spinning and they would work for her another day.

But Miri didn’t know if she could go another day keeping what she had for Hunter a secret. The love, the admiration, all of it could no longer stay hidden away, much like Echo’s frustration, and the glaring fact that things were different and so were they. And so, as they all made their way out of Cid’s parlor one behind the other, she wiped her palms on her pant legs and took a few deep breaths. She was at the back of their group, which gave her an extra moment to think things through, run through the list of pros and cons, and create a plan of action. This was one of those situations where Obi-Wan and Anakin would offer very differing advice, one would say to sit back and seek counsel and the other would say it’s now or never. You’ll never know if you don’t try, something she’d said to Anakin herself at one point.

“I have to tell you something,” Miri rushed out before Hunter could get any closer to the ship, her friend's voice echoing softly in her ears as her feet planted themselves firmly on the ground. The others had already boarded, and she knew that privacy was hard to come by and this needed to happen then and there.

He stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulder at her before taking in how serious she was and turning around fully. “Everything okay?” That was one of the great things about Hunter, he never hesitated to listen to them.

In her chest her heart beat faster than she would have liked, nerves causing her stomach to churn, and she knew he was aware of all of this though fighting it was futile. He’d learn to use his skills to read her like a holofile long ago. Instead, she pushed through, knowing what she wanted to say but not really how she was going to say it. “I meant what I said earlier, about things being different now. About us being different now,” she gave him a pointed look to which he furrowed his brows.

After a pause she continued on, knowing if she stopped it would be harder to keep going. “The Order was flawed. No matter how hard you try, no being is perfect. Total enlightenment doesn’t necessarily mean total perfection, and that’s a hard truth I think a lot of Jedi did not want to face. With balance, comes turbulence; that’s what my master used to say. It is up to oneself to maintain their balance, to make the choice. With—with you,” she faltered slightly, shy under his gaze all of the sudden. “I could see how it would have its appeal, the Dark Side; to go to lengths that great and—and grave for someone you love. But…” she shook her head, beginning to move her hands about as she spoke. He knew this as a sign of passion in her, and it was evident in the way her words began spewing out of her. “But it’s up to me to keep that away, to keep myself on the path of Light.”

“I,” she breathed out, “I could never think of straying, because I truly do believe in the Force, in the light, in the balance. But perhaps the reason I never quite fit the mold of the Order is because I believe in something outside of what was traditional? Something venturing away from what we had become and closer to what a Jedi used to be? Should be?” She questioned, face going red slightly as she took a few steps closer. “I—I still feel like a Jedi, and I still feel like a good one, but I also feel like…” she panted, face dropping as she let go of whatever held her back. “I feel like I’m in love with you.”

Tears had begun to line her eyes, and her voice had the slightest tremble despite holding her head so high. “I feel like you are synonymous with the light that is in everything, that you are the freshest breath of air when I have been suffocating,” her words were thick with emotion, face scrunching up as she pushed through, “that I could not possibly keep the balance if I went another rotation without telling you that you are everything, Hunter. If it had come down to it, I would have walked away from it,” she admitted, looking him in his eyes. Unabashedly, she declared the magnitude of her love for him without a shadow of guilt present, lighter than ever as tears fell from her eyes.

“The Order, the Jedi, everything. I would have left,” she whispered the last word, shaking her head. “And that is how I know I love you so deeply in my bones, in the purest and most selfish way; because they are all I have ever known, and that is all that I have ever been, but you are everything, Hunter,” she sobbed, closing the gap between them a little more. Her chest heaved with every heavy breath, vision blurry as everything poured from her as if a dam had broken and the flood was free, and she reached out for him.

That was all it took for Hunter to snap out of his daze and put his body in motion. His hand met hers, gloved fingers wrapping around gloved fingers before he pulled her into him once again. He had struggled so long with these feelings, the weight of them and how much it had been drilled into him that he did not get to have them. The urge to push them down was ever present yet wholly unsuccessful every time. He had caved, ever so slightly, and been almost crushed by the loss of her. To know, to hear, that she had felt the same things reassured him that it had not been for nothing.

“Miri,” he whispered, attempting to hide the tremble in his voice. “You are unshakable, cyare, and I have known that from the very beginning. I had no choice but to love you, Miri,” he admitted, hands holding her just a little more desperately. “No matter how much I believe I don’t deserve to, I haven’t gone a day without loving you.” Hunter’s admission was quieter than Miri’s, but it held just as much weight as hers did. His emotions, that he kept so well locked away, had gotten the better of him and he had bore his heart in the midst of the great fight for a life they could just live. Scary, that was, but among the list of regrets he had, telling the only woman he had ever loved what she meant to him was not there.

He repeated her name, hands going to her shoulders so he could look at her. Her eyes were glassy and red rimmed, and her cheeks were tear stained under his palms as he moved to hold her gently. “I will not lose you again, I promise you that, and you will not lose me. I—” he cut himself off, signing deeply before, too, shaking off whatever was holding him back. “I will give you and Omega the lives you deserve.”

Hunter’s resolve, always unyielding, was intense as he gazed at her. The truth, evident on his face, in his heart, and in his Force signature, lifted a weight she didn’t know how to live without. She loved him, and he loved her. Before her mind could register the thought, her body reacted to the impulse, and her hands shot up to grasp at his face as well; pulling him down into a kiss that was long overdue and much anticipated.

His lips moved against hers in a silent confession of love and longing, one hand going to the back of her head while the other slid down to her lower back. They couldn’t get any closer, bodies pressed against one other closely as their relationship forever changed. Neither one of them knew what they were doing, treading uncharted waters to be together; but it did not matter in the slightest because they had fought the great fight to find one another, and they weren’t going to let go any time soon.

Nothing could have been strong enough to break them apart, not even oxygen, had ot not been so imperative. The burn in Miri’s lungs had reluctantly pulled her lips off of his, panting as she looked up at him in a daze. “Hunter,” she breathed out his name, a song she would forever sing, and his eyes softened impossibly more.

“You know they’re watching?” He questioned, a small smirk on his face as he brushed a finger gently over her cheek.

And peeking out from the entrance to the ship, the four other members of CF99 certainly were watching. They had not cared for the trouble they may get in, with Hunter or Miri, for this moment had been a long time coming. The Jedi didn’t even need to look over, for she had felt them the entire time, but she did give him a quiet laugh. “Yeah,” she nodded, more fondly than anything, and leaned forward to peck his lips once again. “What are we gonna do with them, huh?”

all works on this blog belong to hesthermay.tumblr.com: do not copy, repost onto other sites, or claim my contents as your own.

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hesthermay · 1 year ago

Text

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 (𝐏𝐓 𝟒)

PAIRING: sergeant hunter x fem!oc

SUMMARY: the bad batch follow the only lead they have and find themselves presented with a business proposal as unconventional as the last. miri faces the music about the less than subtle weapon on her hip.

WORD COUNT: 6.6k

RATINGS + WARNINGS: general audiences, mature themes, angst, miri thinks she’s funny. found family trope/dynamics. female oc, jedi oc, use of she/her, canon typical violence. the bad batch time period, follows the timeline of the show.

NOTES: late as everrrrr. take it or leave it. i have more on the way! between u and me theres some rooooomance on the way !!! ps...do u guys like cage the elephant? saw them in concert and it was fucking awesome

STAR WARS MASTERLIST THE GREAT FIGHT MASTERLIST

Emotion filled Miri as she watched Tech fit the comm device around Omega’s little arm, and she thought back to her own Master. Had he felt this way when she gained new accomplishments, earned new devices and gadgets in her training, proven herself in risky situations? Had he thought of her the way she thought of Omega?

“It’s not an exact fit,” Tech informed, but it seemed the girl did not care. Omega was a child so easily brought to wonder, and every day it felt like she found something to be excited about. Times were dark in the galaxy, and Miri imagined the Marauder would be even darker if they had not had the light that was Omega.

“Technically it was Crosshairs, but,” he paused for only a millisecond, eyes looking away as he spoke. “He doesn’t appear to need it.” The slight sting of it all was lost on her, though, and they were able to move through the moment seamlessly. Sometimes Crosshair got them caught up and they found themselves stuck, even for just a bit, in a moment of hurt and betrayal, anger and blame, unable to pick and unable to move on.

“Echo, what is your position? Over,” she spoke into the commlink built into the vambrace, similar to the one Miri wore. Her words echoed through everyone's comms as they were all in the same part of the ship, though Omega still held the device up to her ear to hear better. Miri chuckled as she watched on, but Echo clearing his throat caused her grin to drop. Ever so serious, he kept them in line most of the time, a stark contrast from his ARC Trooper days with a certain twin of his. But when he stepped forward she knew what was to come before he even began speaking.

“It’s not a toy, Omega,” he looked down at her with a soft yet serious face, hoping his words would get through to her. Intelligent as she was, she was still a child, and this was proven when she grinned up at him, pressed the button on the comm, and spoke into it once again.

“Copy that,” she answered, just as seriously. Miri laughed, out loud this time, and deflected the look Echo shot at her as Tech reached forward for her arm again, pressing buttons on the vambrace. “Why are we going to Ord Mantell? I thought the plan was to lay low?”

Hunter turned from the computer to face her, the chair squeaking with the movement, and all eyes were on him. In the soft glow of the dash lights, he looked handsome as ever, but it seemed as if an opportunity for privacy was not in the cards. She could only do what she’d always done, admire from afar. “Not while a bounty hunter’s after you. We need to find out why.”

“I remembered an informant there named Cid that the Jedi used to work with,” Echo explained. “I asked Miri about it and she said it was as good a plan as any.”

“And you trust him?” Wrecker questioned, Gonky raised over his head as he lifted him repeatedly. Miri, having kept mostly quiet the whole time, covered her grin with her hand. The assumptions they’d already made of Cid were quite wrong, though she did not feel like letting them in on that. She had to fight off her smile when she realized the question was directed at her.

She shrugged, an air of indifference about her. “To say the least,” she settled on, though it was not much of an answer.

“The Jedi trusted him,” Echo offered, holding his hands up as if it was any better.

“The Jedi who are all dead?” Tech questioned as he rose to his full height, not realizing the punch behind his words until they were already out in the open. Miri, silent once again, looked at him with a blank face as his eyes flicked over to her. “Apologies. That was…a bit blunt, I see now.”

While the ache reverberated throughout her body, she did not let it show. Her voice, steady under the gazes of her entire crew, left her in a calm delivery. She would not let the truth get one over on her, however difficult it would be. “If you have a better option, Tech, I’m sure we would all like to hear it.” He did not answer, for he knew he did not, so she continued. “Can’t hurt to check it out, then, can it?”

“She has a point,” came echoing from everyone’s comms, and all eyes turned to the girl with the device held up to her mouth once again. “Right,” she lowered it. “Not a toy.”

-: ✧

Ord Mantell was nothing special. The part of town where Cid was wasn’t anything special either, but Omega found herself impressed once again. As they made their way through the streets, their group made less intimidating by the sight of a woman and child, Hunter looked down at the girl. “Remember the rules?” His voice was distorted as it came through the modulator in his helmet, but his expectation still rang clear.

“Don’t wander off, keep my eyes and ears on my surroundings, and trust no one but my squad,” she listed, the rules engraved in her mind with how many times Hunter made her repeat them.

“And if you get into trouble?” Miri questioned, her own eyes flicking down to the girl.

“Use my comm and give my location,” she answered effortlessly, much to Miri’s satisfaction.

Cid’s bar came into view soon after, and Echo took the lead. “This is the place,” he mused, looking up at the light up sign. She took a step back, letting everyone in before her, hoping her plan would be as amusing as she had imagined. Again, their lives would be much darker if they didn’t find the light wherever they could, so she felt no shame in the little trick she had planned.

“Gotta run back to the ship real quick,” she answered when Hunter questioned her. This moment felt uncannily similar to Kaller, when she sent him off before Order 66 and she went missing, and he didn’t accept her answer for that very reason.

“It can’t wait? We should stay together,” he argued, one foot on the step before him, but helmet still facing her.

“Hunter, I’ll be fine. I just need to grab something,” she assured, smiling at him in a way she was beginning to figure out disarmed him. A sweet smile, one she only gave him, and it was a surefire way to get him to bend.

It had worked. He entered the bar and left her there in the alley, though she did not head for the ship. She stayed, waiting, giving them a chance to get down the narrow corridor and take in their surroundings before she entered herself. Her steps were light and she remained close to the wall, trying to reduce her presence down to zero as she peeked around the corner, overhearing them faintly discuss the whereabouts of the mysterious Cid.

In the corner of the dark room, she saw Cid leaned over wiping something down. Cid wasn’t too far from the boys, and with their helmets removed their voices were clearer and carried just a bit further; if she could hear them, then Cid would too. Miri’s grin grew ever so slightly. Really, it had been far too long since she’d felt this much giddy joy and for a moment thought of it as sad, but quickly dismissed it. She was doing her best, that’s all that mattered.

“Which one of them is Cid?” Hunter questioned, looking out at the open space before him.

When Echo shrugged his shoulders, she almost broke her cover. He didn’t know left from right when it came to this, yet he was so quick to take the lead. What a weirdo, she thought to herself as her face settled on a warm grin. “I couldn’t tell ya. I only heard about Cid. Never actually met him.”

She wasn’t able to see their faces, but she could imagine the look they were giving their brother. “Miri knows,” Echo argued, and started to look around. “Where is she?”

“She’s getting something from the ship, but I don’t think we should waste any time,” Hunter answered before stepping forward to the nearest person. “We’re looking for Cid. You know him?”

Unknowingly, Hunter had spoken to the subject of his question, and Miri shook her head. When the Trandoshan turned, she looked up at him in faux confusion.

“Cid, huh?” She slowly rose to her full height, shrugging before shaking her head. “Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“What about them?” He looked over at the patrons of the bar, fighting over their game of dejarik.

“Was I not clear?” Cid’s voice had begun to take on that familiar bite, and Miri knew she would need to cut it short soon. “You’re in the wrong place. So unless you’re here to spend some money, get lost.” She barely looked at him before walking away, shaking her head ever so slightly.

“Great plan, Echo,” Wrecker griped, even though Miri had approved of it.

“I’m certain this is Cid’s,” Echo defended. “The Jedi came here during the war, and Miri led us to this place.”

In the midst of everything, Omega had occupied herself with tinkering with things here and there, but soon her attention shifted to the Trandoshan behind the bar. Her brothers were talking as if Cid was a man fleeing, but something had evidently told her otherwise. Miri watched as Omega made her way to the bar, looking up at Cid from the other side, and she began to round the corner. She had had her fun, but now she wanted to see what the girl was going to say.

Four highly trained clone troopers, and the little girl who’d never left Kamino figured it out? With how clever Omega was proving herself to be, Miri would believe it.

One thing about Ciddarin Scaleback was that she was not only rough around the edges, but all the way through too. She wasn’t particularly nice, and she was a businesswoman if nothing else. Cutthroat, greedy, and somewhat unpleasant to be around, she never switched it up on anyone. Not even children. “What’s your deal, tiny?”

“You’re Cid.” Omega, unphased by her attitude, stated it simply. This, while raising some questions in Miri’s mind, earned her a rare compliment.

Cid turned to her, crossing her arms and losing the bite. “You’re sharper than your friends over there.”

With this, Miri decided to make herself known. She stepped into the room, walking slowly towards everyone when Cid caught sight of her. Surprise, another rarity from the woman, covered her face for a second as she watched her move closer. “Well, well, look who it is,” she called out, gaining the attention of the rest of the squad. “Never thought I’d see you here again, sunshine, I’ll be honest.”

Miri, grinning as she stepped up beside Omega, shrugged. “Can’t blame you there.” She gracefully slid into a seat, settling in as she removed her hat. “Alas, I persist.”

“You’re Cid?” Hunter questioned, face screwed up in confusion and frustration. Miri couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking her head.

-: ✧

“I had a good thing going with the Jedi,” Cid explained as she led them into her office, and in her head Miri knew it was the better part of her business. “They valued my insights, and now that they’re all dead—well, most of them are dead—the demand for my services has declined.” She crossed her arms, looking at them from across a holoboard. “Thanks to this new Empire.”

“Times have changed…for all of us,” Hunter stated, quite severe compared to the lack of care from Cid.

“No kidding,” she countered. “I’ve never had clone deserters come to me before. And never did I expect a surviving Jedi to show up here, either.” Hearing the words spoken out loud almost made Miri flinch, because it was so unsafe to even exist anymore. She could never not be who she was, but she would need to hide it away as much as possible.

“Yes, well, we separated due to a fundamental difference in ideology,” Tech explained, adjusting his goggles.

“That’s cute, you thinking I care,” Cid taunted, an unsurprising response to Miri. She knew Cid wasn’t one to care for the fluff, the extra; she wanted the rundown, the target, and the price. “Cut to it and tell me what you want.”

Hunter looked to Miri, and she nodded her head once. Then he looked to Echo, and Echo stepped forward to place his helmet down and plug his scomplink into the base. “By all means, make yourself at home,” Cid remarked sarcastically, and Miri rolled her eyes.

“We encountered this woman on Pantora,” Hunter explained when the holo of the bounty hunter popped up. Miri’s eyes burned holes into what would be the back of her head. “Do you know who she is?”

“No,” Cid instantly replied. “But I know a bounty hunter when I see one.” Miri sighed; Cid knew a lot of people, and knew a lot of things about a lot of people, and she didn’t even know who this was. She didn’t seem new to this gig, far too skilled to be a rookie or a lowlife, yet her name wasn’t reaching around as far as one would think.

Sneaky. Dangerous.

“Can you find who hired her?” Echo pushed, trying to get something out of her.

Her next response didn’t surprise Miri one bit. “That depends on what you lot do for me,” she grinned in her own way, somehow still unsettling. She exchanged glances with Hunter, then the rest of the boys, communicating silently before Cid’s voice interrupted them. “Are you fresh outta the tube?” She shot out, and Miri almost laughed. “Got Force sickness?” She mocked, and her smile dropped. “You pull a job for me, and I get the information you want.”

She began to walk away, leaving no room for discussion. “That’s how this mercenary thing works,” she waved, and Echo looked as if she’d struck him.

“Mercenary?” He questioned, looking after her with brows drawn tightly.

“Not too quick, are ya?” Cid remarked, not stopping her pace. “Clearly the kid’s the brains of your operation.”

Miri sighed, stepping forward. “What kind of jobs?”

“A rescue,” Cid answered, sitting down. “You’re good at those, aren’t ya?” She pointed a claw at Miri, another sarcastic jab slipped in before she continued on. “There's a nice bounty on a kid named Muchi. My sources say she was taken by Zygerrian slavers who are holed up on the other side of the planet. Bring me the kid and I’ll get you your intel.”

“Well, who collects the bounty?” Wrecker questioned, speaking for the first time since they’d entered the office.

“Oh, look. It talks,” Cid shot out, and Miri scoffed. This was something that she remembered bothering her immensely every time she had to be around her, she was relentless with the negativity. It was tolerable at first but got old very quickly, yet there was hardly a break with her.

“We split the bounty 70-30, my favor. Take it or leave it.”

“Grab a kid from a few Zygerrians?” Wrecker laughed, nudging Hunter before turning around, leading Omega out. “We could do that in our sleep.”

“Looks like we have a deal,” Cid declared, and Hunter and Miri shared one more glance before she threw the holodrive at the Jedi. “Details of the bounty are on that. Don’t screw it up.”

Everyone that was left turned to walk away, but Miri stopped at the door. She turned to face Cid one last time, face serious as she spoke. “I trust this means you’ll keep quiet of my participation in your business?” Worded in a way where she was asking without asking, for she needed to know.

“Helps to have a hand in every pocket, sunshine,” she replied, leaning back in her seat. “Keeping you on the streets means getting my business back up, sound familiar?”

Miri didn’t respond. Instead she turned and walked through the doorway and didn’t stop. It did sound familiar. Back then it didn’t seem the same as it did now, almost as if she was seeing it for what it was for the first time. A weight she readily let go of as Hunter came into view, waiting for her so they could board the ship together.

-: ✧

“According to Cid’s intel, the Zygerrian slave traders are hiding in the ruins of Old Ord Mantell city,” Tech’s words filled the silence of the ship as Omega flitted past him into the seat that Wrecker had left. Her eyes were on the trooper doll they had all gone through so much for, but her question was cast into the open for them all to hear. “What’s a slave trader?”

Sometimes it saddened Miri to think of all the things the girl had yet to learn due to her containment on Kamino. Younglings didn’t leave Coruscant, but they were exposed to knowledge every single day. It was imperative to their futures as Jedi to know how things worked, how people worked, and that was something Omega had been robbed of. She could only hope to do right by her, to help her become the greatest she could be.

“Someone who buys and sells people for credits,” Tech answered simply, though his words caused Omega to look up.

“People can be sold?” She sat up straighter, face scrunched up.

“Against their will,” Miri answered her. “They’re people taken captive, treated like property,” she explained, thinking of little Ani on Tatooine working his days away for but a moment before she pushed it aside.

“That…” Omega started, clutching the doll to her chest, “doesn’t seem right.”

“It’s not, and we have the means to do something about it. That’s why we won’t let this happen to that kid; because it’s wrong, and we can stop it. Omega,” she paused, gesturing for the girl to come closer. She slid out of her seat and stopped right before the woman. “I need you to understand how important it is to recognize when you are able to help someone in need. I would never want you to put yourself in danger, I mean that, but sometimes you will have the tools to do something and you will need to know when to use them,” she explained, and Omega’s eyes never left hers. To be truthful, she had no idea what she was doing. But perhaps her Master didn’t either, and it was with that that she gave the girl a gentle smile. “We have the tools to make a difference today, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“As well as earn a decent amount of credits once the job is complete,” Tech added, and Miri almost rolled her eyes. Instead she sighed, for her teachable moment had ended, and Echo’s mood had dipped.

“Yeah, that too,” he sulked, turning to walk away.

“Don’t worry Muchi,” Omega exclaimed lowly, face as serious as ever. “We’ll rescue you.” The resolve in her voice matched the expression on her face, and Miri felt that her words had gotten through as intended. She shared a look with Hunter, and there was something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. She could if she really tried, if she pried and peeked with the Force, but she did not want to do that to him. She had enough respect for everyone in the Batch to not meddle where she was not meant to, so she resigned to not knowing why he was looking at her that way, to giving him a funny look and shaking her head before rising from her seat.

Upon landing, a quick scan of the terrain was done before a group of captives was spotted. Only one child was present and Tech made note of that, leading to the conclusion that that must be little Muchi. “I’m clocking two dozen hostiles,” Tech continued. “Multiple entry points with minor fortification.”

Miri knew their base would be weak. The Empire had only just formed and done away with outlawing slavery, so slavers were only just gaining their footing. Plus, the city was run down and in terrible condition, leaving them poorly protected and susceptible to infiltration by anyone with a little skill. Clone Force 99, unfortunately for the Zygerrians, possessed more than a little skill.

“Simple smash and grab like that time on Kuat,” Wrecker remarked. “Easy enough.”

“I’m in!” Omega exclaimed, beginning to rise from her crouched position. “What are we waiting for?”

Hunter grabbed her by the shoulder, stopping her as the others walked away. Miri stayed, knowing he would need some backup on this. She knew he was going to say no, and while she wanted Omega to accompany them on missions eventually, she found herself agreeing. Complicated, this was; much more than she was hoping for.

“You get back to the ship.” Hunter left no room for negotiation, and while he was bossy from time to time, Miri agreed with the decision. “That’s an order,” he stated, one finger pointed at her chest firmly; a classic Hunter move. She almost chuckled, but Omega’s quiet—albeit not quiet enough—huff of defiance caught the man’s attention just as he was walking away. In a fashion akin to a Master and Padawan, a father and child, he whirled around expectantly.

“Yes, sir,” she answered, begrudging but still respectful.

Deciding to just follow up on his order, because Omega was not a soldier, Miri leaned forward and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “For now, I think Hunter’s right. Just until we can get you some more training, okay?” Omega nodded, but that was the only answer she got before she began to walk away. But something was nagging, pulling her to a full stop. On second thought…

When had that ever worked on her or Anakin?

She turned around, pointing her own finger at the girl. “But you heard what Hunter said, stay on the ship,” she warned, using a tone just a step under stern. “Do not leave that ship unless absolutely necessary.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she replied, the same way as before. In the corner of her eye, Miri could see Omega cross her arms as she made her way to the ship, but she had still listened and that was a win in her book.

The terrain was nothing difficult for the squad to maneuver, quickly and quietly making their way closer to the heart of the base. When they stopped, Tech crouched down and turned on his scanner before Miri turned to the others. “Echo, you’re the eyes in the sky. Wrecker, you and Tech draw the Zygerrian forces out. Hunter and I will grab the kid.”

When Echo had departed and the three others made it to their first stop, Hunter pressed his comm button. “Echo, sitrep,” he questioned lowly. Behind them, Miri made a little place for her lightsaber to sit. If they were captured, they would find it on her. If they found their ship, they would find it there. This way, it was hidden away from prodding eyes and ill intentions, waiting until its Master called upon it.

“Two roving patrols on speeders,” he replied. “First guard checkpoint dead ahead.” For a moment, Miri felt something. However, she felt a lot of things, so she didn’t question it until Echo’s voice came through the comms once again. “Hang on, I think I’ve got company.”

“Well, take care of it,” Hunter responded. “Quietly,” he emphasized, but any chance of covertness flew out the window when Echo’s groan rang loudly through their comms, and was followed by his body falling from his post up above. His body thudded against a fallen building, landing roughly and remaining unmoving.

“Watch out!” She hollered, moving quickly as something else came in from above. A creature reptilian in appearance, with wings and a long tail, flung Wrecker into some more broken foundations, body thudding on impact as well. They each pulled their blasters, but the shots did little damage. Miri knew her saber would have made things easier, would have done more to fend off this creature until it flew away, but in the end knew it was for the better.

Even though they were captured. Even though they were stripped of their helmets and belongings. Even though they could now do nothing to stop them from finding their ship. It was for the better.

Wrecker’s fingers pried at the collar around his neck, swearing it was getting looser, but Miri knew it was no use. Still, his actions were met with repercussions, his body shocked with just the push of a button. He groaned before slumping over, and Echo was quick to come to his defense.

“Do that one more time and you’ll be—” his threat was cut off by his own collar shocking him.

“Save your energy,” Tech advised a slumped over Echo. “We’re going to need it.”

Miri’s eyes flicked back and forth as they all bantered, but she had nothing to add. They needed to get out of this, get to Omega, get Muchi back to her family; her thoughts were going a mile a minute as she ran through every mission she could remember right then for an answer to their problems.

“We need to signal Omega before their scouts find her,” Hunter interjected.

“Except our comms are over there with our weapons,” Echo countered, looking over at where all of their things were piled together. Indeed, all of their resources were much too far out of reach, a tauntingly impressive trophy for their captors to admire.

Once again, Miri felt something, though she had now grown familiar with this one. She turned as best she could, eyes squinted as she looked into the sky and saw, lo and behold, Omega herself. “We won’t need ‘em,” she assured, and everyone followed her line of sight as discreetly as possible.

Omega waved at them, using hand signals to let them know she was coming to get them, but Miri and Hunter’s heads shook in unison. A cautionary glance thrown over his shoulder revealed that the leader of this operation was on his way, and Hunter signaled for her to make herself scarce. Thankfully, she listened.

“Look at what we have here,” the Zygerrian mused as he made his way closer, hands clasped behind his back. “Five new slaves to add to my collection. Strong ones, too; you should fetch a nice price,” he added before his sights were set in Miri. “This one, especially.”

“The Republic outlawed slavery,” Echo interjected fiercely, face screwed up in a way that was so familiar yet so his own. If his plan was to get the eyes off Miri, it had worked; the Zygerrian with the scarred face and the milky eye turned on the trooper immediately.

“We are not in the Republic anymore, skug,” he insulted, advancing on him. Miri did not like that Echo had taken the heat off her by putting himself on the burner, but when the man walked away and she saw Echo’s eyes meet his sister’s she knew it would play to their advantage.

“You’re lucky we don’t have any of our gear,” he threatened boldly, much louder than before. “Because this would go very differently for you.” Miri could practically see the pieces fit together in Omega’s mind as Echo’s words reached her and she put whatever plan she had formed into action. Miri’s eyes were wide as her little legs carried her from her hiding spot before she slid out of view, and she realized that this had to be the Padawan Learner experience.

And when Omega accidentally kicked a big rock down and nearly blew her cover, she could only nod her head. Yep, this was it. The slavers all turned to look at the place where the loud thud had come from, dust slowly rising in the air, and Miri took the opportunity to share a look with Wrecker, nodding just once.

Almost immediately his leg shot out and kicked a small boulder directly into one of the Zygerrians, knocking his feet right out from under him. The immediate retaliation was to pull out the electrified whips Zygerrians so fondly preferred, and Miri and Wrecker held their hands up to shield their faces from any lashes. Though none landed, and she knew it was most likely their warning, so whatever happened next needed to count.

“We can do with one less slave,” the Zygerrian threatened, accent thick as he sneered at them. “Maybe I’ll feed you to my pet.” His speech that followed fell on deaf ears when it came to the Bad Batch, for they had other concerns. Omega was on the move again, and it would be foolish to follow her movements for the risk of blowing her cover, so they had no choice but to look away.

That’s how they missed her getting snatched up by one of the guards. He came forward, dropping her before the leader. “I found her sneaking around the cage.”

“I wasn’t sneaking,” Omega corrected, that devient streak showing itself once again. “I was unlocking,” she held up part of the locking mechanism on the large cage before it began rumbling violently. Whatever was in there wanted out, and it was beginning to figure out that the door was open.

“Secure the cage,” the leader ordered, panic exuding from them all as they rushed forward. It was no use, for the doors to the cage burst open.

The rancor that emerged, adolescent in size, roared at her newfound freedom before being shot with the energy bolts from the Zygerrians bows. They did nothing in terms of damage, and it was met with a large boulder thrown at them in retaliation. “Well, not the distraction I thought we’d get,” Miri mused as she held her still cuffed hands up.

“That’s their problem,” Wrecker countered before bracing himself against the foundation which they were all chained to before pulling. “We’re getting outta here!” The chains snapped and they made quick work of helping the other captives while they let the Zygerrians deal with the rancor.

“It’s okay Muchi,” Omega comforted the child they had all assumed was their target, but the adult Falleen beside them confirmed otherwise. This child was not who they had been sent to rescue, but rather the rancor surrounded by their captors. It was, in fact, their problem.

At the edge of the sanction they were all held captive in, CF99 looked at the others around them. With nowhere to go and no other options, it made the most sense to follow the people who looked like they knew what they were doing; and besides, the clones had become a symbol of hope to people in need during the war. When clone troopers arrived, liberation almost always followed.

“What about them?”

“Omega and I will get them to safety. You find Muchi,” Echo answered, finality in his words.

“Hey,” Miri called to Omega as the parties began to separate, holding a hand out to the side. “Remember what I said on the ship,” she stated firmly, not looking long enough to see if Omega responded in any way before turning and closing her eyes. As her saber flew into her open palm and she ran off after the others, the girl behind her holding the hand of another child in need swelled with bravery.

When they located their target, Wrecker remarked that it looked like she was doing just fine on her own. And he appeared to be right, she was still so much stronger than them even being so young. She overpowered them all and when she was left with nothing else, turned to charge at them. “Woah now,” Miri remarked as they readied themselves for what was to come, but Muchi stopped short when a distant screech could be heard. In the sky and heading right for them was the leader of this whole operation on the back of his flying beast, and it was clear that he had every intention to take them out as well.

The group separated to avoid the impact but Hunter hadn’t gone far enough and was knocked over when the creature’s long tail whipped against his helmet before it jumped to Wrecker, sending him flying with a headbutt. Muchi was the next target, Miri and Tech having scattered and hid in the rubble surrounding them, but the rancor had seemingly met its match this time. Overthrown and cornered, it was the vulnerable whines of the child they were sent to rescue that launched the former Jedi into action; coming in hot from the far right, Miri’s footsteps were light as she bounded towards the Zygerrian and hurled herself at him as he swung the whip above his head.

Muchi took the opportunity the woman had presented her and fled, followed by the winged creature, but now Miri was back on the burner once again, this time alone in the pot with the milky eyed Zygerrian. He groaned as he lay on the dirt below, frustration rearing its ugly head as he reached for his weapon once again. “You’re going to pay for this, skug,” he sneered, brandishing the whip to back up his threat.

The others ran to her aid, but she held a hand out to stop them. “I’ll handle this one. Go get Muchi,” she ordered, now reaching for the matching vibroblade she had with Hunter. Truth be told, she was hesitant to use her lightsaber; whoever walked away from a fight with her could use that information as leverage with the Empire and she could not afford that. They had not yet learned of her survival nor of her reunion with her squad, but all it would take was time before she landed on their radar once again and that made weighing the options too difficult to think about at the moment.

Her saber felt heavy on her hip, like a dirty secret to be hidden away. She didn’t like it.

And as she charged at the Zygerrian and the whip wrapped around the arm holding her blade, shocking her as she groaned in pain, she really didn’t like it. Yes, enough was enough; the weight of the options had been skewed by the newfound threat and it took insurmountable strength for her other hand to reach across her body and unclip the hilt. When she did, she locked eyes with the man above her, teeth grit and knees digging into the ground, and shocked him by grabbing the whip and yanking on it. Before he could react, a flash of orange illuminated the small space between them and the whip was severed from the hilt, sparking in his hands as the inner workings fried.

He retaliated by throwing a punch, but it was slow due to his confusion, and Miri caught it before headbutting him, not caring for the pain it always caused her. Her foot landed in the middle of his chest as he stumbled backwards, and she kicked as hard as she could to send him flying. His body thudded as he landed on the ground and stirred up clouds of dirt, and before he could recover Miri had appeared before him again.

With a white knuckled grip on his shirt, she pulled him close and stared into his eyes. “You hit your head and do not remember what happened here,” she whispered, words dripping in faux comfort as she willed the Force to bend his mind. He repeated the words back to her as if in a trance, and she landed one last hit to knock him out; the only thing she could think of to cover her tracks short of killing him and that was a line she did not want to become blurred from overuse.

When she found the rest of her squad, Echo and Omega were just pulling up on a speeder. She took her place beside Hunter, as per usual, watching the scene before them. “How long’s he been at it?”

“Too long,” Tech answered. “He’s losing his touch.” They all turned to watch Wrecker and Muchi tiredly swing their arms at one another, groaning and roaring respectively as they grew weaker and weaker before slumping onto the ground simultaneously.

-: ✧

When they arrived at Cid’s, Muchi was in a much better mood and had taken to Omega quite well. In the alley by the entrance they all stood, the girl atop the rancor, as who she assumed to be the client for this job came out and greeted Muchi fondly, speaking Huttese. Miri recognized him to be in close association with Jabba the Hutt, and while she didn’t know exactly how the Hutts would operate with the Empire, she wanted to keep news of her away from them. She drifted to the back of the group, shielding her face with the wide brim of her hat.

As they departed, Miri gravitated to the front of their group once again while Cid addressed them. “I gotta say fellas, I wasn’t sure you could pull this job off.”

“You could’ve told us we were going after a rancor,” Echo leaned forward to criticize, popping up from behind the Jedi.

“Hmm,” Cid mused. “Must’ve slipped my mind,” she shrugged her shoulders, not caring for what had happened during the mission or what they had to do. She pointed a claw at Miri, and then at Hunter. “You, sunshine and dark and broody. My office.”

In the darkness of Cid’s space, the image of the woman that went after Omega was bright and glaring. Fennec Shand, she was called. A name Miri didn’t recall, and the Trandoshan confirmed why. “She’s new to the scene but has already proven herself to be cunning and ruthless.”

“Who hired her?” She questioned, voice low as she stared up at the holo.

“Unknown,” Cid answered, planting a seed of frustration in the two of them, and her further explanation did little to help. “With someone like her nipping at your heels, you’re going to need two things: friends and money.”

The pair shared a look before their eyes landed on Cid once again. “Mostly money,” she added gravely.

“Well, we’re not swimming in either at the moment,” Hunter chimed in from behind her, so close she could feel his presence.

“I guess it’s a good thing you met me then, isn’t it? And that I like you, sunshine,” she answered, turning off the holo and grabbing the case of credits with their cut of the money. “There’s more where that came from…if you’re looking for work.”

The offer sat heavy in their ears as they, once again, shared a look. “We’ll think about it,” Miri drawled, hesitation clear in her words though Cid didn’t comment on it as they walked away. However, before they could fully leave the office she started speaking again. “It’s interesting.”

“A bounty hunter of Fennec’s caliber being after you,” she continued and it was those words that stopped them in their tracks. “I mean, I know the Jedi’s a hot shot, but…you fellas must be pretty valuable too.” In unison, whether intentional or not, Hunter and Miri turned to look at her with sharp eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Cid assured, but they could hear the tease in her voice. The threat. “I’m good with secrets.”

all works on this blog belong to hesthermay.tumblr.com: do not copy, repost onto other sites, or claim my contents as your own.

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hesthermay · 1 year ago

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knew i was born in the right generation when i discovered my tremendous love for every single clone in the grand army of the republic

#—reblogs.#YES 🦅🦅🦅🦅

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hesthermay · 1 year ago

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 (𝐏𝐓 𝟑)

PAIRING: sergeant hunter x fem!oc reader

SUMMARY: omega and miri share a moment in the privacy of hyperspace, and the batch realize their presence is louder than they thought. trouble, as per usual, ensues.

WORD COUNT: 5.6k

RATINGS + WARNINGS: general audiences, mature themes, fluff, slight comedy??, angst. female oc, jedi oc, use of she/her, canon typical violence, miri is a worrier, angsty ending?? found family trope. the bad batch time period, follows the timeline of the show.

NOTES: woah! okay! i know this is quite overdue, so sorry! you see, shit hath hit the fan quite some time ago and the aftereffects are finally playing out. so fun! awesome! (it actually hasn’t been awesome) since the last time i posted i have turned 22 and have started drawing again, got a car!!!, and have finished two chapters of this story. and a filler. gotta write one more. bye!

STAR WARS MASTERLIST THE GREAT FIGHT MASTERLIST

It had been but an hour since Miri Rocksled returned to her squad, but Omega had already determined that she was the coolest person she had ever met.

The Jedi was everything she had hoped for and somehow more. Omega had heard her fair share of stories of the general from the Batch, and every one had left her wanting to know more. The natural curiosity the girl possessed pushed her to seek out more in all aspects, but the intrigue she held for Miri was endearing in a way that made her think of the younglings at the temple. Eager to become Padawans, to learn and to grow, the woman found herself drawn to her.

She had let the girl linger by her side ever since they had introduced themselves, let her ask question after question, had even made space for her as she sat with Hunter and everyone else on ship. Omega had been watching, eyes wide with wonder, as she conversed back and forth with the members of Clone Force 99 effortlessly. Most people found themselves not knowing what to do with themselves when they were concerned, but Miri knew them so deeply.

“But, I gotta know,” Echo shook his head slightly. “How’d you get off Kaller?”

The memories of it flashed in her mind, unpleasant as ever, and she found herself not wanting to reveal much of it. She had nothing to hide, no reason to lie to them, but she knew full well that guilt would show its ugly face if she painted the picture as it painfully was.

Instead, she settled for something simpler. “Not unscathed. Had to pull out all the stops.” It was vague, and she knew she was on thin ice if she wanted to get out of this while she still could, but Omega’s voice broke the silence that followed her answer.

“You got hurt?” She looked at the woman with wide eyes, body tense with worry. Miri nodded nonchalantly, playing it off as if it was no big deal. Alas, Omega persisted. “Where?”

“Uhm,” she stalled, apprehension shrouding her mind. Again, Miri had no reason to lie about what had happened, no reason to not face it because it had already happened. Apprehension, guilt, fear; they would do nothing to change the chain of events that occurred, fruitless to dwell on. “I had to fight,” she started with, “so I got pretty banged up. A couple blaster shots, some scorch marks from grazes, and…” Her words died out as she got to the part she knew would not be approved of.

Hunter, while just as reckless as her, would not be happy to hear what she had done. It was a risk, a risk only she could really determine the worth of, but worry would pinch at his nerves and fear would cloud his mind.

“What is it?” The man in question leaned forward. He knew her, and she knew he had read her like a book. She had tried to avoid his gaze, a mistake made carelessly, thus revealing she had something to hide.

“I had to get…creative,” she offered, smiling hopefully. “Like I said, pulled out all the stops.”

“Miri, whatever you did, we know it was to survive,” he explained softly. “Besides, we can’t really get too mad at whatever crazy plan you cooked up without us.” His grin, small yet sweet, almost made her chuckle.

“Well, if you were there, you definitely wouldn’t have liked it,” she smiled and shook her head. In fact, none of them would have.

“What’d you do?” Omega begged. With her eyes on her, the urge to be truthful became stronger. The girl would learn nothing from lies.

Miri averted her gaze before answering. “I made the troopers believe Master Billaba’s saber was mine,” she started, voice quiet as shame creeped in. “I used it to fight them off until they had me backed up against a dropoff and then—” she sucked in a breath, sighing heavily as her eyes met Hunter’s. “Then I used the Force to put my body in a comatose state and let Captain Grey shoot me in the abdomen and fell over the edge.”

Silence, for but a moment, as shock exuded from the man in thick waves. It was over as quick as it started, however, as he shot out of his seat. “You what?!”

“I stayed there until they confirmed a death, took her saber, and wrote me off as gone,” the words spilled out of her quickly, unable to stop them.

“Miri—” Hunter started, but was cut off.

Tech, stepping forward in intrigue, adjusted his goggles. “I did not know that was even possible.”

“I didn’t either!” She exasperated, for it truly was amazing if you got passed the hangup. The fact that it was even something one could do was beyond belief, let alone the fact that she had succeeded.

“You didn’t even know it would work?” Hunter questioned, brows furrowed and worry written all over his face. “And you did it anyway? You let them shoot to kill and you didn’t even know if your plan would work?”

“Listen, I know it was a little out there,” she held her hands up, trying to diffuse the tension in the ship. “But I didn’t really have many options, Hunter. I had to get off Kaller, and I trusted in the Force, and I trusted in myself,” she smiled, disarming him in a way only she could. “It’s all I could do, but I did it so I could find you again, right? I found all of you, and now I’m home.”

Miri looked at everyone as she spoke, as genuine as ever. She wanted them all to know that even with what had happened, it was in the past. She was home, they were together once again, and it was them against the world. As it always had been, as it always would be.

“Yeah she is!” Wrecker hollered, scooping her up into his arms as he cheered. Miri’s sides hurt from her own laughter, mixing in with the noise of everyone else. This was family. This was home. It may have been everything the Order frowned upon, but it was life.

They were life.

-: ✧

That night, Miri found herself in the cockpit as they floated through hyperspace. Long hair free of any braids, it framed her face as it was pointed upwards, gazing out at the glow through the transparisteel. Her mind was elsewhere, jumping from one point to another, but Hunter had since gone to bed. Things were still slightly tense between them, for they had never truly touched on what was really going on between them, but he had sensed that she needed some time to herself. He did not worry, however, because no matter what happened in her head Miri Rocksled seemed undrownable.

The weight of her thoughts could never be strong enough to pull her under. She had told them that her master had taught her from a young age to feel her emotions in order to move past them, for she was only human. Suppression, the Council’s recommended method, could very easily lead to disasterly consequences.

So she did not. Miri was warm, where other Jedi were cold. She was ever present, where others were distant. A light in the chaos, an outcast of the Order.

Hunter trusted in her words, in her capabilities, and chose to let her reflect however she pleased. She would be fine taking watch, as she had done many times before, and she would be fine swimming through whatever the Force had for her. The silence that followed his retreat was peaceful, far less lonely than the silence she had been in for quite some time, but it was relatively short lived.

While Omega’s footsteps were not audible, impressively silent for a child in a metal ship, her presence was loud in the Force. Miri had been aware of her the entire time, tucked away in the gunner’s mount, in an awfully protective way for someone who had just met her. Perhaps Omega reminded her of what once was, children eager to learn and develop their skills, walking through life with an innocence that had not been scrubbed away by harsh realities. Perhaps Omega reminded her of home, as it also once was, a Temple that housed younglings and padawans running through the corridors to the next lesson, laughter echoing and robes flowing. Perhaps Omega reminded her of what she could have had, had she been given more time as a Master Jedi, had the Council trusted her more, or had the war not been so unforgiving.

“Hello, little one,” Miri mused quietly, a small smile on her face as she remained still.

“How did you know it was me?” The girl questioned from the doorway, Wrecker’s Lula clutched to her chest.

The woman turned the chair to the side, looking over at her with a kind look in her eyes as she shrugged. “Just did,” she winked. Omega grinned, slowly making her way into the room. She took her spot in the co-pilot’s seat, pulling her legs to her chest in a similar fashion to Miri. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“No,” she answered honestly, but she almost looked hesitant to continue. “I just…” her words died out on her tongue, and her face scrunched up. “I just can’t stop thinking about you and Hunter.” The girl had gone shy, cheeks turning pink at her revelation. “I mean, it sort of felt like he really cared for you before, but everyone does. But back in the forest…that was definitely something more,” she nodded her head to emphasize her words, rambling as the woman sat in a stunned silence. “But you’re a Jedi? I thought…I thought you couldn’t?”

Omega’s words echoed in her ears as she tried to form a response. She had been called out by a child she had known for one rotation, her deepest and most sacred secret sniffed out by the perceptive eyes of the fifth experimental clone. Her cheeks had now gone rosy, shyness creeping in before she could swat it away. “Well,” she stuttered, releasing a breathy laugh as the words got hung up in her throat. “I mean, couldn’t what, Omega?” She questioned, shaking her head slightly.

“Couldn’t love,” she answered, as if it was obvious. “I mean, you love Hunter, don’t you?”

Again, Miri found herself at a loss. She imagined this was how her master had felt at times, Obi-Wan as well, when herself and Anakin let any question that came to mind slip. Sometimes they were too clever for their own good, and she had a feeling Omega would give her a run for her credits as well. “What…what makes you think that?”

“Miri,” she laughed, shaking her head.

Briefly, her words from before flashed in her mind. Omega would learn nothing from lies. “Okay, okay,” she sighed, holding her hands up in faux surrender. “You’re right, attachments are forbidden in the Jedi Order,” she answered, gearing up for the hefty explanation such a topic required.

“But,” she held a finger up, mimicking Tech to elicit a giggle from the girl. “I realized something at some point during the Clone Wars. I realized that…” she hesitated, tongue heavy with the weight of what she had yet to say aloud. She sighed once again, plucking up the courage to push them out. “I realized that the Order had become something different than what I think it originally was. It…was flawed, ideals becoming radical and community becoming frowned upon. Some of the things my master had taught me made me question the High Council, and I feel you should always question those in power, but I was always met with ridicule.

But what Jedi follows orders blindly? What Jedi does not trust in themselves, in the Force?” She shook her head, the girl before her watching her intently. Omega was hung on every word, taking everything in as quickly as she could. “I began believing in something outside of what was traditional in the Order, something closer to the Living Force. I had lost trust in my Council, and had chosen to take my balance into my own hands. I know it wasn’t allowed, but it just…happened,” she sighed.

“What happened?” Omega questioned, cheekily quirking a brow and leaning forward. “Loving Hunter?”

Miri couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes,” she admitted, for the first time. “Loving Hunter just happened, and we haven’t ever talked about it,” she shook her head.

“You haven’t?” She gasped. “Not even a little?”

“Couldn’t afford to.”

“Well can you afford it now?”

Something Miri had been wondering herself. Could she? Could he? The rules that they had adhered themselves to no longer existed, the restraints binding them from bringing light to the feelings they shared having been ripped away with the rise of the Empire. She believed in something more, and it was clear that Hunter did as well. He would not have turned away from all that he had known when the curtains were drawn to reveal the true intentions, would not have returned to rescue Omega from the darkness that had been festering, would not have searched and hoped for her day and night if he had not believed in something more.

The repercussions of loving someone were grave, she was well aware, but had not strayed yet. He had always been special, and she had always been steady. Her will of the Force was something she would not let anyone or anything take from her, and it was with that resolve that she decided that yes, she could afford it. And even if she couldn’t, she’d figure it out.

-: ✧

It would seem that, in the excitement of Miri’s appearance, Hunter had underestimated the amount of rations and fuel they would need. His focus, however steely it normally was, had been broken by the ebb and flow of her Force signature that she had made him grow so acquainted with. He hadn’t thought much of it, to be very truthful, because the Republic had always taken care of their resources; but it would seem the Empire was not in the business to re-up their supplies so they would need to take care of things on their own.

Another problem presented itself when Echo chimed in that their ship’s signature was on a wanted list according to comm chatter, always the reliable source, and Miri sighed as Tech brushed off his brother’s alarm. Their lives, while never particularly easy, were now spent on the run but it would seem there would never be a shortness of entertainment, as the clones before her interacted. In their discussions, it was decided that Pantora would be their next destination.

The owner of the shipyard immediately set off alarms for Miri. He did not seem trustworthy, and though trust was scarce in the days of the rising Empire, the air that surrounded him had an almost greasy like sheen to it that she could not ignore. She could hear Anakin in her ear, whispering some joke that he knew would make her chuckle despite the front they needed to put up; she quickly brushed those thoughts away however. Memories of her friend felt bittersweet on that particular day, and she could not afford to dwell on the feelings when such a character was holding his hands out for a bribe.

On any other day Miri would have used the Force to get him off their case. A simple act, so fondly referred to as Jedi mind tricks throughout the galaxy, but that was also not something she could afford. Too many risks, too much unknown, and too many witnesses. She apologized to Tech in her head as he handed over some credits, credits they couldn’t really spare, and then handed over some more. Her eyes followed the Sullustan as he walked away, Wrecker saying something or another but it fell on deaf ears. She focused, and allowed herself as much reach as she could then, and felt just how unsettling the man was.

He was not unlike others she had met, not particularly good and not particularly bad, but only in it for themselves. And that was fine, Miri didn’t care if that's how one ranked their character and chose to live their life, but things were different now. So much had shifted, had completely flipped, and now these kinds of people were looked at differently as well.

She finally turned, poncho swishing around her, joining the boys once again. She did not know what would happen on Pantora, or that way up high and far, far away, a bounty hunter sat with a holo of her newest target and coordinates on the way.

Much to everyone’s shock, Miri decided to stay back and help Tech and Wrecker with the repairs while Hunter, Echo, and Omega went on the supply run. “There’s probably too much heat in town anyways,” she shrugged, knowing that stormtrooper presence was growing on many planets already. She stepped a little closer to the man, looking up at him as she whispered. “Besides, I wanna keep an eye on the owner,” she subtly nodded her head in the direction he had retreated in, and watched as Hunter’s eyes shifted to scan for obvious signs of danger.

He came up empty handed, but he knew better than to question her instincts. If Miri felt something off enough to stay back to keep watch, then he had to trust in her decision. She knew what she was doing.

And in the end, she had been right. There were lots of stormtroopers in the streets, marching along as the crowds cheered for them. The sight of it all almost made Hunter’s lips curl.

Back at the yard, elbows deep in the hull of the ship as Tech listed off instructions to Wrecker behind her, she felt it almost immediately. The fear that struck Omega had reached her instantly, because she was using the majority of her focus to feel her. Whatever she was fiddling with was not at the top of the list for her, it was using whatever display of the Force she could manage in their setting to keep an eye on the girl. She knew Hunter wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but he did not have the experience of dealing with children, true children who had never lived the life of a soldier. He could not, and inevitably would not, account for the missteps in the plan he’d laid out in his head as Omega’s curiosities and impulses got the better of her. This was nothing more than a security measure, even if just to ease her worries.

Though she was glad she had thought of it, because apprehension mixed in with the fear as she pulled herself out of the mix of wires and metal and she could only wonder what Omega was doing. As she raised her arm up, finger hovering over the comm button on her vambrace to contact Hunter, she felt adrenaline wash away from the girl. She paused, waiting, feeling, for something else to happen before she stepped in. Omega no longer felt scared, or hesitant of whatever was in front of her; instead she gave off waves of excitement and relief. “Hmm,” she hummed to herself as her arms lowered. It would seem that Hunter had things under control, and she felt okay to let go of the connection she had stretched so far.

Without the ranking of the Republic’s military they operated on a more equal level than before, and she knew she would have to relinquish some of the control to him at some point; give him credit where credit was due. He was a man that would walk through any storm for what he felt was right, and that was partly why it was as easy as it was to trust that he would care for the girl as she would. Their unlikely partnership in taking care of Omega had given them a new perspective on their roles, and it was with that thought that she went back to work repairing the ship wherever needed, listening to Tech list off his modifications.

Finally, the ship's signature key made itself known by the sound of rapid beeping and a flashing red light. “There,” Tech mused, pointing a slender finger at it. Wrecker stuck his head back in the ship, reaching forward for it as he mused himself while ripping the key from its place.

“With a slight adjustment, we’ll be able to scramble our signature whenever we need to,” he explained, looking at the machinery in his hand as he began to tweak it. He was interrupted by the beep of an incoming message, and Hunter's voice filtered through their comms.

“Miri, Wrecker, Tech, Echo,” he called, breathing heavily. “I lost Omega. Somebody attacked us.”

Dread, and the sick feeling of being right, washed over the woman as she made eye contact with Tech and then Wrecker. Her arm raised once again, finger clicking the comm button as she furrowed her brows. “Somebody?” she questioned incredulously.

“A woman. Highly trained. She’s after the kid.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that!” Wrecker shouted into his own comm device before he shoved it into Tech’s chest and stalked off.

“I’ll tap into the central security network,” Tech offered, speaking into the device now. “There should be enough cameras in this city to find her.”

Just as he was beginning to walk away, Miri remaining still as she gathered all the information she could, Hunter’s deep voice came through again. “Listen, I made a bit of noise out here. Get the ship ready to go.”

“Not really much of a ship at the moment,” Miri remarked, finally speaking as she looked over the current state of the Marauder.

“And unless you have a team of maintenance droids, it’s going to be a while,” Tech snarked, tailing off of her statement. Miri and Tech were a pair that most wouldn’t expect to work so well, but the collective sass was an overpowering force.

Though, to their surprise, Echo’s voice came through with assurance. “I can help with that.”

“Do I need to come out there?” Miri questioned, wondering if Hunter would need assistance against this woman or if he was simply caught off guard. The first fight with someone was always full of surprises.

“No. You were right, too much heat. Can’t risk it.” She almost argued, almost told him she was on her way, but realized he was right as well. They couldn’t risk it, they had enough to worry about with someone coming after Omega. They didn’t need the Empire catching wind of a surviving Jedi and hunting them down any more than they already were.

She didn’t respond, though, because while he was right that did not mean she had to like it. She simply followed where Tech had gone, finding a spot next to him as they went through the footage looking for the right one.

Finally, they found her climbing into a manhole, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “I have eyes on Omega. She went down to the maintenance tunnels. Head northwest, at one-five-five.”

Miri’s eyes watched as the woman, in her orange helmet and black coat, chased after her. She sorted through all the encounters with bounty hunters she’d had but this get up, the silhouette, she didn’t recognize her. “And she’s got company.” She reached out again, closing her eyes as she tried to locate what she knew to be Omega’s presence, and when she felt a sharp shock of fear and then instant relief, she knew one of her boys had found her.

This was confirmed seconds later by Wrecker’s voice crackling through the comms. “I’m with Omega. We’re on our way.” But something was not right. Miri knew it, despite his words and the fact that Hunter was on his way, she knew it was not enough.

“She’s still coming,” Miri rushed out, alarm bleeding into her voice, and when she was met with no response she knew she had arrived. In the maintenance tunnels it was just Wrecker, Omega, and this mysterious yet highly capable fighter. It was just his need to protect, and her need to complete the job.

Yet, when Hunter’s voice came through to comms, asking for Wrecker’s location, he was met with silence. The weight of this realization was only worsened by the reports of a child hanging from a tower. What child, on what world, would be hanging from a tower other than the one she had ended up calling her own? That sick feeling of being right returned when Omega’s body came into view, dangling from the top of a tower by her fingertips.

This had gone too far. Miri had sat back long enough for Omega to be in the middle of danger times ten and she would sit back no more. “I’m coming,” she stated, shooting out of her seat and retrieving her hat.

“No, Miri. Stay at the ship,” Hunter ordered, sounding as if he was climbing something. She made eye contact with Tech as her face screwed up in a defiance most Jedi ended up having. Rules, something they all lived by, became twisted upon the scenario in the heat of the moment, in the severity of the mission; and this just so happened to be her talent.

“He’s right,” the genius stressed, off the comms and just to her. A rare moment of personability for Tech, voice soft and as honest as could be, he looked up at her with eyes that read her better than most. “You cannot rush into things as you once did, not if you wish to keep your presence from the Empire.” When her mouth opened to argue, he turned away from her without giving her the chance to speak. “As much as we wanted to go after you on Kaller, it was better in the long run to wait. We are operating under the microscope of the Empire now, caution must be exercised now more than ever.”

Again, just because he was right did not mean she had to like it. Miri huffed, turning from him anyway. “I’m going to question the owner of the ship yard,” she muttered as she walked towards the exit. She was not mad at Tech, for he did have a point, but frustration at not being able to help Omega bubbled in her stomach. It had only been a short time, but she already felt some claim over the girl to protect her, ensuring she survived while living the life of a child as much as she could. All Miri had seen of Padawan Learner’s in recent years had been training to be child soldiers, giving their lives away to a war they were not born to fight.

This was not a life she would let Omega have.

Her resolve on the matter was strong, and as she rounded the corner to knock on the man's office door, Tech’s words echoed in her head. She took a deep breath and let it go as the doors slid open and her eyes lowered to look at him.

“What do you want?” he griped, just as unpleasant as he had been upon their arrival.

“I have some questions I’d like to ask you,” she mused, voice pleasant as she entered his office without another word, skirting around him as he sputtered in his shock.

“Hey, who do you—”

“The real question is,” she interrupted, turning to speak directly to him, “who is the woman chasing one of my crew members?” She was met with stunned silence, and she held up a finger as she began speaking again. “Before you answer that, just know that out of everyone, I am not the one to lie to. And I know that you know something. Now, I’m not looking for anything other than answers, I can assure you of that, so,” she gestured to the seat before the control board. “Shall we?”

In the end, the only information Miri got was that the woman was a bounty hunter, a conclusion they would have come to on their own, and that it was their ship that was the marker. Nothing she could do about that, but she could start looking for description matches in the system now. She had to do something, for while she was aware of her ambitious and unconventional ways, she feared that Tech was more right that she had first thought. She had always rushed into things because that’s what Jedi did, they took the lead and made the action. It was her job, her responsibility, to execute each mission with her squad in a way where she did the most legwork, where she took the most damage when something went wrong. It was uncomfortable to do nothing, so she made her way back to the ship with a new purpose.

Upon her arrival, she was pleased to know that Wrecker was okay and heading for the ship; evenmoreso to see that, from security footage, Hunter had retrieved Omega. It was not long after Echo and the droids finished the ship that the man of the hour flew in, stolen speeder and feds following and all. They had met them outside, and true relief washed over her seeing them both safe. “We need to go. Now.” Urgent and rushed, he lifted Omega off of the bike and gestured for Miri to come forward. Rattled, she was, at the whole encounter and Miri placed gentle hands on her shoulders to lead her toward the ship.

“Wrecker, pick up the pace. We don’t have all day,” Tech snarked into his vambrace, but the man in question followed soon after. Wrecker had been running, for far longer than he would have liked if she had to guess, and was breathing heavily as he rushed in.

“I’m…here,” he panted, taking a breath before rushing into the ship as well. Their takeoff was swift and smooth, as it so often was when Tech was piloting, and the setting sun illuminated the cockpit for a short time as they flew into the sky, into space, and away from Pantora.

In the vastness of the galaxy, Hunter finally sighed from his position behind the co-pilot seat, usually occupied by either Miri or Echo. In this case it was the former, and his hands rested on the back of the chair as he stood by her. “She has to be a bounty hunter.”

“Oh, she is,” the woman answered, turning the seat to look at everyone. Hunter slouched into a chair of his own, prepared to take in the information he was about to be given. “Something was off about the shipyard guy, so I asked him some questions while you were getting Omega,” she explained, leaning forward slightly. “Turns out, he heard about our ship on some comm channel for bounty hunters, pirates, you name it. Someone’s looking for Omega and whoever it is, they know exactly who she’s with.”

Her words, heavy as they were, hung in the air for a few moments before the silence was broken. Genuine curiosity, it would always win when it came to Omega. “What’s a bounty hunter?”

“Someone hired to retrieve targets,” Echo answered simply, and while at the end of the day that was simply what it was, it was always so much more complicated than that.

“And it appears you are the target,” Tech piggybacked off his answer, causing the girl to lock up in worry. It was minute, and mostly felt rather than seen, but Miri could tell she was worried what that meant.

“Me?” she questioned, eyes glancing from one person to the next.

“Hey,” Wrecker drawled, a warning clear in his tone. “Don’t scare the kid.”

Miri liked to wait before stepping in sometimes, liked to let the brothers discuss the matter themselves before she brought her word into it. Sometimes that moment, where she had to take control, happened sooner rather than later. “Wrecker’s right,” Miri interjected, voice smooth as she spoke. “Undue fear won’t do any of us any good, especially Omega. But,” she sighed, turning towards the girl and gesturing for her to come closer. “Tech is right. There is someone out there who really wants you, and that lady is who they paid to come get you. We need to be very careful from here on out, but you need to know that all of us would give everything we have to keep you safe, okay?” She paused, waiting for Omega to nod her head.

When she did, she placed her hand on the girl’s arm, giving her what the Jedi had frowned upon: compassion. “I’m sorry this happened to you, and I know it was very scary, but you did good, Omega,” she smiled slightly, looking her in her eyes. Once again, Miri felt as if the honesty poured out of her when speaking to the child, for lies would not prepare her for what was to come, for the great fight they had found themselves in. “I’m proud of you for thinking quickly; it’s a skill you’re going to have to use often if we’re running from the Empire.”

A noticeable protectiveness had overcome Hunter in the time that Omega had been with them, and the severity on his face did nothing to hide it. “We have to find out who she is and who hired her.” His words, sharp as the knives he wielded, cut through the atmosphere as they flew through the stars, away from one thing and towards another. That’s all it had ever been, and they would fight for it to not be all it would ever be.

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