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kriffingmeshla · 2 years ago

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Here's To The Future: Part 10 - What Comes Next

Summary: The war’s over. That should be cause for celebration, except the wrong side won. Things begin to change quickly, and it doesn’t take long for Midnight to realize something’s not right among the clone army. She should be glad the war is over, but the threat of her losing her boys is all too real. She did swear she would do everything she could to keep them from being separated when the war ended.

She’s not going to give up on that promise. Even if it kills her.

Pairing: The Bad Batch x reader (no clonecest)

Warnings: Not a lot, some feels, fluff, lots of dialogue.

A/N: This one is significantly shorter than the others since it's basically 100% a filler while we shift into the second half of the story. Lots of talking, not a lot of action, especially compared to the last part.

< Previous | Next > | SERIES MASTERLIST | MAIN MASTERLIST

“She is right, you know.” Tech says, breaking the tense silence. Midnight’s words have struck all of them hard, and watching her walk away was even harder. “By my calculations, our accelerating aging will give us another 30 years, give or take. Midnight will have only lived around half the normal human lifespan by that time, and Omega even less.”

Tech’s words don’t help any. Hunter had already been considering settling down somewhere, letting Omega be a kid, but the opportunity had yet to present itself. Being a soldier is easy, it is for all of them. It’s what they were made to do, but he often forgets Midnight is not like them. She’s not even a soldier. Deep down, he knows she’s right. Laying low right now is the ideal. Sure, going on missions is helpful, but if their paths cross with the Empire or more bounty hunters, they’re all at risk.

He’s already risked too much. Just a matter of days ago, he could have lost both Midnight and Omega because of his decisions. Now Midnight is dealing with something that could affect the rest of her life because of him.

“I miss them already.” Wrecker says, looking around sadly.

“I know.” Hunter says, clearing his throat. “She’s right. About all of it. She deserves a normal life, they both do. The war is over. Perhaps we need to consider all of our options. And with Midnight injured...” Hunter doesn’t want to say it. He’s been thinking nonstop about the doctor’s warning. She may never fully heal. She may never get back to where she was before. “She worked so hard to keep us together,” He looks at Crosshair. “All of us, even when the rest of us gave up, and here we are fighting and trying to tear each other apart.”

He steps closer to Crosshair, the sniper stiffening a bit. He’s preparing for another fight, for things to get physical. There was a time that wouldn’t have happened. They knew each other, trusted each other. There never would have been a thought of one of them betraying the others. Crosshair hadn’t willingly done it. Had his chip not activated, he would have been right beside them the entire way.

It’s not his fault.

“She’s right.” He stares up at Crosshair, meeting that brutal glare unwaveringly. “And you were right too. If you had wanted to hurt us still, if you were still under the Empire’s control, you could have easily taken us out. You could have given away our location many times. But you didn’t.” Hunter’s shoulders sag. “I don’t know what it was like. I was lucky that my chip never activated. Things can’t go back to the way they were, for any of us. I know you won’t accept any apology I try to give, but maybe we can come to trust each other again. We have to at least try.” Hunter holds his hand out. “For Midnight.”

Crosshair stares down at his hand for a long moment before taking it. “For Midnight.”

“What do we do now?” Echo asks.

“We need to make things right. First, though, we pay off Cid.” Hunter says.

“And how are we going to do that?” Echo asks. “We can’t risk another mission.”

“I’ve got an idea.” Hunter says, looking at Tech, the others following his gaze.

Tech glances between them, before nervously pushing his glasses higher. “What do you have in mind?”

“How much do you know about gambling?” Hunter asks.

“Waging something of value in hopes of winning something more valuable, usually money. Done through various games or against odds like winners of a sports match or pod race.” Tech answers.

“Do you think you could beat a bunch of professionals at one of those games?” Hunter asks.

“More than likely, yes.” Tech nods. “The basis of most of them are very simple, though some are based entirely on chance while others depend on a degree of strategy.”

“Good.” Hunter pats Tech’s shoulder. “You’ll have plenty of time to work on your strategy on the way.”

“Where are we going?” Wrecker asks.

“We’re taking Tech to Canto Bight so we can pay the debt we owe Cid.” Hunter says.

“We’re just leaving Midnight and Omega here?” Echo asks as they board the ship.

“They’re safe.” Hunter says. “Midnight won’t let anything happen to Omega. Besides, she needs to rest. They know where to go if they get into trouble.”

***

“I've never been in a hotel before.” Omega says, looking around.

“I have once.” Midnight says. “This place looks like a luxury suite compared to that place.”

It’s barely more than a bed and a table, but at least it has a working fresher. It was cheap, though, and the Devaronian at the front desk hadn’t asked any questions. Exactly what they were looking for. Midnight drops her bag on the bed before laying down with a sigh. Walking had been a task, and she’d really begun to feel it up the stairs to the room.

“You’re hurting again.” Omega says, climbing onto the bed next to her.

“Just sore.” Midnight says. “The doctor said it’ll be like this for a while.”

“Did you bring any bacta shots?”

Midnight grabs her bag, opening it up. “Bacta shots, clothes, rations, credits, and...” She pulls out Omega’s trooper doll.

“My trooper!” Omega takes the doll, holding it close. “You really thought of everything.”

Midnight smiles. “I didn’t want to have to leave, but they need to figure this out themselves. Pretending for our sake wasn’t working anymore.”

“They’ll come find us, right?”

Midnight rolls onto her side, smoothing hand over Omega’s hair. “They will. They’ll probably come up with some elaborate plan and make things way more complicated than they have to be, but they’ll be back. I know Hunter wants to slow down, to find a safe place for all of us. It’s hard for them, though. How do you adjust to a slow, boring life when you were designed for war? They’ll figure it out, though. They love both of us too much to leave us behind.”

“You really think they love me?” She asks.

“Of course they do.” Midnight says, leaning up on her elbow. “You’re their little sister. It might be a different kind of love, but it’s still love.”

Omega lays down on the bed, holding her trooper close. “I’ve never had that before. I spent most of my life shut in the lab on Kamino. Nala Se was nice, but I always felt alone.”

“You never have to feel that way again. Even if those idiots can’t figure things out, I made a promise to you. I’m never going to break that promise.”

Omega rolls closer, wrapping her arms around Midnight. Midnight holds her close, resting her cheek on top of her head. They stay that way for a while, only the sounds of the city below breaking the quiet.

“Midnight?” Omega asks, her voice slightly muffled.

Midnight hums, letting the younger girl move back slightly.

“What was your mother like?”

Midnight opens her eyes, taken aback by that question. “Oh, well, she was...caring. She always did her best to try and take care of us, to get us what we needed. She was brave too. She wasn’t afraid to do what needed to be done to keep us safe and healthy. She wasn’t perfect, though. She was...sad. She wanted to do better, wanted to give us a better life, but circumstances wouldn’t let her. So she didn’t always make the best decisions when it came to her own wellbeing. She drank a lot, I think to numb the sadness. She was a good mom, given the hand that life dealt us. I wish she would have made better choices, sometimes.”

Omega smiles softly. “What about your dad?”

“I never knew him.” Midnight shrugs. “I’m not even sure he ever knew about me either. My mother never talked about him. It was probably for the best, if even she couldn’t find something redeeming about him.”

“Do you ever wish you knew him?”

“No.” Midnight says. “Our lives might have been different if he’d been there, but I wouldn’t change my past now. It’s what’s led me to this point. I wouldn’t change it even if I could.”

“Sometimes I wish I had real parents.” Omega says, turning so she’s staring up at the ceiling. “I’d want them to be like you and Hunter. Strong, brave, kind. You keep your promises.”

Midnight swallows the lump in her throat. She’d never considered viewing Omega as anything other than a sister. She’s not even sure Hunter’s thought any differently either. She doesn’t think she’s the mothering type, but then again, she’s never really explored that idea before. She’s never had time to. On Coruscant, it was all about survival and trying to escape. Then in the army, it was all about just making it to the next day. Even in her fantasies about what would happen after the war, kids hadn’t really been in the picture. None of the boys had ever mentioned the idea, and so she’d never considered it.

Until Omega appeared and suddenly they had an actual child to take care of.

“I think Hunter would make a good dad,” Midnight says. It’s true. He sort of already is, trying to manage the squad even before Omega joined. “You should ask him.”

“You can do that?”

Midnight shrugs. “I don’t see why not. I mean, we’re not related but you’re still my little sister. I suppose the same can go for parents. I’m sure Hunter would be thrilled if you asked him. I think he’d probably cry.”

“They are coming back, right?” Omega asks once more, looking for reassurance.

Midnight reaches out, stroking her cheek gently. “Yes. Once they get what they need to do figured out, they’ll be knocking on that door.”

****

The next day is spent laying low in the hotel room. Midnight had risked a trip out to the market to get lunch, and there had been no sign of the boys at all. She had debated going to the starport, checking if the ship was still there, but her back had other plans.

She’s still sore despite the daily bacta shots. Her limp is slowly improving, but the pain is still there, still getting worse the more she walks around. She’s glad she made the decision to leave. Even if the guys decided to continue going on missions, she can’t. Her days of fighting are over.

Midnight flips through plantes on the datapad she’d swiped from the ship, slowly narrowing down good options. She’ll go through with the plan regardless of what the boys decide to do. Even if it’s just her and Omega moving to their little farm, then so be it. She tries to keep reassuring Omega that they are, in fact, coming back.

But as the day passes into evening, even she begins to doubt it just a little.

She’s woken early the next morning by a knock on the door. Immediately warning bells begin to sound in her head and she grabs her blaster, motioning for Omega to stay back. She creeps to the door, taking a breath before cracking it open and peeking out.

She opens it all the way, staring at Hunter.

He glances down at the blaster in her hand. “I didn’t think you’d still be that upset.”

“I’m still considering it.” Midnight says, stepping out of the way to let him in.

“Hunter!” Omega says, crawling over the bed to hug him. “You came back!”

“We did.” Hunter says. “The others wanted to come, but I figured it might draw a little too much attention. And I’m the one that needs to apologize.” He holds out a bag, a delicious smell coming from inside.

“Breakfast is your apology?” Midnight asks, crossing her arms.

“Part of it.” He shrugs.

Midnight stares at the bag for a moment, her stomach rumbling quietly. He can probably hear it loud and clear so she sighs, taking the bag before sitting on the bed. Omega peeks over her shoulder, grabbing one of the pastries. Hunter leans against the wall across from them. He’s dressed down in his civvies, looking far too casual for someone she’s supposed to be mad at.

He’s doing it on purpose.

“You were right.” He says, clearing his throat. “About everything.”

“Yeah.” Midnight blinks at him. “Usually am.”

He gives her a look. “You were right about Crosshair. We’ve proved his chip is gone and he’s had lots of chances to turn on us again, but he hasn’t. Both of us have mutually agreed to at least try to trust each other again. And we all agree that it’s not fair of us to expect you to continue fighting. I know you’re tired and I know we all are too. It is hard for us to stop, but most of us agree that maybe we need to consider something else now. I know you had your plan, and things didn’t quite work out how they were supposed to, but now is as good a time as any to make it a reality.”

“So...” Midnight waves her hand, expectantly waiting for what he’s going to say.

“So, we started with paying our debt to Cid.”

Midnight blinks at him. “How exactly?” She knows it’s not with her money. It’s all sitting in the bag on the floor.

“We took Tech to Canto Bight.” Hunter shrugs.

Midnight pouts. “You took Tech to a casino without me?”

“We didn’t really have a choice. I didn’t want to risk another mission, and it was a lot of walking.”

Midnight’s pout deepens. “That’s not fair. Using my injury against me.”

“It wasn’t that exciting. Though it was satisfying to see the faces of his opponents when he absolutely swept them.”

“Please tell me he recorded them?”

“Probably. You know how he is.” Hunter smiles. “We got more than enough to pay Cid back, and Tech’s looking into places we might be able to settle down.”

“Well, he won’t have to look far.” Midnight says.

“Midnight already found us a place.” Omega says excitedly.

“You’re not going to like the location of it, but I don’t think we could find anywhere safer.” Midnight says sheepishly. “I think we should discuss it together. All of us.”

“So, does that mean you’re coming back?” Hunter asks. “The Marauder wasn’t the same without you two.”

Midnight looks at Omega, pretending to think about it for a moment. Omega nods and Midnight turns back to Hunter, shrugging. “I guess, if you really missed us that much.”

A grin breaks out on Hunter’s face, and he moves forward, Midnight grabbing onto his shirt and tugging him down. He barely catches himself over her, chucking at her excitement. He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

The moment is broken by the disgusted noise Omega makes.

Hunter pulls away with a laugh, ruffling Omega’s hair. “I’m glad you’re both coming back.”

Midnight tucks a strand of his hair behind his ear. “It’s an easy choice. I’d miss you too much.”

Hunter pushes himself back up. “Probably not as much as we’ve missed you. We should go see the others, though, before they decide to come up here themselves.”

“They’re here?” Midnight asks in disbelief. “I thought you said-”

“I couldn’t convince them to wait at the ship. They’re waiting outside.”

***

“So?” Wrecker asks as Hunter leaves the hotel. “Did it work?”

“Why don’t you ask me yourself, big guy?” Midnight says, stepping around Hunter.

“Midnight!” Wrecker shouts, scooping her up in a hug.

Midnight winces at the pressure on her wounded back. “Okay, okay.” She taps his shoulder. “Still fragile.”

“Sorry.” He sets her back on her feet, turning excitedly as Omega practically jumps into his arms.

“That didn’t take very long.” Echo says.

Midnight shrugs. “He was...very convincing.”

“I hope the child was not in the room.” Crosshair says.

Midnight makes a disgusted noise, smacking Crosshair’s chest. “Don’t be gross. He’s good with his words sometimes. Besides, I didn’t really want to leave in the first place. I’m glad you’ve settled your differences.”

“Let’s get back to the ship.” Hunter says, eyeing the way Midnight shifts on her feet. “Night says she may have found us a place.”

***

“Wild Space?” Hunter asks in disbelief, staring at the computer screen.

They’ve all gathered around while Midnight pulled up the place she had found for them. Possibly their new home. Somewhere they could be safe. She knew he’d have his reservations about its location, though.

“Yeah,” Midnight shrugs. “Wild Space has been Wild Space since the formation of the Republic and I doubt even the Empire will be successful in trying to gain control over it. If we want to hide, Wild Space is the place to do it.”

“Except Wild Space is known for being the playground of criminals and pirates and all other kinds of horrible people.” Echo says.

“But this place is so far out of the way of everything that there’s very little even written about it. It’s all just farming communities. No spaceports, no major imports or exports.” Midnight says. “If we want to stay hidden, a place so boring two people went and never returned is exactly what we need.”

“She has a point.” Tech says. “While Wild Space is known for being, well, wild, its dedication to keeping any overarching governing body out is ideal. Strategically, if the Empire is looking for total Galactic control, it will need to first gain control of all the formerly Republic and Separatist planets first, then turn its attention to the ungoverned Outer Rim and Neutral territories. If it can gain control over those, it may set its sights on Wild Space, but the odds of it being successful in taking over a largely unmapped area of the galaxy is very small. A planet like this would be very low on their priorities, and if we want to set up somewhere permanently, somewhere inhabited will be easier than trying to build on an uninhabited planet.”

They all turn to look at Hunter. He stares at the screen, reading over the very little there is written about this planet Midnight had found. It is inhabited, though by a small population, but it’s largely ignored due to its strange weather patterns. But there’s still beings that live there, beings that have survived and stayed hidden from the Republic for thousands of years.

“It’s worth a shot.” He finally says. If nothing else, they can go and look. He turns to Tech. “Do you think you can navigate Wild Space?”

Tech looks at him, obviously insulted by his question. “Of course I can. Though, it’s going to take time to reach it, given the lack of hyperspace lanes, and possible unmapped phenomena. We’ll need to research possible fuel stops along the way, and make sure our stock of rations is replenished. But yes, I can get us there.”

“It’s settled then.” Hunter says. “Let’s go explore our new home.”

Taglist:

@amyroswell, @dangraccoon, @hunnythebee, @lokigirlszendaya, @kriffingmeshla, @storm-breaker7, @burningfieldof-clover, @6oceansofmoons, @motte-the-goblin, @bobaprint, @star-trekker-0013, @endofthexline

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kriffingmeshla · 2 years ago

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Here's To The Future - Part 7: Bounty Lost

She’s not going to give up on that promise. Even if it kills her.

Pairing: The Bad Batch x reader (no clonecest)

Warnings: Angst, a bit of violence, injuries, angst, Hunter and Crosshair have some issues, brief discussion of torture, lots of cuteness and fluff though.

A/N: This one isn't really one of my favorites, it's more of a filler than anything as the story begins to shift away from canon and into my own little AU of how their stories play out.

The threesome is up next, though I'm busy this weekend and I want to work on other stuff, so it might not be up until Monday or later. We'll see.

< Previous | Next > | SERIES MASTERLIST | MAIN MASTERLIST

“I see things have been going well in my absence.”

Hunter sighs, hands balling into fists. He resists the urge to turn around and throw a punch. He deserves it, after everything, but the snarky remarks are starting to get on Hunter’s nerves.

He has bigger things to worry about.

“I get why Bane took Omega, but why Midnight too?” Echo asks.

“I think she knows him.” Hunter says. “She tried to warn me not to take the shot.”

“How would she have met someone like him?” Wrecker asks.

“It’s very likely she’s met all sorts of fugitives, pirates, and bounty hunters.” Tech says, stepping out of the cockpit. “She is from the Coruscant underground, where those types of unsavory characters flourish. I’m more surprised she hasn’t recognized more of them during our recent escapades. I’ve relayed a message to Cid. She will be in touch.” Tech pulls out his scanner, fiddling with it.

“There’s another possibility.” Crosshair says.

“What?” Hunter asks, turning around.

“We were sent to Bracca to terminate a group of deserter clones.” He says flippantly. “But we were given special orders to bring Midnight back alive.”

“Who gave those orders?” Echo asks.

“Admiral Tarkin is putting together a nat-born army to replace the clones. He tested his idea using a small group of volunteer nat-born soldiers.”

“We know that.” Hunter says.

“It worked, to a point. Some of the nat-borns were...less willing to comply with orders. Tarkin wants to develop a way to control nat-borns as efficiently as clones.”

“Mind control?” Echo asks, horrified.

Crosshair smirks. “And who better to test it on than a highly skilled nat-born with unwavering loyalty to a group of deserter clones.”

Hunter’s hands ball into fists. “That’s why you didn’t aim to kill on Kamino.”

“I was given explicit directions. You were to be terminated, but Midnight was to be brought in alive.”

“You think Tarkin would send bounty hunters after her?” Echo asks.

“News will have already reached him of my...compromised state.” Crosshair crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat. “He will only double down on retaking us both.”

“Would Bane risk landing on Kamino openly?” Echo asks.

“It is unlikely.” Tech answers. “Though he was wanted by the Republic, we cannot be certain if the Empire intends to prosecute those on the Republic’s list as well. Perhaps Cid will return us some valuable information regarding Bane. For now, it is in our best interest to ensure there is no present danger.”

They all turn to look at Crosshair, his eyes narrowing at them. “It’s a bit unbelievable for you, Hunter, having such little trust in your teammate.”

“After everything you’ve done, I have no trust in you at all.” Hunter says, meeting Crosshair’s glare unwaveringly.

“I’m not talking about me.”

Hunter deepens his glare, but Crosshair’s words slam into his chest as hard as Bane’s blaster shot. He does regret it now. The last thing he’d said to Midnight was that he couldn’t trust her and now she’s gone, in the hands of a brutal bounty hunter. The thought has been digging at him, ever since he’d come back to consciousness to find his worried squad mates asking where the girls are.

Midnight knows Bane. Would she have left willingly?

He doesn’t think she would have, not after risking everything to try and save Crosshair.

To successfully save Crosshair.

He won’t believe it. Not until he has proof. He hates it, that he has to distrust her. He had been so angry at her. Going off on her own like that, defying him so openly. It’s not the first time she’s done it, but those times had never been as high risk as what she had done to save Crosshair.

He does regret his words, though. If something happens to her, he doesn’t want his last words to be that he can’t trust her. He does love her, but he has to think about the safety of his whole squad above all else.

Tech calibrates the device, running the scan on Crosshair. They wait tensely, for the scan to be done, for Cid to get back to them, for any crumb they can find about where the girls are. Hunter needs to do something.

If he’s not careful, it’s going to be punching the glare right off Crosshair’s face.

“She was telling the truth.” Tech says. “His chip is gone.”

He shows them his datapad, the place where the chip had shown up on previous scans of their minds missing from Crosshair’s.

Guilt starts to chew away at Hunter. Of course she had been telling the truth. She wouldn’t have come back, risked leading Crosshair directly to them if she hadn’t been sure he was back to his normal, insufferable self. She wouldn’t have put them at risk like that. As much as she loves Crosshair, she’s not that careless.

He’s already beginning to feel worse.

But he can’t trust Crosshair. Not completely.

Just because his chip is gone, doesn’t mean he’s changed. The Empire could have done something else, something worse to him, and they wouldn’t know. For all Hunter knows, as soon as they turn their backs, he’ll strike.

***

“I have the girl.”

“What is her condition?”

“Alive, so I expect a premium.”

“See that she stays that way.”

“That depends on you. I’ll be at the rendezvous. Bring my unmarked credits.”

Midnight frowns as Bane ends the call. So it was the Kaminoans that had sent the bounty hunters after Omega. Midnight had a sneaking suspicion there was more to the girl than they thought. After all, she is a female clone. She’s not enhanced, even as much as the regs are.

This is going to complicate things.

Midnight groans quietly, shifting her arms. They’re cuffed above her head to a bar. She can feel the strain in her shoulders already. She straightens her legs out in front of her, trying to stretch as much as she can.

“You haven’t changed much.” Bane says, his back still turned to her.

“How would you know?” She snaps, tugging at the cuffs. They’re not going anywhere, but she has to try. “It’s been, what, ten years since my mom took pity on you?”

“Bad decision on her part.” Bane smirks. “Then again, she never was very smart, was she?”

“You don’t know anything.” Midnight snaps at him. She knows he’s not wrong, but she won’t tolerate anyone speaking ill about her mother, especially him.

Bane turns in his seat, glaring down at her. “I see it runs in the family.”

Midnight’s jaw clenches, her hands balling into fists. “Where’s Omega.”

“She’s fine.” Bane says, stepping down from his seat. “I get paid more if she’s alive.” He kneels in front of her, grabbing her chin.

“Why take me too?” She asks, partially out of genuine curiosity.

Bane smirks at her, running a thumb over her lips. “You’re nice to look at.”

He releases her, taking his seat once more.

***

Midnight braces her foot against the wall, tugging hard at the restraints. Her wrists are raw and sore, the metal biting into her skin. The bar groans as she pulls, but it won’t give.

Bane is gone, and likely so is Omega. She has to get to them before he can hand her off to the Kaminoans. She’s not going to give Omega up that easily, even if it means having to go up against Cad Bane again.

She tugs harder at the restraints, groaning in pain as her wrists strain against the metal.

“What are you doing?”

She pauses, turning her head to look at the service-droid. “I...” She looks down at her hands before looking back at the droid. “I have to use the fresher.”

“Nice try.” The droid says. “Under no circumstances am I allowed to set you free.”

“Please.” She puts as much desperation in her voice as she can. “I really have to go.”

“Mr. Bane said I must not let you out of the cockpit.” The droid says, staying firm on his stance.

Midnight looks down at the floor, thinking. She needs to get these cuffs off and find Omega. “You’d you prefer I go right here? Bane’s going to make you clean it up.”

The droid pauses before turning back to her. “Just to the fresher?”

Midnight nods. “I swear.”

The droid removes one of her cuffs, Midnight swinging as soon as the cuff is off. The droid slides across the floor, sparking a bit. She hadn’t planned on hitting it that hard. She didn’t know she could hit that hard.

She climbs down from the cockpit, glancing around the hull. Omega is nowhere to be seen, not that she had expected her to still be in the ship. Midnight looks through the opened closets, finding a spare blaster. She’s going to need that if she’s going to go up against Bane.

She takes off running before the droid can fully recover, heading into the building. They look just like the facilities on Kamino, but they’ve long been abandoned. Midnight hurries into the building, trying to wave away the dense fog inside.

The sound of blaster fire somewhere above draws her attention. Her heart is pounding in her chest. What’s happening? Did the Kaminoans trick Bane? That’s not really their style, she thinks. Is someone else here? Have the boys found them already? She hadn’t seen the Marauder, but then again, she hadn’t really looked.

She presses onwards, following the sound of the blaster fire. Her stomach twists nervously. She needs to find Omega. She needs to make sure she’s safe. The thought of something happening to her...she’d never forgive herself.

Midnight peeks around a corner, blaster in hand. She can hear footsteps coming, her grip on her blaster tightening. She turns the corner, blaster ready.

Relief floods through her.

“Omega!”

“Midnight!” The young girl runs straight to Midnight, Midnight waiting with open arms.

Midnight wraps her arms around Omega, holding her tightly. “Are you alright?”

“Fennec Shand is here.” She says, pulling away from Midnight. “She killed Taun We.”

Both of them here? Midnight knows she won’t stand a chance against both of them together. “We need to get out of here.”

“I contacted the others but the signal wasn’t strong enough. Tech said we need to create a power surge.”

Midnight’s brow furrows. The chances of them finding something to do that, and having enough time to do it, are low. Not with two bounty hunters on their tail.

“I’ve got a better idea.” She says, removing Omega’s cuffs. “We’re going for Bane’s ship.” She takes Omega’s hand, heading back in the direction she’d come from. “Even if we can find a way to contact them, there’s no guarantee they’ll make it in time.”

“So we’re going to steal a ship?” Omega asks.

“We’re going to try.” Midnight says, determined.

It’s a bit of a crazy plan, but then again, rescuing Crosshair had been as well, and that had worked in the end. She only hopes her luck won’t run out. It’s not just her to worry about this time. It’s Omega as well.

If anything happens to her, Hunter will never forgive her.

She’ll never forgive herself.

“I wouldn’t bother trying.”

Midnight comes to a stop, pushing Omega behind her as she points her blaster at Shand. “Why are you here?”

“I took a job.” Shand says, removing her helmet. “And I hate leaving things unfinished.”

“I won’t let you take her.” Midnight says, backing up a couple steps. There’s a hallway within reach. All she has to do is distract Shand and Omega can run for it.

“You’re a good soldier, but you’re not going to win this one.”

“I’ve faced worse odds.” Midnight tightens her grip on her blaster.

“I’m trying to help.” Shand says, taking a step closer.

“You said the same thing on Pantora.” Omega says, tightening her grip on Midnight’s hand.

“There you are!” Bane’s droid appears down the hall behind Shand. “You are coming with-” The droid is cut off as Shand turns, tossing a knife at it.

Midnight and Omega are already halfway down the hall by the time she turns back around, racing towards the landing platform.

Midnight pushes as fast as she can, Omega keeping a hold of her hand as they weave through the hallways. She prays they don’t run into Bane or his droid on their way. It had been luck that had gotten them away from Shand, but she doesn’t trust that luck to hold much longer.

They reach the landing platform, Midnight breathing heavily as they board Bane’s ship. Her hands are shaking from the adrenaline as she climbs into the cockpit, Omega right behind her. She powers on the ship, praying to whatever deities she can think of that they can take off before Bane notices.

Or before Shand gets to her own ship.

The ship rocks as she lifts it off the ground, her grip on the controls unsteady. She’d learned the basics of flying during her training, and Tech had taught her a few times how to pilot the Marauder, but she was by no means an expert. This isn’t a starfighter or the Marauder.

“Hang on.” She says, pushing the ship as fast as she can towards the atmosphere.

It’s a rough flight, Midnight not relaxing her grip on the controls until the atmosphere is gone, replaced by the inky blackness of space. As unnerving as it can be sometimes, she’s never been happier to see it.

She puts the ship on autopilot, typing in the comm channel. “Echo? Tech?” She says, getting static. “Anyone?”

“Midnight?”

She’s never been more relieved to hear Hunter’s voice. She feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. So he had survived Bane’s shot. “We’re here. We’re alright.”

“Where are you? Send us coordinates.”

“We’re in the Lido system.” She says.

“Midnight stole a ship.” Omega says proudly.

“She did what?” Hunter asks in disbelief.

“I’ll tell you later.” Midnight says, flipping through the navigator. “I’m making the jump to the next system over. We can’t risk staying here much longer. I’ll send coordinates and meet you there.”

“Midnight,” Hunter says, his voice low and thick with emotion. “Be careful.”

A small smile tugs at her lips. “It’s a bit late for that.”

She sends the coordinates, jumping the ship into hyperspace. She doesn't relax until the familiar blue is flashing around them. She leans back in the seat, reaching over for Omega. She lifts the young clone into her lap, wrapping her arms around her.

“I’m so glad you’re alright.” She breathes, resting her cheek on top of Omega’s head.

“I’m glad you were there.” Omega says, leaning against her. “I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t.”

Midnight smiles. “I’m sure you would have figured something out. But I’m glad you weren’t alone. I promised I’d always be there.”

Midnight holds Omega as they fly through hyperspace, her eyes beginning to droop. It’s been a very long past few days and she’s ready for a break. She knows it’s not over, though. She’s going to have hell to pay once Hunter sees her. He’s had plenty of time to think over what he’s going to say.

She’s in for quite the reprimanding.

***

The ship beeping as they near their destination wakes her. She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep. Omega is asleep as well, still tucked against her chest. She drops the ship from hyperspace, heading towards the small desert planet. It’s mostly uninhabited, perfect to drop Bane’s ship and meet the others without risking being seen.

She lands in an empty spot, relaying the beacon so the guys can find her. Omega stirs as she relaxes in the seat again, Midnight wrapping an arm back around her. She’d let the girl sleep as long as possible. She’s had a rough few days too. She deserves it.

Not long after they’ve landed, the proximity alarm begins going off. Midnight doesn’t relax until the Marauder sits down next to Bane’s ship. Midnight shakes Omega awake, the young girl groaning and rubbing her eyes.

“They’re here.” Midnight says, lifting her back to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Omega seems to perk up a bit, excitedly climbing down the ladder. Midnight opens the hatch, stepping out into the bright sun. Hunter’s already halfway to their ship, Omega running to meet him. She slams into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He grimaces for a moment, his abdomen wrapped with bandages. So he hadn’t totally been protected against the shot, but at least it hadn’t been fatal.

He kneels down in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay, Omega? Are you hurt?”

“Why is this happening?” Omega cries. “Why are the Kaminoans after me?”

“Hunter, you have to tell her.” Echo says.

Hunter sighs. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll explain everything.”

Wrecker picks up Omega, holding her close. “Good to have you back, kid.”

Hunter stares at Midnight, her gaze lowered to her hands. She’s ready, prepared for the yelling, the reprimanding.

She’s shocked when arms wrap around her, pulling her against a warm chest. She leans into Hunter’s arms, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Thank you.” He says, leaning the side of his head against hers.

“For what? I was just keeping my promise.” Midnight shakes her head. “I meant it.”

He squeezes her tighter for just a moment. “Come on. Let’s get out of here, then we can all have a long talk.”

***

Hunter tucks the blanket closer around them, a small smile tugging at his lips. Midnight is going to be sore when she wakes up. She’s curled up on Omega’s sleeping pad, wrapped around the young clone. He’d heard every word of their quiet conversation, until both of them had dropped off into sleep. He had debated moving her, but he can’t bring himself to.

They’d had a long discussion over ration bars. They’d talked about Omega and why the Kaminoans were after her. They’d talked about Cad Bane and Midnight’s history with him. They’d briefly discussed what had happened while Crosshair was with the Empire and their current situation.

Above all, they were just happy the girls were back and safe.

Hunter pulls the curtain closed, making his way back towards the bunks. Crosshair is pulling the extra blanket from his bunk, the one Midnight had added.

“She slept there the whole time you were gone.” Hunter says. “She never gave up on you.”

“She seems to be the only one.” Crosshair says.

“I had to worry about my squad first.” Hunter tries to defend himself.

“I was part of that squad once. You left me behind.” He scathes, narrowing his eyes at Hunter.

“What did you expect me to do when you were ready to kill us any chance you could?” He takes a step closer to the sharpshooter, ready to defend himself if he needs to.

“That didn’t stop Midnight.” Crosshair seethes. “I was still in there, you know. I remember all of it. They tortured me, played with my mind, strengthened the chip’s control as much as they could. I was still under there, watching as someone else controlled me.”

Hunter deflates a bit at Crosshair’s words. He didn’t know what it was like. He’d been saved from having to experience that. Wrecker hadn’t spoken about it, not that he would ever ask him to. “You’re right. Maybe I did give up too quickly.”

“I don’t want your apologies.” Crosshair snaps. “You still don’t trust me.”

“I can’t. Not yet.” Hunter goes to move past him, but pauses as Crosshair responds.

“Trust me on this, then, Hunter. If I wanted to, I would have already.”

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