#「 Watching from afar.┊┊dash comm. 」 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hesthermay · 10 months ago

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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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viciouslyfilthy · 1 year ago

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Joy and Prosperity.

((What started off as a small dash comm. ic as Sün turned into a whole ass mini OC interaction djdjd enjoy some new year angst (?) Writing with everyone's favourite old man group !! Happy New Year 🐀🐀))

•

"It's my... hmm.. what a human would call birthday~ and I've been away far too long from my beloved, loyal guardians and defenders of my flock~" the Summer spirit cheerfully declared as he stomped into view.

The gang's all here! The other six sins sat by a long table, within what seemed to be a cave-like structure; it's 'walls' were littered with human skulls and overall remains, barely lit by torches some of Sün's cult members had set up.

Claude shifted nervously in his seat: they were deep within the Catacombs of Paris. He hated this place. It reeked of death and dread.

"Bring me a glass of water! Immédiatement! (Immediately!)" The aristocrat demanded as he looked over from his seat to where some members of the flock were located, hooded figures hidden within a tunnel entrance, watching from afar curiously.

"With all due respect, My Lord, if we want to get specific- this date of the year would be according to the Gregorian Calendar." Freddy spoke up, his emerald green eyes watching as a sheepish, hooded follower brought Claude his requested drink- which he pompously snatched away from the person's gentle grasp, causing them to flinch and quickly retreating back to where they belonged. Far from the table.

The personification of Wrath continued, "There are many, many different calendars depending on time periods, cultures- old and recent... that mark different dates of when the 'world' would have 'started', in a way. You understand." He said, before Eden quickly chipped in:

"Y-yes! He's right!"

"And even with our oldest recorded calendar... the mesolithic arrangement, dating all the way to back 8 thousand years Before Christ, as you'll know-" Freddy paused again, expecting Eden to continue- to which he wasted no time:

"The exact timing, date of the very 'beginning' of our life, more importantly- yours... fro-..from the moment you begun to breathe o-on this planet... to when you actually became self-aware and concious as an entity... remains to be unclear and unknown, eh.." the priest trailed off, resting both of his bony old hands over his belly, shyly smiling. Happy to share information alongside his best friend.

"Yes?" Sün simply asked, leaning over the table as two of his claws tapped on it's wooden surface.

The rat-priest awkwardly had a staring match with the deity, growing uncertain if he was meant to reply...

"Are you both quite done with your history lesson?" Sün asked once he was met with silence, his tone condescending. The air tensed up a little with this response.

"I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I do not care for date accuracies. What matters is the planet having successfully spun around, completing the three-hundred-sixty-five solar days. Another year... not in celebration of my birth, you fools. My aging is not as limited as a human or an animal, to be celebrated; another year in celebratrion of the very planet WE LIVE ON!" Sün suddenly screamed, his tone abruptly going from calm and collected- to absolute fury as he slammed a clenched, clawed fist down on the table and causing it to shake.

This caught off guard many of the sins- Claude choked on his drink, causing it to spill over his chest a little; Rotgut and Eden flinched back in their seat; Jeremiah simply lifted his head up from his palm and his gaze finally focusing on the angered God, and Willy practically fell out of his chair with a yelp and cowered in fear, pathetically hiding behind Eden's chair, shakingly clutching at his clothing.

Freddy was the only one that remained perfectly still and unphased by Sün's reaction, although he begun to sweat as he nervously looked down at his hands, worrying for his friend's safety.

Silence. Some cult members could be heard whispering amongst themselves.

"I keep this beauty alive. My heart makes it thrive with life. I want what my essence keeps alive to be cared for and praised. And I myself want to be given the respect and acknowledgement I deserve." He rambled as his heavy footsteps echoed, he circled around the table, observing each and every one of the sins.

Willy scrambled underneath the table, fearfully hugging Eden's legs as Sün's walking pace slowed as he approached the rat-priest, until he fully stopped right behind him. Eden didn't dare turn around, he was shaking with dread and fear. His rats within him squirmed and anxiously gnawed on his bones.

"And what do I get instead?" Sün asked condescendingly as a clawed, dark hand gently wrapped around the old priest's neck, "Disappointment. With useless information I have lived through." His warm grip quickly intensifying in heat and tightening around him. The poor man could feel his rats, his precious babies, squeak in fear and worming around his insides in an attempt to get away from the heat.

They would burst out of him. They didn't want to, but they would dig their way out in an instinctive attempt to escape the rising heat, just like that one old torture method...

Freddy's hands clutched together with anxiety, though he kept an emotionless face; Rotgut seemed to want to say something, but he felt... cowardice, he felt his words would hold no value even if he tried, Sün would just brush him aside, no...?

Finally, as if by miracle, liquid getting splashed on the cruel deity's hand caught his (and Eden's) attention; the heat quickly vanished and his grip softened.

Claude held his empty glass before the both of them, it dripped some droplets of water still; he was standing up from his chair.

"Suffit. (Enough.) " He mused, his tone flat and slightly bothered- as if he was watching some high school drama and was annoyed by it.

"Indeed. I think that would be enough for all of us." Freddy chimed in, suddenly grabbing the God's wretched hand and tearing it from his friend's neck with force as he, too, stood up from his chair. Now he did have an expression on his face: frustration, anger.

Eden gulped heavily, his rats still tense but slightly more relaxed; he stumbled his way up, avoiding Sün like the plague as he speed-walked to the other side of the table with Willy in tow, the wild fox-man absolutely terrified still- he couldn't even choke up one word, only heavy breathing.

"Unless you wish to start your new year by starting petty fights in front of your flock, when we're all supposed to bask in your glory, hm?" The scientist added, now using that same condescending tone.

"Wouldn't that be hypocritcal and embarassing, My Lord?" He practically hissed that title between gritted teeth as he stared daggers into Sün's glowing pupils, the ponytail holder beginning to make a sizzling sound before breaking and freeing the man's milky-white locks; his mane growing warm as the tips of his hair became almost flame-like.

"Drama de ano novo... de novo. Exatamente o que eu desejava. (new year drama... again. Just what I wished for.)" Jeremiah mumbled to himself quietly in a sarcastic tone as he rubbed his eyes with two fingers, tired of this already.

"... very well." Sün replied, his collected tone 'miraculously' returning- although he tore his hand away from Freddy's grip.

They both continued to silently stare at eachother for a moment, as if they were intensely fighting only with eachother's gaze. And just like that they parted ways, Freddy going over to be by his friend's side.

"I suppose it would be more of a waste of my valuable time..." the deity continued,

"Such a little thing such as a rat wouldn't be worth the punishment during such an important but short event... even if the year date of our universe never changes...ah, the 'canon', as the modern term puts it." Sün chuckled lightly at pronouncing that 'modern' word.

#eternal sunlight ( sün )#from my mouth to yours ( rotgut )#look at that disgusting display ( claude )#the father ( eden )#rabid jealousy ( willy )#get out of my sight ( freddy )#greed has no limit ( jeremiah )#emotional abuse tw #abuse tw #torture tw #also yeah sün breaks the fourth wall at the end whoops.#he is allowed a little self-awareness of the world he lives in. as a treat /j

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