#(what was rex eating before?? bar food and rations apparently)

[redbean-nom]

love that nobody can function without echo in the empire era. the batch keeps losing the ship, barely manage to finish their missions, and entirely forgo strategy. and then on the other hand, rex pre-echo-joining-the-rebellion was living in an abandoned garage with one singular tiny ship. then shortly after echo joins they have a whole base with like twenty troopers and real doors and actual food and a ship actually designed for long distance travel.

[minniethemoocherda]

Sins of the Past (Chapter 6)

Summery:   A collection of drabbles set in my modern au where the Bad Batch raise Omega after rescuing her from the abusive hands of their mother. This chapter is set directly after the prologue, as it is decided what will happen to Omega now that she has been recused from Nala Se.

Ao3:

FF.net

Yesterday, Hunter hadn't even known he'd had a little sister. Now, he was sat at a police station, said sister in his arms. She was curled up in his lap where he sat on one of the hard plastic chairs that lined the wall. He would have called the room they were currently sitting in a waiting room, if it weren’t for the obviously one-sided window along one of the walls.

Down the old wooden corridor, Nala could be heard screeching as Dogma lead her towards the cells.

In an instant, Wrecker had blocked the door with his large frame whilst Tech started rambling about the history of the police force. Hunter held Omega close as she tried to burry herself against his chest to block out the noise. He wrapped his arms around her even tighter, as though trying to shield her from the world.

"Here," Echo said, holding out a steaming cup of hot chocolate he had gotten from the drinks machine in the corner of the room.

Omega gave the cup a suspicious sniff.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Hot chocolate. It will help you relax."

That apparently had been the wrong thing to say. As soon as those words left Echo’s mouth, Omega’s eyes widened with fear, staring at the mug as though it was an attempt to poison her. Even though Hunter knew Echo had meant no harm, he pushed the drink away, putting his forearm between Omega and the cup.

Thankfully Echo didn't appeared offended, instead his brow creased in concern.

There was a tense minute of silence. Hunter gently rubbed his hand along Omega’s back. Over her shoulder, he shared worried looks with his brothers. Asides from Echo, they had all grown up with Nala Se. They knew why you might not trust a drink from her.

It was broken when Tech started rummaging around in his oversized backpack. He triumphantly held up an old biscuit bar that Hunter forced him to carry in case he got so caught up in whatever his mind was currently working on and forgot to eat.

"This is a biscuit." Tech told Omega, holding out the sugary snack. He ripped off the wrapper and broke it in half, placing one half in his mouth. Once he had swallowed it, he held out the other end to Omega.

"See, it's perfectly safe."

Omega tentatively reached out a hand that had previously been clutching tight to Hunter’s sweatshirt. She studied it for a moment before she took a bite. Hunter watched as her eyes lit up in awe before she waffled the whole thing down. Tech handed her another. Again, she practically inhaled it with the hunger of someone who had never eaten real food before. Hunter forced himself to not shake in anger as he knew that there was a possibility that might be true.

A few minutes later, Rex appeared in the would be waiting room. When Hunter had opened that letter, one of the first things he had done was call Rex. Hunter had been tempted to break into Nala Se's house right there and then, but the rational part of his brain knew that it would be in Omega's best interest to have a police witness to the situation. Plus, if Rex hadn't been there, Hunter wasn't sure what he would have done to his so called mother.

Behind Rex followed Kix. Another half-brother and certified doctor. They entered through a door next to the window. By the well hidden shake of their fists, Hunter didn’t doubt that they had seen the whole thing.

"I know these last few hours have been a lot to process," Rex said gently, coming to a kneel in front of Omega who retreated back into her shell against Hunter’s chest. "But your health and safety is our top priority. Which is why I need our brother Kix here, to check that you are alright."

"Hello," Kix smiled, with a little wave, always the best besides manner of their brothers.

"Are you a doctor?" Omega asked, sneaking a cautious look from Hunters chest.

"I am."

"My Mother is a doctor." Omega said.

"So I've been told." Kix said noncommittedly and Hunter knew he was biting back saying something bad about Nala. "Normally, I would ask to talk to a patient alone but given the circumstances, if you want somebody to stay with you then I can make an exception."

Omega immediately turned to Hunter, her wide brown eyes glancing up at him pleadingly. Hunter couldn’t help but melt at her expression. He looked around at his brothers, making sure to meet each of them in the eye, promising that he would take care of her. They each nodded before reluctantly following Rex out of the room.

Once they were gone, Kix focused back on Omega.

“Can you open your mouth for me?” He asked.

Obediently, Omega opened wide. She put up no fuss as he checked her eyes, chest and knew reflexes, following the doctor’s further instructions with a resigned acceptance that Hunter recognised from his childhood of tests.

“Now, I just need to roll your sleeve up so I can take a blood sample.” Kix said. Omega nodded, not even flinching as the needle went in. Despite her lack of pain, her free hand clung tightly around Hunter’s in a death grip.

Just as Kix finished taking the sample, the doctor was about to pull her sleeve down again, when he noticed something.

“Omega, would you mind rolling your sleeve up a little higher for me.”

After a moment of hesitation, Omega rolled up the rest of her sleeve. Near the top of her arm, where one would normally get an injection, was a large bruise filled with angry pinpricks of red.

Hunter focused all his energy on holding Omega’s shaking hand. Hunter couldn’t trust himself to speak. He knew that nothing he could say would help Omega right now.

He watched as Kix took a deep breath.

“Omega, I’m sorry but I need to take a photo of your arm.”

Hunter had no idea how Kix could sound so calm. If Hunter opened his mouth he was going to start screaming.

Omega sat still, looking away as Kix took a photo. Once it was done, she hastily pulled her sleeve back down.

“Thank you.” Kix told her. “You’re being very brave.”

Omega’s head moved in an aborted attempt at a nod before her face went unnaturally pale. That was the only warning Hunter got before she threw up.

With the quick reflexes on someone who’d had years of experience, Kix managed to grab a nearby trash can and shove it underneath her. Unfortunately, not before a significant amount of it had gotten all over Hunter’s sweater.

But he barely noticed. All his focus was on Omega, patting her gently on the back until there was nothing left for her to heave up. Although, it didn’t escape his notice and he doubt it had escaped Kix’s either, that there appeared to be very little food thrown up, as though there was nothing in her stomach but bile.

Kix gently moved the trash can aside.

“Alright, we’ll take a quick break. I’ve got what I need for now. Hunter why don’t you get yourself cleaned up.”

Hunter never wanted to leave the girl’s side again. But the rational part of him knew that refusing would be him just being stubborn for no reason. Besides, Omega wouldn’t be able to cradle into him for comfort if he was covered in sick.

“I’ll be back soon.” Hunter told her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He gently lifted her from his lap to the seat next to them. Omega clung to the part of sweatshirt she’d still been holding on to. But after a moment, she let go.

Once Hunter reached the doorway, he gave her one more reassuring look over his shoulder. The girl was hunched over, staring into the depths of the bucket. Kix was still with her, talking to her without requiring answers out of respect for her silence. Hunter knew that she was in good hands.

He walked down the old corridors, following the signs to the public toilets. Thankfully, the men’s’ appeared to be empty.

Hunter dunked the bottom his shirt in the sink, in a desperate attempt to rid it of most of the excess puke.

As he tried to scrub the more stubborn bits off, he felt his mind wonder.

Hunter hadn't spoken to Nala Se since he was ten years old. The last time he had seen her being in a court room when it was ruled that Ninety-Nine would be granted full custody.

She had tried to reach out ever since. At first her emails, letters and phone calls constant, as though that court ruling had meant nothing. As though she was still their mother. As though she had no idea how much they had come to hate her.

But Nala Se was a smart women. She must have figured out that they wanted nothing to do with her and eventually her attempt to contact them stopped.

What would have happened if Hunter had replied to those letters? Would he have learned of Omega’s existence earlier? Been able to save her before things had gotten this bad? Stopped any of the abuse happening at-

Hunter cut off his thoughts when he realised he'd been scrubbing so hard he'd ripped a hole through the fabric of his thin sweatshirt.

He sighed. He knew that there was no use debating what if and what might have beens. What mattered most right now was being there for Omega, so that she could have the future she deserved.

He shrugged off his sweatshirt, glad he'd decided to wear a t-shirt underneath. He splashed his face with some cold water before heading out.

As he was walking back along the corridor, Rex peaked his head out from the room next to the one they'd been in earlier. He motioned with a quick nod of his blonde head. Hunter followed him inside.

He discovered that they were in the room next to the previous one. Through this side of the one sided window, he could see that Omega was still there, now watching a video Tech was showing her on his phone whilst Echo gently stroked her hair. Thankfully, the colour had returned to her face and the corners of her lips were turned up in the semblance of a smile at whatever Tech was showing her.

Crosshair and Wrecker were in the room with him along with Rex, Dogma and Kix. Kix waved Hunter over to the desk in the corner. On it, the doctor had open a computer the photo he had taken earlier. Hunter felt his blood rise again, along with his brothers who hadn’t seen the picture in person.

"As you’ve probably noticed, here's little visible physical abuse besides a couple of raises from needle injections.” Kix stated before switched the screen to show a chart of symbols and numbers that Hunter didn’t pretend to know the meanings of. “Now the testing system at the station is pretty basic. Usually only used to find traces of whatever narcotics people are into these days when they don’t want to piss in a cup. I’ll need to do more advanced tests in a hospital, but essentially her blood filled with drugs bo child her age should access too. Hell, that most adults shouldn’t either. Her body is basically a walking test tube."

A tense silence overcame the room. Hunter could feel his brother’s rage simmering over to a boiling point.

"Let me at her.” Wrecker said, pounding his fists for emphasis.

"You'll have to get in line” Crosshair hissed.

Thankfully Dogma blocked the doorway before they could leave the room. Hunter himself was in no rush to stop them.

"Shit,” Rex breathed, “I knew there was a reason you guys had been taken away from Nala but I didn't realise it was this bad."

That’s because it hadn’t. What Nala Se had done to them in their youth had been terrible too. It was undeniably child and medical abuse. But still, nothing she had done to them had been as bad as what she appeared to have done to Omega. Perhaps it was because back then, Nala’s twisted experiments had been split between the four of them, where as with Omega, they had all been focused on her. Hunter could feel that earlier guilt rear its ugly head again.

“Alright, I’ve seen more than enough.” Rex said. "Omega is not going back into the custody of that woman. We'll need to get a social worker involved and eventually find a more permanent solution, but for now she’ll need to stay with someone else. Usually it would be her oldest known family member. Do you know who or where her father is?"

Hunter gave Rex an incredulous look. Hunter supposed that professionally his brother had to ask but with her familiar dark eyes, broad nose and golden brown skin, it was pretty obvious.

“The last time I saw Jango I told him to fuck off.” Hunter confessed.

Kix snorted. "I’m glad somebody did. As far as I know, nobody's heard head nor tail from Jango since Tup and Dogma here turned eighteen."

Rex sighed. “Well, if we can’t contact Jango, then the Koon triplets are technically the oldest out of all of us. But Bly's already get his hands full with Numa. And with Wolffe's PTSD and Gregor's TBI, unfortunately no judge would be likely to grant them custody. Cody would be next-“

“Wait!” Dogma interrupted, before pulling an official looking handbook from his pocket. “It says here that full-siblings get precedent over half-siblings in situations like this.”

Hunter watched him point out a particular page to Rex.

“Dogma’s right.” Rex nodded before turning his attention to Hunter. “Ok then, Hunter I'm granting you emergency custody of Omega. If that's alright with you?"

Hunter was stunned. If he was being honest with himself, a part of him had always wanted a child. Someone to teach and love and cherish in all the ways Nala never had. But he’s also known that he’s never had the funds or resources to do so, let alone a person to raise them with. Plus, he knew first hand that the world could be a cruel place. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a child into that.

However, none that mattered now. That choice had been taken from him in the form of a little girl, who needed her family. Hunter knew that it didn’t have to fall to him. There would be other people out there, whose entire lives and jobs where to take care of children like Omega. Not that Hunter trusted anyone else to do so with the love and attention the girl needed. He trusted himself to do the best he could. He just hoped that would be enough.

Hunter glanced back at Crosshair and Wrecker, because this responsibility wouldn’t just rest on him. If Omega came to live with him, she would be living with all of them too. But in his brother’s eyes, he found only determination and a fierce sense of loyalty towards the girl they had already excepted as their little sister.

Hunter turned back to Rex, his mind made up.

“Okay.”

And with one simple word, Hunter knew his life would be forever changed.

Rex smiled at him. Hunter looked away in embarrassment. It felt weird to be on the receiving end of an older sibling’s pride for once.

Hunter walked through the door to the waiting room. As soon as Omega spotted him, she jumped off Echo’s lap. She rushed over to him, barrelling him into a hug. Hunter, wrapped his arms around her, clutching her body as it started to shake with tears.

“I’m… I’m so sorry!” Omega sobbed into his shirt. “I didn’t mean to throw up on you! I understand if… if you want to send me back.”

Hunter felt his heart clench, but he refused to let it break. Gently, he removed his arms so that he could kneel in front of her. He cupped her chin, wiping away his tears with his thumb so that she could look him in the eye.

"You will never go back there. I promise."

[clonetroops]

Headaches

He jolts awake, gasping, vision blurry and a ringing in his head. The blurriness is disorienting, and he has to take a minute to get his breathing under control and remember where he is.

It comes back in pieces – Tup is on Ringo Vinda now, they landed yesterday, and today he and his whole squad were nearly blown up. He remembers crates of ship parts, waves of droids, an explosion taking out chunks of the roof of the narrow hallway. Then nothing.

Standing is more difficult than it should be.

Tup realizes that he must have blacked out again when he opens his eyes to the blue-green glow of the ceiling lights. This time he’s able to make it to his feet, and begins to take stock. He can tell that he’s wearing his helmet still, but it’s badly damaged. Taking it off reveals that it has a large crack splitting open the right side, and the HUD is dark. Judging by the pain in his head, it saved him from breaking his head open, but it’s useless now.

He staggers over to the caved-in rubble, but it’s clear enough that he won’t be able to get through that way – the hallway is completely blocked. The only body he can see is far enough under the rubble that there’s no chance of survival. Tup was the only one far enough from the cave-in not to get trapped under it. He’s on his own.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tup loses track of how long it takes him to find his blaster and make it to a small room off the main hall. The room is thankfully dark – the blurriness has faded, but his head hurts worse than ever, the blue-green lights of the station stabbing into his eyes.

An inventory of his supplies reveals that he has plenty of ammunition, and enough food for at least a week and a half. The main issue is his water supply – his bottle is already nearly empty, and it won’t be easy to find a source on a space station. He’ll have to rendezvous with the rest of the troops soon.

Of course, that would be easier if he could remember which direction they were.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It’s slower progress than he’d like. Tup has been heading back down this hallway for some time now, but he must have injured his ankle too, he can’t put much weight on it. The glaring lights and uniform hallways make it impossible to tell the time – he knows it was late in the day cycle before he was knocked out, but he has no idea how long its been. He thinks he can hear distant blasterfire, but it seems to echo around the tunnels, with no discernable source. No matter how far Tup limps, the sounds never seem to get closer.

The pounding in his head has only gotten worse.

His luck has held in one respect, though – he hasn’t encountered any droids, either. Injured and outnumbered, he wouldn’t stand a chance. The fighting must have advanced past him, but he still can’t tell which direction. By now, he’s not sure he could make it back to the destroyed tunnel, either. The station seems like an endless maze of hallways.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tup decides to camp for a bit in another small room off the hallway. He wants to keep moving, but between his ankle and the headaches, he’s exhausted. His water is down to a few sips.

It occurs to him that likely no one knows he’s alive – his comm system died with his helmet, and he was the only survivor from the squad. He wishes he had some way of telling how long he’s been gone. He wishes his head would stop hurting.

He wishes Fives were with him. Maybe it’s silly, after what can’t be more than one rotation alone, but he misses his brother.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tup wakes to the happy realization that he hasn’t been found by droids. Wouldn’t have woken up at all, if they’d found him.

After what must have been a few more hours of wandering, still encountering nothing but scrapped clankers and empty hallways, Tup sits to eat another ration bar, and finish off the last of his water. There was barely enough to wet his mouth, anyway. He still thinks he can hear blasterfire, but no other battle sounds, and nothing to indicate he’s gotten any closer to finding his brothers.

As he drags himself up and further along the endless hallway, he contemplates the station. Wonders if he’ll die here. Tup has thought about his death before, they all do, it’s the one certainty they have. He’d always hoped that he’d die planetside though, somewhere sunny maybe, not a cold metal station floating in space. The walls seem too close, the darkness oppressive. Still brighter than Umbara was, though.

At the very least if he dies here he hopes it’s by droids, not wandering around alone until he dies of dehydration.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next time he wakes up, it feels like his head has been split open. Must’ve been hit harder than he thought. The blaster sounds seem to ring in his ears, though, maybe he’s getting closer.

If he could focus more, maybe he could tell where the sounds are coming from.

It’s even more of a struggle to get to his feet this time, he needs the help of a stack of crates. By the time he’s upright he’s breathing hard, the floor swimming under his feet. He has to keep a hand on the wall as he makes his way out into yet another identical hall.

He’s briefly excited when this hall leads to a small control room, but there’s no signs that the Republic troops have occupied it. Is it one he’s been in before? He can’t tell.

He has to keep moving.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He realizes he must have lost his hair tie when he notices long strands of hair flopping in front of his eyes. Reaching back, he feels a tangled clump where his bun used to be. He tries to detangle it, thinking maybe he can tie it back again, but he can’t find another cord in his belt. Too much effort, anyway. He lets it hang loose on his shoulders.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

One period of unconsciousness later, Tup is woken by a sound he’d recognize anywhere – the clank of synchronized metal footsteps. He tries to breathe quietly, but he can’t seem to get enough air. If they find him, he’s dead.

There’s no reason they should, he’s hidden himself in another small storeroom, there’s no reason for them to check in here. Even so, his mouth is painfully dry as he listens to them march past. Then he wonders how long its been since he’s had anything to drink. He can’t remember, but then he has no way of telling time either.

It’s a long time before the footsteps fade, and Tup is unconscious again before the echoes are gone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He realizes that this is probably the longest he’s ever been alone in his life.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The throbbing in his head seems to have taken on a rhythm, a steady pulse like marching feet. He thinks he can hear something else in it, too. His own feet feel so heavy.

Standing is too difficult. The floor is fine, anyway.

He tries to eat, but his mouth is too dry, he can’t choke the ration bar down. It slips out of his fingers, and it doesn’t seem worth the effort of picking it up again. He sits looking at it for a minute, spots dancing in his vision, before deciding to try crawling along to the next hallway.

The blasterfire is echoing in his ears. That means he must be close, right?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Everything echoes, the march of feet, the blaster bolts, the drumbeat in his head. He can’t focus on anything, can’t tell when he blacks out anymore.

He can tell he’s gotten farther, though, these walls are more scorched. There are droid parts, he almost trips. Crawling around a pile of them, he can smell melted metal.

Is he closer?

Everything is noisy.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Voices. Brothers?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A Jedi. There are brothers’ voices, and a Jedi’s voice. That’s important, there’s a Jedi and that’s important he has to move, has to

It’s dark but the lights are so bright

His head hurts

Has to —

—

It’s dark

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

You’re back on Umbara, surrounded by strange plants and shadows and glowing red lights. And your brothers. There’s a brother across from you, and he’s not supposed to be there because you were shooting at him.

How could you have been shooting at your brother?

There are bodies of more brothers on the ground behind him, bodies everywhere, twisted and broken. You can’t look away from them. They gleam in the dim light, red glinting off warped scrap metal, broken joints, exposed wires.

You tear your gaze away from them, back to the faceplate across from you. He dons his helmet, covering the smooth metal and his empty gaze, and holds yours out to you.

You take it from him. It’s blank. You can see your reflection in the shiny white surface, even despite the shadows.

You’re marching now, all of you, shoulder to shoulder and step by step. The footsteps seem to echo, the sounds of blasters in the distance getting closer. You can see the enemy now, face illuminated by green light through the gloom, and you know what you are here to do. Your head feels so much clearer, now.

You fire.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tup jolts awake, gasping, scrambling to figure out where he is. As his vision clears, he realizes he’s in another control room, but this time he’s not alone. He’s surrounded by brothers. Kix is leaning over him, asking him a question he can’t quite focus on, Fives is behind him, and Captain Rex, and – General Skywalker.

Kix is telling him that his twisted ankle has been fixed up, and he’s mostly regained enough fluids. Apparently he’d been fairly dehydrated by the time they found him.

It’s been five rotations since he disappeared, and he was the only survivor of that section of their forces. Kix is reluctant, but clears him for duty – they’re going to need everyone for the final push, to hopefully break the stalemate and let them capture the station. Fives fills him in on the situation as they head towards the rendezvous with the other generals.

Tup has been issued a new helmet, to replace his broken one, as well as some blue paint. This helmet is blank. He’ll repaint it as soon as he gets a chance.

He can still feel the echoes in his head.