#clone force omega

[masterjedilenawrites]

Clone Force Omega story prompt: Omega gets a boyfriend or girlfriend and her little brothers suddenly become very protective of her and live up to their nickname "the Bad Batch".

Clone Force Omega: Part 3

Love this prompt! Gave me just the boost of motivation I needed to keep going with the AU.

Now, this chapter won't quite get to the boyfriend/girlfriend part, but you'll see how I'm setting it up. I also decided that Omega wouldn't go to the Lawquane's right away like Hunter had in the show. I'm not cutting their part out of the AU completely, just reordering things a bit.

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Omega & The Bad Batch | 4.2k words

Content: Canon-typical violence/fighting/peril, some flirty banter,

The one blessing of having four young kids to look out for, was never having a moment quiet enough to think about the demons you were running from.

Omega recognized this blessing immediately, knowing if she had been alone on this ship, she'd likely have started falling apart by now. The Republic was gone, changed into something cold and ugly. Her life as a lone soldier was done, her sense of purpose and identity now floating nebulous in the wind like the smoky remnants of a fire. And Echo...

"Omega, what does this do?" a little voice called out, just before bunks started sliding out of the wall with a harsh grating sound, revealing that they'd clearly never been used in all the time the ship had been in commission.

She was about to scold Tech for being nosy, knowing there were worse buttons to push without knowing what they'd do first, but then decided the bunk beds gave an opportunity to redirect their attentions.

"Oh good, just in time for bed," she said with feigned cheer.

There was a chorus of whines from around the ship. None of them thought they'd still have a bedtime while on an adventure. How lame.

But in spite of the protests, she still managed to get them to comply with the promise that sleep would make them even stronger and smarter than they already were. And they'd need a lot of strength and brain power if they were going to visit their first planet outside of Kamino.

"What's it going to be like?" Hunter asked eagerly as she tucked each of them in. "Are there going to be trees?"

"Ooh, what about mountains?" asked Wrecker with an equally excited lilt to his voice. "Or volcanoes?"

"I want to see a bird," chimed in Tech. "I read that sometimes they are really small, and sometimes they are really big."

"Go to sleep," Omega repeated, crossing over to the other set of bunks. "You'll see soon enough."

She finished her round of tuck-ins with Crosshair, who was usually the quietest of the bunch, but Omega knew that didn't always mean he had nothing to say. She leaned in close as she pulled the blanket up to his chin.

"What do you want to see?" she whispered so the others wouldn't hear her special treatment. She wasn't sure why she had such a soft spot for the little grump; he really could be a brat sometimes. But truthfully, she could be one, too. Maybe that was why.

Crosshair blinked up at her with eyes she knew had been enhanced even more than hers had. There'd be a lot for those eyes to take in, wherever they ended up going. But his response didn't answer her question.

"What's going to happen to us?" he asked, also, thankfully, in a whisper.

She could already hear Wrecker snoring behind them. Hunter was the only one who could probably hear at this point. She'd have to choose her words carefully so neither would panic.

"I don't know," she decided to go with the truth. A simple version of it, anyway. "But I promise, no matter what happens, I will take care of you. We're family. We stick together."

That seemed to satisfy Crosshair, at least enough for him to close his eyes when she repeated the instruction to go to sleep.

Omega returned to the cockpit and sat down in her seat heavily. A stray wisp of hair tickled her cheek so she started undoing her braid, running her fingers through her curls as they bounced free. Every pass of her hand from her scalp the ends of her hair, a new troublesome thought seemed to enter her mind. What was going to happen to them? Where were they even going? What was this new Empire really all about? How could Echo have...

She stopped that thought as a sudden lump pushed its way in her throat. She knew she couldn't explain Echo's behavior, just as she couldn't answer any of those other pesky questions. Not without all the facts. The logical side of her brain, a trait she shared with Tech, insisted she investigate before coming to any wild conclusions.

So she swept her unruly hair behind her shoulder and leaned forward in her seat, tapping around on the holomap and doing some quick mental-calculations. She didn't know where to get information, but she knew someone who might. Unfortunately, the Empire's crews hadn't refueled her ship, or even restocked on rations, since she'd returned from her last mission. She could picture the stomachs of four growing boys growling as soon as they woke up, and knew that wouldn't do. And all that was in addition to the fact that it wouldn't take long for the ship's signature to be put on a wanted list, if it hadn't been already.

They'd need to make a supply run first. And get the ship's code scrambled before it drew unwanted attention. Omega swiped at the map and saw Pantora was the closest planet. That would have to do.

* * *

Omega had once dreamed about taking the boys off Kamino. Just for a day. Most clones, including herself, had to wait until they were fully grown and fully trained before they were mobilized off planet for the first time. Occasionally groups of young cadets were taken on field trips, but it was almost always within the confines of a spacecraft, never on ground. Omega wanted different for her brothers. They were special, a secret project. Why shouldn't they be given special privileges as well?

She would've taken them somewhere warm, green, and full of wildlife. Somewhere like Naboo or Alderaan. She'd let them run around in nature, feel the tactile sensations of dirt beneath their toes and sunshine on their faces. They could climb a tree that wasn't holographic, swim in water what wasn't dark and cold, run as fast and as long as they wanted without the danger of reaching the end of a platform. For one day, they could just be kids.

Pantora certainly had its fair share of luscious landscapes that would've suited such a day perfectly. Unfortunately, there were no supplies out in the Pantoran wilderness. So the boys' first experience stepping foot on another planet was within a city. And though she kept it to herself, Omega was not happy about it.

Cities were not her thing. Too many people, too many dark alleyways. It was difficult enough to process the amount of sensory input and keep watch of her own back, but now she'd have to do it with four young boys in tow. And not only that, but there was simply too much to do in such a short time frame. What a nightmare.

"Tech, have you ever had to scramble a ship's signature before?" she asked, already knowing the answer but needing to humor her need for hope anyway.

"No, but I know how to look up ships by their signatures when looking through the archives!" he grinned, very proud of himself despite the fact that was not the same thing. Not even close.

The Marauder had just touched down but she held back on lowering the ramp for a few minutes while she chewed on her lip in thought. She hated the idea of splitting them up but she couldn't see any way around it. Not unless they had the luxury of staying here all week, which they most certainly did not.

"Okay, here's the plan," she finally said, spinning around.

"Is this a mission plan?" asked Hunter as they crowded around her in a surprising show of obedience.

"Yep. Our first mission. You boys ready?"

They all nodded eagerly. If this was the only way to keep their attentions, so be it.

"Tech, you're going to stay with the ship and scramble it. I'll be talking you through everything on comms. Don't do anything until I give you the instruction. Copy?"

"Copy that," Tech nodded and pushed up his goggles.

"Wrecker, you're also going to stay and keep watch. If anyone comes poking around asking questions, let them know your parents are exchanging credits and will be back soon."

"Parents?" Wrecker's nose scrunched in confusion.

"Yes, it's a cover story."

"Ohh," he said, still looking confused.

Omega decided to not waste time trying to explain more. She also wasn't going to tell him that she thought he was the best chance at defending himself and Tech should, gods-forbid, anyone try to harm or capture them.

"Hunter, Crosshair, you two are going to follow me into town for supplies. You're going to keep an eye on things and let me know if you sense any danger."

Both boys gave nods and salutes of their own. 

Omega breathed deeply through her nose. "Okay. That's the plan. Let's go."

Thankfully the boys had already been wearing fairly casual clothes, though she'd had to carefully rip off the old Republic logos from the sleeves while they'd slept. She had been in her blacks upon leaving, but she always kept a spare change of civvy clothes on board for her undercover missions, so she'd changed into those earlier as well. After quickly buying off the shipyard foreman to not ask questions for the next half cycle, they set off on their respective tasks.

"Okay, Tech, you're going to start by locating the rear parallax inverters..." she began listing off instructions into the comms link as soon as they hit the main street of the city.

Walking Tech through the procedure, looking for market stalls with deals on rations and fuel, keeping an eye on two boys who were in awe at every little thing around them, and steering clear of the parade of Imperial soldiers marching about proved to be quite the challenge. Though one of Omega's strong suits was multitasking, she still had her hands full.

"Crosshair, keep up!" she shouted back at the boy, who had stopped to pet a friendly Tooka on the side of the road.

"Why is everyone cheering?" Hunter asked, tugging at her sleeve for an answer to the dozenth question he'd asked in the past two minutes.

"End of the war," Omega quickly responded before pressing the button on the comm link and answered a different question from a different brother. "Yes, Tech, the one with the blinking light. Have Wrecker help you pull it out. Gently."

She then turned into a stall and saddled up to the counter, plopping an old pyro denton grenade between her and the merchant. "I'd like to do a trade."

She spent the next ten minutes continuing to bounce between the various demands for her attention, haggling with the merchant, walking Tech through the complicated procedure of rewiring the key, making sure Wrecker was being useful by putting all the other parts back into the ship. But at some point, she'd decided Hunter and Crosshair didn't need as much of her focus as they both amused themselves playing with the lost Tooka. It wasn't until she'd finally sold the merchant on the value of her grenade did she then turn around and notice they were gone.

"Hunter? Cross?" she called out, rushing to the street and looking both ways.

"They went that way," the merchant told her, pointing toward her left. "Chased that poor creature away."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Omega was more frustrated than frantic. She half-walked, half-jogged down the road, careful to look down alleys and within stalls, just in case her brothers were hiding there.

She paused at an intersection, glancing at the three options before her for only a second each. Somehow, she felt that she had to go down the one on the right. Her instincts never steered her wrong.

No sooner had she turned the corner did Crosshair come rushing up to her. She was relieved, but fully prepared to start scolding the boy for running off in a strange place like that. But the panic in Crosshair's eyes stopped her.

"Where's Hunter?" she asked instead.

Crosshair pointed down the road. "There's this lady. She said she'd help us find you but took us the wrong way. Hunter wouldn't listen to me."

Omega started running, making sure Cross was just a step behind her. Soon the road twisted and she saw a little head of messy brown hair through the crowd ahead.

"Hunter!" she called out. The little boy stopped and turned with a big grin on his face. He was holding some kind of fruit.

"There she is!" he said to the person standing next to him. "That's my sister, Omega!"

Sure enough, someone was accompanying him, though Omega could see right away that she was less of a lady and more like a bounty hunter.

"Hunter, get over here right now," Omega barked. She could hear the garbled voice of Tech coming from the comm link in her hand, asking for his next instructions, but she shoved it into her pocket. She kept her hand hovering by her hip, where her trusty blaster hung at the ready.

"It's okay, Omega," Hunter called back, taking a bite out of the fruit he held. "She was helping us look for you."

Crosshair clutched at the back of Omega's shirt and shook his head at his brother. At least one of them had a healthy sense of stranger danger, Omega thought.

"Yes, Hunter and I were getting to know each other," the girl said. Her tone was friendly enough, but Omega could see the threat in her eyes. They looked even more dangerous as soon as the girl put her helmet on, big brown eyes that squinted confidently through a slat in the helmet. Omega now wished she'd brought her own, but it would've drawn too much unwanted attention.

Instead, Omega crouched with her hand now resting firmly on the hilt of her blaster. Her opponent did the same. A good old fashioned stand off that would've been a lot more fun had Hunter not been in between them.

"Cowering behind a kid, very brave," she called to the girl, hoping some banter might buy her some time to get a plan together.

"What can I say," the girl responded, "I'm an opportunist."

That drew Hunter's attention to what was really going on. Now his eyes were as wide and scared as Crosshair's had been.

"Omega?" he whined as he dropped his fruit.

"How much is the bounty?" Omega spoke over him and asked the girl.

"More than you can afford to buy me out of."

"Maybe I have something worth more than credits to you."

The girl laughed. "A defective clone on the run from the Empire? With four little boys hanging on her back? That practically pays for my retirement. There's nothing I want more."

"Pft, retirement's overrated," Omega egged on. "You'd get bored. Hitch a ride with me, though, and I'll show you the adventure of a lifetime."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me."

"Well... Is it working?"

"Hmm, not really."

The girl didn't give Omega a chance to come up with any further quips. She whipped out her blaster and started firing, giving Omega no choice but to duck for cover. Crosshair jumped with her, though somehow he had pulled out one of her vibroblades from behind her back.

"Hey, let's switch," she said, pulling out her blaster to give to the boy and taking the blade instead. "I have an idea."

Meanwhile, Hunter had thrown himself at the girl, trying to wrestle the blaster out of her hands. Omega scowled as she looked around the crate they'd hidden behind to see him so brazenly fight a bounty hunter ten times as skilled. Once they got out of this mess and away from Pantora, she'd have to find some time to train the boys on safer tactics.

Even so, she didn't immediately rush out. Hunter was distracting the girl's attention just enough for Omega to slip behind a different crate that was a little closer. She motioned for Crosshair to stay where he was. And then, as soon as the girl had twisted around in an attempt to push Hunter to the ground, Omega jumped out and hurled the vibroblade.

The girl was too fast. She grabbed at a wicker basket lid from a nearby stall and used it as a shield. The blade lodged itself in it.

Omega was a little faster. She rushed out from the crate while the blade had still been circling in the air. The girl flipped the lid around to try and dislodge the blade, but Omega was already upon her, shoving her knee right into the girl's abdomen.

"Hunter, run!" Omega barked as she tried to wrestle the lid away. She didn't look to see if the boy listened, putting all her might into the hand-to-hand combat she was now locked in with this bounty hunter.

"You fight dirty, clone," the girl gritted through her teeth, parrying one of Omega's punches with the but of her blaster.

Omega let go of the lid so she could roundhouse kick the blaster out of the girl's hands. It went clattering down the street, causing several people to shriek as they realized a serious fight was breaking loose. Great. No doubt those Imperial soldiers would soon be showing up.

The girl didn't mourn the loss of her blaster, instead taking advantage of the blade having fallen out of the lid as Omega dropped it. She somersaulted over the thing, grasping the hilt and kicking out at Omega's legs in one smooth swoop. Omega would've been impressed had she not had the wind knocked out of her.

Then the bounty hunter was on top of her, the hum of the vibroblade reaching Omega's ears before the blade itself got too close. She gasped for air as she threw up her wrists, criss-crossing them underneath the girl's hand and pushing back. The girl's other hand came around and grasped at Omega's throat.

"Hell of a way to flirt back," Omega rasped, still pushing with all her might to get the blade away from her face.

Surprisingly, the bounty hunter grinned. Or at least, Omega assumed she did, given the wrinkles around her eyes.

"Honey, these aren't even my best moves."

Sudden blaster fire came from above, clipping the bounty hunter in the shoulder. She cried out and jerked back just enough for Omega to grab the blade and pull. A sharp, electrical pain radiated up to her elbow as the thing pierced through her palm, but she didn't care. She kicked upward, making contact with the girl's rear end and sending her sprawling.

"Omega!" Hunter called out to her. Crosshair was next to him holding a smoking blaster in shaky hands.

Omega flipped herself onto her feet and immediately started sprinting before the bounty hunter could recover herself. Hunter and Crosshair followed, running as fast as their little legs could carry them.

Blaster fire followed as well. The bounty hunter had found her gun again. They kept running.

"Citizens! Halt!" A few of the local police had arrived at the scene, but Omega and her brothers went barreling past them.

She turned them down an alleyway to escape both of the threats that were now close behind. Her mind was frantic, unsure how they could make it back to the ship before someone caught up to them. Even if they managed to get off planet, they were still screwed. With little fuel and a bounty on their heads, they were essentially trapped.

"Omega!"

The voice that called her faint and distorted, so much so she almost didn't hear it over her racing heartbeat. She turned back to see Hunter and Crosshair were keeping pace, but neither looked like they had been trying to say anything.

"Omega!" it came again. And then she remembered the comm link in her pocket.

"Tech!" she huffed into the mic. "Get the ship running, now!"

"I already did!" he responded proudly. "You left the comm on and we heard shooting. We're coming to your rescue!"

Omega stopped running at the end of the alley, peering out to see people milling about with no clue of the chaos she brought with her. Hunter and Crosshair pulled up next to her, huffing and puffing.

She brought a hand to her temple and tried to think. Tech couldn't fly a ship, no matter how badly he believed he could. But, if she could talk him through the basics like she had with the signature key, and if her and the boys could find higher ground, they just may have a shot at escape.

"Tech," she whispered into the comm link. "There's a satellite tower just north of the docking bay. You're going to pick us up at the top. Now, listen very carefully. You're only going to push the buttons I tell you to."

"And what do I do?" came Wrecker's voice.

"Help him navigate."

Omega silently motioned for Hunter and Cross to follow her lead again. As calmly but as quickly as possible, they went out into the street and hurried down the lane toward the satellite tower, and all the while Omega talked Tech through the controls of the ship. She heard some concerning sounds in return, both through the comm feed as well as out in the real world. The bay was close enough to their current location that ever scrape of the ship's wings against the walls let out a harsh shriek into the surrounding area. Omega tried not to cringe.

They reached the tower and she sent the boys up the ladder first. There was no time for a pep talk, but they seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and started climbing without a fuss. If Wrecker had been here instead, different story.

"Leaving so soon?"

The bounty hunter's voice rang out across the street from behind her. Omega looked over her shoulder, her foot resting on the first rung of the ladder.

"Just when we were getting to know each other," the girl sauntered forward. The police, or any Imperials, didn't seem to have made it yet. But Omega could sense they weren't far behind.

"The offer still stands," Omega called back, looking up briefly to see her brothers were making good progress on the ladder. "I can give you more than the Empire ever could."

She was trying to be cheeky, buy some time for Tech to get off the ground. But in a strange way, she also meant it. The future was so uncertain, it was appealing to think there could be one person out there that didn't want to kill them.

"Oh, I'm not working for the Empire," the girl responded.

Omega didn't have time to process that odd statement. The police had just rounded the corner behind the bounty hunter, and Tech had just breached the top of the landing bay wall.

Omega jumped and caught the tenth rung on the ladder and began climbing from there. There were a few blaster shots that ricocheted off the side of the tower, but the police quickly converged on the bounty hunter and put a stop to it. Omega quickly caught up to the boys, who were just reaching the top platform. She all but pushed them onto it.

"Alright Tech, nice and easy," she encouraged the young boy to move the ship forward. "The button above the thrusters lowers the ramp."

The side of the ship opened up and the ramp promptly slid out from there. Omega jumped as soon as it was close enough, and then turned to reach a hand out to the others.

Whatever confidence they'd had before was gone. Hunter looked down the gap between the platform and the ramp and Crosshair bit his lip nervously.

"It's okay, boys. You're so brave. You got this. I've got you."

Hunter swallowed and nodded his head. He was the first to try the jump. He flung his little body onto the ramp and Omega caught him square on. Seeing it was possible, Crosshair soon followed.

Omega shooed Tech out of the pilot's seat, giving him just a small high-five before she narrowed in on the task at hand. As the Marauder zipped out of the Pantoran city and back toward the darkness of space, everyone stayed silent. Today had been a lot. Too much, probably.

Omega wanted so desperately to cry, a feeling she hadn't ever been eager to indulge in. The reality of their situation was settling in deeper and deeper with each passing moment. Try as she might, she could not guarantee the safety of these boys, not with everyone in the galaxy out to get them. And for what? Why? This target on their heads was strange given the other matters the Empire seemed to need to focus on. And that bounty hunter had said she wasn't even working for the Empire. Who else could be looking for them?

She shook her head and sent them back into hyperspace. She knew where she needed to go. Looking for answers was tempting, but no longer the priority. She needed to get the boys to safety, first.

Clone Force Omega Tag: @kaijusplotch, @flowered-bicycles

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[clonesuperiority]

I'm not sure if it's canon that hunters face tattoo continues further down, but I came across @lornaka s take on hunters tattoos and really wanted to give it a try myself :3

[azertyrobaz]

I never gave up on you, did I?

[latehogan]

Hera and Omega

[general-ida-raven]

Does it ever drive you crazy

Just how fast the night changes?

[skywalkerrtno]

SLAYY

[phantasm-echo]

What do you mean bad batch is over they’re all right… here……. Ueueueuueueueueu *devolves into sobbing I love them so much*

[timetodiverge]

but HE STARTED IT!!

...this is PEAK sibling behaviour I am DYING

(and Omega's eyeroll? PERFECTION, NO NOTES)

[mroddmod]

some more of my cadet batch au, ft. some clingy omega

[magicandmundane]

Rex: Hey boys, I could really use your help with—

Hunter, napping on the beach: Retired.

Rex: Seriously—

Crosshair, sipping a margarita: Retired.

Rex: Would you just consider—

Wrecker, playing volleyball with the baby regs: Retired.

Echo: *glares*

Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair: Retired.

Rex: Omega?

Omega, shrugging: Sure, I’m always down to kick some Imperial ass.

Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair: *grumbling, putting their armor back on*

[gingerpines]

slipping through my fingers all the time…

[masterjedilenawrites]

Clone Force Omega: Part 2

Finally got some inspo to finish this second part. I'm trying to mirror some of the beats of the first season while working in some differences based on this dynamic of Omega being the older sibling to 4 little ones. It's certainly a handful!

< First Part | Mini Series Masterlist

Omega & The Bad Batch | 3.9k words

Content: Canon-typical violence, probably some feels about Echo...

She would have to be careful and she would have to be quick. She couldn't afford anything else.

Omega marched through hall after hall, mindful to keep her steps from seeming too rushed or frantic, to keep her journey as vague and unpredictable as possible. In the past, she could move about the facilities without fear of anyone caring. Clones and Kaminoans alike knew she was special. She had covert missions and classified clearances. They never questioned where she went.

Now, the facility belonged to someone else. She belonged to someone else. It wouldn't take long for this new management to notice she'd disappeared, if they weren't following her already.

"Omega!"

She whirled with her gun raised on instinct. The clone addressing her sounded like any other clone, though he looked far from it. Prosthetic legs, a scomp link in place of a hand, a cybernetic head implant. He was more machine than clone. Omega immediately relaxed at the sight.

"Echo."

She rushed up to him as he came to meet her. They grasped opposite arms, their customary greeting, only this time much more earnestly. He seemed to understand the dire circumstances at hand.

"You've heard?"

"Yeah, just got filled in."

They spoke in hushed tones, though for now they were the only ones in this particular corridor.

"I figured you'd be going to get them," he said, nodding in the direction she'd been previously headed. "And that you'd need some help."

Omega smirked a little. "Wouldn't hurt. But I can't ask you to..."

"You saved my life, Omega." Echo's warm eyes bore into her own. "You don't even need to ask."

"I know but... we're basically deserting. Those kids are worth it to me, but for you..."

"When you brought me back, I vowed to do everything I could to make up for my time with the Separatists. To serve the Republic. As I always should have. This... this is not the Republic. No matter what they may say to the contrary, I know malevolence when I see it."

Omega nodded at him. Even though she was still reluctant to ask such a sacrifice from him, her dearest friend, she was also relieved to not be in this scheme alone.

"I can buy you some time," he said, finally letting go of her arm. "I'll meet you by the Marauder, but please don't wait for me. If anything should happen, just get them out. We'll find each other later."

She didn't have time to question how or what Echo was planning to do to buy time, or what could possibly happen to where he wouldn't be able to make it. She shook those thoughts from her head and nodded in affirmation of his plan.

"Thanks, Echo. Don't know what I'd do without you."

"I think the mission on Belkrig showed what would happen without me," he laughed and Omega couldn't help but chuckle along. Even amidst a crisis, Echo could always put her at ease.

"Right, trip and break my nose. Thanks for the reminder."

"Just watch where you step. You'll be fine. All of you."

With his customary salute, Echo turned to rush back down the hall and buy her some of that time she was in short supply of. She watched him go, unable to ignore that anxious feeling that was settling back into her stomach. There were no alarms, nobody chasing, no reason to suspect she wouldn't go on the assigned mission as soon as she got herself ready. But it was a a fragile peace, the calm before the storm.

She was designed to weather the storm, her mutations giving her a wide range of enhanced senses and abilities. But this new Empire, standing for unknown values and without the Jedi to balance their politics, was certain to be a different kind of storm. One she wasn't so sure she was prepared for.

* * *

As expected, the super top-secret barracks were full of lively noise and movements. Well, perhaps the room wasn't so top-secret as it was out-of-the-way. Most clones had no business being on this side of the facility, so it made for the perfect hide-away for some of Nala Se's more secretive experiments.

The experiments, in question, were four young, mutated clones. All around the age of ten. Truly. They had lived ten whole years of a normal, non-enhanced human lifespan. Omega had been meant to be the same age, to grow up with them as their sister. But something had happened that caused Nala Se to add rapid aging in her DNA cocktail. Omega had never gotten a clear answer from the Kaminoan, though she suspected it had to do with funding. Deliver a specialized clone sooner in order to justify the resources needed for raising four more.

"Omega!" Four voices chimed in near-unison as soon as she stepped into the room. If any of them had heard the news of the Empire, they clearly didn't care. Why would they? They were only kids.

Normally she'd respond with some silly quip or dumb joke, which would send them into cheerful hysterics. But not today. The task at hand required the utmost stealth and haste. She'd have to settle them down now if there was any hope of a successful escape.

"Shh," she hushed them, rushing to pack up a few essentials. "Get your things, boys. Quick! We don't have much time."

She hoped the urgency in her voice would be enough to give them an idea as to the seriousness of the situation. She didn't have time to wait for them to catch on. Instead, she hurriedly shoved items into a small knapsack.

The boys - Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Tech - all froze in place and looked at each other in confusion. Their big sister had never been one to turn down a friendly greeting, no matter how tired or busy she was.

"What's wrong?" Hunter ventured to ask.

"Yeah, are we going somewhere?" asked Wrecker.

Omega shoved the knapsack toward Hunter and began filling another. "We're not safe here anymore. We have to leave."

Her stomach twisted at their widening eyes. She wished she had time to properly explain what was happening, to help them understand and not be frightened.

"But Nala Se said we're not safe outside this room," said Tech.

Omega gritted her teeth and tried not to curse the Kaminoan these boys unwittingly obeyed. "It's different now. Everything's different. Now chip-chop, pack what you need and let's get moving."

Crosshair moved first, gathering a few items from his bunk. Tech followed, though he ended up with an armful of random crap that Omega had to insist he put down.

"Only the essentials," she hissed at them. "Things you can't live without. Now let's go."

She gave the other bag she'd filled to Wrecker and waved at them to follow her toward the door.

"What's wrong, Omega?" Hunter tried asking again. "Why aren't we safe?"

She huffed, both at the question and at Tech who was still picking at wires and chip boards. She ran over and practically scooped him up as she ushered him to join the group.

"But my--"

"It's not important. Listen." She addressed all of them, putting her hands on the shoulders of the two closest to her. She knelt down to their level and took turns looking each of them in the eyes to drive home her point. "I promise I will explain everything later. But right now, we're on a very important mission to get to my ship and fly out of here as quickly as possible. And preferably undetected. You all know what that means, right?"

"Without being seen," said Tech.

"Exactly. If anyone sees you or tries talking to you, do not engage. Let me do the talking. And we have to stick together."

"Because we're a team," said Crosshair.

"Yes. We're a team and no one gets left behind. Understood?"

The four of them nodded eagerly. At the least, they'd treat it like a game and maybe that would be enough to get them through. Omega gulped, not wanting to think of all the ways this could go wrong.

"Okay. Follow my lead."

She punched the control to open the door and led them all swiftly out. One by one they filed behind her, bags slung over their backs, and eyes continuing to look around in wide confusion. Nala Se rarely let them out of the lab or their barracks. The last field trip they'd tried to take led to some confusing conversations with other young cadets and the Kaminoan had determined breaking their isolation just wasn't worth it.

"This way," she had to whisper behind her several times as they snaked through the various corridors, lest one of them get too distracted to keep up. As they neared closer to the main thoroughfares, she halted by every corner, peering out until it was cleared of any other personnel before leading her crew through it.

Hunter was right on her heels, mimicking her movements and hand gestures. Tech had some sort of gadget in his hands and Wrecker wavered between being too antsy to sit still or dragging his feet in awe at his surroundings. Crosshair brought up the rear, pushing his brothers along or shushing them if their comments got too loud.

They managed to keep a fairly brisk pace and low profile. Omega was just beginning to wonder if she'd overreacted and had them being unnecessarily cautious... until they reached the hangar and finally ran into trouble.

"You there!" A shock trooper had rounded the corner just behind them and immediately called out. Omega groaned internally. They were so close. "You are not authorized to be in this sector."

"I'm on assignment from Admiral Tarkin," she said, making a few hand signals behind her back to the boys to move into the hangar without her.

"I was referring to them," the shock trooper pointed to the boys who looked just different enough to not pass as regular clone cadets. 

"They got lost. I'm simply giving them a ride back to the barracks." Omega squared herself up against this shock trooper, prepared to talk as long as possible until he left. It was a sure-fire tactic she used frequently against any regs who tried sticking their nose in her business.

"It's a detour that will take less than a minute. This conversation, however, is wasting much more time. Now, would you like me to notify Admiral Tarkin that--"

"Only authorized personnel is allowed to board that ship," the trooper spoke over her, adamant in upholding his orders. "Step aside."

Omega's mouth was open, prepared to continue arguing, whatever it took for the kids to make it safely onto the ship. She didn't dare risk a look behind her to confirm if they were close or merely dawdling.

"I--"

"Sergeant Omega."

The voice was familiar, but she did not quite relax as much as she had when she'd first heard it less than an hour ago. Echo had never addressed her so formally before.

And not only was his greeting unusual, but so was his appearance. She wasn't sure why his plan to buy time had involved an outfit change. Or where he'd even come across such ominous armor. It was all dark tones and dull finishes, very unlike the shiny white-and-blue plastoid he usually wore. There was no character to it, no personal touches. Not even the two handprints remained, symbolizing two pivotal moments in his life. Was he undercover?

"Echo," Omega shook herself of her confusion. He could explain himself later. At least he had made it to the hangar with them. "Please tell this reg he is--"

"Sergeant." Echo stepped forward, hand on his blaster. His face was obscured by his helmet, but surely he held some sort mischevious smirk. Right? Omega tried to assure herself that's all this was. Some weird act to help get them out safely.

"You are in violation of your orders," he stated impassively. "Release the cadets to me and return to your mission at once."

Omega started to slowly back into the hangar, noting how more and more troopers were starting to file into the hallway behind Echo. She finally glanced behind her to see the four boys had at least gathered at the ramp to the Marauder. They were watching with those wide eyes, undoubtedly as confused and scared as she was. She looked back to her friend, wishing she could see his face, look into his eyes, and see how she was supposed to play along with this bizarre display.

"I... will just go get them for you," she said, clutching her helmet and hoping that's what Echo wanted her to do.

"Step aside, Sergeant." Echo started moving forward, hand still resting on the hilt of his blaster.

This just didn't feel right. She was desperately clinging to a very thin, fragile string of hope that this was part of some grand plan, but her hold on it was slipping with each tense second that passed. Echo's idea of a plan usually involved stealth, not such an obvious display of masquerading.

"No need to bother yourself," she gulped through her worry. "I'll get them. Just hang tight."

She tried to move quickly but Echo's hand shot out and gripped her shoulder, keeping her in place.

"You there!" he called out to the boys, pointing his scomp link at them. "Cadets! Fall in and come at once!"

The four boys stood awkwardly looking around. They hadn't been trained on basic commands yet, and though Echo was their one friend outside of Omega, they thankfully seemed wary of him in his new armor.

"Cadets!" he tried again, pushing past Omega and moving toward them. "I said, fall in."

"Omega?" Hunter looked to her for help. She followed behind Echo.

"It's okay, boys, just get in a line for Echo."

She could almost see Hunter visibly gulp as he took a few timid steps forward, looking to his brothers to follow. As they approached through the mess of cargo boxes in the hangar, Echo removed his blaster and held it at his side. What in the...

"Good soldiers," Echo commended them, angling his body to make room for them to pass. "Now, file into the corridor and await further orders."

No, no, no. Panic was rising within Omega. This was definitely not an act to get them to safety, not when they were being ushered further away from the ship and back into a facility now under control of the Empire. What was Echo doing? This wasn't right... this wasn't right....

"Echo--"

"Stand down, Sergeant." His voice was laced with a firmness that twisted her insides.

"But--" She circled around to stand between her friend and her brothers.

"Are you disobeying orders?" he challenged, bending his elbow upward so his blaster was trained to the ceiling. A warning.

"They're just kids. Just let me take them back--"

"Good soldiers follow orders. Now, do not make me tell you again. Stand. Down."

Omega could feel a pair of little hands grasping the back of her shirt beneath her armor. A line of soldiers were filling up the opening to the hangar behind Echo. She'd never been backed into such a corner before, and by a dear friend no less. She couldn't comprehend it. Everything about this situation with the Empire from the second she'd stepped off her ship had felt wrong. She had been foolish to think she could handle it the way she'd handled challenges in the past. All the rules had changed and she was utterly unprepared.

"And if I don't stand down?" She thrust her chin upward and took a half-step backward, pushing against the closest kid as a sign they should starting backing up themselves.

"Then you will have shown where your loyalty truly lies."

Omega stared at him, trying to see through the harsh plane of his helmet. She didn't want to have to do this, but she feared in just a few moments she'd have no other choice. With one last effort, she stepped forward and dropped her voice low, so only he could hear.

"Echo... please.... You don't have to do this. We're your friends. Your family. We're in this together."

There were a few seconds of silence between them. And then Echo straightened himself.

"You are either with the Empire, or you're against it. Your move."

Omega didn't give herself any time to process his response, only so he wouldn't have time to prepare for her move. She surged forward, attacking him in a way she knew he couldn't defend against.

"Hide!" she yelled back at the boys as she did, hoping they could duck for cover before the rest of the garrison could react and start shooting.

She gripped the underside of Echo's helmet, yanking him forward as she kicked out at one of his robotic legs. He was immediately crippled to the ground, at least enough to where she could tug his blaster free just as the row of shock troopers started lining up their rifles to shoot.

She fired at them as she spun for cover herself, almost somersaulting over a crate to land next to Crosshair. Blasts zipped around them, hitting the ground and other crates in the hangar. She could see Wrecker and Hunter cowering behind a row of crates just a few feet away. Tech was behind one just a little closer to the ship. He'd be their best chance of getting out of here.

"What's the plan, Omega?" Crosshair asked beside her. Whatever fear he may have had before had shifted into a determination that was reminiscent of her own. The time to panic or cry or lament this unfortunate circumstance would come later, when they were gone and safe. Now was the time to fight.

"These crates," Omega ran a hand along the cool metal they were leaning up against. "I recognize them. They'll have shock grenades inside...." She motioned for the attention of the others. "Wrecker! Can you pull open that crate?"

The beefy boy nodded his head eagerly and got to work trying to pry it open from the side. Omega whipped her rifle around and passed Echo's blaster over to Crosshair.

"Be careful with this," she said, though she doubted the boy really heard her. He looked down at the blaster in wonder, its barrel almost dwarfing his little hands. "It's set to stun. Help me put some of these troopers to sleep."

The two of them peeked up and around the crate to shoot, and started firing. Echo was starting to pick himself up, pulling out another blaster from his belt and firing back.

"Omega, I got it open!" Wrecker called. He and Hunter were sticking their hands inside to pull out a few of the little shiny balls.

"Press the button and toss it high," she said, readjusting her rifle. She motioned to Tech, pointing toward the ship with a knowing look. He seemed to understand and gave her a thumbs up. 

Hunter threw the grenade skillfully and she shot it, causing a rain of smoke and fire above the troopers in the hangar. Their blaster fire halted in surprise, long enough for Tech to make a break for the ship. But then they quickly resumed their onslaught on the crates where the rest of them remained. She cursed to herself. She didn't want to hurt any of these regs. They weren't machines in a simulation, or droids terrorizing a village. But she was quickly running out of options.

Another minute of exchanging fire with the troopers, and the Marauder lit up behind them. There were a few sputtering noises as the ship started to hover a bit, and then crashed back down. Tech needed help.

"Omega." Crosshair was tugging on her arm. "If Hunter throws one over there," he pointed to the left of their position, "you could run to the ship through the smoke."

She chewed her lip. "I can't leave you boys here...."

"It's okay. Just go!"

This was beyond stupid. There was no way she should be leaving three of her little brothers out here in this firefight alone. But what other choice was there? It wouldn't be long before reinforcements arrived and surrounded them. And who knew what would be done with them. This new Empire played by different rules, ones Omega didn't have time to make sense of yet.

And there was Echo... That was perhaps the most confusing and maddening mystery of them all. What was he playing at? What had they done to him?

Omega scooted herself to the side, waving down Hunter's attention. "Throw one again. Cross will tell you where. Wreck, give me some cover fire."

She handed her rifle over to Crosshair, showing him how to prop it up against the crate since he couldn't handle it on his own. She then slid the spare blaster over to Wrecker for coverage on their side.

Everyone was in position. It was now or never.

"Now!"

Crosshair took his aim and motioned for Hunter to throw. The grenade arched through the air, coming down roughly in the area Crosshair wanted. He fired at it and caused a nice wave of smoke to rain down on the line of troopers Wrecker had his blaster atop a crate as well and started shooting into the blinded crowd with a gleeful roar.

There were still shots being fired back, but they had no aim, no way of tracking Omega as she booked it to the Marauder. Within seconds she was shooing Tech out of the pilot's seat, ignoring his whines about wanting to figure it out himself as she took over the controls.

"What about the others?" Tech finally asked, strapping himself in the seat next to her. He pushed up his goggles with a finger.

"I've got to get them clear first," Omega muttered, not used to voicing her plans aloud. She brought the nose of the ship around properly, facing it squarely with the group of converging soldiers. Thankfully the other boys were still huddled in their positions behind the crates. She set the blasters toward the back wall, not wanting to accidentally injure her own.

A few blasts at the wall caused the forces to scatter. Too much debris was flying for them to continue standing safely. She watched in tense anticipation as Hunter pushed his brothers to start running with him toward the ship.

"You boys okay?" she called back to them as they made it up the ramp.

"We're here!"

"We're okay!"

"That was awesome!"

Omega flicked a bunch of switches and primed the thrusters. Time to get out of here.

"Strap in. We're launching."

She didn't wait to make sure their seatbelts were on. They could fuss with that later. She quickly turned the ship and hit the throttle, zipping out of the hangar and through the stormy Kaminoan sky.

"Where are we going?"

Wrecker came to stand beside her, his arm on the chair as he looked out the viewport in awe. Hunter and Crosshair were gathered nearby as well. She was still very wound up from the chaos of the past several minutes, but her heart slowed at seeing their eager faces. This was the first time they had ever been airborne.

They were leaving the only home they'd ever known.

"Tech, would you like to do the honors?" she smiled slightly, pointing to the hyperdrive thruster in between them.

The goggled boy slipped out of his chair - his arms couldn't quite reach - and placed a gentle hand along the handle. Omega tapped in the coordinates and upon her nod, Tech pushed the lever forward.

The sky filled with streaks of stars, and the boys' eyes filled with wonder.

~ ~ ~

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[clonesuperiority]

I'd like to think that Ahsoka and Anakin would occasionally train with their troopers. Probably not, but the thought is nice 😔

Aslo: I kind of like the idea of some clones (hardcase in this case) being a bit more chubby :3

Bonus of headcanon body tattoos for Jesse, Hardcase and Kix 😊

[azertyrobaz]

Oh, I'm much worse.

[hira492]

WAKE UP, BAD BATCH NATION!!

[general-ida-raven]

I’M GONNA EAT GLASS