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yatzstar · 17 hours ago

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How Can One Keep Warm Alone?

Even after living with her brothers for a while, Omega still struggles with being cold all the time. Familiar with her plight, Tech sets out to remedy that.

A fic for the amazing @merefis18, based on her super cool TBB modern AU visions are seldom all they seem, specifically as a follow up to Laundry Duty.

Omega woke up at the crack of dawn as usual. She didn’t need to now that she lived with her brothers, and they had insisted as much, but it was a habit from living with her mother that she had not yet overcome. However, she had finally overcome the impulse to rush out of bed immediately after waking, instead allowing herself to lie peacefully amidst her warm bedding. Her brothers had gone to great lengths to ensure her attic bedroom was not drafty in any way, but she was always cold when she got up, a symptom of the perpetual chill that lingered on her. Mother’s house had always been cold, and it seemed that it had followed her into her new life with her brothers, though she hardly noticed it anymore.

After taking a minute to wake up a bit more, Omega got out of bed. She shivered as the cooler air hit her, quickly slipping on a pair of socks before going downstairs. The rest of the house had not yet come to life; her brothers did not rise as strictly as she did, but she could always count on one of them being up by the time she made it to the kitchen. This morning, Wrecker was the first one, already busy preparing breakfast for himself.

“Mornin’, kiddo,” Wrecker called over his shoulder as she shuffled in, his usually boisterous tone muted by the rough edges of sleep. “How’d you sleep?”

“Pretty well,” Omega replied. “I only woke up once or twice.”

“Good. Want some toast? We still have plenty of strawberry jam.” Wrecker gestured to the stack of toast he had already prepared. He could eat more than she thought any one person would be capable of, but she had never met anyone as big as him.

“Yes, please.” Omega accepted his offer eagerly. She had come to learn that strawberries were a favorite of hers, and strawberry jam on toast was no exception.

Wrecker grabbed a couple of pieces off his stack, plopping them on a plate and handing it off to her. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Omega had given up on trying to insist she could make her own breakfast, letting Wrecker and the others supply her with food when they offered it. She took her plate to the kitchen table, grabbing the strawberry jam from the refrigerator as she went. As she sat down at her place and slathered the toast with jam, the floorboards creaked on the floor above, a signal that someone else would be down soon.

Taking her first bite of fruity goodness, she nabbed the newspaper waiting on the table. It had become a habit of hers to read the newspaper while she ate, since it provided her a window into the larger world that she had been separated from for most of her life. She also enjoyed attempting the crossword puzzles, which she was quite good at if her brothers were to be believed.

She was halfway through her first piece of toast when Tech came into the kitchen. Someone had beaten him to the bathroom, if the unkempt state of his hair was anything to go off of, but she kept a straight face as she greeted him, and he returned the greeting with a gentle smile. She refocused on the newspaper, starting to peruse the crossword section.

“Omega, are you cold?”

Omega looked up at Tech, who now stood beside her, surprised by the unexpected question. “Huh?”

“Are you cold?” he repeated patiently. “You’re shivering.”

Omega became aware that she was, in fact, shivering slightly, something so common that she didn’t notice it. “A little.”

Tech was clearly unconvinced, resting a pleasantly warm hand atop her own. “More than a little, I’d say. Your fingers are ice cold.”

Wrecker distracted her from any embarrassment. “Here, you can have my jacket if you’re cold.”

Before she could think of a reply, he had already shimmied out of his enormous hoodie and handed it off to her. It was wonderfully warm, and she immediately put it on, the bottom fringe almost reaching her knees.

“Think that’ll do the trick?” Wrecker asked, clearly amused.

“Yeah,” Omega replied, pulling the massive sleeves back to free her hands. “Are you sure you don’t need it?”

Wrecker waved her question away. “Nah. I’m glad to give it, ‘cause I’ve had my stuff stolen by the rest of these guys all my life.”

“I never did any such thing,” Tech protested.

“Somebody got engine grease on my sweater, and it definitely wasn’t me…”

Crosshair slunk into the kitchen, his eyes flickering over everyone lazily. His lips curled up when he saw her. “Where’s the kid? All I see is Wrecker’s hoodie come to life.” Try as she might, Omega could not stop her smile, which he caught immediately. “See, Hunter was wrong. I can have a sense of humor.”

Omega tried to hide her amusement in the oversized collar. “That’s not funny.”

“Keep laughing, then.”

Omega snorted, the lingering cold dissipating as she began eating her second piece of toast. Tech sat down at the table with his coffee a minute later, giving her an appraising look. “I suspect you are feeling better now.”

“Mm-hm.” Omega swallowed a mouthful of food. “Wrecker’s really warm.”

“Trust me, you are far from the first one to take advantage of that,” Tech said, giving her an assuring smile. “Crosshair and I both have a predisposition towards being cold.”

Omega considered the similarity. “We’re related, so I guess that makes sense.”

“To that end, you are more than welcome to seek out ways to avoid the cold, even if it means taking Wrecker’s jacket again.”

Omega nodded, but her attention was swiftly diverted from the topic as the crossword puzzles caught her eye again. “Do you want to help me with the crosswords?”

Tech raised an eyebrow. “I thought we agreed that it would be more beneficial for you to try them alone.”

“You don’t have to help me with every one!” Omega replied, more eager for his presence rather than his assistance. “Just the hard ones!”

Crosshair shuffled by, elbowing Tech in the shoulder. “Good luck with self restraint.”

Tech glared at him before meeting Omega’s beseeching gaze with a sigh. “Alright, only the hard ones.”

Tech started observing Omega’s comfort with the temperature more closely after that morning in the kitchen. As the week progressed, he picked up clear indications that Omega was often cold, though she never said so out loud unless prompted. It made sense in an infuriating way; their mother had cared little about their physical wellbeing outside of the basest necessities, and Omega had obviously suffered the same treatment judging by her lack of complaints.

He felt a little foolish for not picking up on the issue before, since it hit so close to home. He ran cold as well, but at least he had Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair to keep the chill away in their childhood. Omega had nobody fall back on, not until she had found them. It became an unspoken mission of his to do everything he could to make sure she stayed warm, from dryer-fresh bedsheets to changing the thermostat no matter how much his brothers complained.

Omega, however, resisted his efforts, albeit unconsciously. She was small and slender naturally, attributes which were pronounced by years of questionable nutrition. It would take a while for her to reach a healthier disposition, but even so, her overall stature did not lend itself to maintaining warmth.

Tech wanted to get her something that would not only keep her warm, but would provide reassurance that her quieter struggles were not unseen and she was not alone in them. However, it was definitely a case of something being easier said than done. He was not good at coming up with gifts for his brothers unaided, much less the sister who had landed in their lives so recently. Girls were a different realm, one he was largely unfamiliar with, but he was determined to learn.

And so, after a week or two of pondering the matter, Tech descended into one of his “rabbit holes” as his brothers liked to call them, where he pursued an issue or an inquiry until he found a solution. He spent every bit of free time he had browsing websites for a worthy gift for Omega, and though he intended to keep the pursuit self-contained, it only took a couple of days for someone to take notice.

“Tech, are you ignoring me on purpose?”

Tech was jerked from the depths of his mind when a hand grabbed his shoulder and shook forcefully. He leaned back in his seat, frowning at Crosshair. “No, I was not ignoring you on purpose.”

“I’ve called you five times,” Crosshair said, looking unimpressed. “I was about to use your real name.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Tech huffed. “What do you want?”

“That muffin has been sitting there as long as you have. Are you going to eat it or what?”

Tech glanced at the woefully abandoned pastry next to his laptop. It was a large, fruity thing from a package Wrecker had bought on impulse when it was his turn to do the grocery shopping. He had sat down with every intention of eating it, but as was his habit, he had gotten too immersed in his research. “I suppose you can have it.”

Crosshair swiped the muffin without hesitation, eyeing him critically as he took a bite. “So what’s got your attention so much that you’re forgetting to eat?”

Tech briefly considered a fabrication to ward him away, but it wasn’t worth the trouble. Crosshair was shrewd enough to figure things out for himself if he wanted to, but he could also be trusted with confidentiality. “I assume you’ve noticed Omega has an issue with keeping warm.”

“Of course I’ve noticed.” Crosshair almost sounded offended. “She’s too small.”

“That, and she seems to share our disposition towards the cold. With that in mind, I’ve been trying to find something that would help her, but I haven’t had much success.”

“It’s not rocket science, Tech. Just get her a sweater or some socks.”

“She has plenty of those, both her own and ones she got from us. I’m looking for something different.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure what a girl like her would want or enjoy.”

Crosshair scoffed. “You’re the one with a girlfriend. Just ask her.”

“Omega is ours now, and I want to learn how to approach these things myself.”

Crosshair rolled his eyes but grabbed an extra chair, pulling it up beside him. “I guess I’ll try to help you, then.”

Tech frowned at him. “I wasn’t necessarily asking…”

“The fact that you admitted you don’t know was more than enough.” Crosshair sighed, propping his elbows on the desk. “And I want to make her forget how cold that house was just as much as you do.”

Tech allowed Crosshair to join his search, which proved to be beneficial, since he now had someone to bounce ideas off of. Being of a slimmer stature, Crosshair had suffered from the cold even more than he had in their childhood, and the steely resolve in his eyes revealed the strength behind his words: he wanted that coldness gone from Omega in body and mind.

They spent their free time together over the next couple of evenings searching for the right gift. As Tech had already discovered, it was not as simple as the concept implied. They went through several websites looking for something, but could not settle on anything they found. She already had a winter coat, which would not provide the indoor comfort she needed, and accessories like gloves and hats fell into the same category. The amount of sweaters she owned was rapidly growing, and there was already a massive stash of blankets on her bed and around her room.

On the third night, they left off with the possibility of a patterned pair of pants that appeared to be warm and soft, two attributes Omega liked. But even as Tech got ready to sleep, he was still thinking through the problem, not quite satisfied with that resolution. As he settled into bed, he tried to put the issue from his mind, grabbing the worn Bible from the bedside table and opening it to where he had stopped the previous night. He succeeded in reading ten verses, until one phrase caught his eye.

‘Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer…’

“That’s it!” Tech flew out of bed, now sure of what he wanted to give Omega. He went to rouse Crosshair, who was already fully in bed, shaking him none too gently. “Crosshair, I’ve got it!”

“Got what?” Crosshair mumbled, shifting just enough to glare at him from underneath his blanket.

“I know what to get Omega,” Tech urged.

“Why can’t you ever figure things out at a normal hour?” Despite his complaints, Crosshair got up and shuffled after Tech as they returned to his computer.

Now that Tech knew what he was looking for, his search became far more focused and efficient. Within a few minutes, he had landed on a robe that checked every box in his mind, made of thick, soft material that would undoubtedly be warm and comfortable for Omega to wear. Everything proceeded smoothly until he was faced with a new quandary: colors.

“I must admit I do not know what to choose,” Tech admitted, staring down the massive color palette of options.

Crosshair, half asleep in his seat, squinted at the screen. “Red.”

Tech gave him a sideways glance. “Really? Why?”

Crosshair tipped his head back against the chair, shutting his eyes. “I just have a hunch.”

Tech scowled. He greatly disliked vague answers to his questions, but he followed the suggestion anyway. The shade of red was not unattractive, a darker hue that was very close to the colors they had favored in their military days…and perhaps that was Crosshair’s logic.

Omega had not spoken much about her personal preferences, perhaps because she had never been allowed to have any, but a not insignificant amount of the items she had picked out herself were in various shades of red. Whether that was her own preference or one manifested by being around them, he did not know, but he had little else to go off of. The logic seemed sound enough, so he finally made up his mind, ordering one a couple of sizes too big in the hope that she would grow into it.

When he hit the order button, he sat back in his seat, breathing a silent thanks towards the ceiling for the inspiration. Beside him, Crosshair snored quietly, and he scoffed. Now that the gift was chosen, he realized he was faced with an equally challenging task: getting everyone to keep a secret.

“You did a good job. I think you’re going to be great with some practice.”

Omega flushed at Hunter’s compliment, unused to such praise, fiddling with her seatbelt. “But I didn’t even come close to hitting the bullseye.”

“I didn’t expect you to. Even Crosshair had to practice to become such a good shot,” Hunter said as he turned the car onto their street. “In time, you might end up giving him some competition.”

Omega smiled to herself. Hunter had taken her to the shooting range a couple of times, where she had discovered she liked archery, and she had been more than happy to take him up on his offer when he unexpectedly brought it up yesterday. It wasn’t the best day for it with an overcast sky and brisk temperatures, but she had enjoyed herself nonetheless, and she hoped Crosshair could go with them next time.

As Hunter pulled into their driveway, he said, “When you get inside, you should check your room. There might be something waiting for you.”

“What is it?” Omega asked, surprised.

Hunter smiled and shrugged as he got out of the car. “I don’t know.”

Omega was pretty sure he did know, but there was no point in pressing him further when she could see for herself. Her curiosity piqued, she hurried inside and up to her room.

True to Hunter’s word, there was something waiting. A simple box sat on Omega’s bed, relatively thin but wide. She tried to imagine what could be inside, but there was nothing she could come up with, which only kindled her eagerness to find out for sure.

A soft gasp left her when she lifted the lid. The color of the neatly folded garment struck her first; a deep red almost exactly the same as the shade her brothers favored. Her wonder increased when she touched the material, so soft it was almost unbelievable to her. After marveling for several moments, she lifted the clothing from the box, revealing the robe in its entirety. It was long enough to reach her feet, complete long sleeves, pockets, and a robe string to secure it around her waist.

“I hope this is a good surprise.”

It took a large amount of effort for Omega to tear her eyes away and look at Hunter, who had entered the room unnoticed. “Is…is this for me?”

Hunter’s smile grew. “Of course it is.”

Omega looked between him and the unexpected gift, mystified. “But why?”

“It was Tech’s idea. He noticed you get cold a lot and wanted to try and help.”

Emotion swelled in Omega’s chest. She had never expected a gesture like this to come of Tech’s observation.

Hunter gave her an encouraging nod. “Do you want to try it on?”

Omega tried to gather herself, carefully slipping the robe on, and the fabric somehow felt even softer as it engulfed her from the shoulders down. The sleeves and bottom hem were oversized on her, but she found she preferred it that way as she submerged her fingers and they began to warm. She brought the sleeves to her face, pressing them against her cheeks and continuing to marvel at the softness.

“What do you think?” Hunter asked.

“I love it,” Omega whispered, unable to think of anything better to say. She didn’t realize how much she was smiling until her cheeks began to ache. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course, kid.” Hunter squeezed her shoulder. “But like I said, it was Tech’s idea to begin with. I didn’t even know about it until he had already bought it.” He looked back down the stairs with a frown. “I thought he was going to be around when we got back. Want to see if we can find him?”

Omega agreed eagerly, wrapping her new treasure around herself, warmed by it and by the love it contained.

Tech hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the couch, but lack of sleep had gotten the best of him. The robe had arrived two days prior, and since then he had spent a large amount of time agonizing over how to present it to Omega. He wasn’t inclined to make a big deal about it, but neither did he want the gesture to appear begrudging or without care, and he had thought about it so much that it kept him up at night.

As usual, his brothers turned what he thought was complicated into something painfully simple. Hunter offered to take Omega out for a couple of hours to give him and Crosshair an opportunity to figure out where they wanted to put the gift, and they eventually settled on her bed. Once that was done, he had settled on the couch, having no intention of sleeping with the worries of Omega’s approval invading his thoughts, but his body had conquered his mind for once.

The next thing he knew, he heard Crosshair announcing somewhere close by, “You’ve got incoming.”

Old training compelled Tech to wake quickly, jerking him into consciousness. He opened his eyes, barely registering that he had fallen asleep before his arms were full of Omega.

“Thank you, Tech!” she cried as she collided with him.

“What?” he wheezed, the force of her tackle driving the air from his lungs.

Her smiling face appeared before him, accompanied by bony arms wrapping around his shoulders. “The robe, thank you!”

Tech finally got his thoughts together enough to notice what she was wearing, which was followed by the realization that he had slept too long. He craned his neck to scowl at Crosshair. “You shouldn’t have let me fall asleep.”

Crosshair smirked back unapologetically, in the process of stashing away his phone which likely had several freshly-taken pictures of him and Omega. “There’s no fun in that, and you were tired anyway.”

Omega’s smile wavered. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Not at all, my dear,” Tech said, carefully returning her embrace. “I merely intended to be awake, but that matters little so long as you like your robe.”

“I love it,” Omega breathed, her eyes shining with so much happiness that it took him aback. “I’ve never had anything like this. It’s so soft and warm.”

The sheer adoration Tech was faced with made his heart swell and his response slow. “…Well, that was what I hoped.”

“What about the color?” Crosshair asked.

Omega’s grin only widened, if that was possible. “I love that, too. It’s perfect.”

“Told you,” Crosshair said, and Tech could hear the satisfied smirk in his tone.

“I knew she would like it.” Hunter spoke from somewhere behind the couch.

“I do,” Omega agreed, but then she sat back slightly, her face flushing as she looked down at her hands. “You didn’t have to do this, though.”

“Perhaps not, but I wanted to,” Tech said gently. “I know the cold you’ve felt, and I wanted you to be free of it.”

“We all do,” Hunter added.

Omega looked between Tech and his brothers, but he could not guess what she might be thinking until she quietly asked, “Does this mean I can’t use you guys to stay warm too?”

“No.” All three of them answered, nearly in unison.

“We would be more than happy to keep you warm, and vice versa,” Tech said. “I am certainly not immune to the cold now.”

“So long as both of you keep your cold feet on Wrecker,” Crosshair grumbled.

Omega laughed then looked back at Tech quizzically. “If you get cold, why don’t you get one for yourself?”

Tech paused, considering the suggestion. He had been so focused on her that he had never thought about one for himself. “Well…I see no reason why not. Maybe you can help me find one?”

As Omega happily agreed and leaned against Tech, he knew no robe would ever match the warmth of her presence.

#sw #the bad batch #omega #tech #crosshair #hunter #wrecker #tbb #star wars #tcw #the clone wars #dad batch #modern au #fluff #my fic #fanfiction

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yatzstar · 2 days ago

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Little Girl, What Goes On In Your Head?

Part 1/2 (Next)

Another entry for the Ik'aad AU by @star-farer . As promised, this one focuses on more of the conflict and angst within the AU than my previous works. I chose S1E9, "Bounty Lost" to write around because I thought it would be a good catalyst to explore Omega's trauma. I didn't rewatch the episode, but I did read the plot and decided I would write it differently in a way I think is better, at least for this AU.

I've been plotting this ever since I heard "What Have They Done To Us" from Arcane S2. The song for the uninitiated!

Don't leave me to go through this again.

“Do you hafta go?”

Hunter sighed, meeting Omega’s beseeching gaze. “Yes, we have to.”

Omega’s soft, round face puckered in a frown. “Why can’t I come?”

“Because it’s better for you to stay here,” Hunter answered for what felt like the millionth time. Every time they were deployed, Omega asked the same round of discontent questions, but they all tried to remain patient. With the near constant coming and going, her frustration was justified. Hunter understood; neither he nor his brothers liked being separated from her.

“I don’ like Mist’ess Se,” Omega said, wrinkling her nose.

None of them liked Nala Se, but the scientist likely did not care, if she bothered to acknowledge their feelings in any way. Even so, Omega’s matter-of-fact statements about her dislike made Hunter uneasy. She was strong-willed with her opinions, something Kaminoans were not fond of, deviant clone or otherwise.

“I know you don’t like her, but you have to keep that to yourself,” Hunter said, trying to sound firm. “You’re going to behave yourself for Mistress Se while we’re gone, right?”

“Yeah…” Omega grumbled, leaning against his leg. She quieted for a moment, then asked, “Are you gonna come back?”

Hunter looked down at her in surprise. That was a new question. “What do you mean?”

“You always go’way.” Omega glanced at him, and there was fear in her eyes. Her small, fluttering heartbeat picked up its cadence against his senses.

Hunter understood her anxiety then, and he wished she did not have to bear the strain of uncertainty from their unpredictable comings and goings. “We’ve always come back, haven’t we?”

Omega’s finger traced aimless patterns on his leg as she considered the question. “Yeah.”

“Then you know we’ll come back again.” Hunter stroked her hair, trying to smooth away the frown lines that had gathered on her forehead. She was only the equivalent of three standard years old, too young to have such concerns. “I know why you might worry about that, but we won’t leave you.”

To his relief, Omega seemed reassured, her gaze becoming quizzical. “What about Tick, an’ Wricker, an’ C’oss?”

“They would say the same thing. You can go and ask them, if you want.”

“M’kay!” Omega’s heartbeat ticked up again, but this time with excitement. Effectively distracted from her greatest worries, she ran off to find the other three with a smile, an errand that would undoubtedly lead to her being showered with affection. Hunter watched her go, hoping he could live up to his promises.

***

Panic threatened to paralyze Omega entirely, mind and body alike as the bounty hunter’s ship carried her farther and farther from her family. The image of Hunter on the ground, unmoving, was burned into her mind, and the man who had shot him was now taking her away from him.

Her surroundings offered no solace. The cell the bounty hunter had confined her to was cold and uncomfortable, like the room she had spent countless hours of isolation in on Kamino. There she had screamed her voice away, throwing herself at the door until she bruised, begging for her family to come for her, but they never did.

She had been left to wonder why she was separated from them, if they even loved her anymore, until that fateful day after the war was over. Reunited with them, she could not deny that they loved her, but she was still plagued by unanswered questions, questions she could not find the boldness to ask for fear of what the answers would be.

Now she faced the same situation once more. She was separated from her family, likely by the Kaminoans, and she feared they would not come for her. Could they even manage it if Hunter had been killed?

Another nauseating wave of panic rolled through Omega, leaving her struggling for composure. A few moments later, the bounty hunter’s droid trundle past the rayshield of her cell, and through sheer force of will, she retreated to the appearance of cold indifference she had learned to emulate from Nala Se. The Kaminoan had not cared for her emotions, so she found it was easier to hide them. Likewise, she would not allow the bounty hunter or his droid see how she really felt, and as the dreadful seconds trickled by, she realized she could not simply sit there and let herself be taken away.

She was older now, old enough to understand what was happening, to know the pain of separation with sharp clarity rather than muddled confusion. She also knew what true freedom felt like now, what life was like with her family without Kaminoan control, and she was not going to give that up easily.

After the incident on Pantora with the first bounty hunter, Omega had been instructed that if she was ever captured, she should keep from angering her captors if possible, and comply with any demands to prevent herself from being harmed. As she began to formulate ideas to get to her comm, she knew she was going against those instructions. Maybe she would get in trouble later, but she would much rather have that than whatever fate she was being carried off to.

When the droid came by again, she caught his attention, offering to fix his leg. After spending time around droids in the Kaminoan laboratory, she had learned how to communicate with them, even manipulate them on occasion. She feared her furiously pounding heart would somehow give her away, but the droid was none the wiser as she fixed his leg, then disconnected his power systems. She waited until she felt the familiar lurch of the ship exiting hyperspace, ensuring that the bounty hunter would be occupied before she snuck off to find her comm.

She had seen the droid place the comm in a pile of similar equipment likely stolen off of other victims when she was dragged aboard the ship, and that was where she found it. The utter relief that swept through her when the comm activated was enough that she could cry, but she didn’t, biding her time until the ship stopped and settled somewhere.

The moment the hatch opened, Omega sprinted out onto a landing platform surrounded by a sea of white, puffy clouds. Buildings loomed amidst the clouds like they were a part of the formations, and she recognized the style of architecture, horrifying in its unmistakable appearance: Kaminoan.

Her hands trembled as she activated the comm’s signal, knowing she only had a matter of seconds. Static burst from the comm as she set it to a long-range transmission, but she did not wait for it to settle before shouting, “Hello? It’s Omega! Can anyone hear me?”

The static droned on, ringing in Omega’s ears with her own heartbeat as her hopes plummeted. Then through the interference, words trickled through.

“—mega? Omega, are you there?”

Hunter, alive. A sob welled in Omega’s chest, but she fought it back as she gasped. “Hunter, is that you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, kid.” Noise undercut Hunter’s reassurance, a clutter of voices and movement that promised the rest of the group was present.

“Please!” The plea burst from Omega, strained words tumbling from her mouth before she could stop them. “Please, don’t leave me here.”

“We’re not going to leave you.” Hunter’s assurance almost destroyed Omega’s wavering composure, but she fought to maintain herself when he asked, “Where are you?”

“I don’t know!” Omega looked at her surroundings again, blinking away the tears that threatened to blur her vision. “It looks like Kamino, but it’s not.”

“We’re trying to get a trace—”

Any relief Omega could have felt was extinguished when the comm went flying from her hand, clattering against the platform. A boot came down, crushing the device without remorse, and in the same instant her wrist was seized in a cruel grip.

The bounty hunter—Bane, the droid had called him—loomed over her like the oncoming shadow of a storm. “You’re a resourceful little thing, I’ll give you that, but you’ve caused me more than enough trouble. Try that again and you’ll regret it.”

The sudden static that filled the Marauder’s cockpit might as well have been another blaster bolt in Hunter’s abdomen. He leaned hard against the console, suffused with gut-wrenching dismay that swept away all physical pain as he tried in vain to reestablish the signal.

“What happened?” Wrecker bellowed behind him. “Get her back!”

“The connection has been completely lost.” Tech did not raise his voice, but his words were punctuated with an undertone of fury. “I suspect the comm has been destroyed.”

Hunter swayed on his feet. They couldn’t lose her, not again, not after they had just reclaimed her from a hell they had been unable to save her from for years. Her broken plea rang in his head over and over again, proof that she feared the abandonment they had been forced into.

Please, don’t leave me here.

A hand fell on his shoulder, bony but strong. “Hunter, sit,” Crosshair demanded.

Suddenly feeling powerless to argue, Hunter obeyed, collapsing back into his chair. Pain lanced through his abdomen with the motion, but he barely registered it as Echo said, “I got her traced to the Lido system.”

“That’s better than nothing.” Tech latched onto that bit of information, throwing orders to Echo and Wrecker so fast it made Hunter’s head spin. He leaned back, seeking equilibrium, and caught Crosshair’s gaze beside his chair. He saw in Crosshair the same determination that filled himself: they were not going to let Omega be taken, not again.

There was another bounty hunter.

Omega wasn’t sure what had happened. Bane had dragged her into the building off the landing platform, leading her through darkened hallways. She had only just spotted the thin, imposing form of a Kaminoan when a blaster shot shattered the quiet. She flinched as the Kaminoan fell, and the next thing she knew, Bane had let her go as another bounty hunter materialized from the misty corridors.

Seizing her chance, Omega fled from the ensuing fight, blaster fire ringing through the halls behind her. Fear lent speed to her escape despite her wrists being bound in cuffs, and only once the sounds of conflict had faded to a tolerable distance did rational thought return to her. She had not been injured yet, and she could not waste the opportunity she had. The Batch was coming for her, and she did not know if they had made a full trace to the strange planet she was on, but she could potentially reach them. Though the halls and rooms around her were dark and abandoned, she knew them well enough, because they were almost the same as Nala Se’s laboratory. She knew what to look for.

The fighting continued somewhere behind her, but she focused on her new goal, checking every room she passed in search of a communication console. She tried not to notice the isolation tanks still full of fluid scattered amongst the rooms, and she did not want to see what floated within them. They were just like the tanks in Nala Se’s lab, where she had seen many monstrous and malformed specimens, and she had always feared that one day it would be her who floated inside.

She was not spared when she finally found the console. The room that housed it had more tanks, and though they were consigned to shadow, grotesquely elongated bodies were still visible within. Riveting her eyes on the console, she approached it, and an immeasurable wave of relief swept over her when the buttons lit up beneath her touch.

“Please,” she whispered into the stale air as she punched in the Batch’s frequency. “Please…”

The Marauder was in hyperspace when a transmission came through. Hunter jolted as the console pinged, nearly upending bacta all over himself and Crosshair. “What was that?”

“It’s an open transmission,” Echo said. “All it says is ‘99’.”

“It must be Omega. Can it be traced?”

Tech didn’t wait for Echo to reply, practically pushing him out of the way to get to the console. “On it.”

Several tense seconds crept by, then the console pinged again.

“Marvelous girl,” Tech breathed, and the relief in his voice eased Hunter’s tension fractionally. “Bora Vio, in the Lido system.”

Beneath his fear and frustration, Hunter could not help but feel pride in Omega. “How quickly can you get us there?”

“It depends on how much risk you will allow me to take.”

Hunter’s own safety was the last thing on his mind. “Do whatever you need to.”

Omega wasn’t sure if her transmission had reached the Batch, but she didn’t have a chance to find out when the second bounty hunter discovered her. She was even more frightened when she recognized her as the bounty hunter from Pantora, Shand. Though Shand was not as forceful and merciless as Bane, she disliked her as much as him. The only people she wanted to see were her brothers.

If Shand intended to take her away, her chance was interrupted by the arrival of Bane. Everything happened so fast that Omega couldn’t keep up with it. Shand turned on Bane, and someone’s blaster went off. Glass shattered, and fluid gushed out of a broken isolation tank along with an ugly, elongated cadaver that flopped onto the feuding hunters.

Panic took over Omega once more at the sight of the misshapen body, wild and uncontrollable. She fled the room without looking back, having no destination except to get away from the grotesque experiment and the bounty hunters. She ran through the darkened halls until she lost all sense of direction and her body burned from exertion. Then she huddled in the darkest corner she could find, trying not to cry as she prayed her message had reached her brothers.

“What are you doing?”

Hunter pointedly ignored Echo’s disapproving gaze. “Suiting up.”

“Maybe you should sit this one out.”

“There’s no way in this galaxy I will.” Hunter gritted his teeth, his torso throbbing as he strapped his chestplate back into place. “I’m the one that lost her, so I’m going to find her.”

“You’re not going to win this argument, Echo,” Crosshair muttered, “and we can’t stop him anymore than you.”

Echo backed down, and Hunter was glad of it. An argument between them was the last thing they needed with Omega at stake.

Tech’s risky flight techniques, while potentially stressful on the Marauder, had landed them in Bora Vio’s orbit quickly, all things considered. But the hyperspace travel and the approach of the planet’s atmosphere still felt too long, every second stretching into its own small eternity.

Hunter’s heart dropped when the buildings appeared through the clouds. Omega had not been exaggerating; this planet was tied to Kamino in some way, if not now then in the past. It was likely that her kidnapping was facilitated by the Kaminoans, a possibility that made him feel equally sickened and angry.

“Based on the coordinates, this is the facility the signal came from,” Tech said as he brought the Marauder low over the large building.

Hunter looked out the viewport, catching sight of an unfamiliar ship docked on an adjacent landing platform. “Someone’s still here, which means there’s a good chance Omega is too.”

Crosshair shouldered his rifle and stepped forward, barely shifting as Tech brought the ship in toward the landing platform with a sharp turn. “I’m taking point on this.”

Hunter’s responding scowl turned into a wince as he fought to maintain balance against Tech’s maneuvers, his torso complaining at the unexpected jolt.

“This is why I’m taking point,” Crosshair growled, steadying him. “If Bane can outshoot you in prime condition, he definitely can now.”

“I agree with Cross on this one,” Wrecker murmured.

Hunter gritted his teeth and straightened his posture. “I’m fine.”

Crosshair scoffed. “Even if that were true, which it isn’t, I would still take point. You said it yourself that Bane is dangerous. Someone needs to outgun him, and it won’t be you.”

Hunter sighed, glancing out the viewport at the rapidly approaching landing platform. They didn’t have time to argue, for Omega’s sake. He was sure her desperate plea rang just as loudly in their minds as his own. “Fine. The four of us will go in while Tech circles the ship in lookout.”

Tech didn’t even land the Marauder, bringing it to a brief hover over the platform so he could take off quickly once the rest of them disembarked. As the ship took off once more, Hunter paused, letting the sensory noise of the area wash over him. He blocked out the thrum of his and his brothers’ hearts, delving into what he perceived beyond them.

The facility buzzed with a low undercurrent of electricity, powered by whatever generators remained. Hunter pushed past it, going deeper to search for irregularities, and found three. The first was an inhuman heartbeat, too large and slow, likely belonging to Cad Bane. The second was a human heartbeat pounding fast, but it was too strong. The last was the hardest to find, smaller and lighter, fluttering in a fearful cadence, but find it he did. He knew Omega’s heartbeat at once despite the passing of time, and he had sworn never to forget it even in the years of separation.

“She’s still here,” Hunter said, opening his eyes. “She’s inside.”

No one else spoke, for there was no need. Crosshair stepped forward and the rest of them followed, a single unit bound by one purpose.

The interior of the facility was dark and quiet, qualities that were eerie for the fact that someone so bright and lively as Omega was within. Hunter could not precisely identify her location at first, but as they moved deeper into the cold halls, he could feel them getting closer to her as well as Bane, while the other human seemed to be moving farther away.

They moved in near complete silence, Crosshair in the lead with Hunter close behind. Finally, the smell of blood struck Hunter, though to his relief it was laced with a pungent tinge of chemicals that revealed it was not human. He placed a hand on Crosshair’s shoulder, halting him and the others behind. In the stillness, he listened, and heard the rasp of labored breathing.

“Bane’s ahead, to the left,” he murmured. “He’s hurt.”

Crosshair nodded, prowling forward and aiming his rifle down the supposedly empty hall in front of them. “We know you’re down there, Bane. Show yourself before we make you.”

“I know a clone’s voice when I hear it, no matter what.” A growling, almost bored response drifted to them from beyond a corner where the hall veered to the right. “You wouldn’t gun down an injured man.”

“That sentiment doesn’t apply to the scum of the earth.” Crosshair’s retort was laced with contempt. “Come out, now. I won’t ask again.”

After a brief pause, Bane stepped into view. Fury ignited inside Hunter at the sight of him, but he restrained himself, watching the bounty hunter carefully. A slight hunch in his posture further confirmed the injuries Hunter had already sensed, but it was surely not Omega who had inflicted them.

“Where’s the kid?” Crosshair demanded.

Bane shrugged, his narrow face twisting with disdain. “She ran off, but she ain’t worth the trouble.”

“Why’d you bring her here? Who hired you?”

“Who do you think?” Bane sneered. “The only ones who care about clones. They wanted the girl, and I don’t ask questions.”

Hunter could not be sure if he was being honest, but the building they stood in seemed to indicate Kaminoan involvement, and that made him angrier than Bane. “Who else was here with you?”

“No one was with me. She was tryin’ to steal my target.”

Hunter disliked the situation even more, and Crosshair hissed, “Why? Who were you going to meet here? I want a name.”

Bane glared at them disdainfully. “I could tell you that, for the right price.”

“You’re in no position to bargain. I can shoot you right now and be done with you.”

“If you’re gonna take me down, I can make sure you go down with me.” Bane looked at Hunter. “At least one of you knows that.”

Tension crackled in the air as Crosshair said, “You want to bet your life on that?”

Bane’s hands dropped toward his belt, and though Hunter’s reaction time was slowed, Crosshair’s was not. Hunter had barely registered Bane’s movement when a bolt streaked from Crosshair’s rifle, grazing the bounty hunter’s right hand. Bane froze, and time seemed to stop with him as the blaster fire echoed and faded. Hunter tensed, everything in him screaming to yank Crosshair out of the line of fire, but he remained still.

“The next one goes straight through that arm, or maybe through your head.” Crosshair did not raise his voice, but it was as cold as the forgotten halls around them. “Your choice.”

Bane appeared unbothered, but the spike in his pulse told Hunter otherwise. “Well, aren’t you a real deadeye?”

“You have five seconds to answer the question. Who was after her?”

Bane was quiet for so long that he appeared to be calling Crosshair’s bluff, and Hunter knew he would gladly shoot the bounty hunter dead. The moment Crosshair moved to pull the trigger, Bane jumped backwards with surprising speed, his boots igniting beneath him.

Crosshair fired, but the unnatural height of Bane’s jump made the bolt catch him only in the leg. Bane did not let the pain stop him, drawing his own blasters as he propelled himself backwards. Hunter grabbed Crosshair and yanked him to safety behind a corner as a retaliatory volley of bolts came flying down the hall, Echo and Wrecker sheltering on the other side of the intersection.

“Kriffing scumwad,” Crosshair snarled. “I should have known he would pull something.”

“Do we go after him?” Wrecker called.

As much as Hunter wanted to hunt Bane down, he resisted the urge, instead focusing on the smaller, more important heartbeat within his perception. “No. We need to get to Omega and get out of here.”

Crosshair muttered several curses, but despite his anger, he swiftly oriented to the greater task. “Then show us the way.”

Omega felt like she had been hiding in the oppressive darkness for an eternity. The facility had gone eerily silent safe for her own breathing, and even then she kept her breaths as shallow as possible for fear of somehow alerting one of the bounty hunters. She could not see anything except the glow from the panel next to the door she had come through. The longer she waited, the more her thoughts spiraled out of control. Her signal could have failed, and it could be days before she was found, if the bounty hunters didn’t find her first.

“Omega!”

She stopped breathing altogether as the call reached her. It sounded like Wrecker.

“Omega, where are you?”

Echo’s voice sent Omega scrambling to her feet, hope and relief fueling her actions. She emerged from her hiding place on trembling legs, squinting at the sudden light. A dark figure appeared unexpectedly in her periphery, and she instinctively stumbled back with a frightened yelp.

“Easy, Omega. It’s us.”

It took every ounce of strength Omega had to keep her composure as Crosshair loomed in front of her, with Hunter, Wrecker, and Echo following slightly behind. Crosshair took her by the shoulder, and though his helmet was on, it was obvious he was looking her over.

“Are you alright?” he asked as the others crowded around. “Are you hurt?”

Omega almost felt dizzy with relief. A vibroblade appeared, severing the cuffs that bound her hands before she could process it. “N-no. I’m fine…”

“Wrecker, you got her?”

“I’m fine. I can walk—” Omega’s protests were in vain as Wrecker scooped her up like she weighed nothing, and thought the plastoid of his armor was uncomfortable, she could not fight the way she sank into his hold.

“Don’t worry,” Wrecker said, his voice softened with relief of his own. “We’re getting you outta here.”

And they did just that. They moved through the halls so fast that Omega quickly lost any sense of direction, but it didn’t matter. Soon enough, they were back on the landing platform where the Marauder waited, and Omega resolved that she would never complain about being cooped up aboard again as she was brought back to the ship’s safety.

There was a flurry of activity as the Marauder took off. Omega was deposited on a bunk as helmets and weapons were set aside, then they were all looking at her with deep concern. She didn’t look back, instead choosing to stare at her lap. She had been through worse things than this, and she would be okay if she could have a minute, but there was too much going on. There were too many voices, too many eyes on her, in addition to her own scattered thoughts that she couldn’t piece together.

A warm hand touched her arm, and she looked up into Hunter’s face. “Omega, are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Omega burst out with a ferocity that surprised herself. “I’m fine, I…I just need…” Her voice threatened to break, and she dropped her head again, battling against herself. Hunter’s hand moved from her arm to her face, gently tilting her chin up and forcing their eyes to meet once more.

“Omega,” he said, his voice as soft as his eyes, “you don’t have to be fine.”

The last bastion of Omega’s composure cracked and crumbled, the emotions spilling forth in a way she could not remember allowing before. Tears welled in her eyes, and there was no stopping them as she fell apart. She truly cried for the first time in a long while, but this time she was not met with the indifference of Kamino. Strong, warm arms encircled her, and she wept freely against Hunter’s shoulder.

Hunter was pained but not surprised when Omega started crying. He had felt like doing the same in the long hours since she had been taken, and it was almost too painful to imagine just what she was subjected to. But he let her cry, taking her into his arms as she released her pain in a flood that seemed long overdue. Even when they had first been reunited, she had not cried like this. A glance toward his brothers confirmed that they looked as helpless as he felt, each one looking pained in his own way.

Omega sobbed incoherently at first, but then words came stumbling out between the heaving, tear-laden gasps. “I-I thought you were gonna leave me…”

Hunter felt like he had taken a blow directly to the chest, momentarily stealing his ability to breathe. Their greatest failure was now laid before them, no longer lingering unspoken in the silence they had tried to consign it to. He knew it would have to come out eventually, but he had not imagined anything like this. Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair had all gone still, their faces ashen. Echo was less stricken, though his expression was grave with understanding.

“We weren’t going to leave you, Omega,” Hunter said. “I promise.”

Omega pulled back, her face full of pain he wished he could take away. “Then why? Why did…?”

She did not finish, another sob interrupting her words, but she did not have to. Hunter knew the question. Her heart pounded in his senses like thunder, and he could form no answer that seemed good enough for her. His brothers offered nothing either, likely for the same reason.

“We didn’t willingly leave you with Nala Se,” he finally said, as memories shrouded in red fury surfaced in his mind. “You were taken from us.”

Omega shook her head, more tears squeezing from behind her eyelids. “But you didn’t come for me.”

The amount of despair Omega reflected brought more words to Hunter’s mouth. “We wanted to, more than anything. We even made a plan.”

Omega’s eyes flew open, and she regarded him with something between surprise and hurt. “Why didn’t you do it?”

Hunter glanced at his brothers. None of them wanted to say it, to spare Omega from the darker things that had loomed over her life, but she deserved the truth. “Because the Kaminoans made it clear that any insubordination could be reflected on you, that they could hurt you…or worse.”

Omega’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening with horror. It was a small relief to Hunter that she had not known previously.

“We couldn’t risk you,” he continued. “We wanted you safe, but we were always waiting for a chance to take you as far away from Kamino as possible and never go back.”

Omega didn’t answer, her tears now rolling silently down her face.

“I wish it hadn’t been this way.” Hunter lowered his head, the weight of her gaze unbearable as shame welled inside him. “It took too long, and I’m sorry.”

Omega let out a deep, quivering exhale, her grip on him tightening. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”

“And we’re not going anywhere,” Hunter said, his voice strangely choked. “Never again.”

Omega relaxed, sagging against him, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. “The Kaminoans…they’re after me.”

“They won’t get you.” Hunter cradled her head, letting the gradual descent of her heartrate calm his own. “Just rest. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Can I stay with you?” Omega asked, the question almost a whisper.

“You don’t even have to ask.” Hunter situated himself so he was seated on the bunk, settling Omega next to him. As she curled into his hold, he made a shooing motion to his brothers, who reluctantly dispersed. She was his responsibility for the moment, though he knew they would be paying close attention regardless. He let that reassurance soothe the residual tension inside him, and as Omega rested in his arms, he finally felt he could rest again, as well.

I figured this was a good place to stop it. Next chapter will finish it with the rest of the boys getting their father/daughter moments :)

#but ohhh I have SO many thoughts about Bora Vio and how the boys dealt with losing Omega that first time to Nala Se #< write them man i wanna hear them #considering i was just flying blind lol

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