Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The stale air of the underground cavern stirred slightly as Hunter folded his wings, the leathery appendages coming to rest at his side. His pupils expanded in the darkness, the orbs of black taking in any scraps of light that could be found. He could hear the faint mechanical clinking of Echo’s claws as his vod prowled forward, his one flesh limb raised mid-step as he regarded Hunter silently, waiting for the sergeant's orders. Around him, his brothers moved into position, muscles taunt and hearts beating faster than normal.

Rage thrummed through his armored chest, and he knew that his vode were feeling the same burning anger. It had been Tech who had discovered it; the hidden Kaminoan lab that had been sitting right beneath their own territory. Hunter’s youngest batchmate had been searching the nearby cave systems for rare mineral deposits when he’d smelled a stomach-turning and horribly familiar scent. It had been the same scent that had clung to their tiny bodies when their creators had pulled them out of the incubation tubes squeaking and kicking. It was a smell that had no place in their territory.

To build a lab right beneath their noses was simultaneously a genius idea and also something only a mad man would ever even consider doing. It was, after all, one of the last places Hunter and his brothers would have ever thought to look. But it was also the one place that they would defend with frightening ferocity. Their territory was the very first thing that had truly belonged to them, and Clone Force 99 was not about to let some long necked freaks take up residence in their home.

Hunter nodded, and they advanced, stalking through the shadowy stone corridors. Years of brutal training and combat experience had taught them how to be quiet when they needed to be, even when they were in their dragon forms. Sneaking around when you weighed well over five thousand pounds wasn’t easy, but they did it anyways. Their stealthy approach was not born out of fear, but rather a desire to surround their enemies. They didn’t want anyone in this diabolical place to be able to leave.

The cold stench of a sterilized lab made Hunter’s snout wrinkle in disgust, a low growl reverberating quietly in his chest. Memories of days spent cowering away from whirring machinery and razor-sharp needles flashed through his mind, and he narrowed his eyes.

The tunnel they had been moving through opened up above a wide open space, florescent lights beaming artificial light down onto various metal tables. Durasteel reflected the light, making the tables almost appear to be glowing. A Kaminoan scientist with pale, dust-coloured skin stood before one of the tables, a datapad clutched in one hand as he observed a set of Petri dishes, his dark blue eyes intently focused on his work.

Hunter raised a paw, making a slight circular motion before flicking it forward. Instantly, Crosshair leapt forward, his feathered wings snapping open. He was completely silent as he descended upon the unsuspecting Kaminoan, his claws unsheathing as he angled his body so that he would easily be able to crush the scientist’s neck. Too late, the Kaminoan spotted Crosshair out of the corner of his eye, and his scream was smothered before it could leave his throat. Curved black claws gripped the broken flesh for a moment longer, insuring that no breath would ever again pass through the crushed windpipe, before tossing the body aside.

The rest of the Bad Batch copied Crosshair’s initial movement, swooping down from their position above the room. Tech scooped up the discarded datapad, the light reflecting off of his gold-tinted goggles. He peered at it, eyes quickly flicking over the information.

“It seems that the Kaminoans are studying something called… midi-chlorians?” Tech hummed curiously. “I’ve never heard of such things.”

“Whatever they are, they won’t learn anything more about them. Come on.” Hunter said, moving towards the area’s exit. Tech placed the datapad onto the table, making a mental note to come back to it.

The group made their way through the next tunnel, following the dark, winding path down into the depths of the caverns. Soon, they came into an even bigger area that had been converted into the main lab. Moving machines emitted an ear-grating buzz, and Hunter found himself resisting the urge to press his paws over his ears. Crosshair came up beside him, speaking in a hushed voice.

“There’s five of them in here, two on the far left, three on the right, and one right below us.” He whispered, and Hunter glanced around the room to confirm Crosshair’s observation.

His brother was, of course, correct. Hunter had yet to live through a day where Crosshair’s sight had failed them. He contemplated the best plan of action for a moment.

“There’s nowhere for us to really hide, so we’re gonna rush ‘em.” He said quietly. “Wrecker, block that exit there. Don’t let any of them escape.”

Wrecker nodded, and Hunter held up three digits, putting them down one by one in a silent countdown. Once he reached zero, they descended.

Hunter dropped down right in front of the first unsuspecting Kaminoan, his claws ripping into the flesh of her stomach. She gasped, a spray of blue blood dripping onto the floor as she coughed. Years of building anger bubbled and spat inside Hunter, and he surged forward, gripping the scientist with his powerful jaws. He bit down, crushing part of her ribcage and shattering her shoulder bone. With a jerk of his head, he smashed her limp form into the wall, blood, brain matter, and bone splattered onto the rough surface. By the time he dropped the decimated corpse, his vode had almost finished off the others. Tech had one Kaminoan pinned by the throat, his teeth bared as his spines quivered in rage. Crosshair and Echo stood over the body of a bloodied female, and they had corned a quivering male that looked to be an assistant. Wrecker had handled the last one, his spiked tail stained with blue as he glared down at the broken body of another scientist.

Suddenly, a sound reached Hunter’s ears. He whipped his head upwards, blood dripping down his jaw and sliding down his armored neck. A small tunnel sat above the main exit, and although he saw no one, he could hear a racing heartbeat getting farther and farther away. He snarled and spread his wings out, stretching the powerful limbs. He threw himself at the wall, using his wings to give him an extra boost. His gray claws scraped at crevasses in the stone surface, catching just enough to allow Hunter to pull himself up into the tunnel.

He pulled his wings tight against his sides, his broad shoulders scraping the tunnels edges. His ears pricked forward, trying to discern where his prey was. The scent of incubation fluid was overwhelming now, the dragon shifter found himself holding his breath in an attempt to block out the smell.

Why was it so strong? Had a tube cracked and spilled?

The sound of glass shattering exploded in his ears, followed by angry and frightened yelling. Hunter picked up the pace, a sense of urgency filling him. More glass broke, and Hunter started to run as best he could, the rough stone of the tunnel walls scraping his scales. Eventually, a blue tinted light came into view, and the tunnel opened up into a smaller section of the caves.

The cold, blue glow of the incubation tubes cast long shadows around the room, reaching claws of inky blackness. Hunter blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light. He breathed, and nearly choked on the coppery scent that practically punched him in the snout. His eyes flew open, and he stared down at the blood-freezing sight before him.

Bodies. Three tiny bodies, covered in their own blood. Shards of broken glass covered the circular machine that had likely been keeping them alive in their incubation tubes up to this point. The little dragons ranged in ages from almost being ready to come out of their tube to obviously needing a few more weeks. The smallest one was splayed out on the flat surface of the machine, a large cut nearly cleaving them in half. The next was caught on a sharp piece of broken incubation tube, fresh blood dripping down the glass. Finally, the largest one almost seemed to have been trying to escape, half of their body draped over the shattered remains of their tube. Paper-thin wings drooped down, no hints of life to be found.

Hunter barely had time to take in what he was seeing when the source of the yelling came tumbling into view. Two Kaminoans were locked in a desperate battle. A pale, tan female with some sort of silver headpiece was gripping the wrists of a green male, some kind of sickle-shaped blade held firmly in one hand.

“Stop! I won’t let you destroy her! She is our last hope at regaining what we lost!” The female cried. Confusion prickled through Hunter for a moment, before he spotted a forth incubation tube, this one still intact.

“It’s over, Nala Se! The others are gone, but I wont let anyone use that clone for their own gain!” The male snapped, before kicking the female back. He raised the blade, crimson blood flashing in the icy light. Hunter jolted forward, wings smashing into the tunnel as he instinctively tried to fly down there and stop the Kaminoan before he could destroy the final incubation tube and the tiny life within it.

Suddenly, the female jumped in front of the path of the blade, the sharp metal embedding itself in her chest. She cried out in pain, gripping the weapon’s handle. Blue blood gushed out of the wound, pooling on the cave floor. The force of the hit made her crash into the remaining incubation tube, translucent blue fluid going everywhere and mixing with the blood that was soaking the ground.

At this point, Hunter had managed to get out of the small tunnel and onto the ground. He barreled into the green Kaminoan, throwing him across the room. The Kaminoan wheezed in pain, shakily trying to push himself up off the floor. He froze when Hunter growled, swamp-green eyes going wide when he realized what exactly had just hit him.

“W-wait-!” The pathetic man pleaded, but Hunter wasn’t listening. The sergeant let the anger that was coursing through his veins and let it pool in his chest. Heat began to gather, and wisps of smoke curled out of Hunter’s nostrils. Hunter drew in a deep breath, the heat in his chest moving up his throat until it was burning brightly right behind his teeth. Once his anger was at its boiling point, he opened his jaw and unleashed a blast of plasma, the white-hot bolt energy striking the scientist in the face. There was a brief shriek of fear, then silence.

A cough caught Hunter’s attention, and he looked over his shoulder towards the bloodied mess that his target had left behind. The female Kaminoan weakly moved aside bloody pieces of glass, each breath sounding as if it was an astronomical struggle. He prowled back towards her, carefully picking his way over the scattered shards. The scent of death was overwhelming, and he felt tears prick in the corners of his eyes as he saw, up close, the little ones that he would never get to know, their lives so cruelly taken from them. They would need to take them out of this place, to bury them somewhere where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Four little graves, markers of some kind placed over each but no names to inscribe upon them.

A wheeze made him lift his head to look at the final Kaminoan, watching as her breathing spasmed. Her death was near, and it would be far from painless. Surprisingly, when she looked at him, she smiled, tears of shock and pain dripping down her face.

He hadn’t known that Kaminoans could cry.

“H-her name,” her eyes flickered closed for a moment, and it was obvious that she was struggling to speak, “is Omega.” She coughed wetly, shifting her body slightly. Hunter could hear her heart stutter, the beat becoming unsteady, before finally stopping. The Kaminoan tensed, before relaxing, her dying breath escaping her blood-soaked lungs. Hunter’s ears flicked back in confusion. Her? Who was her? He stood there, perplexed by the woman’s dying words.

Then, a sound rang out into the still air.

It was quiet at first, nearly imperceptible, and Hunter first thought that perhaps the Kaminoan wasn’t actually dead. Then, it came again, louder this time. A tiny mew, raw and almost watery sounding. Stunned, Hunter gently pushed aside the scientist’s body, peering downwards. There, shivering and squirming in a mix of incubation fluid and blood, was a wet little ball of pale yellow fluff. Tiny white paws waved about in the air, grasping at nothing. Fuzzy, pint-size wings flapped weakly, smacking against the cold ground. A thin tail that sported a puff of pale feathers curled aimlessly, flicking back and forth.

It was a tiny, newborn, helpless cub.

Any anger that had been simmering in Hunter disappeared in an instant. He sheathed his claws and gently, oh so gently, lifted the baby up off the floor. The cub squeaked, crawling around his cupped paws. Wet peach fuzz fur brushed against Hunter’s scales, a stomach-turning mix of red and blue blood coagulated into a purple sludge sticking to the cub’s tiny body. The little one mewed in distress, shaking and shivering. At that moment, a long-dormant instinct activated. It flared to life, kicking into high gear at the sound of a cub in distress.

“Shh, ik’aad, shh.” Hunter soothed. “Gar're morut'yc jii.”

The tiny cub found no comfort from his voice, knowing only that they were cold and miserable. They cried louder, and Hunter felt his heart break. Acting on instinct, he started to groom the little baby, cleaning off the gunk and incubating fluid. The cub mewed and squeaked, but soon quieted down, making little “mrrp” sounds, like one might hear a Loth-kitten make. Soon, the little one was clean, and was mewing quietly, snuggling into Hunter’s paws. The dragon shifter smiled at the cub, his heart melting when he saw their little wings flutter about.

“You must be Omega.” He said quietly.

He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of using the name a Kaminoan had given her, but Omega wouldn’t be able to pick her own name for a while, so it would have to do. Carefully, he held Omega against his chest as he made his way back towards the tunnel, glancing sadly back at the bodies of Omega’s batchmates. While he was thrilled that Omega was alive, that didn’t change the fact that three other cubs had been murdered today. They would still need to dig graves.

Shaking his head, he focused his attention on getting Omega out of this terrible place. The original plan had been to search the place after taking out the Kaminoans, but things had changed. They would need to get supplies for Omega and figure out what to do next. He paused for a moment, thinking. What did you need to care for a newborn? Clones came out of the tubes close to being ready to talk, but Omega had to be far away from that point with how small she was. Was she suppose to be this small? Would that cause problems?

He needed Tech, his youngest vod would be able to find the information they would need.

Once he reached the other end of the tunnel, he stuck his head out, surveying the room. Wrecker was dragging a body into the corner of the room, stacking it on top of the others. Tech and Echo were searching the room, picking up datapads and glancing through the information. Crosshair was cleaning the blood off of his claws, spitting out the liquid with disdain. He glanced up at Hunter, quirking an eye ridge.

“What took you so long?” He asked, still cleaning his claws.

“They were cloning again.” Hunter responded, causing Crosshair to freeze.

“You’re karking kidding me.” Echo snarled. “How many?”

“Four.” Hunter said sadly. “One of the scientists was smashing the tubes open when I found them. We… we need to bury them.”

“By the Maker.” Crosshair growled under his breath. “What a mess.”

“I know, but…,” Hunter leapt down, bringing his paw away from his chest as his brothers moved closer to see what he was holding, “they didn’t get all of them.”

There was a collective gasp as he revealed the cub in his paw. Omega squeaked at the sudden movement, wriggling around and flicking her tail in disapproval.

“He’s so little.” Wrecker breathed.

“Actually, this little one is a girl. Her name is Omega.” Hunter said.

“A female clone? Why?” Echo questioned.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if the others were girls, or if she’s the exception.” Hunter admitted. “I’m not even sure why they made her.”

“Whatever the reason, she’s here now, although far earlier than she should be.” Tech said, reaching out and taking Omega from Hunter. Hunter’s claws twitched, like he wanted to snatch the cub back, but Hunter trusted Tech with his life, so he let his youngest vod take Omega.

“Judging by her size, she’s likely around two months premature.” He frowned. “I’m not sure we have the supplies to care for a cub her age.”

“So what do we do?” Echo asked. “Leave her with someone else?”

Even as he said the words, Hunter could hear in his tone that the idea didn’t sit right with Echo. The idea didn’t sit right with Hunter either, the idea of leaving the young clone with someone who wasn’t part of his family made his gut churn uncomfortably. He wanted to be able to make sure that Omega was getting the care she needed.

“No, not at all!” Tech said quickly, holding Omega closer to his chest. Hunter wondered if Tech was feeling the pull of the same new instincts he was. “But one of us will need to get to town quickly and buy some supplies. We’ll need lots of blankets, some small bottles and plenty of milk.”

“Milk?” Hunter questioned. “Why would she need milk?”

“Newborn dragon shifters, due to our mammalian half, need to drink their mother’s milk until they’re about eight months old. I doubt this ad'ika even has teeth yet.” Tech nudged Omega’s mouth, and the little cub latched onto his paw. “Yup, just gum.”

“Echo, Crosshair,” Hunter said, getting the two’s attention, “you two are the fastest fliers, can you go to town and get what we’re going to need?”

Echo nodded, and for once, Crosshair didn’t respond with any sass, nodding right along with him.

“Look for fathier milk. It will do the job until we can import some proper formula.” Tech said. “And make sure the bottles are small, get droppers if you have to. Oh, and a heating pad would be good to have as well.”

“Fathier milk, tiny bottles, blankets, and a heating pad.” Echo repeated. “Got it.”

The two dragons quickly made their way towards the exit, disappearing into the dark tunnel. Once they were gone, Hunter looked towards Tech and Wrecker.

“Tech, Wrecker, take Omega back to the base. I have to bury the other cubs.” He said solemnly.

Tech brought Omega protectively against his chest. She was too small to carry by her scruff, so they would, at some point, need to make her a carrier.

“Are you sure? One of us could stay and help you.” Tech offered.

“No, it’s alright. Go home and get her warm.” He said, nodding towards the exit.

Wrecker and Tech dipped their heads, making their way out, the latter shushing Omega as she started to squeak loudly again. As they left, Hunter climbed back up into the small tunnel, dreading what he had to do now.

It was nearly dawn when Hunter returned, now cleaned of blood and feeling quite miserable. He plodded into the base, wings and head drooped. He made his way into the centre of his home, spotting Tech and Wrecker resting side by side in the Central Nest.

The Central Nest was the nest all of the Bad Batch shared on days where they just needed the comfort. Back on Kamino, during the war, after a particularly hard training day or near death experience, they would all curl up together, making sure that they were all okay, reassuring each vod that the others were all still alive, that they hadn’t lost anyone that day.

Hunter could hear Omega’s little squeaks, and he smiled when he saw the little cub snuggling up to Wrecker, the large clone looking at her with an awed expression on his face.

“I can’t get over how tiny she is.” He said, scootching over as Hunter moved to settle down. “Do y’think we were ever this small?”

“At some point, I guess we must have been. I can’t imagine being out of the tube this early though.” Hunter said, watching as Omega squirmed about, trying to wiggle closer to Wrecker’s underbelly. “Is she cold?”

“Most likely.” Tech piped up. “At this age, she cannot regulate her body heat. Hopefully, Echo and Crosshair will return with blankets at least.”

“Do we have anything else we could use until they get back?” Hunter asked.

“I may have something in my nest, but I didn’t want to leave and risk her becoming even more cold.” He replied.

“Go, I’ll take your spot.” Hunter urged, and Tech got to his feet, padding towards the higher levels of the base.

Hunter moved beside Wrecker, resting his head on his paws. Now that a few hours had passed, Omega had fluffed right up. Her little wings were sticking out, fluttering every so often. A small crest of pale feathers had become noticeable on her head, sticking up at the back. He smoothed them down, causing the young clone to chirp and shuffle around to try and find him. Her little ears were still folded down and her eyes were sealed shut, so she had little to rely on as she crawled.

He moved his head closer to her, letting the baby clone snuggle up to him. Omega let out a shaky purr as she rubbed up against him, trying to get as close as possible. Hunter blinked at the touch, unused to the affection. He draped a paw over her, trying to keep her warm as they waited for Tech to come back.

Soon, after Tech had returned with a thin blanket, Echo and Crosshair returned. Tech took it upon himself to heat up the milk while Hunter swaddled Omega up, covering her in soft, warm blankets and furs. Once the milk was ready, Tech poured it into the smallest bottle any of them had ever seen before offering it to Omega.

It took a few tries before Omega figured out what to do, but as soon as she did she latched onto the bottle with a predatory fierceness. Her little claws popped out, scraping at the smooth plastic. She growled quietly, her wings flapping about.

Hunter found himself suppressing laughter as he watched the adorable display of aggression.

“My, someone was certainly hungry.” Crosshair joked.

“That’s normal. According to the information I’ve been able to find, if she’s going to survive these first few weeks, she’ll need to be fed every one to two hours.” Tech said.

“Every hour?” Hunter gaped.

Tech nodded. “Set your alarms, gentlemen. We’re going to have to take shifts.”

“Why does she need to eat so much?” Echo asked, petting Omega’s head lightly. “She’s so small.”

“She needs the nutrients. As she grows, she wont have to eat as often.” Tech explained. “Luckily for us, it seems like feeding times wont be too long.”

Hunter looked down, and saw that Omega was now sucking on an empty bottle. Carefully, he pulled it out of her mouth, leaving behind some drops of milk that had stuck to her muzzle. She growled quietly, a faint rumble that was barely even able to be called a growl. Tech reached forward and dabbed at her mouth with part of the blanket, and Omega snuggled down into the warm fabrics.

“I’ll take the first few feedings. Wrecker, think you can take over after me?” Tech asked. Wrecker nodded.

“Heh, sure! The kid’s like me, she loves to eat!” He crowed.

Omega thrashed at the sudden booming sound, squeaking in displeasure. Wrecker snapped his mouth shut, shrinking back meekly.

“That’s going to take some getting use to.” He whispered.

Crosshair smirked. “Oh? Does this mean I won’t have to deal with you keeping me up with all your yelling during game night?” The feathered dragon leaned over to smile at Omega. “You are my new favourite person, ad’ika.”

Omega leaned towards Crosshair, snuggling back down into the sea of blankets.

Chapter Text

For the next week, none of the Batch got much sleep. It was a constant cycle of refilling bottles and re-tucking blankets, always making sure that Omega was still breathing. Echo and Crosshair hadn’t been able to find a heating pad, so someone always had to be holding the pale little cub. Omega didn’t seem to mind being passed around, having now figured out that she was safe with whoever was holding her. She cried when she was hungry, but was otherwise very quiet, purring as she slept or drank the milk she was offered. Thankfully, she had a good appetite, and none of them ever had any trouble getting her to eat.

Currently, she was sucking down a bottle while Tech fiddled with a UV heat lamp that he had put together, her tiny paw gripping onto the tip of his tail as he swayed the appendage back and forth slowly, the older clone having coiled his tail gently around her to free up his paws. Every few seconds, the goggle-wearing dragon shifter would glance back, making sure that she was still drinking. Once he was done, he clicked the lamp on and brought her around to pluck her off his tail.

Tech set Omega down in a small, clear box, the bottom cushioned by blankets and covered by a soft fur pelt. He tucked the spotted pelt of some native woodland animal over the half-asleep cub, gently taking away the now empty bottle. She made a disgruntled sound, but settled when Tech smoothed down her crest of fluffy feathers. The Batch had discovered that this was one of her favourite soothing gestures, and Omega easily fell asleep under the gentle pets.

Tech watched with a tired smile on his face as the little cub’s breathing slowed down, pushing his goggles up and rubbing at his eyes. He’d been taking most of the feeding shifts, though not because his brothers had refused to get up, quite the opposite, actually. His vode had been more than willing to get up and feed Omega, but Tech had memorized the exact amount of milk and what the optimal temperature was for it to be heated to, so he felt that it would be best if he was the one who fed the little clone most of the time. When he had to relent and get some sleep, he made sure whoever was taking his shift knew exactly what to do.

Omega shifted, bringing Tech back from his inner musings. He’d created this incubator to insure that Omega would be kept warm and to prevent her from developing jaundice. He’d need to create a vitals monitoring system soon, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to take the time away needed to create it. A silent little voice told him to “always stay near by, don’t leave the baby alone”, and he found that he didn’t have the will to disagree. A part of him knew that, if he needed to, he could leave Omega alone, but he’d be very unhappy about it.

It wasn’t just him, either. All of his brothers seemed drawn towards the little bundle of fuzz. More than once, Tech had kept Hunter company during the night when his ori’vod would jolt awake, escaping the grasp of a nightmare where he had been too late.

Crosshair, though he liked to pretend that he felt indifferent towards Omega, would let the cub snuggle up to his feathered wings. Crosshair’s wings meant almost as much to him as his eyes, and he seldom even let his squadmates groom them.

Echo had dodged holding Omega at first, not wanting to risk hurting her with his metal prosthetics. It was only after a very sleepy Wrecker had placed Omega into his one remaining flesh limb that he actually held the little one for the first time. Tech had to threaten to remove his prosthetics in his sleep before Echo had finally relented and handed Omega over to him.

Wrecker had become astoundingly gentle, and had somehow managing to find a way to play with the premature baby. He would hold Omega just above the ground, moving his paw around while making spacecraft noises. Surprisingly, this seemed to be fun for Omega as well, as she would make happy little squeaks and flap her fuzzy, nubby wings.

“How did you manage to affect us this much, huh?” He mused quietly, stroking Omega’s wings. “You’re such a little thing, and we barely know you, yet I can’t imagine you not being here now.”

Omega yawned softly, rubbing a paw over her face.

Tech felt his smile grow, pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“Ah, there’s the answer to my question.” He said quietly. “You’re too cute not to have an effect on us.”

Suddenly, the need to yawn made itself known, and Tech stretched his jaws open, baring his teeth to the air. Pulling his paw away, he reluctantly turned around and made his way towards the ladder that led to the upper levels of the base. He kept climbing until he had reached the top floor, pulling himself up into their makeshift hanger. Behind him, the Havoc Marauder sat in the shadows, a toolbox left untouched due to all the recent excitement still waiting beside it. Tech briskly walked over to the toolbox and shut it before gripping it with his mouth and carrying it over to a nearby workbench. He set it down, then turned towards the large opening on the other side of the open space. There, perched upon a moss-covered rock column and covered by the dark cloak of night, was Crosshair. The sniper often had trouble sleeping, so he would stand guard for a few hours before attempting to sleep again. While Tech wished his batchmate would get more rest, but he was also grateful that he wouldn’t have to rouse Crosshair from slumber. The lithe dragon shifter detested being woken up.

“Cross,” Tech called, catching Crosshair’s attention. The bespectacled dragon tossed him the empty bottle, Crosshair catching it with ease, “your turn.”

“Alright.” The sniper’s brows furrowed as he spit out a toothpick that he’d been lightly chewing on. “Where’s the little one?”

“I made an incubator, she’s in there. You’ll just have to feed her in an hour or so.” Tech explained.

Crosshair nodded and spread his wings, gliding down from his perch and landing near the ladder. As he descended, Tech made his way over to the wall. A series of worn footholds came into view through the darkness and Tech stepped onto the first one. Soon, he reached a smooth ledge and climbed up onto it. Soft cushions and worn blankets took some of the ache out of his body as he settled down. He swept some papers and pieces of scrap out of the way with his tail, the prehensile limb curling around various tools and throwing them aside. With another yawn, Tech stretched his legs out before curling up in a loose ball, his heavy eyelids finally slipping shut.

Crosshair peered down at the sleeping cub for a moment, contemplating trying to sleep while he waited for the two hours to pass. The idea of resting next to a light source, however, did not appeal to him in the slightest, so he made his way towards the kitchen instead. He washed out the bottle, irritated by the fact that he hadn’t been able to find more bottles of this size. They had ordered some, along with some other supplies, but shipment to a planet this far out of the Republic’s reach took quite a bit of time to arrive.

Setting the bottle down to dry, Crosshair padded out of the kitchen and began to walk around the base, reveling in the quiet. Hunter and Wrecker were out hunting, and with Tech and Echo sleeping, the base was practically silent. He took a moment to stretch his wings, fanning out the black and red feathers. He ran the primary feathers through his mouth, twisting his neck as he preened. A twinge of pain rippled through his left wing, and Crosshair hissed through his teeth. Carefully, he checked over the muscular appendage until he found the source of his misery. A broken quill stuck out from his meticulously preened primaries, coated in dried blood. Gripping it, he pulled the broken pin feather free, spitting it out.

Fresh blood dripped out, and Crosshair cursed quietly. Keeping his wing outstretched, he stalked through the main floor, trying to remember where the medkit was on this level. Pale moonlight shone down on the sniper as he peered around the open space, making his scales appear as though they had been dipped in silver. A flash of white caught his eye, and he made his way over to the small kit. This one was made for them to use in their human forms, but he couldn’t be bothered to go hunting for the other one.

Flipping it open, he grabbed a bottle of diluted hydrogen peroxide and poured some onto a cotton ball, dabbing it onto the wound. Once he felt that it was clean, he placed a gauze patch onto the injured area. Satisfied, he packed up the supplies and put the kit back. The pressure burned a bit, but he knew that it was better than not dealing with the problem. Broken pin feathers, if left unplucked, would cause a dragon shifter extreme pain when they tried to shift back to their human form. Giving the limb a quick stretch, he sighed in relief when he felt the joint pop, folding the wing back against his side.

Skkrrriich!

Crosshair’s ears fell forward, his head swiveling towards the entrance to the base. His muscles tensed as he slowly walked forward, his claws unsheathing. His feathers bristled as he sniffed the air, trying to discern what had made the noise.

The scent of an animal reached him, musky and bitter. Crosshair slunk down into a crouch, ears swiveling around as he reached the open mouth of the base. Spongy moss quieted his footfalls, and he scanned the forest that surrounded his home. Large gray rocks covered in abundant amounts of lush, green moss were scattered everywhere, sometimes covered by the twisting roots of ancient trees. A cool spring breeze drifted by, and Crosshair raised his head, his keen eyes spotting something out of place.

A pair of luminous green eyes reflected the silvery light of the moon as if they were small pools. Six sharp talons that gripped the curving root of a gnarled old tree that had been struck by lightning some time ago. A pair of short, fat wings were partially extended, little spots of white sticking out against dark green feathers. The animal was as still as a statue, locking eyes with Crosshair. The sniper stared back, a silent challenge. The feline-like creature opened its jaws and let out a shrieking yowl, exposing a set of long, curved fangs. It launched itself at Crosshair, wings snapping open. Crosshair bared his teeth, extending his wings and charging forward.

The two creatures collided, snapping and biting at each other. Crosshair sunk his teeth into the animal’s wing as it kicked at his underbelly, claws scrapping at the armored segments. They crashed to the ground, growling and snarling. The creature was large and strong, and the sniper was not used to fighting in close combat, but Crosshair was determined to get the danger away from his sleeping family. He slammed a powerful wing into the animal’s jaw, knocking it back. The creature shook itself off, circling Crosshair. It looked between him and the entrance to the base, and Crosshair growled in warning. From here, he could see the animal’s ribs, and that made him feel a bit nervous. Starving animals were desperate, and this one clearly had not eaten in a while.

Suddenly, the creature jumped into the air, wings flapping so hard they were nearly buzzing. It zipped towards the entrance to the base, and a flash of rage surged through Crosshair. He snarled and leapt forward, surging upwards and grabbing one of the animal’s hind legs. He jerked his head back, slamming the creature into a nearby stone. He heard a muffled crunch, and the animal screamed in pain as its ribs broke. Taking advantage of the animal’s weakness, Crosshair forced the animal onto its back and slashed open its concave stomach, fresh blood and warm guts spilling out onto the forest floor.

The predator let out a gurgling yell, talons thrashing about wildly. One managed to nick Crosshair’s muzzle as he leaned down to finish the animal off, irritating the sniper further. He hissed and brought his paw down on the animal’s throat, his black claws sinking into the tender flesh and muscle as rivets of blood bubbled up and gushed out. He tore open a hole in the creature’s neck, silencing it forever.

Panting and shaking with adrenaline, Crosshair opened his wings and flew back up into the base. He leaned against the cool stone for a moment once he was inside, taking a second to breathe. His heart was pounding, and his wings trembled with unreleased energy. Just then, another sound reached the dragon shifter’s ears.

“Eeek!”

The distraught squeak made him rush forward, leaving behind a trail of blood spots. Inside the incubator, Omega had wiggled out from underneath the pelt and was now pawing at the clear walls, shaking and shivering. Crosshair went to reach for her, but quickly remembered that he was covered in blood. He rushed to the kitchen and washed the blood off his paws and face before running back. He scooped Omega up, holding her to his chest and murmuring quiet apologies.

“Did that animal wake you? I’m sorry, ik’aad.” He said softly.

Omega let out a short series of “mrrp”s, sniffing the air. After a few moments, she relaxed a bit and snuggled up to Crosshair, letting out quiet cries.

“Are you hungry, little ‘un? Come on, let’s get you your milk.” Crosshair made his way into the kitchen and, knowing that Tech would ream him out if he didn’t, carefully measured out the amount of milk that his youngest vod had drilled into his head was correct.

Once he had heated it up and tested the temperature, he filled up the bottle, screwed on the nipple, and tried to give the bottle to Omega.

She turned away, burying her face in his neck.

Crosshair blinked. Omega hadn’t ever refused her milk before.

“Come now, drink your milk.” He urged, gently tapping the nipple against the cub’s mouth.

Omega whined and mewed, turning away again.

A ripple of panic shot through the sniper. The sudden and drastic change of behaviour left him feeling helpless, and, although he’d never admit it, a little scared.

Not knowing what to do, he rushed over to the incubator and put Omega back down, draping the pelt over her. Instantly, she started crying loudly, squirming around and moving her head back and forth. Crosshair grit his teeth and forwent the ladder, choosing instead to break their No Indoor Flying rule. Once he reached the top floor, he landed inside Tech’s little hideaway. Normally, he’d respect his vod’s privacy, but desperate times called for sudden change. He reached forward and shook Tech awake, barely having to touch the younger dragon shifter before he was shooting up in his nest.

“What?” He asked rapidly, blinking away sleep.

“Tech, something’s wrong with Omega.” Crosshair said quickly.

Within seconds, Tech was out of bed and flying down to the lower levels. With the base so quiet, the cubs cries easily reached even the highest level, and as Crosshair made his way back down, he could see that Echo was waking up.

Folding his wings, he dropped through the air, pulling up just before he hit the ground. With a few powerful flaps, he landed next to Tech, who was now holding a distraught Omega.

“What happened?” He asked, and Crosshair could see that his pupils had dilated from stress.

“I don’t know! I had to leave her alone for a minute to go fight off some mangy forest beast, and when I came back, she was crying. I tried to feed her, but she wouldn’t drink. She started crying like that when I put her back down.” Crosshair explained, his ears folding down as the tiny cub continued to wail as loudly as she could.

Tech’s ears twitched in a way that Crosshair knew meant that he had figured something out.

“So, she woke up, and you weren’t there?” He asked, wanting to be sure.

“Yes. Like I said, some cat… thing was going to try and eat her, so I dealt with it.” Crosshair growled.

Tech’s eyes softened, loosing some of their wildness. “Cross, Omega was probably scared. She’s never woken up alone before. She can’t see or really hear yet, so smell and touch is all she has to go off. She just wanted to be held.”

The younger clone handed the cub over to Crosshair, and sure enough, after Omega had figured out who was holding her, she quieted down, gripping his paw with her own as best she could. Crosshair exhaled, relief flooding him. He gently smoothed down Omega’s ruffled feathers, calming himself down. Omega purred, snuggling closer to her fellow feathered dragon shifter.

Suddenly, there was a stirring of wings, and Echo appeared, his eyes full of worry.

“I heard crying. What was wrong?” He questioned.

“Crosshair had to fight off a predator, and Omega woke up alone. She was scared, but she’s calmed down now.” Tech said.

Echo cast a concerned look at Crosshair, wincing when he saw the bleeding cut on his nose.

“That looks like it hurts. I’ll go get the medkit.” He said.

Crosshair scoffed. “It’s just a scratch.”

“Yes, but you received it from a wild animal.” Tech argued.

“I’m a wild animal.” Crosshair grumbled, but didn’t argue when Echo cleaned his cut and plastered a bandage on his snout.

Once that was done and the medkit had been put away, the three clones settled down in the Central Nest. Once everyone was comfortable and Omega had been swaddled in more than enough blankets, Crosshair tried to feed Omega again. This time, the much happier and calmer cub readily accepted the bottle, guzzling down the milk. When she was done, the little girl yawned and nuzzled Crosshair, cuddling up underneath the sniper’s chin.

Chapter Text

At first, the Voice had been quiet.

She could barely hear it for the longest time, always too far away. Back when everything had been cold and still. Cold and still, those were the words that the Voice had taught her. Words had been something that the Voice had taught her too.

The Voice had taught her everything, and had been everything.

Then, something changed.

There had been a loud sound, and then she’d been moving. Down, down, down, until she’d finally felt more cold. She’d cried then, not knowing how to do anything else. Smells, as the Voice called them, were everywhere, sharp and bad.

But then the first Warmth had found her.

She’d been taken away from the cold and the smells, and she’d been covered in warm and good, and she’d tried to get as close as possible. She’d never wanted to be anywhere else.

But then she’d started to figure out that the Warmth might actually be more than one thing.

When the bad smells had gone away, she’d began to smell other things. The Voice taught her new words as she puzzled over what the smells were. Smells like pine and leather and smoke became her most liked smells, because she knew that they belonged to one of the Warmths.

Leather Warmth had given her the first soft thing. It had been so nice, and she hadn’t wanted to let it go when something tried to take it from her. But then she’d been given something even softer, which she hadn’t even known was possible.

Sky Warmth was the softest Warmth. He had feathers, like she did. She didn’t know what feathers were, but the Voice had told her that she had them. Sometimes, when things were very quiet, he’d sing to her. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she could pick up on the way the words sounded different.

Smoke Warmth was fun! He played with her, and although she wasn’t really sure what was going on, she liked it. He was loud sometimes though, and she didn’t like that.

Storm Warmth wasn’t around her much in the beginning, but then he’d suddenly been holding her. Sometimes, she’d feel something a little cold when he held her, but he had a thrum in him was nice to listen to. He liked to talk to her too, and she wished that she could hear his words better.

Pine Warmth was the First Warmth, the one who had taken her away from the bad. He’d shown her love, and he’d done something very special. He’d given her a name.

When he’d first spoken it, she hadn’t known what he had said. But then the Voice had told it to her, saying that it was what she was called. It was her word.

Omega.

The Warmths spoke it softly, and always with love. She liked hearing it, liked knowing that she had a name. Once it had been said, the Voice started using it, calling to her softly, always softly. It sang out when everything else was quiet, letting her know that she wasn’t alone.

It was doing that now, calling to her with her name.

‘Omega… Omega…’

‘Open your eyes…’

Omega didn’t know what “eyes” were, or what “open” was, but she knew that something was telling her what she needed to do. It was something that wasn’t the Voice, yet it too had always been there. It told her to sleep when she grew tired, and to drink when the Warmths would bring her sweet milk.

Slowly, some part of her moved, and something she somehow knew as light appeared.

And then, the world appeared before her.

Words exploded into her mind as she saw for the first time. The familiar darkness disappeared, replaced by a new darkness. Colour became something she knew, and she saw it everywhere. There was red beneath her, coming from the soft thing she was lying on. Gray surrounded her, sometimes broken by patches of green. But the most colour she saw was something the Voice called silver. It shone down from somewhere beyond what Omega could see.

‘Go…’ The Voice urged, louder and clearer than it had ever been. ‘Go see the sky... It’s waiting for you…’

She could feel it, the urge to move forward, to see the “sky”. But she was still tired, and the soft thing she was laying on was warm. Stretching, she curled back up, the familiar darkness returned.

The sky would have to wait.

Hunter ran a paw over his eyes, blinking a few times. The pale light of the rising sun cast a gentle glow into their base, reflecting off his scales. Faintly, he could hear Tech fiddling with the heat lamp, cursing as he dropped some kind of small tool. The damn thing had broken last night, which meant another night of piling together in the Central Nest to keep Omega warm.

Speaking of, it was time to wake the cub so that she could eat. It had been around two weeks now, and while she had grown a bit, Omega was still rather small. With a yawn, Hunter rose to his feet and moved towards a small red blanket that lay beside a still snoozing Wrecker. The pale yellow baby had rolled away from Wrecker in her sleep, limbs sprawled out in every direction. Hunter reached down and gently picked her up, smiling when she rubbed at her snout.

Then, slowly, her eyes cracked open, revealing two orbs of a brilliant honey-brown colour.

Hunter gasped softly, his heart rate increasing as a wave of emotions crashed over him. Omega blinked, sniffed the air once, then let out a happy squeak, her wings buzzing in excitement.

“Tech,” He called in an excited whisper, “c’mere!”

Tech gave Hunter a confused, and slightly irritated, look, but came over, his goggles resting above his eyes. Hunter eagerly handed the fuzzy cub over to his vod.

Tech looked down at Omega.

Omega looked up at Tech.

Tech face broke out into a wide grin.

“Well hello there, ad’ika.” He cooed, smiling even wider when Omega reached her paws up towards him, gently patting the end of his snout.

While Tech fawned over Omega, Hunter roused the other Bad Batchers. Wrecker and Echo grumbled a bit, but slowly started to wake up. Crosshair, on the other hand, kicked Hunter in the chest when the sergeant tried to wake him. It wasn’t hard enough to do any damage, but it still hurt.

“Oh, get up, utreekov. You’re missing a milestone.” Tech said, whacking Crosshair lightly with his tail.

“What milestone?” Echo asked, stretching.

“Omega’s eyes opened today.” Hunter explained.

That got the clones’ attention. Wrecker stumbled to his feet and eagerly looked over Hunter’s shoulder, letting out an “aww!” when Omega turned towards him. Echo smoothed down her feathers, his eyes soft and full with love as the little cub mewed and nuzzled into his touch. Even Crosshair shook off his tiredness and peered at the little dragon shifter, a rare smile coming onto his face when Omega blinked at him.

“She’s going to want to get into everything now.” He said, gently petting her beneath her chin. “I can see the curiosity in her eyes already.”

Tech paled a bit, looking around the base. “Oh Maker we need to cub-proof this place immediately.”

He handed Omega back to Hunter, who tucked her into the crux of his elbow. She played with his paw as the group watched Tech start to break the many stalagmites that littered the floor of their base, gripping the sharpened points and putting them into a pile. Echo joined him, his metal prosthetics making easy work of destroying the pointed rocks.

“Guys, she can’t even walk yet.” Wrecker said.

“She’ll be able to soon. In a month or so, she’ll be taking her first steps. And before then, she’ll be crawling around. I don’t want her hurting herself.” Tech replied.

“I’ve heard that natborn parents sometimes put their kids in padded “playpens”, perhaps we should build one?” Crosshair suggested, moving his wing away from Omega as the young cub tried to reach his feathers. She reached forward, making grabby paws. “And we should pick up some toys, unless the rest of you want to become living jungle gyms.”

“I didn’t see many toys for little ones Omega’s age while we were in town. We might have to do an off world shopping trip.” Echo commented.

Hunter rubbed his chin. “Rex invited us to come see that safe haven the 501st, 212th, and their generals were making on Kashyyyk a few months ago. Sanctuary, right? Maybe we could go visit them while were out.”

“Omega’s immune system isn’t developed enough for travel yet. I’ve read that babies get antibodies from their mother’s breast milk that help them build immunity. Since Omega has no mother to get these antibodies from, she’ll be more susceptible to illnesses.” Tech nudged chunks of stone into a pile, sweeping shards with his tail. “So some of us will have to stay here if we need to go off world.”

Wrecker frowned. “What happens if Omega gets sick? We don’t really have much medicine here, and I don’t think she’d like needles or pills very much.”

Hunter’s ears folded back. That was true; they didn’t have much medicine on hand, and certainly not any that was meant for young children. What was fine for them would possibly kill Omega.

“Okay, we definitely need to make an off world supply run. The last thing we need is for Omega to eat a bug or something and get sick and we don’t have any medicine for her.” He said, gently rubbing Omega’s stomach. The fuzzy little baby gummed his paw, kicking her paws. “Oh, is it snack time, ik’aad?”

“We’re nearly out of milk, so we should look for some building supplies when we make the next trip to town.” Echo gathered up the sharp bits of stalagmites. “Wrecker, you want to come with me tomorrow?”

“Sure. Its been a while since I went to town.” The bulky dragon replied. “It’s a shame we can’t bring Omega. She’d probably love to see everything.”

“Hmm, I think I have the materials to craft a birikad. She’s too young to take to town yet, but it would be good to take her out into the sun for a bit each day.” Tech pushed down his goggles, the yellow-tinted circles sliding down over his eyes.

“Do you even know how to make one of those?” Echo asked.

“I will by this evening.” The smaller clone responded.

Omega mewed, letting everyone know that she was still hungry. Hunter shifted her in his arm and started towards the kitchen, hushing the fussing baby. Once he had a bottle ready, Omega reached up for it, squeaking happily. As soon as it was in her mouth, she started to suckle quietly, purring as her eyes drooped until only a thin sliver of brown could be seen. Every few breaths, she would open her eyes wider and look up at Hunter, adoration shining within the round orbs.

The sergeant’s pupils expanded, a surge of fluttery feelings buzzing in his chest. He leaned down and nuzzled her, her soft downy feathers tickling his nose. Omega leaned into the nuzzle, and he could smell the sweet scent of milk that clung to her. He let a rumbling purr build in his throat, any built up stress melting out of him. The little cub pressed her face into his throat, disappearing from sight.

Hunter carried Omega to the entrance of the base, a cool spring breeze rustling the spines and feathers that ran from the space between his eyes down to the base of his neck. He extended his wings slightly, curving them inwards to block out any wind that might make his precious cargo cold. Omega shifted, staring out at the dawn-lit wild landscape before them. The early rays of sun shone down on the two dragon shifters, pale and not yet warm. The young cub looked out at the world for the first time, eyes wide with wonder. Her still folded ears perked up slightly as a distant bird song rang out into the quiet morning air. She squinted as she looked up at the sky, her tiny wings twitching like she was preparing to leap into the air.

Hunter smiled fondly at Omega, chuckling softly. “You’ll be ready to fly some day, ad’ika, but you’ve got to grow a few more feathers first.” He said, petting her nubby wings.

Omega unlatched from the bottle’s nipple, chirping at Hunter. She wriggled forward, head swinging around as she took everything.

“This is your home, Omega, and when you’re older we’ll take you to explore it.” He said, smoothing down her feathery crest. “And there are so many worlds beyond this one that you’ll see one day, so many people you’ll meet. You have so many brothers who are going to love you.”

As he said the word “brother”, his snout wrinkled a bit. The title didn’t seem to fit. Surprisingly, when he thought about it, he didn’t see Omega as a sister. No, she felt more like a... like a daughter to him, and he was fairly certain his brothers felt the same.

“Hmm, I guess they’ll be your bavodu'e then.” Hunter concluded, nodding his head when the title seemed to fit.

Suddenly, the fuzzy cub squeaked when a gust of wind blew from the front, shrinking back against Hunter. The dragon shifter covered the two of them with his black wings, a small gradient of red running along the edge of the wing membrane. Omega let out a quiet “eeh” and snuggled closer to Hunter’s throat, tail curling around her back paws.

“Let’s get you inside. Don’t need you catching a cold.” He said, turning away from the forest and heading back inside.

Chapter Text

“Ker-choo!”

Echo’s ears twitched, his eyes opening a crack. He raised his head off the ground, the dim light of the heating lamp allowing him to see. He peered into the incubator, sleep making his vision slightly blurred.

Omega was lying down on a soft, leaf green blanket, her eyes opened just a bit. She exhaled, and Echo’s ears pinned back when it came out as a wheeze. He sat up, gently pressing his paw against her forehead. She felt warm to the touch, but that could be from the heating lamp. Suddenly, the little cub’s nose scrunched up, and she let out a tiny sneeze.

“Osik.” Echo cursed, scooping her up and bringing her close to his chest. She flopped over in his paw, weakly mewing her displeasure at the sudden movement. The ARC trooper muttered apologies as he extended his wings, the muscles aching slightly from the sudden sharp movement. He’d just returned from a trip to town earlier that day, and the long flight, along with carrying supplies, had tired him out. While he and his squadmates were in no way out of shape, they no longer had to attend brutal daily exercises on Kamino ever since the war had ended and they had made themselves disappear off the Rebublic’s radar.

Kicking off the ground, Echo ascended to the third level of the base. As he reached the top, he nearly flew right into Crosshair, who was starting to head down the ladder, likely to relieve Echo of his babysitting duties.

“Haar’chak! Echo, what the hell are you doing?” The sniper hissed, his crest of feathers lowering back down from its raised position.

“The kid is sick.” Echo replied, and Crosshair dropped his angry expression.

“What?” Crosshair’s eyes fell to the pathetic-looking ball of ruffled feathers and fuzz that was wheezing in Echo’s paw. “Oh shit, she really is sick. She’s not supposed to be sick. How is she sick? Clones don’t get sick.”

“They do if they don’t get their vaccines.” The elder clone explained. Crosshair’s eyes widened a bit in realization, and he pinched the bridge of his snout.

“Right. Right, of course.” He dragged his paw down his face, the dark bags under his eyes betraying how tired he was. “Maker damn it- okay give her to me and go wake Tech. The two of you need to shift and get the ship ready. I’ll pack a bag and get Hunter and Wrecker up.”

“Why do we need to get the ship ready?” Echo questioned, carefully handing Omega over to the tired dragon shifter.

“We have nothing to give her that wont make her keel over. We need to find somewhere to take her for help before she gets worse.” He explained, before letting go of the ladder and dropping down into the darkness.

Echo, trusting his younger vod to get things ready, flew over to where Tech slept. His youngest squadmate was still awake, laser focused on the leather pouch-like baby carrier he was working on. The sound of Echo’s wing beats made him turn his head, his head cocking slightly in confusion.

“Do you need something?” He asked.

“Omega’s sick. We need to get her help off world, so shift and get the ship started.” Echo said, and Tech’s ears went back.

“She’s sick? Where is she? How do you know?” He questioned, getting up.

“Cross has her, he’s getting a bag together. She was sneezing and wheezing and she may have a fever. You can check on her when we get on the ship, so hurry up and shift so we can go, unless you feel like staying?” Echo didn’t think that Tech would, and he was proven right when Tech shook his head.

“Don’t even think about leaving without me here. I’ll be ready in a moment.” The goggle-wearing shifter said, nudging Echo out of his nest area.

Echo glided over to his own room, retrieving his human form prosthetics. Setting them down within arms reach, he removed the prosthetics he was currently wearing. Once he was ready, he willed the change to begin. Slowly, his wings and tail receded in as he began to shrink. His muzzle shortened as his teeth went back into his gums, some blood dripping down into his mouth. Echo winced as a sudden feeling of whole body temporary paresthesia came over him, his bones shifting as his body changed.

Finally, he was in his halfway shifted form. Stretching out his now much smaller wings, he reached down and started to reattach the prosthetics. Once he was done, he allowed himself a moment to adjust. His body always ached after he shifted, and although he could jump right into action if he needed to, Echo preferred not to, as doing so meant that the pain would be worse later.

Exhaling, he wiped his mouth and stood, stretching his limbs and trying to remember how to find his balance in his human form. It had been at least a year since he had shifted, preferring, like his brothers, the strength and freedom that came with their dragon forms. Once he could move around without wobbling, he threw on some clothes and moved towards the entrance to his sleeping area. Popping his joints, Echo spread his wings and swooped down to the floor, pulling his legs forward as he landed next to the ship.

Tech was already on board, his wings flapping with unreleased stress. His hands flew across the console with practiced ease, his touch gentle as he handled his beloved spacecraft. The Havoc Marauder was Tech’s baby, and he would never rush a start up if he could help it. As he started up the engine, Wrecker flapped up to the third floor, a swaddled Omega in his arm. Echo went out to meet the heavy-hitter, ready to take the sick baby from him so he could shift.

Just as he reached out to scoop Omega up, the cub opened her eyes. Upon spotting Echo, she screeched in alarm, causing the ARC trooper to reel back in shock. Omega rapidly squeaked loudly, her throat sounding raw as she tried to make herself disappear by burrowing down into the mass of blankets she was wrapped in.

Wrecker’s ears went back, his wings flaring up in surprise and alarm at Omega’s sudden outburst. “Hey kid, what’s wrong?” He asked quickly, nudging her with his snout. “It’s just Echo, you know him.”

She cowered into him, shivering. Suddenly, Echo had a moment of realization.

“She’s never seen me like this, she probably doesn’t recognize me.” He said. “And since she’s sick, she might not be able to smell my scent very well either. Here, pass her over.”

Wrecker did so, much to Omega’s displeasure. She squeaked loudly, wiggling and flapping her wings. Once Echo had her close enough, she changed tactics when she realized Wrecker wasn’t going to help her. She flattened herself down as best she could, going completely silent. Echo lifted the swaddled cub up and nuzzled her, whispering softly.

“Hey there, ik’aad. It’s me, Echo. I know I look a bit different, but I promise that it’s still me.” He murmured, giving her a smile.

Omega tentatively sniffed at him, her still halfway folded ears perking up as he spoke. After a moment, she relaxed, cocking her head slightly as she reached a paw out and touched his face, patting his nose as if to ask “what happened to your face?”

Suddenly, she coughed, her tiny body shaking. Echo bundled her back up, tucking the blankets over her paws as Omega sniffed miserably.

“Go shift and meet us on the ship as quickly as you can.” Echo commanded, and Wrecker nodded.

Echo brought Omega onto the ship, rocking her gently as he moved over to the pilot seat.

“What’s the plan?” He asked.

Tech turned the seat, standing up to move towards the holotransceiver.

“We’re calling Rex. He’ll know where clone and dragon shifter friendly medical centers are.” Tech replied.

Echo felt anger ripple through him. Despite the fact that the clones had liberated and defended many planets, much of the galaxy saw them as being subhuman. There was also an added prejudice against dragon shifters, whom many believed to be nothing more than feral, savage animals.

Like Force-sensitive individuals, anyone could be born a dragon shifter. Genetics could play a role in it, but it could also be completely random. No one was quite sure what determined who was born a dragon shifter and who wasn’t, and perhaps that was how they avoided being hunted to extinction. Luckily, the Bad Batch had managed to find a planet that actually worshiped people like them, and although they avoided the town most days, they did make a point to patrol the area once a month to ensure that there was no threat against the people that adored and accepted them so much.

Echo stood next to Tech as they waited for Rex to answer. After a tense moment of silence, the wavering blue hologram of their ori’vod appeared before them.

“Echo! Tech! It’s been so long! How are you?” The captain greeted cheerily, sipping a mug of caf.

“We’re alright Rex, how are things on your end?” Echo asked.

“Good, good. Cody finally got the balls to start courting General Kenobi.” The man chuckled. “Anyways, what can I do for you?”

“We need the location of any medical centers that treat people like us.” Tech said.

Rex’s brow furrowed. “Shit, is someone hurt?”

Echo cleared his throat. “Actually, we need to find some medicine for this little one.”

He pulled away some of the blankets and turned Omega towards Rex. The little cub sneezed, her wings popping out of the blanket. The elder clone’s eyes widened visibly, and a look of surprise washed over his face.

“What in the- Echo, who’s kid is that?” Rex questioned.

“Um, all of ours sir, I guess. We found a Kaminoan base not too long ago, and they had started cloning again. Omega here was the only survivor.” He explained.

Rex placed a hand over his mouth, and Echo could practically feel the conflicting emotions rolling off his old friend. Anger at the Kaminoans, delight at the newest addition to their family, worry over her poor health.

“Bring her here to Sanctuary. We have plenty of medicine for little’uns, since General Skywalker’s mate had twins a few years ago, and I can promise you that she’d be safe here.” Rex said, setting down his mug. “I know Kix will be more than willing to treat her.”

“Are you sure? We wouldn’t want to impose.” Tech said.

“Impose? Have you been away so long that you’ve forgotten we’re vode? Your squad will always be welcome here.” Rex said with a smile.

Echo sighed. “Alright, send us the coordinates and we’ll be there as soon as possible.”

Rex nodded. “I’ll make sure Kix knows you’re coming.”

After a moment, Tech received the coordinates as the rest of the Bad Batch piled onto the Havoc Marauder.

“Captain Rex.” Hunter greeted, taking Omega from Echo and checking her over.

“Hunter. So, when were you planning on telling us that we have a niece?” Rex asked, crossing his arms.

Hunter smiled, feeling a bit sheepish. “When she was old enough to travel.”

“How old is she?” Rex asked.

“Just over a month old.” Hunter replied.

Rex’s eyebrows raised. “She’s small for her age. Are you not feeding her or something?” He asked jokingly.

“Trust me, she eats plenty. She came out of her tube pretty early, but I thought that she’d be bigger now too.” Hunter mused.

“Maybe they didn’t enhance her growth.” The captain theorized.

Hunter looked down at Omega as his brothers chatted with the captain or, in Tech’s case, got the ship ready to go. Was Omega unenhanced? How slowly would she grow, then? Clones usually grew rapidly in their youth before slowing down when they reached adulthood, but if Omega was different, then there was a chance that she would age like a natborn.

The thought didn’t bother him, he found. He was glad that Omega wouldn’t have to grow up as quickly as they had. Memories of sharp growing pains made Hunter wince, and he shook the memories away quickly.

“Looks like you’ll be going on your first adventure sooner than we thought little one.” He sighed, petting Omega’s forehead. While she was bigger now that he was in his human form, she was still very small, so he could hold her in one arm as he comforted the fussy sick baby.

“Here,” Wrecker said, holding something out to Hunter, “I grabbed Lula for ‘er. Thought she might help her feel a bit better.”

Hunter took his vod’s beloved Tooka doll and handed it to Omega. The cub sniffed and weakly gripped the stuffed animal, her head leaning over Lula’s shoulder.

“We’re good to go.” Tech called. “Buckle up!”

Hunter took a seat, holding Omega close to his chest as the ship roared to life, the familiar thrum of the engine sending vibrations through the sergeant’s body.

“Hold on, ik’aad. We’re going to get you help.”

Chapter Text

The lush landscape of Kashyyyk zipped by beneath the ship, a spray of rain splattering down on the windshield. Tech’s eyes scanned the vast collection of enormous trees, looking for a break in the canopy that Rex had described as being a key landmark. Apparently, although Sanctuary was supposedly built within a large caldera, it was very hard to spot from the air.

His ear twitched as Omega coughed wetly beside him, Wrecker making a quiet noise of distress as he shifted in the co-pilot seat, bringing a small bowl closer to Omega. Not too long after they had left, the poor cub had started to puke her guts up. The journey had been filled with the heartbreaking cries of a sick baby that didn’t know how to handle being ill.

“She’s not lookin’ too good, Tech.” He said, looking over at his youngest vod. “You see that spot yet?”

“Not yet… wait, there it is!” Tech replied, finally spotting a clearing and starting to bring the ship down.

“Thank the Maker.” Wrecker breathed. “Is Rex meetin’ us there?”

“That’s what he said. Kix is waiting for us at the entrance to Sanctuary as well.” Tech said, looking over at Omega. “Most clones have never dealt with a sick child before, I just hope that Kix can figure out what’s wrong with her. That he can help her.”

Wrecker sighed and smoothed down her crest of feathers, gently petting Omega’s head as she wheezed softly.

“Maybe she’s dyin’.” He said quietly after a moment of silence, causing Tech’s head to snap up.

“Don’t say that!” He hissed, his ears flicking back and his wings raising defensively.

“Well it’s not that unlikely!” Wrecker argued. “She’s so small, anythin’ could take her out.”

“She is not dying, Wrecker.” Tech said with a note of finality. “I won’t allow it.”

“You won’t allow it?” The elder clone questioned.

“Nope. I’m running on about three hours of sleep over the past three days and I’m ready to fight death itself.” Tech growled, tightening his grip on the ship’s controls.

“Point taken. Just don’t kill us on the way down, okay?” Wrecker replied, swallowing nervously.

Rex stepped away from the root he was leaning against as the familiar rumble of a ship’s engine reached his ears. The leaves of the canopy rustled as the Havoc Marauder set down, a cloud of dust kicking up. Once the dust settled, the ship’s ramp descended, and five familiar faces walked down.

“Morning, men. How was the flight?” He asked.

“Omega was sick on the way over, but other than that we didn’t have any issues.” Tech said, rubbing a hand over his face and pinching his eyes.

Rex frowned, stepping forward. “Was it from the motion?”

“No, we were flying smoothly when it happened.” The younger man sighed, sounding exhausted. In fact, they all looked like they hadn’t had a proper night of sleep in weeks.

“Then let’s get her to Kix.” Seeing the worry on Tech’s face, Rex put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, kids get sick. It happens. She’ll be okay.”

Tech exhaled, giving Rex a small, tired smile.

“Now, where’s my niece?” He asked, and Tech raised his tail towards Wrecker. The clone captain made his way over to the scarred man, who handed him a bundle of cloth.

“Don’t drop her.” He joked, but Rex could catch the underlying threat of “if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

Rex shifted the bundle into his arm and pulled back the blankets. A tiny, fuzzy, pale yellow muzzle stuck out, the movement accompanied by a kitten-like sneeze. Big, tired brown eyes peered up at him, and the little cub mewed questioningly at Rex.

“Well hello there, cyar’ika. I’ve heard that you aren’t feeling well.” He said softly, his heart melting at the sight of the tiny dragon shifter.

Omega huffed, as if to say “no shit.”

“Let’s go get you fixed up.” Rex hummed, tucking the blankets back in. With a wave of his hand, he led Clone Force 99 into the heart of the forest.

It didn’t take too long to reach the mouth of a vine-covered tunnel. Suddenly, Hunter came up beside him, looking around at the trees.

“Rex, there are people watching us.” He said in a low voice, ears pointed back.

Rex nodded. “Don’t worry, that’s just Waxer and Tussle. They’re on guard duty today.”

“Tussle?” Hunter questioned. The name didn’t strike him as familiar.

“He was one of the last shines to come out of the tubes before the war ended and they shut down the cloning machines.”

“Oh.” Hunter frowned, a terrible thought coming into his mind. “Rex, what happened to the ones that weren’t ready to decant yet? Did they…”

“They didn’t terminate them, don’t worry.” The captain reassured him. “General Kenobi and General Skywalker made sure that the little ones were allowed to grow until it was safe to take them out. Then, we brought them here.”

Hunter nodded, feeling much lighter now that he knew that the little cadets hadn’t been terminated.

“Is everyone living here?” Crosshair asked, dipping underneath the twirling vines.

“No. Many of our vode either stayed with their jetii or disappeared into the stars. The 505st Legion, 212th Attack Battalion, and the 13th Battalion live here full time, along with our Generals and their padawans. Sometimes, we’ll get visited by the others, but most of the time it’s just us.” Rex replied, leading them into the tunnel.

“How do you keep it hidden?” I couldn’t see any sign of it from the air.” Wrecker questioned, shaking off rainwater.

“We use a camouflage shield and the natural canopy. Unless you get close enough to hit the trees, you won’t see anything.” The eldest clone explained.

As they walked, a gentle pink glow started to appear. Luminescent moss covered the tunnel walls, giving them some light to see from. Omega, through her fatigue, managed to wiggle free of the blankets and leaned on Rex’s arm, the fuchsia light reflecting in her eyes. As they moved through the tunnel, the sound of voices and wing beats could be heard, and a dim light signified that they had almost reached the exit.

As they stuck their heads out of the tunnel and into the open air, a sudden shadow fell over them. A beast hovered in the air before them, 25 feet long from snout to tail tip. It was as if the night sky had fallen down before them, a sea of black with spotted white filling their vision, broken only by a thick, gray underbelly that led up to a pointed snout. Sky-blue eyes were accented by a golden crown of twisted horns, speckles of gold scales spattering over deep gray scales. A grin came onto the beast’s face, curved fangs glinting in the light of the dim sunlight.

“Hey guys!” Anakin chirped, landing on the ledge in front of them. He shook off some droplets of water, a blue kyber crystal clinking softly off his golden, diamond-shaped tail plates, fine leather strips holding the crystal in place.

“General.” Rex greeted. Anakin laughed.

“Rex, I’ve told you a million times! Just call me Anakin!” The dragon shifter insisted. His head turned towards the Bad Batch members, who had just made it out of the tunnel. “So, I heard you guys have a kid now? How are you finding parenthood?”

“Tiring, but fulfilling somehow.” Hunter admitted. Anakin nodded.

“I hear that. I barely slept after my twins were born, but I’ve never been happier.” Another sneeze from Omega made the Jedi focus on her, his head cocking. “Oh, shit, right, she’s sick. Here, pass her over to me, Kix is waiting for her in the medbay.”

“I thought he was meeting us here.” Rex said, handing her over.

“Well, he was, but then Sticks came in with a broken wing and…” Anakin trailed off suddenly as Omega was placed into his arms, gasping softly. “Oh, wow, this is a surprise.”

“What?” The gathered clones asked collectively, the five enhanced clones growing nervous.

“I’ve never met a Force-sensitive clone before.” Anakin replied, looking down at the now very curious little cub. “So you’re the little spark me and Obi-wan sensed recently.”

“Force-sensitive? She’s a Force-sensitive?” Tech balked, his mouth falling open in shock. Similar reactions rippled through the group as Anakin nodded his head.

“Yep, she’s strong too. She’s projecting exactly what she’s feeling right now.” He said, gently petting her throat.

“Which is… what exactly?” Wrecker questioned.

Anakin smiled. “Well, she’s telling me that her tummy and head hurts, and that she wants to be back with the “Warmths.” He looked over at Clone Force 99. “I’m guessing that’s you guys.”

The clones felt their hearts just about burst with love.

“Alright muffin,” Anakin brought Omega close to his chest, making sure that she was secure as he spread his wings, “let’s go see your uncle Kix, hmm? I bet he can do something about that icky feeling that’s bugging you.”

With a whoop, the Jedi threw himself backwards, flipping through the air before a gust of wind blew beneath his wings, carrying him gracefully down the sheer drop that surrounded the caldera. As Anakin soared through the misty air towards the medbay, the clones processed the information that they had just acquired.

“It’s- it’s too early for this.” Tech said, rubbing an eye with his hand.

“No offense, but you guys look like shit. Come, I’ll take you to where you’ll be staying so you can get some sleep.” Rex said. “You seriously look like you need it.”

“No, we better go check on Omega.” Hunter insisted. Rex shook his head.

“You can’t do anything for her right now. Kix will take good care of her, I promise.” He put his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “You’ll be better equipped to help her recover if you’re in good health yourselves.”

The sergeant hesitated, but finally relented and motioned for his squad to follow him. Crosshair stepped back, looking worriedly down at where Anakin had disappeared.

“Cross? Is something wrong?” Wrecker asked.

The sniper was quiet for a moment, then answered. “I don’t like leaving her with regs. They treated us terribly because we were different, and she’s more different than any of us.”

Rex gave him a look of sympathy. “Crosshair, I know these men. They would never treat you or any of your family poorly just because you’re enhanced, especially not a little baby.”

Crosshair’s tail flicked, his ears pulling back slightly. He wasn’t sure if he could trust Rex’s words, and the captain could see that in the way he moved and by the look in his eyes.

“Look, I can take you down to see her if you’d like, but don’t be surprised if Kix or X-ray threatens to bite your head off. They’re very territorial of their workspace.” Rex offered.

Crosshair nodded his thanks. “I’m not scared of them. I’ll wait for you here.”

Rex nodded and took a moment to shift his tail and wings. Once he had the appendages needed for flight, he dropped off the ledge, diving through the air as the Bad Batch followed behind. The lush valley of Sanctuary appeared beneath him, and he banked left, swooping down towards an enormous tree. The roots rose in and out of the ground like the coils of a raging sea serpent, various claw marks covering their tops. Part of the tree’s trunk was open, revealing the hollowed inside of the tree. White and blue banners hung outside, “501st” written in Mando'a on the middle in dark blue. A few clones in their dragon forms milled about, either exiting the deeper levels or dropping down off the entrance platform.

Rex landed, his wings coming to rest at his side. He led Clone Force 99 into one of the stairwells that led down to the sleeping areas, glowing lanterns lighting his path. Finally, they reached a wide open room. A few young cadets were curled up in a pile, some in their dragon forms, some only half shifted. Two older clones with varying blue markings rested nearby, opening their eyes a bit when Rex and the rest of the group entered the room and closing them again once they spotted their captain.

Various hammocks and cushioned nest-like beds were spread evenly out in the room, soft pillows and blankets always within reach. Tech dropped first, flopping down onto a bed and not even bothering to get under the covers. Echo and Wrecker picked out their beds, Echo removing his prosthetics and setting them to the side. Hunter tucked Tech in before selecting a hammock to sleep in.

“You’ll wake us if anything changes with Omega, right?” He asked, looking over his shoulder at Rex.

“Of course. Get some sleep, vod.” Rex said, and Hunter listened, climbing into the hammock and drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

X-Ray nodded as he finished wrapping the splint, the orange gauze sticking out brightly against Sticks’s white scales. The young clone brought his wrapped appendage to rest at his side, pouting a bit.

“Oh, cut that out. You’re lucky that it was a clean break.” X-Ray huffed, smacking the cadet upside the head lightly.

Sticks rubbed his head, his paw brushing against his still mostly dull spines. “How long do you think it’ll take to heal, baar'ur?”

“If you can resist the urge to be stupid, then it should only take about 6 weeks.” X-Ray said, moving aside to let the young dragon hop down onto the floor. With a nudge of his wing, he sent Sticks on his way. “Now go get some lunch, you’re getting a bit underweight.”

Sticks nodded, padding out of the room. “Thanks, X-ray!”

“Eh.” X-Ray grumbled, turning away from the door. Picking up a stack of datapads, he sorted through them, putting them in alphabetical order.

“Eee!”

“Omega, please calm down.”

“Eeeee!”

X-Ray’s ears perked up, his brows furrowing in confusion as he turned his head towards Kix’s voice. The 212th’s medic stepped away from his worktable and walked into the next room, wondering what in the world the noise he had just heard was.

“Kix, is there a dying animal in there?” He called questioningly, vividly recalling the time General Skywalker dragged home a very irritable and injured Tooka. He had plenty of scars from being struck by lightning, he didn’t need to add any claw marks to his body.

“Ah, X-Ray! Could you come help me for a moment? I’m afraid my patient doesn’t appreciate my attempt to put in an IV.” The 501st’s medic admitted.

The scarred clone arched an eyebrow. One of them made that sound? Curious, he entered the next room, freezing upon seeing something small and fuzzy squirming in Kix’s arms. A tiny leg kicked the man in the chest, little claws catching on his shirt.

“Kix,” X-Ray started, slowly stepping forward, “what is that?”

“Our niece, now get over here and help me get this IV in her. She’s picked up a terrible flu and she’s very dehydrated.” Kix replied, gently unhooking the claws from the black fabric.

“I’m sorry, my hearing must finally be going.” X-Ray said, “Did you say… niece?”

“Your hearing is fine, X-Ray.” Kix sighed, holding up the squirming fluff ball, letting X-Ray see that he was holding a very distressed cub. “Clone Force 99 found a Kaminoan base and managed to rescue her, so now they’re raising her, which makes her our niece now come hold her!”

X-Ray obeyed, somewhat numbly taking the wriggling baby into his arms. With a practiced gentleness, he secured her so that she couldn’t wiggle around as Kix quickly put the smallest catheter needle they had into her paw. At once, the tiny cub started to scream, flapping her wings and struggling against X-Ray’s hold. Her feathers puffed up as she let out a series of short cries, the sound making both Kix and X-Ray tense up. Kix’s free hand clenched into a fist as he reached for a roll of gauze.

Just as he started to secure the catheter, a thunderous growl rang out, accompanied by a yell and the sound of crashing. The two medics looked at each other, and Kix quickly finished wrapping the gauze around the cub’s tiny paw before he stomped out of the room, X-Ray quickly grabbing the IV and following after.

Near the entrance to the medbay, Rex had a silver haired dragon shifter pinned to the ground, his hands disappearing into dark feathers as he held a pair of strong wings against the smooth stone of the medical landing platform. The stranger’s pupils had narrowed into slits and his tail was thrashing wildly under the captain’s boot.

“Crosshair, calm down!” Rex snarled, and X-Ray could see that his own fangs were beginning to show as his wings extended, the powerful appendages poking through slits in the captain’s armor.

“Oh no you don’t!” Kix shouted, storming right up to the two quarreling clones. “Not in my medbay! Get! Go on!”

The medic shooed them away, kicking at the two until they tumbled off the platform with yelps. After a few moments of silence, both clones slunk back up, a bit calmer now. The more aggressive man, Crosshair, turned a glare onto the two medics, his wings raised in a mild threat display.

“Do either of you want to explain to me why my ik’aad was screaming before I rip your throats out?” He asked calmly, his tail swishing behind him. X-Ray noticed the dark bags under his eyes, and mentally began to calculate if he could use the man’s exhaustion against him if he had to.

As soon as he spoke, the cub in X-Ray’s arms, who had gone quiet out of fear, erupted into a chorus of chirps, making grabbing motions at the silver haired clone. Crosshair started forward, but Kix stood in front of him, glowering up at the pale dragon shifter.

“Back up, me'suum'ika pel'gam. You’re not going anywhere near my patient until you put those fangs and claws away.” Kix crossed his arms. “If you want to stay, then you’ll do well to listen to me.”

Crosshair growled under his breath, but after a particularly urgent cry from the fuzzy baby in X-Ray’s hold, he obeyed, shifting into a form that was far less sharp. Once that was done, Kix nodded to X-Ray, who handed both the child and the IV bag over to Crosshair. The cub trilled, snuggling up to the now much more relaxed clone.

“Now, are you going to tell me why you thought it would be a good idea to start brawling outside of the medbay?” X-Ray questioned.

Crosshair had the decency to look at least a bit ashamed, his ears drooping down. “My apologies. I just heard Omega screaming and I just…”

“Lost it?” Kix finished for him. “Don’t worry, that’s normal for parents. You should have seen General Skywalker when we had to give the twins their shots. I thought he was going to ignite his kyber crystal and attack me when little Luke started crying.”

“Why was she crying?” Rex asked.

“She was severely dehydrated, and she’s not going to be able to keep anything down, so we needed to get her hooked up to an IV.” Kix’s face scrunched up in sympathy. “Unfortunately, even with the smallest needle we have, she really didn’t like it.”

“That seems to be an understatement.” Crosshair snorted. “It sounded like you were murdering her.”

The cub, apparently named Omega, made a “prrtmth” sound, sniffing and coughing a bit as she reminded everyone that they were here for a reason. Kix walked over to a cabinet and produced a small blue vial and a plastic spoon with little tally marks on it.

“Okay buir, let’s see if she’ll cooperate for you.” He said, pouring out a thick, pale yellow liquid onto the spoon and handing it to a stunned looking Crosshair. “Try to get her to swallow this. It’s an antibacterial medicine, and it’ll help her recover faster.”

Crosshair blinked, trying to let what he had just been called sink in. The title was his now, he supposed. It was also Hunter’s, Wrecker’s, Tech’s and Echo’s. That would take some getting used to.

Gripping the spoon in one hand, he shifted Omega in his arms, hushing the whimpering child. “Come on, cyar’ika, this will make you feel better.”

Omega eyed the spoon with distrust, looking between it and Crosshair with wet, squinted eyes. Slowly, she reached a paw out, and Crosshair moved the spoon towards her. “See? It’s just some medi-”

Quick as lightning, Omega smacked the spoon out of Crosshair’s hand, watching as it clattered onto the floor.

“...cine.” The sniper finished, sighing. “Why are you like this with me? You never act like this for anyone else, I swear.”

Omega coughed, the sound coming out as a wheeze. She looked absolutely miserable as X-Ray went to grab a cloth, Kix staying with Crosshair and Omega as he tried to figure out a way to get her to take the medicine.

“We might have to trick her into drinking it. Does she have a favourite toy that you brought with you?” Kix asked, rubbing his chin.

Crosshair shook his head, taking a moment to dry Omega’s tears. “Unfortunately, living on a backwater planet means that it takes forever to get supplies, and she only recently opened her eyes, so we haven’t been able to get her any toys yet.”

Kix hummed, looking over to X-Ray, who was washing off the spoon. “Hey, X-Ray, do we still have those old stuffed animals that we gave to the last set of cadets?”

X-Ray paused for a minute, thinking. “I think Dusty might still have his Loth-cat toy. Rex, could you go ask him if we could borrow it? He should be patrolling the West cliffs, near the main waterfall.”

“Of course.” Rex agreed, giving Omega a gentle pat on the head as he spread his wings. “Don’t worry little one, once everyone meets you, you’ll have so many toys, you won’t even know what do do with them.”

Omega chirped softly, leaning into the gentle touch. With a nod to Kix and Crosshair, he stepped off the ledge and glided through the air, the humid wind flowing beneath his leathery wings as he angled himself to the West.

Cody shook himself, droplets of water splattering everywhere. The spray of the waterfall felt wonderful on such a warm day, but Obi-Wan wouldn’t cuddle him if he was wet. The warm glow of the lanterns that lit his General’s den reflected dimly off of his scales, making his orange markings become even more vibrant then they usually were. Coiling roots poked in and out of the sloping dirt walls, various scrolls and items resting on their inside curves, stacked ever so carefully so that they wouldn’t fall. As he moved deeper in, he began to hear two very familiar voices.

“I finally found that new Force user we sensed!” Anakin’s voice was energetic, the way it had mostly been ever since Padmé had given birth to their twins.

“Really? Now how did you manage that?” Obi-Wan’s voice was calm and smooth, as it always was. Cody had always admired how, no matter the situation, his General always managed to keep a level head and a steady voice.

Cody rounded the corner, basking in the welcome coolness of the room. Both Jedi were in their dragon forms like Cody was, Obi-wan curled up on a loveseat and Anakin rapidly pacing around the room, his wings fluttering with unreleased excitement. Upon spotting the clone commander, Anakin gave him a grin. Cody dipped his head in greeting.

“Generals.” He said, mentally scolding himself the second after the word left his mouth. He knew what was coming.

“Cody!” Anakin whined, “We told you that we’re past that!”

“Anakin is right.” Obi-wan added, setting aside a book that he had been holding. “We’re not in a war anymore, my dear.”

Cody sighed, sitting down and curling his tail over his paws. “I know, I know, force of habit.” He looked at Anakin, who still looked as though he may start bouncing off the walls. “So, you found that new Force user?”

Anakin’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Yes, right! Cody, you remember Clone Force 99, right?”

Cody tilted his head slightly. “Yes, they were very unforgettable… why?”

“Well, they found a Kaminoan base recently in their territory and-” He cut himself off when he saw how Cody had begun to bristle, his wings raising in anger. “don’t worry! They took care of it! They’re not a threat anymore.”

Cody exhaled a sigh of relief, his body visibly relaxing. “Apologies, Gen- Anakin. Please, continue.”

“It’s alright Cody, I understand why that’d make you upset.” Anakin said. “Anyways, they found that they had started the cloning process again, and they managed to save one of the new clones.”

Anakin looked towards Obi-wan, who was now sitting up and was listening intently. “That’s who we sensed, Master. They made a Force-sensitive clone.”

Cody leaned back in shock, his ears flicking back. “They know how to do that?!”

“Well, not anymore.” The Jedi said, “Don’t worry, Cody. No one is going to make any member of your family into a weapon ever again.”

“Anakin, how do you know all of this?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Rex told me after he got a call from Echo and Tech. The kid was sick, so they brought her here today.” Anakin replied.

“She? Wait, the cadet is here?” Cody questioned, putting a paw on his head as he tried to take in all the information that was being thrown at him.

“Oh, she’s not cadet age.” Anakin said. “I guess she was taken out prematurely, because she’s so little. She fit in my hand, it was so cute!”

“Where is she now? I’m very interested in seeing this young one.” Obi-Wan said to his gushing ex-padawan as he stepped off his loveseat.

“If it’s alright, I’d like to accompany you as well.” Cody said, wanting to meet his newest family member.

“I don’t know if we can see her right now, since she’s in the medbay.” Anakin replied. “Kix probably won’t want us to overwhelm her. Remember how snappy he got when Luke and Leia were born?”

Cody shuddered. He, like all of his brothers, had been very excited to see the new babies. He and Rex had been urged to go into the medbay with General Skywalker by the man himself, but they had quickly back peddled out of there when Kix had snarled at them, clearly still stressed out by the difficult birth. The medic had chased them out of the medbay and had stuck X-Ray and Wolffe, who’s squad had still been around during the early months after the war, as guards at the medbay’s entrance while Padmé got some much needed rest.

“Perhaps it would be best if we waited then.” Obi-Wan said, walking over to Cody. “In the meantime, I think it would be good to procure some gifts for the little one and arrange some way to announce her arrival to the rest of the men.”

“I’ll call Padmé and tell her what’s going on. Are we taking the speeders or do you just want me to go pick something out?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a deadpan look. “Anakin, you thought that a model X-Wing was an appropriate gift for a baby.”

The black scaled dragon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I didn’t realize that they’d be so small and helpless.”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “We’ll take the speeders. I’ll meet you in the hanger shortly.”

With that, Cody and Obi-Wan picked out two comfortable outfits to take with them and started towards the exit. As they walked, Cody took a moment to appreciate how beautiful his General looked in the lantern light. His bisque scales shone in the gentle glow, the few spots of light tangerine scales gleaming like little stars. His beard and lustrous mane was a deep, autumnal, fox-red colour, broken occasionally by a few thin gray hairs that came not as a result of age, but rather from all the stress that he had dealt with throughout the years. His white underbelly reflected the light nicely, making it seem like he was wearing a suit of pearly armor. He lacked wings, so his leg muscles rippled with strength as they ambled through the hallway. Smooth fur brushed against Cody’s tail as the Jedi coiled his tail around the clone’s own, and the commander felt his cheeks flush warm as Obi-wan leaned against him, his curved antler-like horns brushing against Cody’s own underbelly.

Cody draped a wing over his lover, tenderly nuzzling him. Years of repressed feelings had finally started to bubble over after the war had ended, and Cody couldn’t be happier. They all had the young Skywalker twins to thank for their freedom, as they had, through some Force fuckery that Cody couldn’t even begin to understand, shown their heavily pregnant mother a horrible vision of Anakin falling to the Dark Side. That had led to a very hormonal and extremely pissed of Padmé storming up to her mate and starting to, as Obi-Wan had once put it, “smack the Sith out of Anakin.” Once they had figured out what was going on, the Jedi council had executed the Sith Lord, which had resulted in the beginning of the end.

After Anakin and Padmé’s relationship had been discovered, Anakin had willingly stepped down from the Jedi Order, which had been expected. What hadn’t been expected was Obi-Wan’s resignation that followed Anakin’s almost immediately. The Jedi had been unwilling to abandon his ex-padawan, and had happily made the choice to stand by his side as they started a new chapter in their lives.

Anakin had tried to convince him to stay, but Obi-Wan had refused.

“I’m not the prefect Jedi you believe me to be, Anakin.” He’d said, “I’m not even a good one. I must confess that I’ve become very attached, both to you and my men, and I cannot deny it any longer, nor do I want to.”

Then, he’d pulled the young man into a hug, and he’d called Anakin his brother.

Anakin had spent the next half an hour sobbing into Obi-Wan’s robes.

Not too long after, the two Generals had rounded up their men and had taken off into the stars, not knowing where they were going, but knowing that they were, for once in their lives, truly free.

Eventually, they’d made their way to Kashyyyk, and they’d found the caldera that they would soon make into their home. As the years passed, Cody and Obi-Wan spent more time together. The two dragon shifters grew closer and closer, until eventually Cody couldn’t take it anymore. He’d spent three months scouring the underworlds of planets to find an extremely rare metal called beskar. He eventually ended up in a fighting arena on a backwater, highly seedy planet, where he had to fight a number of beasts in order to obtain his prize. He got a number of scars out of the whole ordeal, but he also obtained the beskar he’d been searching for.

Once he had it, he forged it into a sharp, dagger-like blade and spent a week carving the prefect handle, etching a message into it.

“Par ner cyare. Ibic kal kelir cabuor gar tion'tuur Ni liser't.”

Once he was satisfied with how his courting gift looked, he’d returned to a very worried Obi-Wan. The Jedi had manhandled him into the medbay after giving him a back-breaking hug. As Kix and X-Ray had treated his scarring wounds, Obi-Wan had paced in front of him for a good hour, lecturing him and questioning where he had been for so long. By the end of it, Cody had been quite distressed to see that the Jedi was crying, tears pooling in his blue and hazel eyes. He’d apologized profusely, holding the man as he cried into Cody’s bandaged shoulder. Rather nervously, he’d produced the gift, stuttering out an explanation. As Obi-wan observed the blade, Cody waited for the sting of rejection, sure that it would come soon.

Then, he’d felt it. The first of many gentle kisses that he would receive from the ginger dragon shifter. Rex later told him that he spent the rest of the day wearing the goofiest, most love struck grin the captain had ever seen. About two weeks later, Obi-Wan disappeared for a month. He’d been worried, but he put off his plans to go looking for him when he realized that General Skywalker didn’t seem to be concerned at all, even though he refused to tell Cody anything. When he came back, he had two clear crystals that had been woven into two intricate golden chains.

The Jedi explained that, as long as they both had the crystal with them, they’d always be able to sense each other. Obi-Wan could use his Force abilities to do this at close range, but this would not only allow Cody to sense him, but they would able to check in on each other from great distances. Receiving a gift in return had solidified their courtship, and now they rarely spent time apart. The only time Cody and Obi-Wan weren’t together is during patrols, emergencies, or when Obi-Wan and Anakin went into the forest to keep up their training.

“Cody, do you want to take a speeder, or do you want to fly?”

Obi-Wan’s voice pulled him from his wonderful memories, and he found that they were now in the hanger. Shaking his head, he looked towards the patient Jedi.

“I’ll take a speeder. I think I’ve done enough flying today.” Cody replied, stretching out his wings.

Obi-Wan nodded and tossed him his outfit. Cody caught it and quickly made his way over to an empty room to change. Once he had shifted into his human form, he put on the shirt and shorts and walked back to the speeder. He approached Obi-Wan, who had also shifted and was now wearing a comfortable dress-like outfit. Cody placed a kiss on his Jedi’s forehead before the two climbed onto their speeder bikes. Soon, a halfway shifted Anakin entered the hanger and got on his own speeder.

“Do you remember the way? It’s been a while since you’ve been in town.” Anakin asked, looking over at Cody. When the commander nodded, the Jedi gave him a thumbs up.

“Great! Race ‘ya!” He shouted, before tearing out of the hanger.

“Anakin! Slow down!” Obi-Wan scolded, starting up his own engine.

Cody laughed and followed the Jedi out of the hanger, knowing that he wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the galaxy.

Chapter Text

Wrecker yawned, his wings stretching out across the plush bed. Pushing himself up, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he started to become more awake. He glanced around the room, realizing that Tech and Echo were still asleep. Unsurprisingly, Hunter’s hammock seemed to be empty. His vod had never been one for sleeping in, something about getting migraines if he slept for too long. They hadn’t figured that out until a few months after the war had ended, once their bodies had started to acclimate to the calmer lifestyle they were now allowed to live. Wrecker, on the other hand, loved sleeping in. It was always a good day when he woke up and the sun had already risen above the horizon.

Quietly, as to not wake his sleeping squadmates, Wrecker made his way out of the sleeping quarters and up onto the entrance room. The gentle glow of Kashyyyk’s sun beamed down on the lush planet, and the bulky clone realized that, somehow, they’d slept for almost an entire day. He looked around, looking for any sign of his eldest sibling. In no time at all, he found Hunter leaning against the inner wall of the tree, looking out at the caldera.

“How long have you been out here?” Wrecker asked, coming up beside his batchmate.

Hunter glanced at him, ears twitching upwards to show that he had heard Wrecker. “Couple hours now. Couldn’t sleep.”

“Nightmares?” Wrecker asked, and Hunter nodded.

“I dreamed that she died on the way here. She felt so cold.” The sergeant expanded, and Wrecker put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, it was just a bad dream, Omega’s fine, Cross or Rex would have told us if something went wrong.” He said, giving his vod a small smile. “Do you want to go see her?”

“Better wait for Tech and Echo to get up. They’d be pissed if we went without them.” Hunter replied, pushing away from the wall. “But I’m fucking starving. You wanna go fish with me?”

“Hell yes.” Wrecker agreed, his own stomach rumbling. They hadn’t been hunting as much as they needed to for the past month, and he was not about to pass up an opportunity to get some food.

Hunter took the lead, leaping off the platform and spreading his wings. He caught an air current and let it carry him for a moment, listening as Wrecker followed behind him, his younger brother’s much larger wings flapping as he tried to catch the wind. After a few moments, they both found their rhythm. Kashyyyk’s climate was humid most days, and this morning was no exception. Banks of fog rolled over them, and the sensation of cool moisture was welcome as they soared through the low clouds. Wrecker playfully bumped Hunter, and the older clone grinned and bumped him back, swatting him with his wing. Laughing, Wrecker started to chase Hunter, the bandanna-wearing dragon shifter folding his wings and easily maneuvering out of the way.

The two flew over the caldera, diving and swooping around as they made their way to a large lake. Various other clones were sunning themselves on the high up rocks that jutted out of the cliffs, kept well away from the frothy spray of the grand waterfall that spilled over the stone wall. A few of them turned their heads towards the playful brothers, but they simply smiled and lowered their heads again, remembering times when they themselves had joyously gallivanted through the air with their own batchmates.

Once they were above the water, they dived down, pulling up at the last second to skim the lake’s surface. As fun as their chase had been, their grumbling stomachs encouraged the men to actually get some food. Hunter and Wrecker landed on a nearby beach, the tide lapping at their feet. The two clones shucked off their shirts and folded them, placing the clothes on a nearby rock. Once that was done, they waded into the lake, shivering as the cold water splashed against their stomachs.

“Maker above, this water’s cold!” Wrecker hissed.

“We’ve been in worse.” Hunter reminded, a memory of a mission on Hoth that went awry coming to the forefront of his mind. “Alright, let’s go.”

Sucking in a deep breath, the dragon shifters ducked beneath the water, their tails churning the water as they dove down deeper. Wrecker wasn’t the biggest fan of swimming, his large size making it hard for him to swim with his wings. Hunter was better at it, and he enjoyed spending time underwater, as it dulled his senses. Tech, surprisingly, was the water baby of the batch, excelling at swimming and loving to do it whenever possible. His smaller wings meant that he could almost use them as fins.

Opening his eyes, Hunter flexed his wings as he propelled himself forward, scanning the water for any signs of fish. Deeper down, he could see flecks of gold and green and brown, and he signaled his find to Wrecker. Stealthily, Hunter and Wrecker let themselves sink down, stilling all movements. Once they were close enough, they jolted forward and grabbed the aquatic creatures, sinking their claws into the fish.

Prey in hand, they surfaced, breathing in a gulp of fresh air and holding the squirming creatures above the water. With a quick bite from each of them, the fish were put out of their misery.

“Here, hold this.” Hunter said, passing Wrecker his fish, “I’m going to get the other’s breakfast.”

Wrecker took the plump aquatic creature as Hunter dove back down. Wrecker started swimming back to shore as the elder clone stalked another group of fish. The half blind clone shook off water that dripped off him, his wings fanning out as he started to dry off. He sat on a rock as he waited for Hunter to finish. Every few minutes, his vod would resurface, take a breath, then dip back down.

Soon, Hunter had collected enough fish for each of them to enjoy, and he swam back to where Wrecker was waiting.

“My mouth tastes like fish.” He complained, scrapping his tongue against his teeth. While they all could eat raw meat, and had done so before, Hunter often had a harder time eating animals with particularly strong scents, and fish was one of the worst.

“Well, let’s go cook it so you can get that taste out of your mouth.” Wrecker said, putting on his shirt and taking some of the fish.

Hunter shook himself dry and put his own clothes on, kicking of the ground and hovering in the air as Wrecker leaped off of a tall rock. With his large wings, Wrecker couldn’t just jump into the air like most of his brothers could. Crosshair also shared his problem, having to at least get a running start. Once he was up, the two Bad Batchers soared through the sun-warmed air, the morning sun shinning down on their backs and further drying them off.

As they flew over another burst of fog, Hunter spotted a familiar face.

“Morning, Rex!” He called, hovering in place.

The captain turned his head, his white and blue wings pulling back as he paused in his flight. Wrecker cocked his head when he noticed that Rex was holding something.

“What’cha got there?” Wrecker questioned.

Rex held up the object, revealing it to be a stuffed Loth-cat toy. It looked slightly faded, but it was clean and in good condition. It sported soft, pale gray coat with blue eartips, paws, tail rings, and embroidered eyes.

“A toy for the kid. Kix and Crosshair are having a bit of trouble getting her to take her medicine, so we’re going to try something that worked with Leia.” The blonde explained.

“What happened?” Hunter asked.

Rex smiled a bit, looking like he was trying not to laugh. “She smacked the medicine right out of Crosshair’s hand. Poor kid doesn’t realize that it’s going to make her feel better.”

Wrecker snorted, the mental image of Omega’s tiny paw smacking something out of the sniper’s usually firm grip being very comical. “How’s she doing?”

“She’ll be alright. We had a little mishap involving an IV, but everything’s okay now.” Rex said, and Hunter frowned.

“An IV? She was in that bad of shape?” He asked, and Rex nodded.

“Kix said that she was severely dehydrated. They used the smallest needle we had, but she, uh, did not take kindly to it.” He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “She was very vocal about her distress, which set Crosshair off. I had to pin him to keep him from attacking Kix and X-Ray.”

“Ka'ra jaon'kov!” Wrecker startled. “Is everyone alright?”

“They’re fine. Kix kicked the both of us off the platform and we cooled down.” Rex explained.

“We were about to have some breakfast, or, lunch I guess, but maybe we should just go straight to the medbay. Crosshair really needs to sleep, but he won’t unless we take over.” Hunter said, but Rex shook his head.

“I’ll get Crosshair to bed once Omega takes her medicine, you two go eat. There’s a kitchen in the lower levels.” He said, dipping his head towards the tree’s root system.

Hunter looked uncertain, but he trusted Rex, and he was hungry, so he dipped his head in agreement. “Thank you, Rex.”

Rex gave the two a gentle smile. “No problem. See you two later.”

With that, the two groups parted ways.

Cody stepped off the final stair that led to the medbay, shifting one of the bags that was slung over his shoulder. Obi-Wan stepped down after him, carrying a bag of his own.

“I can’t believe we bought so much stuff.” The Jedi said, looking at the five bags they had between them. “How did a simple trip to town result in an all day thing? We stayed overnight, for the Maker’s sake!”

“I can’t believe you let us get this much stuff.” Cody replied.

“You and Anakin are very hard to say no to when you work together.” The bearded man huffed.

“Hey now, you picked out your fair share of gifts. I saw how shiny your eyes got when we were looking at the preemie baby clothes.” The clone commander teased.

“They were so small.” Obi-Wan whispered.

Cody chuckled, heading inside the medbay. Obi-Wan followed after him.

“Has Anakin put out the meeting notification yet?” Cody asked.

“No, he want’s to make sure that the little one is feeling better before we introduce everyone to her.” Obi-Wan replied.

As they made their way into the center of the medbay, they could see that they weren’t the first ones to arrive. Rex was waving a small Loth-cat toy in front of Kix, or, rather, a small bundle of blankets that Kix was holding. Suddenly, a very tired looking silver haired clone quickly moved a small plastic spoon forward. A tiny squeak of rage sounded out a second later, the bundle shifting as whatever was in it moved about.

“Haha, yes!” The captain cheered. “Finally, she was more stubborn then some of my own men.”

“Thank the Maker. I was beginning to think that she wouldn’t take it.” Crosshair sighed.

Cody smirked, suppressing a laugh. “I’m sorry, but did I just hear you two admit that you were almost beaten by an infant?”

The group of clones turned to look at Cody and Obi-Wan, Rex and Crosshair going a bit red in the cheeks.

“Commander Cody, General Kenobi.” Crosshair greeted, “What are you two doing here?”

Cody held up his bag. “Anakin told us that we have a new addition to the family, so we figured we’d get some stuff for the kid.”

Kix arched an eyebrow. “Some stuff?”

Obi-Wan rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so we may have gone a little bit overboard, but it’s not everyday that we get to meet a new baby, and a Force-sensitive one at that.”

“Speaking of…” Cody set down his bags, eyes settling on the squirming ball of cloth in Kix’s arms, “may we see the little one? Or do you think she’ll be too much for us to handle?”

Kix rolled his eyes and handed the bundle and an IV bag over to Obi-Wan, who quickly took them into his arms. “Here, you two can be on babysitting duty now. I’m going to get some lunch.”

As the Jedi set his own bag down, Rex turned to face Crosshair, who looked as though he was about to drop. “Okay Crosshair, time for you to head off to bed. You’re about to pass out.”

“Nonsense.” The sniper growled. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Don’t make me get X-Ray to sedate you.” Rex warned. “Sleep. Now. I won’t have you smashing into a cliff or tree because you wanted to be as stubborn as your ad.”

As Rex half-nudged, half-shoved Crosshair towards the sleeping area, Obi-Wan and Cody finally looked at the bundle that the ginger man was holding.

As Cody pulled back the blanket, a tiny, snow-white paw landed on his finger. Soon, a fuzzy, pale yellow head popped out, two enormous honey brown eyes peering up at the two men. The little cub didn’t seem to know who to focus on, looking back and forth between the commander and the Jedi. Finally, she decided to focus on Obi-Wan, and she lifted her paws up towards him, making short “mrrrbth” noises.

“Ka’ra, I know Anakin said she was small, but I couldn’t imagine her being this small.” Cody breathed.

“Mhm.” Obi-Wan made a noise of agreement, his pupils expanding as he lifted the baby out of her bundle. A fond smile came over his face as she curiously batted at his beard. “X-Ray, what’s this little one’s name?”

“Omega. She’s almost a month old.” The medic said, handing them a small bowl. “Here, you’re going to want to keep this around. If she looks like she’s going to be sick, you know what to do. Thankfully, she seems to be past that point, but you never know. Oh, and she’ll need to have that IV in for another hour or so, so it’d be best if you stayed here.”

“Alright, we can do that.” Cody said, scratching Omega’s stomach gently. “After all, how much trouble could she be?”

Chapter Text

“Aaannnnddd… there!” Obi-Wan said, feeling quite pleased with himself as he pulled the final sock over the last bare paw. “Four socks on four little paws.”

Omega inspected one of the white and orange polka-dotted garments from her position on Cody’s lap, her wide eyes looking over the sock on her front right paw. Kix had taken the IV out after a few hours had passed and Omega hadn’t been sick, so now the only thing they had to watch for was signs that the little girl was hungry.

She looked over at Obi-Wan, who had just spent the better part of ten minutes carefully dressing her in the aforementioned socks and a very small one-piece shirt that read “Good luck dragon me outta bed.”, the text accompanied by a cartoon-ish Krayt Dragon that was snoozing away in a plush bed, and, without breaking eye contact, gripped the sock in her mouth and pulled it off.

The Jedi Master shot a glare at Cody as his partner tried desperately to appear as though he wasn’t about to laugh.

“Not even one month old and already you’re full of sass.” Obi-Wan sighed, no real annoyance present in his voice as he regarded the cub. “If you show interest in becoming a Jedi, I’m not taking you on as my padawan. You’d cause me to go completely gray in no time, I’m sure.”

“Oh come now,” Cody said, pulling the sock back on, “you think it’s cute. Don’t try and lie.”

The ginger smiled when he felt Omega project her amusement out for any one in tune with the Force to feel, her little wings flapping in delight. “Oh, alright, you’ve got me. It’s nice to be around someone so bright and unashamedly open as she is as well. I think she’d get along very well with Luke.”

“When is Padmé bringing the twins back? They’ve been on that tropical planet for nearly a week. What was it called again?” Cody asked, reaching over into one of the bags.

“Verrion. They should be back within a few days, but I’m sure they would have stayed longer if Anakin had simply sucked it up and gone with them.” The Jedi replied.

“Him and his aversion to sand, I swear. I can’t believe the Senator let him stay. The trip was a birthday present for Luke and Leia, after all.” The commander commented, pulling out a small stuffed bird and handing it to the infant. “There you go little’un. That should keep you distracted.”

Omega hugged the toy to her chest with a delighted squeal, gumming the top of its head.

Just then, footsteps became audible as a clone in his dragon form rounded the corner, a blue paint splatter-like marking covering half his face. His ears perked forward when he spotted the group.

“Oh, Commander Cody, General Kenobi, I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” He dipped his head in greeting. “Have you seen Kix? I have some supplies for hi- what is that?”

The dragon paused mid-step, eyes now focused on Omega, who had turned towards the source of the new voice. The clone’s pupils expanded, and he gasped softly.

“Is that a baby?! Oh, they’re so cute!” His voice pitched up, and his tail twitched like it wanted to wag.

“You must be Splash.” Cody mused, a note of amusement in his tone. He’d heard about this clone, well known amongst his squadmates for usually appearing very tough, but melting like butter if he saw something cute.

Splash, seemingly realizing how embarrassing this situation was becoming, cleared his throat and straightened his posture, the tips of his ears now a flush red. “Er, yes, Sir, that’s me.”

“Kix left not too long ago, but he should be back soon.” Obi-Wan said. “Here, have a seat. Everyone should get to meet Omega eventually.”

Splash set down the bag he had been carrying and sat down, leaning forward to accept the cub that was soon offered to him. Omega blinked at the new person, still gripping her stuffed bird. Splash smiled at her, and Omega smiled back, reaching forward to touch the colourful blue scales that covered a good portion of his face. The war-hardened man allowed the tiny baby to grab at his snout, the plush toy still grasped in one paw.

“Where did this verd’ika come from? Did you two decide to adopt?” He asked.

The two shifters blushed a bit. “No, no, we’re just babysitting. She’s Clone Force 99’s cub. They rescued her about a month ago from a Kaminoan base that they discovered.” Obi-Wan explained.

Splash stiffened a bit at the Jedi’s words. “Those damn long necks are still fucking around with cloning?”

“Those ones were, but it’s likely that they are the last.” Obi-Wan said. “Cloning is an expensive process, and with the main facilities shut down, there’s no funding for any further bases to be established.”

Splash calmed a bit, closing one of his eyes as Omega lightly patted that part of his face with her bird. “Oh, is that yours, little one?” He asked.

Omega let out a mew, and Splash nodded, as if in understanding.

“I agree. It is very cool.” He said, giving her a smile.

“You’re pretty good with little ones.” Cody observed.

“I used to help care for all the new cadets.” Splash explained, setting Omega down with her toy. “Why was Omega in the medbay, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“The poor dear was sick. Luckily, she seems to be getting better now.” Obi-Wan said. “Actually, I think we should get a bottle ready. She should be hungry by now. Cody, could you go look for her milk and the bottles?”

Cody nodded, getting up and walking into another room. Splash stood up and stretched, cracking the joints in his neck and then grabbing the bag he had brought in. “I should get going. I promised Dusty that I’d race with him after he finished his patrol. I’ll bring the supplies by later. Goodbye, General Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan nodded, before looking over his shoulder. “Find them yet?”

“Not yet!” Cody called back.

“Would you like some help?” Obi-Wan questioned.

“I’ve got it. I’ve been through years of war, I can find some baby supplies.” Cody responded.

Obi-Wan sighed softly. Cody likely could use the help, but his pride kept him from admitting it. Eyes closed, he swung his head down low.

“Well little one, it seems as though your lunch will take a bit to-” As he opened his eyes, the rest of his sentence died on his tongue. “Omega?”

The cub was nowhere in sight, her bird toy discarded on the pristine white tile. Obi-Wan blinked, looking left and right as he got to his feet. “Omega?”

“Obi-Wan? Is something wrong?” Cody asked, coming back into the room. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the distinct lack of baby in the room. “…Where is the kid?”

“I-I don’t know!” The Jedi said, ducking down to look beneath counters. “She was here just a moment ago.”

“Well, she can’t have gone far.” Cody said, scanning the room along side his general. “I’m sure we’ll find her in no time.”

Half an hour later…

Omega shifted, her wings brushing against the fabric of the dark space she’d crawled into. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, tiny paws brushing against her face. Various things that she didn’t know the names of gently knocked against her as she wiggled into a more comfortable spot. As she moved about, something got caught on her claws, and when she tried to kick it off, it tangled around her. The material wasn’t exactly rough, but it certainly wasn’t soft either, and she didn’t like the way it felt as it wrapped around her wings and body.

With a chirp, she flailed her paws about until she found something to grip onto. She pulled herself up, before suddenly tumbling forward. The ground she landed on was hard, and she whined when she hit it. Omega sniffled, tears pooling in her eyes.

“Hey, what was that?”

Her ears lifted slightly, and she wiggled forward, nudging the brown material that covered her face.

“Looks like something was in Splash’s bag.” Another voice, different from the last. "Rush, go check it out.”

Suddenly, the darkness receded as light poured in, blinding her for a moment.

There were gasps, and Omega looked up towards the sources. Four new dragons stared down at her, all sporting clean white scales that almost sparkled in the light. They were smaller than the Warmths and the ones that could hear the Voice and the almost-Warmths-but-not-quites. They stared at her, before one with a pale line across his nose picked her up. His hold was not as comfortable, as he lifted her up beneath her arms. Omega scrunched her face up, wiggling.

“Is that… a baby?” One asked.

“I think so.” Pale Stripe replied. “But, where did it come from?”

“Look at it’s eyes! The very first voice’s owner blurted. “They’re the same as ours! This is a clone!”

“Really?” Pale Stripe squinted, and Omega copied him. “Huh. Well, he’s weird looking, but if he’s a clone, then he’s one of us.”

“I think he is actually a she.” The fourth one said. “We have a sister!”

“How is that possible? We were the last ones to come out of the tubes, so how is she here?” The second one asked. He looked at her sadly. “Do you think she got left behind by accident? Maybe they missed her at first because she’s so small.”

“No, Salix, no they wouldn’t do that…” The first one said, not sounding very sure. “Right?”

Omega let out a small cry, not liking how she was held. Pale Stripe looked helplessly at the others, his ears folding back.

“What do I do?” He wondered loudly as Omega’s cries became louder.

“You’re holding her wrong, or'dinii.” The fourth one scolded, taking the cub from him and positioning her so that she was leaning against his chest, his paws supporting her back and head. “See? This is how you do it.”

“Geeze, chill Marshy.” Pale Stripe rolled his eyes and separated from the group a bit. “If she was in Splash’s bag, maybe he knows where she came from. Where did he say he was going again?”

“He said that he was going to the caves.” The second one said, scratching the ground. “But… we’re not supposed to go there. Splash says it’s dangerous.”

“I think this might be an exception. Come on, we can put her in one of his smaller bags and go find him.” Pale Stripe responded. “Unless you’re all, y’know, too scared to go into the caves.”

Omega watched as the other three dragons puffed out their chests in irritation.

“We’re not scared! Go get the stupid bag!” The first one yelled.

Pale Stripe grinned, and raced off down a wooden corridor.

Once the little dragon cub had been secured in a neck pouch, the four dragons set off.

“Look, vod, this is our home.” Valiant said, holding her as she squinted out into the wind. She was enthralled by the different shapes and colours and smells, and her wings spread out instinctively. She let out short trills of joy as Valiant dove, his wings carrying them downwards towards a place where the green turned into a cool gray and then into darkness. Ducking back down into the safety of her hiding place, she waited until they had landed to poke her head out again.

Salix opened his mouth, a gentle blue glow coming from within his jaws. Marshmallow looked around the slopping walls that stretched up to a roof that lay far above them. Nervousness glinted in his eyes, and he shuffled his paws nervously.

“Guys, can’t we just find someone else to ask? It’s really dark in there.” He observed, peering into the open maw of the shadowy corridor. Large stone stairs led down into the cave system, mossy and damp. “I don’t think we should go.”

“Oh don’t worry so much Marshy! Look, we’ll go in, find Splash, then go right out. Easy peasy.” Rush said, lightly punching his brother on the arm.

“Ow! Jerk…” Marshmallow huffed, giving Rush a shove as he started forward, hoping down onto the first stair. His siblings followed, Valiant making sure their little passenger was secure before leaping down the steps of the stone staircase.

The group traveled deeper into the yawning cave, the only light coming from Salix’s unreleased plasma. The pale light bounced off the walls and created long, stretching shadows that danced along the stone as they walked. There was almost no sound, save from their quick footsteps and the occasional breeze that blew up from somewhere deeper in the dark depths.

“So… does anyone actually know where Splash is?” Valiant asked. “Because I don’t feel like wandering around in the dark all day. It smells dank down here.”

“Well, he didn’t leave all that long ago, so he can’t be too far in.” Rush replied, looking around. “Honestly, I don’t know why we’re not supposed to come down here. It seems pretty safe to me.”

“Maybe we just can’t see the danger yet.” Marshmallow whispered, his ears swiveling about as he walked.

Rush merely rolled his eyes and sped up his pace. “Come on, scaredy cat. Don’t worry, we won’t let the shadows bite you.”

“It’s not the dark that scares me!” The young shifter snapped, before quickly lowering his voice again. “It’s what might be in the dark.”

Ssskkktttcchh!

The gathered dragons whirled around, the light dimming and flickering as Salix debated whether or not he wanted to see what had just made the sound.

“You all heard that, right?!” Marshmallow whispered desperately. “It wasn’t just me?”

“No, we definitely heard it.” Rush hissed, his tail raising in fear and anticipation. He’d always loved a good fight, but not if his opponent was much bigger and scarier than him.

Valiant gently pushed Omega down into the pouch and tightened the strings just enough so that air could get in, but that a curious little cub couldn’t poke her head out. He ignited his own plasma and stepped forward, peering into the flickering shadows.

For the briefest moment, the light he provided illuminated part of a reptilian face. Gray scales bled into red horns, small, sharp points forming a protruding brow that shadowed small, pitch black eyes. The creature snarled and skittered back, and Valiant reared back a bit in shock.

“Osi’kyr!” He roared, retreating back to his brothers. “What is that?!”

“It- it looked almost like a katarn.” Marshmallow said, his wings quivering. “But they’re only supposed to live in the Shadowlands!”

“The Shadowlands?” Rush questioned, his eyes trained on the spot where the creature had disappeared to.

“Weren’t you paying attention when Captain Rex was teaching us about Kashyyyk?” He hissed. “They’re the parts of the forest where the sunlight doesn’t reach. It’s filled with dangerous animals, katarns being one of them!”

A hissing snarl was the only warning before the creature lunged out of the darkness. Rush was quick to action, his training with his older vod rushing through his mind. He spun, falling forward on his front legs as he raised his tail up, then promptly smashed the animal in the face. As the katarn skidded across the ground, Rush grunted as he hit the ground, knocked over by the force of the impact. The animal was almost the same size as they were, hardly a threat for an experienced, fully grown clone or Jedi.

A group of young cadets, however, might make a tasty meal.

“Quick, back towards the exit!” Marshmallow yelled, leaning down to help Rush up. “We’ll find Splash later, just go!”

His brothers didn't need to be told twice. They waited just long enough to be sure that Rush is on his feet before bolting towards the exit that somehow seems impossibly far away now. Valiant dipped his head and gripped the strings that hold the leather pouch with his teeth, holding the leather bag up and away from his chest so that the cub inside does not get knocked around as he runs. A screech has him wishing that they’d listened to Splash’s warning, and he somehow finds the will to force his legs to move even faster.

Suddenly, the light died as Salix screamed, and Valiant nearly wrecked his claws with how fast and fiercely he gripped the stone floor to try and stop himself. Heat filled his mouth as he summoned the natural weapon that all of them share, and he quickly passed the pouch to Marshmallow, who had also spun around.

“Hold this!” He snarled, before charging back into the dark.

He found Salix easily. His youngest batchmate is on the ground, kicking wildly at the scaly beast that has an iron hold on his leg. Valiant leapt forward, living up to his namesake as he fearlessly attacked the katarn, his claws digging at the animal’s eyes.

“Let him go!” He roared, thwacking the beast with his wings.

The katarn hissed and released Salix, who quickly scrambled away. Valiant stayed behind his brother, side stepping back towards the group as he aggressively waved his tail. The katarn glared at Valiant, blood coating the front of it’s snout. The animal lowered its head, muscles tensing as it prepared to strike. Valiant stood fast, ready to defend his younger brothers.

But then, the katarn suddenly wasn’t in front of him anymore.

The creature screamed as Splash’s teeth pierced its torso, the clone trooper letting out a thunderous growl. He jerked his head and threw the katarn away from the kids, putting himself in between them. He ended the fight with a well aimed plasma bolt, the smoke curling around the corners of his mouth.

Splash panted slightly, swinging his head around to face the shivering, panting children.

“What are you four doing in here?! I told you that this place was dangerous!” He said, ears pulled back and brows furrowed in anger and confusion.

Marshmallow shakily opened the pouch, holding it up for Splash to see. “W-we just wanted to ask you about h-her.” He replied, head ducked low as he realized how much trouble they might be in.

Splash’s face crinkled in confusion, and he gently took the bag from Marshmallow. He pulled his head back in surprise when the pouch shifted, and his jaw dropped open when a little head popped out, her tiny form trembling as she mewed quietly.

“Oh fuck.” Splash cursed. “Where did- how-”

“She was in your bag.” Rush supplied, standing beside Salix as he let his brother lean on him as he lifted his injured leg up.

Splash pinched the space between his eyes. “Shit. Makerdamnit how did I not notice?” He dragged his paw down his face, looking down at the shaking children. “Well, General Kenobi and Commander Cody are going to kill me, if Clone Force 99 doesn’t get to me first.”

“Are… are we in trouble?” Salix asked, looking up at their guardian.

Splash sighed. “No, I can understand why you would go against my rules in this case.” He pointed a digit at them, giving them a stern look. “But don’t make a habit of it.”

The elder clone knelled down and nudged Salix up onto his back while also making sure that his temporary little charge was securely tucked against his chest. “Okay cadets, lets get out of here. I’ve got to return this little one before her guardians rip my head off, and we’ll have to have the medics look at your foot Salix.”

“Where did that thing even come from?” Valiant asked.

“These cave systems lead out into the Shadowlands. They’re both Sanctuary’s greatest weak point and our best escape route just in case we ever need to evacuate. Sometimes, creatures will try to come through, like that katarn. That’s why we patrol it, and why I didn’t want you coming down here.” Splash explained.

“Don’t worry, I don’t think any of us will ever think about coming down here again.” Salix commented.

“How have we not found her yet?!” Obi-Wan yelled, clutching his head.

“I don’t know!” Cody shot back, stress sharpening his tone.

The two men had been tearing apart the medbay for the past half an hour, desperately searching for the lost cub that should have been easily found. Obi-Wan pressed his hands into the sides of his head as he wracked his brain for a solution to their problem. The war had prepared him for battles and negotiations, not finding lost children.

“Okay, okay let’s think. We checked the medbay twice, checked outside, checked the ground, then checked the medbay another three times.” The Jedi looked over at his lover. “Where haven’t we looked?”

“The rest of Sanctuary?” Cody supplied weakly. He, like Obi-Wan, was out of his comfort zone. He was not looking forward to the hellstorm that would erupt once the Batch learned that they had lost their kid, who couldn’t even walk yet.

“General? Commander?”

Cody and Obi-Wan turned towards the entrance to the medbay, not knowing what to say when Splash entered the room with three little dragons in tow, a fourth one laying across his back. He gently set down a pouch that he was carrying. “Turns out I had a little stowaway when I left.”

Both men nearly cried out of relief when Omega’s tiny form stumbled out of the leather bag, the baby emerging squeaking and shivering. Cody moved like a pouncing predator, scooping the girl up and nuzzling her.

“Vor te Ka'ra gar're morut'yc.” He murmured, giving Splash a grateful smile. “Vor entye, vod.”

“No problem. I nearly had a heart attack when the boys showed her to me.” Splash admitted. “By the way, has Kix or X-Ray come back yet? Salix here has an injured leg that needs to be looked at.”

“No, they’re still out, but I can go find them for you.” Obi-Wan said, feeling his heart rate start to return to normal. “What happened?”

“They found Omega in my bag when I left to go patrol the caves, so they tried to find me. Unfortuantely, a katarn managed to get by me, and it got poor Salix here in the leg.”

“They were down in the caves?!” Cody startled. The caves were very dangerous for anyone who wasn’t trained in combat and strong enough to put their training to use.

“Valiant and Rush managed to keep everyone alive and mostly unharmed until I could get there, they even managed to keep the kid from seeing anything, I think all the running and shouting is what frightened her.’ Splash smiled warmly at the young shifters. “They were very brave, and it seems like they’ve been paying attention in their combat training sessions.”

Cody felt a bit lighter at the news that the damage was minimal. “Well, you cadets have my thanks. Omega doesn’t have any way to defend herself yet, so it’s comforting to know that she had someone watching out for her.”

“She’s our sister, Sir. We’ll always look out for her.” Valiant insisted, standing a bit straighter.

Obi-Wan and Cody both smiled at that. They had wondered how everyone would react to Omega’s differences, so it was encouraging to see that the youngest clones adored her, even if she was different from them.

“That’s good to hear, cadet. Do you and your squad think you could help supervise her while Obi-Wan goes to look for Kix and X-Ray? It seems as though she has a tendency to wander off.” Cody said, eyeing the fuzzy baby that he was holding. She’d decided to start drooling on his finger, which reminded him that she hadn’t yet eaten.

The four young dragons gave Cody a salute and a synchronized “Yes, Sir!”

Cody nodded at his General, and the Jedi left to go find the medics, wondering how many new gray hairs he had just acquired.

‘ “How much trouble could she be?” Hmmph! Quite a bit, apparently!’ He groaned mentally. ‘Next time, I’ll have Anakin watch her. He deserves it after all the Banthashit he put me through!’

Chapter Text

Not too long after Obi-Wan left, Hunter, Echo, Wrecker and Tech arrived. Cody was quick to pass Omega over to her guardians, and Hunter instantly brought the baby into his arms. As soon as she saw them, Omega squealed with joy, her little nubby wings flapping about as she reached for Hunter.

The sergeant nuzzled her, smiling into her soft tummy, overjoyed to see that the little one was feeling better. “Su cuy'gar, ner cyare ik'aad.” He whispered lovingly.

After he had greeted Omega, he passed her onto his brothers. Tech took a moment to look her over, carefully insuring that the medics had, in fact, done their jobs. Once he was satisfied, he gave Omega a gentle kiss on the forehead, before handing her over to Wrecker. While he and Echo doted on her, Hunter turned his attention to Cody, who looked very tired.

“Commander,” He greeted, “it’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Hunter.” Cody replied. “You’ve got quite the kid. She managed to get away from me and General Kenobi and went on a little adventure. Nearly gave us both heart attacks.”

Hunter and Tech looked at each other. “I’m sorry… did you just say that Omega, who cannot walk, managed to sneak away from both you and a Jedi?” Tech questioned, trying to hide his feelings of disbelief and protective anger.

Cody rubbed his head, a resigned expression on his face. “Somehow, yes. She managed to crawl into Splash’s bag and ended up gettin’ taken for a ride. Luckily, these cadets looked after her and kept ‘er safe.” He gestured to the group of huddled children, who were all gathered around their guardian. Valiant lifted his head and gave them a small wave.

Hunter exhaled, running a hand over his face. “Crosshair said that he thought that she’d start to get into things, but I didn’t know that she would get into that much trouble this quickly.” He looked up at Cody, worry evident in his face. “I don’t know how we’re going to keep her safe once we get home.”

“When Leia figured out that she could escape her play pen, General Skywalker put a baby harness on her.” The clone commander gestured over to the bags he and Obi-Wan had brought with them. “We picked up a few things for the new baby once Skywalker told us about her, and I think a harness meant for kittens was one of them.”

Echo, who had been tenderly petting Omega’s fluffy crest, arched a brow at the bags. “Commander, what is “a few” to you?”

Cody gave a semi-sheepish smile and shrugged. “Hey, a new ik’aad is always exciting. And, you know, we figured since you all like to live so remotely, you might not have gotten around to getting much stuff yet. They had some pretty cute stuff too. Take a look at her new shirt.”

Hunter glanced back at Omega, just now realizing that she was, indeed, now wearing something. Echo looked first, snorted, then turned her around so that the rest of his vode could see. Hunter looked over the words and shook his head with a smile, suppressing a chuckle. “Okay, I’ll admit it. That’s cute.”

Cody nodded and went over to the bags, searching through them. “We bought bottles, outfits, blankets, toys, and a…” He smiled triumphantly when his searching efforts produced a small, orange harness with a little bell on the back and a matching extendable leash. “Aha! Baby leash!”

Wrecker eyed the two items with a hint of displeasure. “She’s not a dog. I don’t see why we need to put that on her.”

“Trust me, you will.” Cody said, handing the leash and jingling harness to Hunter. “And she won’t need it all the time, just when she’s on the ground and you can’t keep a constant eye on her.”

Suddenly, Omega let out a cry. Cody turned his head, concerned that perhaps the child had been injured, and that they had all some how missed it, but Hunter did not seem to be worried.

“That’s her “I’m hungry” cry.” The sergeant explained. “I guess she really is feeling better.”

“How do you know that’s what it is?” Cody questioned.

Hunter gave him a small shrug. “I just do. It sounds different from her “I’m hurt” or “pay attention to me” cries.”

“Huh.” The commander said simply, amazed by how soft and gentle the arrival of Omega had made these war-hardened men. With practiced grace and speed, Tech gathered the supplies and had a bottle ready as quickly as he could. He passed the bottle to Echo, since he was the one holding the irritable cub, and he barely managed to lower the bottle before Omega was reaching out for it, claws poking through the socks that some how had managed to stay on as she grabbed at the warm plastic.

She let out short, quiet growls as she guzzled down the warm formula, eyes closing partly as she paused only to breathe. Echo smiled and gave her a fake stern look.

“Slow down there, little Miss. You’ll get a stomach ache if you eat that fast.” He tried to gently pull the bottle away, but Omega tightened her grip as best she could and deepened her growl as much as she possibly could, kicking at her cybernetically-enhanced buir.

Echo pulled back a small bit, glancing at his brothers. “Well, it seems like she’s inherited Crosshair’s food aggression.”

Wrecker snorted, a laugh escaping him as he watched Omega’s face scrunch up in anger. “At least we know she has her appetite back!”

Cody smiled, finding that he was doing that a lot these days. It seemed that Omega simply brightened up any room she found herself in.

“-lieve you lost her! How in the Sith Hells did Skywalker ever make it to adulthood?!” The gathered dragon’s attentions were pulled towards the room’s entrance as a very beaten-down looking Obi-Wan slunk into the room, X-Ray right on his heels snapping at the ginger Jedi. The 212th medic was also in his halfway form, his tail lashing about as he stalked away from Obi-Wan, who was quick to retreat to the security of Cody’s side.

X-Ray let his face soften a bit as he knelt down to examine Salix’s leg. While he checked the injury over, Cody put an arm around Obi-Wan, providing some silent comfort to his frazzled partner. “You alright? Seemed like X-Ray was really tearing into you.” He murmured softly.

“You’d be wise to slip away now, my dear.” The negotiator warned. “It’s very likely that he’ll go for you next.”

“And leave you here alone with that firebreather? Never, cyar’ika.” Cody reassured, although he did feel a slight shiver ripple down his spine when X-Ray glanced over at him. “But if you have a reason to leave, I’d like to hear it.”

Obi-Wan’s pupils constricted a fraction, something Cody had come to realize meant that he was formulating a plan. After a few seconds, he turned around to face the Bad Batch, who were all focusing on their adorably aggressive daughter.

“We’re planning a mandatory meeting to introduce everyone to Omega. Would you like to come with us to find Anakin so that we can get this thing going?” He asked, voice smooth and calm.

The squadmates looked at each other, before nodding in agreement.

“We’ll have to wait for Crosshair to get up, but that shouldn’t be too long. He never sleeps for more than a few hours when he’s napping.” Echo said, adjusting Omega in his arms.

As they exited the medbay, Cody and Obi-Wan perhaps a bit faster than the others, Cody couldn’t help but notice that Tech seemed a bit… nervous. His ears flicked about and his wings twitched like he wanted to leap into the air and fly away. He stuck close to Echo, glancing at Omega every few seconds like he thought some unseen threat might try and attack the infant.

The elder clone slowed his gait, coming to walk beside the bespectacled man. “Are you okay, soldier?”

Tech looked at Cody, surprised that the commander had noticed his discomfort. He adjusted his goggles, likely another nervous tick.

“My batchmates and myself were never treated very kindly by the rest of the clone populous on Kamino. In a sea of men who all share the same face, we were easily picked out because of our physical differences. Omega is more different than any of us, and I suppose I am a bit… worried that she may face the same disdain that we were so often met with.” Tech admitted.

Cody felt a deep pang of sympathy for the enhanced clones, and he laid a hand on Tech’s shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze. “I’m sorry you and your batchmates were treated that way. You’re our vode, and no enhancements are ever going to change that.” He gave the younger man a confident smile. “And while I’m sure that no one is going to treat Omega poorly, I’ll personally deal with anyone who decides that appearances are a reason to treat someone poorly.”

Tech’s look of nervousness morphed into a small smile, and Cody could see that his words had been noticed by the rest of the Batch by the way their ears had swiveled back towards him. Tech seemed to relax, and Cody pulled his hand away so that he could catch up with his brothers.

Crosshair paced, a habit he thought he’d dropped long ago. He likely would have started to bite his hand as well, had he not been holding a sleeping Omega. The large tree’s hollow inside made him feel simultaneously trapped and exposed, and he longed for the comfort of the home he and his vode had made for themselves deep within their shaded forest. His feathers felt heavy in the constant humidity of Kashyyyk, a stark contrast to the varying, seasonal weather he had become accustomed to. He instinctively wanted to flee and find a place to hide, to tuck himself and his ad away from prying eyes, but his pride and stubbornness kept him here, waiting for Rex to come and take Omega so that he could introduce all of the other regs to her.

Crosshair’s stomach twisted a bit when he thought about that. Tech, although he had apparently received some comfort from a certain commander, shared his anxieties. He and his younger brother had been the easier targets of the Batch, both Hunter and Wrecker boasting greater strength than them when they had been small cadets still futilely thinking that, perhaps one day, they might be shown the same comradery and love that their unenhanced siblings shared.

While he respected Rex and Cody, or, at least, respected them more than he respected most of the regs, he wasn’t so sure he trusted their faith in their men. While it was true that it hadn’t been their battalions that had liked to bully him and his batchmates, the mistrust that had come from years of mistreatment and isolation kept him from feeling comfortable around the clones that had followed their Jedi here.

Omega shifted, paws gripping a new, soft blanket. The movement drew him from his thoughts, and he tucked her in closer to his chest, almost shielding her from the outside world. Even if he couldn’t quite bring himself to stand in plain sight when Rex brought Omega out into the limelight, he’d be watching, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of disdain. If he found any, he’d find a way to hunt down the unlucky clone and make sure he knew better than to ever try and mess with his ad.

“Crosshair?”

The sniper turned and saw Rex, the clone captain dressed in his armor. Since they were no longer at war, many clones chose to only wear their armor during patrols, celebrations, or particularly intense training sessions. Crosshair resisted the urge to use his wings to hide Omega as he faced the blonde man.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come? I know you’re apprehensive about being around so many of our brothers, but I’m sure nothing bad will happen.” The captain tried, once again offering Crosshair the opportunity to be the one to hold Omega. The other members of the Bad Batch had also been reluctant, but they had at least agreed to come up to the platform with Rex, Cody, and their Jedi generals.

Crosshair shook his head. “My choice remains the same. I have no desire to be around so many regs.”

Rex gave him an understanding nod and extended his arm to take Omega. Crosshair hesitated, just for a moment, before relenting to his more logical side and passing the sleeping baby over to Rex. As his hands left her, the movement seemed to wake her up. The cub made a questioning mew, before blinking sleepily up at Rex. Crosshair crossed his arms, fighting the urge to simply snatch her back, to say that she was too young to be introduced to so many people. After Rex left, he silently slunk around the edges of the cliff-like walls of the caldera. He made his way down to the large, open, cave-like room that acted as Sanctuary’s meeting space and found a quiet, secluded ledge to tuck himself into, pulling his dark wings around himself as he silently observed the gathered crowd.

With three clone battalions present, the room was quite full. Excited and confused chatter filled the air, everyone wondering why they had been called in. Clones in their dragon forms perched on large roots that protruded from the ceiling, varying markings in blue, yellow, and orange decorating their bodies depending on what battalion they belonged to. Privately, Crosshair thought about how grateful he was that his squad sported such fitting, intimidating colours, and not something like the sunshine yellow of the 13th Battalion. He wondered if, when Omega lost her baby fluff and grew into her adult scales, she would follow in her footsteps and permanently dye her scales in their signature colours. When he thought about it, he found, to his surprise, that he actually would be just fine with her never taking on their black and red colours. They were enhanced soldiers, they were supposed to look strong and intimidating. Omega would be the first, and last, clone to be born outside of the smoldering jaws of the war, so there was no need for her to try and make herself look scary. Perhaps she would prefer to decorate herself in bright, happy colours, or maybe she wouldn’t change anything at all.

He thought about that, about what she might look like once she was fully grown. He imagined a fierce, spitfire of a young lady, all attitude and confidence. She’d be a smart, strong, stealthy, clever, talented, and beautiful dragoness. He could see her soaring through the sky on powerful wings, white feathers scooping up air and clouds as they carried her wherever she wished to go, the warm sun bouncing off of golden scales. He hoped, of course, that when her wings started to grow tired and her heart started to yearn for familiarity, that she’d come back home to them.

His chest felt warm when he thought about that, about the wonderful future they might be able to have now that the war was over and they’d found a place to truly call their own. And maybe, just maybe, if things really went the way Rex thought they would, that future would include days spent among their many brothers.

Rex smiled down at Omega as he listened to Anakin address the men, moving Dusty’s Loth-cat doll about to make it seem like the little toy was walking. The cub squeaked in joy, flapping her paws about.

“Good afternoon, men. I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called you all here, so I’ll get right to it.” Anakin started, his tail sliding across the floor as he walked forward on the raised platform. He was in his dragon form, partially because he could make his voice louder this way, and partially because, as he had once told Rex, it was simply his favourite form to be in.

“Almost a month ago, Clone Force 99, a specially trained clone unit, discovered a hidden Kaminoan base in a cave system underneath their territory.” The black dragon’s face was set in a thin line, but Rex knew that the idea of the Kaminoans creating clones even after the war was over and in secret made him angry. “They had somehow acquired the materials to create a new batch of clones. “

Shock, horror, and anger rippled through the crowd. Pupils became thin slits and smoke curled out of more than a few mouths. Rex could hear a cacophony of thunderous growls as his vode voiced their feelings. Omega’s ears perked up as much as they could at the rumbling sound, and she leaned in closer against Rex.

Anakin held up a paw, knowing that if he couldn’t calm the gathered clones’ ire, that they would soon have a swarm of angry, protective soldiers. “I know it’s terrible, and I know you’re furious, as you should be, but they’ve already been dealt with.” He paused for a moment, as if considering his words, before adding. “They tell me that it wasn’t quick.”

The knowledge that some form of justice had been served seemed to calm the clones a bit, but Rex could still hear some low growls and the hiss of extinguished plasma bolts. Now that the room had quieted, Anakin continued.

“Tragically, by the time this discovery had been made, three of the clones had already been killed.” He said sadly, his wings drooping. A mournful quiet settled over the room, and the sadness felt nearly palpable. A lost vod was always something to mourn, even if they hadn’t had the chance to meet them.

Even Omega, who couldn’t begin to understand what was being spoken about, seemed to be affected by the sadness. Her eyes grew wet, and she looked around the room, making soft, upset noises.

“But,” Anakin said after a moment of silence had passed, looking back at Rex, “Hunter, the leader of Clone Force 99, managed to save the last remaining one. Rex?”

Rex walked up to his general, and as he walked he could see that everyone was wearing looks of curiosity, excitement, confusion, or a mix of all three emotions. Thousands of eyes fell upon him, or, rather, what was in his arms. Clearing his throat, he addressed the crowd.

“This little’un was taken out of her tube far earlier than any of us ever were, and she’s sensitive to loud noises, so try and keep it down.” Seeing some raised eyebrows, he nodded. “Yes, you heard me right, she’s a girl. The Kaminoans made this one a bit different, but she is still one of us, and I expect you to treat her as such.”

With that, he gently lifted the bundle in his arms up and showed her to the crowd. “Everyone, say hello… to Omega.”

Instantly, there was a burst of hushed sounds and reactions. Everything from soft gasps to cooed “aww”s ripped across the three battalions. Omega, now bombarded with awe and excitement, squealed in happiness and flapped her little wings. The positive reactions increased at the movement, the men fawning over the adorable child. It was quite reminiscent of the first time Padmé and Anakin first introduced everyone to their twins, the Jedi proudly showing off his cubs with all the glowing excitement of a new parent. The 501st especially had adored the kids, and the couple never had to look far for a babysitter.

It had been important that everyone knew the appearance and scents of the young twins, just in case they ever wandered off or, Maker forbid, were somehow kidnapped. And although Rex highly doubted anything or anyone dangerous would be getting anywhere near Omega, it was important for her to go through the same experience for the same reasons.

Omega, unlike her guardians, who were still nervously hanging back, loved seeing all of the new people. She trilled happily, gripping the Loth-cat plush and waving her free paw about in excitement.

Since all of the clones naturally sat in small groups, usually with their squad or batchmates, it wasn’t too hard to have everyone get a decent look at the kid. Omega was quick to endear everyone to her with her bubbly laughter and gentle pats. She became particularly excited when she saw people she already knew, such as the group of four cadets that had found her earlier, or Kix, who was grumpy that he had been woken up from his nap but still managed to give the smiling infant a half smile and a gentle pat on the head.

There were questions, of course. Troopers questioned her size and appearance, but the thought of rejecting the cub from their family never even seemed to cross anyone’s mind. By the time it was done, Omega’s enthusiasm had become slightly dulled by her tiredness. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes, blinking slowly up at Rex, who was just about to hand her over to Tech. She gave her goggle-wearing buir a gummy smile, tucking her head into his neck. Tech visibly relaxed once she was in his arms, and he gently rested his head on her back, a barely audible purr rumbling out from his chest as he helped the child calm down after the rush of meeting hundreds of new family members.

“I must admit, that went far better than I had assumed it would. I apologize for doubting you.” Tech said, gently taking the Loth-cat plush from Omega as sleep loosened her grip.

“That’s alright. I don’t expect you to suddenly be totally comfortable being around everyone after one day.” Rex replied understandingly.

“Looks like Omega’s all worn out. I’m honestly surprised she lasted this long.” Wrecker chimed in, watching as the cub burrowed in closer to Tech.

“Well, since she’s feeling better now, I guess we should be getting back home.” Hunter said.

“You don’t have to go right away.” Cody said, moving to stand beside Rex. “It’s nice to see you all again, and I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that we want to spend some more time with our niece.”

“Sanctuary is one of the safest places for raising cubs, and it’s not like you’d have to look very hard for babysitters if you ever want a break.” Rex added.

The Bad Batch looked at each other, before most of the gazes fell on Hunter. Whatever his decision would be, they would go along with it.

“Are you sure we wont be a bother?” The sergeant asked.

“Of course you wont. You’ll always have a place here.” Rex said.

Hunter thought for a moment, before sighing softly.

“Alright, we’ll stay for a few months, but we need to return home before fall hits our part of the planet we live on. We need to have time to travel to our hibernation den before winter hits, and since there’s no space for the Marauder there, we’ll need to fly there ourselves.” He said, making his decision.

Cody tilted his head slightly. “Oh, you’ve started to hibernate too? Most of us manage to sleep for a month or two, but with how warm it is here, it’s hard to reach a deep hibernation state.”

“Our planet experiences a seasonal cycle, so we’ve been sleeping from the end of fall to the beginning of spring.” Echo said. “It’s… nice to finally be able to do it.”

One of the many things that separated dragon shifters from regular people was their desire to hibernate. Since they usually burned quite a bit of energy simply existing in their dragon forms, sleeping during times of cold, when there was often less food, was one way of insuring that they didn’t starve to death. Aside from that, even getting a few months of deep rest helped injuries heal and overall improved a shifter’s health. During the war, hibernation had not been an option, and few clones even knew why they started to get more tired all the time as the years stretched on.

Hunter could remember the first time he’d settled down to hibernate, how he’d felt anxiety over something going wrong while they had been asleep. But he and his vode had built their den well, a deep burrow that ended in a large, dimly lit room that they covered in the softest materials that they owned. They’d never been bothered in the three years that they’d been hibernating, and they all noticed how they’d become more alert and happy after they’d finally fulfilled that primal need.

Cody nodded in understanding. “It felt great to finally be able to just relax, for once. It took some convincing to get the generals to actually settle, though.”

Rex groaned as he remembered the struggle. “Anakin wouldn’t stop getting up to make sure that the twins were okay, and I think his nervousness must have rubbed off on General Kenobi, because then he kept going out to patrol when it wasn’t his turn to do so. It took Cody and the rest of his men threatening to stay up with him before he finally slept.”

Echo snorted. He remembered how stubborn the Jedi could be, and he was glad that his squad passed out easily once they were comfortable. Not even Crosshair could resist the siren song of hibernation.

“Speaking of sleep, I believe Omega has had enough for today, and she’ll likely sleep until the evening. Will we see you later?” Tech asked.

“Sure. If we’re not having a celebration, we usually eat in the southernmost meadow. It’s much quieter there.” Rex said. “We can show the kid the blink beetles.”

“Blink beetles?” Hunter questioned.

“They’re like fireflies, but they’re bigger and they’ve got little horns. Completely harmless, though.” Cody explained.

Hunter nodded, and with that, the two groups separated. As they were leaving, Crosshair joined them, startling Wrecker with how silently he landed behind him. Together, they made their way back to the sleeping quarters. Echo rooted around in the bag that they had brought, quickly acquiring five ration packs. He passed them out, tearing into his own lunch as his brothers started to eat. Once they’d eaten, the enhanced clones settled down in their sleeping spots. Wrecker took first watch, and Tech gently tucked Omega into the large man’s arm before curling up on his own bed.

Together again and with their littlest member cured from her ailments, the Bad Batch slept easily.

Chapter Text

Over the next three months, the Bad Batch grew accustomed to a more social lifestyle.

Tech and Echo took a quick trip back to their home to grab some extra clothes and the birikad Tech had been working on. He finished it on the way back, and had made a habit of taking Omega out at least once every day. The cub loved to be in the air, and she squealed in joy whenever Tech swooped and dove through the sky. More than once, Hunter had nervously paced below them as he watched his vod flip through the air, ready to spring into action if Omega slipped free of the harness. That, of course, did not and would not happen, Tech’s design made sure of that.

When she was not with the Batch, Omega could almost always be found playing with the Skywalker twins, under the watchful eye of either one of the two Jedi, Padmé, or a clone. They, along with their mother, had returned not too long after Hunter had made the decision to stay for a while, and the kids simply adored their new playmate. The youngsters had learned how to shift at this point, and they often preferred to stay in their human forms when they were around the baby.

Their favourite game was “Pretend War”, in which they would either re-enact a battle that their father or numerous uncles had told them about as a bedtime story to the best of their abilities, or they would make up a completely new conflict. Luke and Leia would swap between being the villain or the brave hero each time they played, but Omega’s role remained the same. She was always the brave clone captain, following behind whichever twin was playing the Jedi general.

This time, Leia took the role of General Leia, heroic Jedi Knight and respected General of the Best Battalion. As usual, Omega sat by her side, adorned in armor made from painted foam. Cody had made it for her, and she got upset if someone tried to remove it before she was ready for it to come off.

“Are you ready, Cap’n Omega?” Leia asked, putting on her most serious face. Omega sat up as straight as she could, and Leia could feel her happiness and energy through the Force.

“The evil Darth Badguy is just over that ridge, and we need to find a way to steal his battle stat- strategies.” She said, pointing to a collection of wooden crates that they had pushed together. “I’ll dis-distract him, so you can steal the papers, okay?”

“Rrreow!” Omega squeaked, a weak imitation of what might one day be a thunderous roar.

Leia grinned. “I knew you’d be up for it! Let’s go!” Her words were whispered, but they held a note of excitement.

Gripping a foam lightsaber that her Daddy had made for her, she crept forward, looking over at her shoulder to see Omega crawling her way over to the other side of the crates. Leia was glad, at moments like this, that she could use the Force to tell Omega what she meant or what she wanted.

Omega’s Force signature wasn’t as defined as hers or her brother’s. It always flickered wildly, reaching out to anyone and everyone that could sense it. Her Daddy and Uncle Obi-Wan helped shield Luke and Leia from her feelings, as a cranky baby’s emotions would make any unshielded Force-sensitive feel angry and grouchy as well.

Crouching, Leia quietly snuck up on the crates, trying to peer around the wooden boxes as she hunted for her brother.

“Heeyah!”

Leia gasped as Luke tackled her, knocking her lightsaber out of her hand. Her brother was dressed in black pants, a black shirt, and a black cape. He had shifted his wings, tail, and horns, and he was putting on his most evil smirk. He pointed a red foam lightsaber at Leia, holding it just above her throat.

“It’s over, General Leia!” He said boastfully. “I have won dis battle. Any last words?”

Leia glanced around, searching for a way out. Spotting her lightsaber lying only a few feet away, she reached out with the Force, willing it to come to her. The toy wobbled, before rushing forward towards her. Unfortunately, she didn’t quite have the concentration needed to bring the lightsaber to her hand, and the foam laser sword bonked her brother right in the side of the head.

Luke staggered, surprised by the impact but not injured. Leia shoved her twin away, scrambling to her feet and retrieving her weapon.

“How the tables have turnded!” Leia laughed, holding up her lightsaber.

Luke recovered quickly, and the two began to duel, whacking the foam sabers together as they vied for victory, each one attempting to gain the upper hand. Soon, Leia found herself backed up against the wall of crates, and the young Skywalker realized that she was trapped. It seemed that, this time, the forces of evil would finally snuff out the Light.

“Rrrrah!”

Luke yelped as a flash of yellow and white crashed into him, knocking him over. Leia blinked in surprise, quickly looking over at Kix, who was in charge of watching over the cubs as their parents were away, the shifters going on a three day long hunt along with members of each clone battalion, to see if he had somehow helped her out.

The medic had lifted his head at the sudden noise, and Leia followed his gaze. There, standing triumphantly over her brother, was Omega, legs shaking with inexperience as she held Luke down to the best of her abilities.

“Hey!” He squeaked, “lemme up! You win, just get off!”

Omega, satisfied by his yielding, stepped off. It was only at that moment that Leia quite understood what she had just seen. Omega had stood on her brother. She was walking!

“You finally did it!” She cheered, and it seemed that Kix also realized that the cub had reached an important milestone, and he let out a rumbling purr of approval.

“Well done, ad’ika. Your buire will be upset that they missed this moment.” He said, smiling when Omega started to shakily toddle over to him. She tripped on a small rock on her way over, but the medic’s steady paws were there to catch her easily. He lifted her up, giving her a gentle nuzzle, which elicited a happy chirp from the fuzzy cub. She’d been so clingy lately, feeling the effects of being away from all her parental figures for an extended period of time.

The medic let her stay cuddled up to him for as long as she wanted, content to watch the twins continue their dual.

Kix coughed as he awoke with a start, hacking and spitting up water that had rushed into his nose.

…wait, what?

The floor was quickly becoming covered in water. The clear liquid gushed down the wooden steps that led into the space that had been designated as the kids’ playroom. Small leaves and twigs floated by, carried in by the rapid stream. Kix’s eyes widened as he stared in shock at the water. It had been raining earlier, but that was normal on Kashyyyk. This, however, was not. In the four years that they had lived in Sanctuary, the rain had never been so great as to flood the dragons’ homes.

The clone trooper quickly got to his feet, jostling the now fully shifted dragon cubs that had been sleeping on his broad back. They landed with small splashes, the fall not big enough to really hurt them, but enough to make them let out small yelps. Kix gave them a quick apology, nudging them up and giving each cub a small lick on the head to dissuade any tears that might have been forming.

Needing to investigate the source of the sudden flood but not wanting to leave the children under his care in the wet, he gently lifted them back up onto his back and waited until they had gotten comfortable before ascending the stairs. The water made the steps slippery, and Kix had to dig his claws into the wood to stop himself from slipping. Finally, they made it to the top floor, and the group of dragons found themselves being assaulted by gusts of unnaturally cold wind. Kix gasped, the sound drowned out by a booming clap of thunder.

The world outside was dark, the sun smothered by dark, shifting clouds. The great wroshyr trees that the clones had made their homes in shook with the force of the wind. Lightning crackled wildly, the blinding flashes crawling across the sky like veins in a giant creature. A gust of rain was blown onto the platform, icy and numbing as it sprayed over the stunned shifters.

The young Force-sensitives cried out in alarm at the sudden, foreign chill. They’d never experienced such cold, and this was not a good way to introduce them to it. Kix spread his wings and stuck close to the wall, trying to shield the young ones from the unusual storm. Instinct told him to get the cubs as far away from the biting cold, but he didn’t have many options. The water had flooded the barracks, and with how frequent the lightning flashes were becoming, Kix wasn’t so sure he wanted to be in such a tall tree.

Racking his brain, he tried to figure out where the safest place was aside from their treetop homes. Frowning, he realized that there was really only one place that would both shield them from the torrential rainfall and be safe from any potential lightning strikes.

The cave system that led out to the Shadowlands was hardly his favourite place to be, but he knew for a fact that there were ledges on the walls that would support their weight. It wouldn’t be the most spacious cover, but it would have to do.

Summoning all his courage, he transferred the shivering cubs into his arms and faced the storm. Whispering reassurances to the children, he extended his wings and charged forward, knowing that he’d have to fight against strong winds in order to reach the underground area, so he’d need the extra boost. Instantly, he was thrown back a ways, the chilling air blasting against him, tearing at his wings and trying to drag him into a wild tailspin. Kix, however, was not an easy man to take down, and he soon righted himself, his powerful wings flapping as he focused on making his way through the storm.

Lightning crackled through the air, illuminating his usually calm, wonderful home. Kix narrowed his eyes, folding his wings in as he dove through the frigid rain. The cold water felt awful as it splattered against him, and he could only imagine how it must feel for the kids, who scales could not protect them very well yet. Shaking off the droplets, he blinked against the wind and swooped down, throwing his wings out to slow his decent as the yawning maw of the cave system appeared before him. As he glided into the darkness, his eyes widened to take in any scraps of light.

He banked left, flapping his wings and angling his body so that he could grip the edge of a rough stone ledge with his curved claws. Once he was stable, he gently set down the sniffling children that he had been carrying. As he sat down, Luke, Leia, and Omega piled into the space between his hind leg and his coiled tail, each child shivering from the cold. Kix frowned and lowered his head, starting to groom the chilled cubs, his rough tongue taking care of the icy water. Once the kids were no longer in danger of getting hypothermia, the medic moved to lay down.

“Kix!”

Kix’s head swiveled towards the deeper parts of the cave system, his ears perking forward. The call was desperate and instantly familiar.

“R-Rex?” He called back, voice tinged with confusion and worry. He knew that had been Rex’s voice, as he could always pick out a vod even in a crowd by the sound of their voice, a talent that very few people had, even amongst his brothers. But that made no sense, Rex had gone with the hunting party, and the storm should have grounded them. What would drive his vod to risk his life and return so quickly? Was someone hurt?

“Kix! Please, we need help!” His brother’s voice sounded ragged and rough, like he had been screaming for a while. Kix shot to his feet, wings unfurling on instinct. His mind screamed at him to leap into the air and rush to the aid of his family, but the questioning squeaks of his young charges gave him pause. He couldn’t just abandon them here in the dark, but he needed to go. If he didn’t, someone might die. But it wasn’t as if he could bring them either. He would be flying blindly into a situation that he knew nothing about. For all he knew, if he brought the cubs, he’d be bringing them right into an active battle.

He lowered his head once again, a rumble of thunder echoing throughout the dark space. Guilt at having to leave them gnawed feverishly at his insides, but this was almost certainly an emergency.

“Your Uncle Rex needs my help, so you little ones must stay here. Don’t make a sound until either myself or someone you know comes to get you. I will try my hardest to return swiftly.” He said, waiting to see Luke and Leia nod in understanding before taking off, his wings carrying him swiftly through the suffocating shadows, his panic and anxiety propelling him forward.

Perhaps if he had taken a moment to think, he would have questioned how Rex would ever know that he had been down in the caves.

Beyond the relative safety of their cavernous hiding place, a clap of thunder shook the world outside. A luminous flash followed as the rumble reached its crescendo, a burning bolt of electricity striking the rain-soaked earth and startling the huddled children. Omega pressed herself into Luke’s side, crying out in terror. Her Force signature howled with fear, and with both Anakin and Obi-Wan gone, their minds were not as shielded as they usually were. Luke found himself tearing up, his boredom now smothered by distress. On instinct, he reached out for his Daddy and Uncle through the Force, but, for once, he found that he could not access the bonds that were always open to him. They were still there, but he felt nothing when he touched them. Instead, an almost oily feeling enveloped his Force signature, cold and dark and wrong.

Fat tears pooled in Luke’s blue eyes, and he whined at the sudden oppressive force that seemed to hang over them now. Beside him, Leia spread a wing out over her twin, trying to give him some comfort. She, too, could feel the unexplainable wrongness that seemed to intend to snuff them out. The young girl reached out to her brother and her cousin-in-all-but-blood with the Force, igniting their bonds and pulling them closer together. It was all she could think to do, to try and increase their Light so that the darkness that seemed darker than their shadowed surroundings would leave them alone.

“Omega? Omega, come out. Everything’s okay now, cyar’ika.”

The cub’s heads turned as they looked deeper into the impossibly dark cave, relief flooding their little bodies when the gentle, if a little rough sounding, voice of their Uncle Hunter echoed out from the depths.

Omega instantly let out a series of sharp, desperation-laced cries, untangling herself from the the protection of the pile as she stumbled forward, blind in the darkness of the cave.

“It’s alright, my little ones. We’re here now.” This time, it was Luke and Leia who rose to their paws as fast as possible, the voice of their father calling to them.

Luke scanned the darkness, waiting to see the comforting form of his Daddy. A voice at the back of his mind nattered on about how odd it was that he still couldn’t feel the elder dragon shifter in the Force, but the knowledge that his Daddy was close enough for him to hear was enough for him to ignore that little voice.

However, as moments passed, their beloved guardians had yet to emerge. The cubs sat on their ledge, confused. They could hear their parents, and they sounded close! So, where were they?

“Da-Daddy?” Luke called questioningly, shuffling just a bit closer to the edge of the ledge, “W-we can’t see you. Where are you?”

“Just follow my voice. It’s safe, I promise.”

The golden-scaled dragon cub hesitantly stepped forward, looking back over his shoulder to try and use what little sight he had to see if Leia and Omega were following him. The girls seemed reluctant to leave the safety of the ledge, even if it was to go find their parents. Kix had told them to stay put unless someone came to get them. Leaving the ledge meant that they would be walking blind in a cave that was flooding.

“Come on, adike. It’s okay.” Suddenly, Kix’s voice echoed out from somewhere beyond sight, rough like all the others, but infinitely comforting to the anxiety-riddled children.

With the permission of their current guardian, the cubs carefully fumbled their way down, searching for footholds in the wall. The drop was not too high, but jumping straight down would definitely hurt. Once Luke and Leia were down, they convinced Omega to put her trust in them and jump, promising the baby dragon that they would catch her. It took a few minutes, but with a few more calls from Hunter, she eventually took the leap, landing in Leia’s arms and joining her companions on the water covered ground. The water was higher now, and as they started to wander into the void-like throat of the cave, Omega struggled to use her newfound ability to walk, even when both Skywalker twins walked beside her, letting her use them for balance. More than once, she tripped, soaking her peach-fuzz fur and causing her body to become racked with shivers.

For the next half hour, the children called for their family, trying to follow the voices that echoed through the blackness. Terror and confusion drove them deeper into the caves, splashing through the paw-numbing storm water as they desperately searched for any sign of the people they knew had to be there.

Luke, now sharing Omega’s shivering, let out a sharp chirp, his teeth clicking together from his trembling. It was a primal sound, one that he had never had to use before. It condensed “I’m scared, I need help, I need my Mommy and Daddy” into a single sound, high pitched and nigh impossible to ignore.

Yet, with the way that only a further beckoning call responded, it seemed that his hurt was going unnoticed, brushed aside like it wasn’t important. It was so cold down here, surely his Daddy could feel it and would know that his children were suffering. Why hadn’t he found them yet? Or, if not him, then Omega’s daddy, who, according to his Uncle Obi, had “senses like a Loth-wolf.” Couldn’t he hear them?

Where was everyone? Why did their voices seem so near, yet they had to be far away for the cubs to not have run into them yet? It was confusing and more than a little scary. This far into the caves, the only sound came from them and the voices of their unseen guardians. The silence made his hackles raise. Everything felt wrong, and Luke would almost rather be back out in the storm, had the thunder and lightning not frightened him to his very core.

Splash!

Luke reared up on his hind legs and twisted his body, ears perking up.

“Daddy?” He asked, hopeful but… cautious. Something was off.

Silence.

Leia nudged Omega behind her, a whine building in her throat as she started to slowly inch backwards.

Suddenly, Luke felt the air around him tighten to the point where it was almost painful. He let out a choked squeal as he was lifted off the ground and hurled backwards. Air rushed by him, hissing in his ears as he was catapulted away from Omega and Leia. A scream barely had time to rip its way out of his throat before he smashed into the ground. There was less water on the ground here, and the cold stone floor was all too happy to rush up and greet him.

Pain exploded across Luke’s back, spreading out like venom through his muscles and down into his bones. He tried to gasp, to bring air into his screaming lungs, but his body wouldn’t respond. The impact had stolen his air and his control, and he could do nothing but lie on the damp ground and writhe in agony. His Force signature trembled with pain, reaching out to everyone and anyone to see if there was someone who could make it stop.

A few seconds after he had been thrown, Luke heard his sister yelp as she too was tossed into the hungry darkness, the shadows swallowing her up as she skidded across the cave floor. He weakly tried to pull himself up, to try and reach his twin, whose pain now mixed with his own over their shared bond. However, his body was simply too battered, his lungs too empty, and he only just managed to lift his head out of the thin layer of icy water, the liquid dripping down his neck and along his spine.

A figure, so dark that it stood out amidst the shadows, appeared just on the edge of the young boy’s vision.

Click, click, click went the creature’s talons as it stepped over to the injured child, a near-silent swish accompanying the sound as a long, elegant tail flicked behind it, jostling the folded fabric of a midnight black cloak. The Force hissed and snapped around them, snarling like a rabid Loth-wolf. The Light in Luke encircled him, warding off the leeching Darkness that threatened to ensnare the terrified child.

Luke’s pupils shrunk into tiny slits as a glow harsher than any sun illuminated the tip of his muzzle. Twin rings of gold peered at him, an angry red licking at the edges like a fire, hungry and snapping at the chance to consume anything and everything in its path. A cracked, hooked beak curved up into a cruel smile.

“Thank you for your help, little star.” The loving voice of his Daddy melted and twisted into something unrecognizable, far more feminine and hissing than his warm tone could ever be.

Luke’s heart hammered in his chest, not unlike like a caged bird fighting to gain its freedom. He opened his jaws in a silent scream when he saw Omega squirming in the monster’s hold, her claws tearing at her captor’s talon-like hands. Tiny beads of blood flowed out, but the monster that could steal someone’s voice merely chuckled.

“Oh, so much fear in such a little thing.” The monster hissed, holding the baby up like she was some interesting object and not a terrified child. “Hold onto that fear, little dragon. It will serve to fuel your power in time.”

“Hngh- leave’r alone!” Luke managed to grit out, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The monster seemed to regard him for a moment, humming, as if in thought.

“Hmm, such anger… if you had been younger, and didn’t belong to a family with such a… reputation, you could have been a wonderful apprentice.” The dark figure clicked their talons on the floor, the sharp nails scraping at the stone. “I would kill you, but…” The talons snatched him up, the curved points of the nails digging into his sides, “I don’t need your father hounding me across the Galaxy.”

Luke managed to take in a sharp inhale of air as he was released, falling back down to the ground. The young Skywalker’s breath hitched, sobs working their way up his throat as the oppressiveness seemed to begin to lift. Omega screamed in fear, her Force signature broadcasting her terror like a screeching siren.

Helphelphurtscaredhelpscaredhurthelp

Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the shadow creature vanished, taking Omega with them.

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan bit back a grumble as another drop of water splashed onto his eye. He leaned in closer to Cody, who rested his head on the Jedi’s back, unbothered by his partner’s damp fur as he sought out more warmth.

The two lovers had, like all members of the hunting party, been caught unawares by the sudden rainstorm that had seemingly appeared from nowhere. The wicked winds and chilling rain had effectively grounded them, forcing the dragon shifters to seek shelter from the weather under the boughs of an enormous tree. After draping their kills over the various roots, everyone had settled down to wait out the storm.

Obi-Wan sighed as Cody nuzzled his jaw, his ears twitching a fraction as a clap of thunder echoed out across the sky. It sounded like it was moving away, and the Jedi hoped that they would soon be able to return home. As exhilarating, and necessary, the hunt had been, he could tell that those among them with young ones waiting for them were becoming impatient.

Anakin, laying on the ground, his mate curled up beside him, kept his gaze fixed on the sky, glaring at it as though he thought his ire alone would stop the freakishly icy liquid from falling. The tip of his tail flicked against the ground, and Obi-Wan could feel his irritation and slight anxiety through their bond. He didn’t like being separated from his children for so long, and the odd weather wasn’t helping. Obi-Wan felt a ripple of sympathy run through him when he saw his former Padawan shiver, his spines quivering at the sudden motion. Born under Tatooine’s blazing twin suns, Anakin had never handled the cold well.

Over by themselves, he could see Clone Force 99, or “The Bad Batch”, as they called themselves. Their leader, Hunter, sat just on the edge of the tree’s protection, wings splayed out beside him, ready to snap into flight position as soon as it was safe to do so. His ears were pulled back flat against his skull, likely an attempt to muffle the rumbling thunder. Behind him, his squad were doing various things, but they all carried an electrical energy of anxiety about them. Tech etched equations and designs into the dirt with his claws, of what, Obi-Wan could not tell. Wrecker had flopped over onto the ground, tired from his battle with a rather large creature that the clone had decided would make a nice dinner. He looked as though he had fallen asleep, but the Jedi could feel his alertness. Echo’s muzzle crinkled in annoyance as he examined his prosthetics, shaking his metal limbs to rid them of any remaining moisture. Crosshair looked, well, cross. Unlike his brothers, the sniper possessed feathered wings, and the appendages were soaked. He feverishly ran his dampened feathers through his mouth, preening them with an agitation Obi-Wan had never seen before.

Cuddling up closer to Cody, Obi-Wan searched the Force, taking comfort in the warmth and light of the life that thrummed all around him. Anakin, ever a beacon, shone the brightest, and the Jedi took a moment to bask in the familiar presence of the man he’d raised, fought alongside, and eventually helped end the war with. Anakin’s glare broke as he sensed his former Master, and he looked over at him with love and kindness in his endlessly blue eyes. His former Padawan sent a wave of comfortwarmsafehomesoon over their bond, and Obi-Wan gave Anakin a gentle smile. He sent back similar feelings and bond-whispered words, and the younger dragon gave him a smile in return.

Expanding the Force, he reached out towards Sanctuary, trying to connect with the cubs, wanting to make sure that the sudden storm hadn't frightened them.

Nothing.

Obi-Wan frowned, brows furrowing in confusion. He reached out again, searching for the three little star-like Force signatures that should be easy to find. Yet, once again, he found his connection to them to be blocked. Not gone, but still inaccessible.

The dragon shifter sat up, the first tendrils of panic curling around his chest. Cody rumbled inquisitively, his head tilting slightly. Anakin, who had finally started to relax, gave Obi-Wan a concerned look.

‘Okay?’ Came across their bond, the question drawing Obi-Wan's attention towards him. The Jedi Master looked out towards the storm, his eyes crinkling in concern.

‘Can you feel the kids? I can't find them.’ Obi-Wan sent back, trying to sound calm and collected for Anakin's sake.

Anakin's face fell, and he closed his eyes, searching for their Force signatures himself. After a moment, his eyes snapped open, and Obi-Wan's stomach twisted in fear when he saw pure panic in Anakin's eyes. His body tensed, and Cody put a paw over one of Obi-Wan's own.

"What's wrong?" The clone commander questioned, concern filling his honey-brown eyes.

"We need to go home." Obi-Wan said, getting up as quickly as he could. "We need to go right now."

Anakin was already up, Padmé moving to get up with him, her tail curling nervously as she asked her husband what was wrong. Around them, the other clones began to notice the Jedi's sudden change in behaviour. The gathered dragons looked at each other, silently questioning why their generals looked like they were going to take off.

"Something's wrong. I fear that something may have happened to the young ones." Obi-Wan said, his emotions leaking into his voice.

At that, the hunting party became a flurry of movement. Upon hearing that her cubs could be in danger, Padmé bolted out from underneath the cover of the tree, a blur of white as she spread her wings and took off, Anakin right behind her as they disappeared into the darkness.

Rex, seeing his general and his mate take off into the rain, began to bark orders at his men, who snapped to alertness in seconds. The captain assigned a few of his troops to guard the spoils of their hunt before charging after Anakin, his loyal men right on his heels. Cody, upon hearing Obi-Wan's words, followed Rex's example. He got to his feet and and commanded his men to follow the 501st, choosing to stay close to Obi-Wan as the Jedi cursed his lack of wings. Cody turned his head to say something to Hunter and his squad, but the enhanced clones were already gone, likely having taken off at the same time Padmé and Anakin had.

“Cody,” Obi-Wan said, his muscles tense as he prepared to face the unnatural weather, “my dear, we need to go.”

“I’m with you, cyar’ika. Do you know what’s happened?” The clone asked, draping a wing over Obi-Wan’s back, grounding him.

“No, the Force it’s- it’s almost like there’s a fog that has settled in. Nothing around Sanctuary is clear enough for me to understand.” Obi-Wan hissed, placing a paw over his eyes. A minute shudder runs through him, alarm and uncertainty echoing in the Force all around him. “It’s like Sidious, but somehow worse! I can’t find anyone!”

It’s only Cody’s presence that keeps him from loosing himself in the swirling chaos, and he holds on for dear life to the Force signature of the man before him. It’s almost blinding, a roaring star that feels like coming home and taking the first sip of his favourite tea.

Suddenly, there’s warmth on his cheeks, and he opens his eyes to see Cody tenderly holding him, his paws cupping the Jedi’s face.

“Breathe, ner jetii. You’re okay. I’m here, you’re here, and Sidious is gone. Dead and rotting in the ground.” Cody reassured, and Obi-Wan exhaled at his lover’s words. The buzz in his mind quieted, and he put a paw on Cody’s shoulder.

“You’re right. Thank you, Cody.” The dragon-shifter sighed softly. Taking another deep breath, a look of determination fixing itself on his face.

“Let’s go help our family.”

Omega has never been afraid of storms.

She can remember the first time she experienced one. She’d been teetering on the edge of sleep, existing in that blissful state, when a great growl had echoed throughout her body. She’d swung her head upwards, a questioning warble on her tongue. Smoke Warmth, Wrecker, his word, his name, had come to her mind, was who she had curled up next to that night, and she had wondered if the sound had been him.

“’S alright ‘mega.” He’d said, voice full of sleepiness, “It’s just thunder.”

The growl, the thunder, had come again, shaking their new home, and she’d been a bit frightened then, not sure where the sound was coming from. But, Wrecker, seeing her frightened face, had simply smiled, stretched for a moment, then took her up the stairs. When they reached the outside, Omega had been stunned to see an intense flash of light. It reached across the sky, spreading out like a small stream of water, before disappearing into the clouded dark.

She’d been mesmerized by the light, enraptured by its winding pathways and absolute suddenness. In fact, she’d been so distracted by what she had just seen that the sudden roar of thunder had given her quite the scare.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Wrecker reassured, smoothing down her fluffed up crest of feathers. “Thunder can’t hurt you, it’s just a sound. Tech could probably tell ya where it comes from. Lightning is the real danger, but if you’re smart, you’ll be okay.”

Omega, soothed by the information, watched in delight as flashes of lightning danced across the stormy sky, illuminating the rain-filled clouds.

Lightning. She adored the word. It sounded pleasant in her mind, and she liked trying to say it, even if her mouth couldn’t quite get it right yet. It was wild and unpredictable and so bright. For hours, she fought sleep just to watch the pretty lights that fractured and flashed across Kashyyyk’s sky. Eventually, Hunter, as she now knew him to be called, found them sitting just beyond the rain’s reach. He’d looked at them for a moment, confusion rippling off him in gentle waves.

“Kid likes storms.” Wrecker had said simply, and Omega gave a tired trill of agreement.

Hunter had smiled at that, although Omega didn’t miss the way he kept well away from the outside, a hidden nervousness making him shuffle in place. The sky roared again, and his ears folded back. At that small movement, Wrecker extended his wing and pulled Hunter into his side, letting the other dragon tuck in close. Hunter had been a bit confusing that night, giving off feelings that said “I want to leave and hide” but also “I’m not really okay and I need to be here.”

Big dragons were so confusing, what with their complex emotions and thoughts, but Wrecker seemed to understand. Maybe he could hear Hunter’s unspoken words, or maybe he just knew what he needed because he was a big dragon too. She’d reached out to the Voice that night, asking without speaking, to see if it knew if she would be big someday. It had assured her that she would, placing lightning-quick glimpses of what could eventually come into her mind. She saw a dragon, pale gold scales glittering in the light of a setting sun as it swooped and soared through a vast expanse of clear sky. She saw it smile, and somehow knew that it was her.

The vision lasted only a few seconds, but it still overwhelmed her tired mind. She had blinked, and realized that she must have fallen back asleep, because she was back in the nest with her family. She could no longer see or hear the storm, which had upset her. She had wanted to see more sun-bright lightning, hear more grumbling thunder, smell more fresh rain as it spattered onto the ground. She’d wanted to experience all of it, but in the end, her exhaustion had won out, and she had curled back up next to a now snoozing Hunter, completely in love with the idea of storms.

Omega has never been afraid of storms. Frightened at first, but never afraid.

Not until now.

The crack of thunder overhead was deafening, an explosive sound that battered her sensitive ears. Omega cried out in terror, pressing her ears in closer to her head to try and muffle the sound. Cold, wet air gusted around her, seeping through her thin, downy coat and settling in every part of her body. Her paws and wings were numb from the chill rain, and they ached when she tried to move them. Her teeth clicked together as she shuddered, the movement almost painful.

The world was a blurry mess of shadows and flashes of lightning, the familiar scents of her home being replaced by damp earth and her own fear. She tried to scream, to call out for help, but the wicked talons squeezed tighter around her battered body, causing her to cough and choke. It felt like she was drowning in something cold and slimy, the feeling coating her, yet somehow sliding around at the same time. It pressed down on her from all sides, like the world’s worst hug.

Omega squirmed in her captor’s grasp, clawing at their cold, rough talons. She was panting, heaving breaths coming in between coughs. Blood flowed beneath her paws, staining them and filling her nose with a sharp, coppery scent. The cub gagged at the smell, too young to have a taste for it yet. Perhaps it was her unyielding scratching, or maybe her captor had a flash of mercy, but the tightness around her body lessened, and Omega took in the biggest breath she could.

Another peel of thunder overpowered any other sounds, and Omega swung her head low, trying to get as far away from the noise as possible. Being in a storm was very different from watching it from the safety of a warm, dry tree. Now that she could breathe again, she tried to reach out to anyone that she could reach.

Helphelpscaredhelphurthelp!

Suddenly, the world slowed a bit, and Omega heard a terrible, awful sound. It was as if some creature had heard someone laugh and had tried to mimic it, almost right, but… off in a way that made her feathers fluff up in fear.

The clawed hand raised her up into the air, and the young cub found herself staring into a pair of glowing eyes. Wicked gold rimmed with burning red made her freeze up in terror, the unnatural colours setting off screeching alarm bells in her mind. The slimy, frigid presence wrapped itself around her mind, digging it’s rigid claws into her fragile mental walls and shredding them like tissue paper. The intrusion was so sudden, it took Omega a second to realize just what had happened. Once she did, however, her panic skyrocketed.

Her tiny heart hammered against her chest as she thrashed about, screaming both aloud and in her head. The Voice, which had been buzzing incomprehensibly the entire time she’d been captured, screeched unhappily, whipping around as much as the storm wind. When the shadowy claws came again, reaching to tear away her Light and throw her to the darkness, the Voice did… something.

Omega wasn’t really sure what it did, but one moment the shadow’s were upon her, and the next, she felt a blanket of Light wrap itself around her, sinking into her and shielding her mind from the Dark. For a moment, the chill that had made its home in the deepest parts of her body backed off, and the young dragon felt the warmth buzz through her body. It was almost too much to hold in, and she didn’t know what to do. Even her captor, who’s eyes had been full of malicious glee moments ago, seemed confused by the sudden shift.

“What are you doing? How are you doing this?” The bird creature hissed, tilting her head.

Then, softly, the Voice spoke to her.

‘Push her back.’

And so she did.

With the loudest cry she could muster, Omega pushed the buzzing energy outwards. It was like she had send out a ripple, the feeling spreading out all around her. She felt it hit her captor, and then, suddenly, she was no longer being held. Instead, she was flung through the air as the bird creature was thrown back, landing in the mud with a smack!

The fuzz-covered cub cried out as a stinging pain formed all across her body. Limbs shaking, Omega got to her feet, wobbling as the rain spattered down on her tiny body. Cold mud dripped off of her underbelly, dribbling down her chin and splattering onto the wet, puddle-covered ground. Far above, a bolt of lightning stretched out across the sky, lighting up the deep, dark forest. Driven by fear, Omega took advantage of the burst of light and took off into the forest, slipping and sliding on the muddy ground.

Rex’s face was set in a grim line as he followed General Skywalker and his mate into the storm, his wings easily slicing through the harsh wind. Actually, he supposed he was really only following Padmé, as Anakin’s near-black scales made him invisible in the darkness. Padmé’s snow-white scales made her nearly ghost-like, easy to track even as she ripped through the sky with all the ferocity of an enraged Nexu. He wondered, if the rain had not drowned out all sounds aside from the occasional ripple of thunder, if he would be able to hear the growl that he was sure was building in her throat.

His wings ached from how hard he was flapping, already sore from days of flying and carrying their prey. The hunt was necessary, as they needed to put on extra fat for hibernation, but Maker above it was tiring.

Shaking off his pain and exhaustion, he pumped his wings harder, catching up to his general, who he eventually found by looking for the glimpses of gold that came from his tail.

“Sir! What’s the plan?” He had to shout the question to be heard over the storm. While it had seemed to be moving away earlier, it had returned in full force.

Anakin answered the captain without looking at him, his gaze locked firmly on the stretches of dark forest that would eventually lead them back home. “We get back and figure out what the hell is going on.”

Rex nodded and fell back behind his general. Shaking off the droplets of water that had collected on his back, the clone captain took account of how many troopers were with him, just in case they, for some reason, needed to fight. Most of his men that had come on the trip were there, save for the few that he had commanded to stay. He could see their bright blue markings through the gloom of the storm. He also saw the familiar gold-orange and yellow of the 112th Legion and the 13th Battalion, splashes of colour against pale scales almost glowing in contrast with the inky black. All wore similar expressions of fierceness, determination, and an underlying layer of apprehension.

Suddenly, he noticed a flash of red in the rain. He turned his head, and saw Crosshair flying beside him. The sniper’s piercing gaze flicked towards Rex for a fraction of a second before refocusing on the darkness. He, out of all of them, would be able to spot any danger that might be trying to use the storm to hide, and he knew it. Without exchanging any words, he swooped downwards and surged ahead, ready to show everyone there just how he and his squad had achieved their 100% mission success rate.

The rest of the Bad Batch weren’t far behind. Hunter led the way, his snout pulled back into a snarl. He, and the rest of his squadmates, were radiating a protective fury that seemed to only come to those who had children. A few bolts of lightning flashed in a row, providing the dragon shifters with proper sight for a moment. Tech’s wing-beats were much more rapid than his brothers’, since his wingspan was much smaller than theirs. Despite this, he kept pace with everyone else, his eyes flashing dangerously behind the tinted lenses of his goggles.

Wrecker was an intimidating force in the clouded dark. His rough, skull-shaped markings all the more frightening when that was all one could see. His enormous wings scooped up the chilled, damp air with ease, yet his flaps were aggressive as he cut through the rain. The gentle click of metal made him glance at Echo, who matched his vode’s aggression. Echo, who knew loss just as well as, if not better than all of them, seemed dead set on eliminating any possibility of loosing anyone else.

Suddenly, Anakin gasped, his wings flaps becoming staggered as he reeled back. It almost looked as though he’d been punched, although Rex couldn’t see anything that would have struck his general.

“Kix!” He barked, before diving down, Padmé right behind him. Rex swallowed, his heart hammering in his chest as he followed Anakin. Kix had been in charge of watching the cubs today, taking over for Threepwood, who had volunteered to watch them on the previous day. If he was here…

Rex had a bad feeling about this.

Crosshair had gotten there first, and the sniper was worriedly nudging the medic, who lay unmoving on the ground in front of the cave exit. The clone captain felt his stomach sink, feeling as though he’d swallowed a heavy stone. Even with the rain, Rex could see a set of five long, bleeding gashes that started just beneath the 501st medic’s wing membrane and ended at the thick plates that protected a dragon’s underbelly. Rex skidded as he landed, slick mud sliding over his paws. His fear must have shown on his face, because Crosshair was quick to speak.

“He’s alive, but unconscious.” He growled, his wings sagging as he realized that there really wasn’t anything he could do. “I can’t get him to wake up.”

Anakin, seemingly coming to the same realization Rex had just come to, whirled and faced Rex, panic and anger surging through his sky-blue eyes.

“Rex, go find the kids! We’ll make sure Kix is okay.” He ground out, obviously wanting to go look for his children but knowing that Kix’s wounds needed attention.

The captain hesitated, just for a moment, frozen by seeing one of his vode bleeding out even after they escaped the horrors of war, but quickly snapped out of his trance-like state and nodding.

“Hunter!” He called, catching the sergeant’s attention, “These tunnels are a fucking maze in the dark. I could use your help tracking down the cubs.”

Hunter gave him a curt nod and motioned for his squad to follow him. Together, the six dragons entered the darkness of the cave, their pace quickened by the need to find the missing cubs.

The air was still and quiet, the only sounds coming from them as they moved through the tunnels. Wrecker had lit up the area by letting plasma gather in his throat, the blue light bouncing off the rough stone walls. Hunter kept his head low, scenting the air and trying to look for any clues as to where the cubs might be. As he scoured the area, he caught a whiff of something. Something coppery.

The dragon shifter stiffened, head raising, then rushed forward, following the scent. His squadmates and Rex called out to him, questioning his sudden burst of speed, but Hunter tuned them out. He relied on his senses to guide him, even when he ran ahead of the light Wrecker had been provided. He wound his way through the twists and turns of the caves, his footfalls echoing as he ran, almost acting as a form of echolocation.

Suddenly, a new sound reached his ears.

Breathing.

Slow, but not like the breathing of someone in a peaceful sleep. Rather, there was a wheeze to each breath, and his keen hearing allowed Hunter to pick up a slight gurgling sound, like whoever was breathing had some liquid in their throat. Hunter slowed, ducking his head down once again as he carefully picked his way through the darkness. His nostrils flared as he tried to find the source of the breathing, snout wrinkling as the sharp scent of blood assaulted his senses.

After a moment of searching, the tip of his muzzle brushed up against something. A quiet whimper met his touch, and the sergeant almost recoiled at the sound. Instantly, he gathered up the small body that lay prone on the cold, wet ground, bringing it to his chest.

“Wh…wha?” A tiny voice whispered, the words almost syrupy with how slowly they came out.

“Leia.” Hunter breathed, hugging the young girl close. “Leia, sweetheart, what happened? Where is your brother and Omega?”

Leia, who was now shaking, didn’t respond. Instead, Hunter heard a sniffle, then the cub started to wail. She pressed her face into Hunter’s chest, heaving great sobs as she desperately tried to make herself seem as small as possible. As Hunter tried to comfort her, Rex and the rest of his squad caught up. As Wrecker came forward with the light, the true horrors of the room became obvious.

The ground was covered in various coagulated spatters and smears of blood, the source of the red liquid being various cuts on Leia’s trembling body. There were two on her neck that looked particularly nasty, still dripping fresh blood. The cub’s body was coated in red, her white scales stained an awful crimson. The gathered clones made various noises of alarm. Rex looked as though he might be sick. The captain staggered forward, reaching out to take the young girl from Hunter. He let him, trying to ignore the feeling of blood drying on his underbelly. There were still two more cubs to find, and an ever growing number of questions that needed to be answered.

Turning his attention back to the areas where the light hadn’t quite reached yet, Hunter tried to find any familiar scents through the blood. His stomach churned with disgust and fear, anxiety clawing at his heart and lungs.

‘Where is she? What happened here? Who did this? Why?’

The sound of faint breathing pulled Hunter from his thoughts, and the dragon shifter didn’t hesitate to rush over. There was less blood here, just a few drops, but the sight that greeted him was no less gut-wrenching.

Luke Skywalker, as Hunter had come to learn, never really stopped moving. Even in sleep, his ears or tail would twitch, or his paws would move a bit, showing all who looked that he was dreaming. So it was really quite disturbing to see the cub just… collapsed on the ground, still as a corpse. The only indication of life was the rise and fall of the cubs chest. There was a band-shaped circle of bruises around Luke’s neck, like something had applied equal force at all sides all at the same time. Shallow puncture wounds on his side had dried blood caked around them, far less than his twin.

“Rex! Get over here!” He shouted, scooping the unconscious boy up into his arms.

The captain crossed the distance in just a few seconds, his pale scales now stained with red as Leia curled up into a ball in his arms. He took Luke into his protective hold in an instant, worriedly nuzzling the cub, a low whine building in his throat.

“Where’s Omega?” He managed to get out, looking around for the youngest child.

“I haven’t found her yet.” Hunter admitted. Shame and anger licked at his insides, burning him up. How could he not have found her yet? She was his ad, it was his job, his very purpose in life now, to protect her. What if she was hurt, or worse, because he hadn’t been there to protect her?

As if he had heard Hunter’s thoughts, Rex extended a wing and gave Hunter a gentle touch. “Hey, this is not your fault. None of us could have seen this coming. You’ll find her.”

Hunter nodded, but the movement was half-hearted. As Rex tended to the twins, he set off into the cave again, his senses on high alert as he desperately searched for his missing daughter. Echo, Wrecker, Tech and Crosshair were also searching, checking each nook and cranny and calling for Omega.

As more and more time passed, they became feverish in their movements. They checked and rechecked and re-rechecked every space that a small cub might have tucked herself into. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Omega was gone.

A snarl ripped its way out of Wrecker’s throat as that fact became obvious. He swiped at the wall in anger, the force of his strike shattering part of the cave’s wall. Fragments of rock rained down onto the floor, clattering as they landed. Hunter had half a mind to do the same, his status as the eldest in his batch being the only thing that kept him from loosing it. His vode needed him to be strong right now. He could break down later.

Crosshair was still searching, hoping that, for once, that his eyes had simply failed him, that he had somehow overlooked their cub and that this time he would find her. He kept his jaw partially open, a dull blue glow lighting his way. He scanned every crevice, peered into every hole, looked on every ledge. With each empty place, his hope crumbled a bit more. Eventually, there were no places to search, and the sniper visibly slumped as he came to stand next to Tech, who leaned against his older vod for support. He pressed his head into his brother’s shoulder, shame and disbelief rippling through him.

Failure. It struck fast like an enraged viper and the unfamiliar feeling slunk through the members of Clone Force 99. The clone troopers looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Usually, they’d look to Hunter for instructions, but what the hell could he tell them? He was just as helpless as they were. Defeated, they miserably plodded back to Rex, who had cleaned the blood off of the Skywalker twins. The captain’s attention was on them in an instant, ready to help them treat any injuries their ad might have. His face fell when he noticed a distinct lack of child in their midst.

“You didn’t find her?” He asked, an undertone of disbelief in his voice that halfway through his sentence morphed into one of fear and worry.

Hunter sighed as he shook his head, his wings drooping.

“We looked everywhere. She’s… she’s gone.” His breath hitched, and Hunter snapped his mouth shut, trying to keep his emotions in check as his eyes started to water.

Rex’s guts twisted at the revelation, but he set his face in a firm line. Shifting the twins so that they were both resting in one arm, Rex moved to a standing position, walking over to the crestfallen, almost-mourning sergeant and placing a gentle wing onto his shoulder.

“She can’t have gone far. If something, or someone, has her, we’ll find them.” He promised. At Hunter’s unsure glance, he let out a chuff. “Vod, there are hundreds of us. We will find her, don’t you worry.”

“You sure the regs will be willing to fly in this weather?” Crosshair grumbled questioningly. His tone was sharp, but Rex didn’t have the heart to chastise him for it.

“Omega is family, Crosshair. Of course they will.” Rex assured. “Now come on. We’re wasting time.”

Without another word, the group of clones made their way back to the exit of the caves. The others had pulled Kix inside, and both Obi-Wan and Cody had arrived, soaked from the rain and worriedly huddled around the downed medic. Someone had brought a small medkit with them on the hunt, so Kix’s wounds had, thankfully, been bandaged. Thunder roared outside, the sound echoing throughout the cave. The sound made Leia whimper, and she curled in close to her twin.

At that sound, both Anakin and Padmé leapt up, their attention now fully on their cubs.

“My babies!” Padmé cried, rushing over and reached out for her cubs. Rex gave them over instantly, giving the distraught mother a sympathetic look.

Anakin was beside his mate in less than a second, wings shielding his family from any further harm. The couple gasped at the state of their children, a tremor running through Anakin’s wings as he nuzzled the twins.

“They’ve been touched by the Dark side.” He whispered, horrified.

At his words, a chill descended upon the room. Padmé tightened her hold on the twins, her own elegant, silvery wings wrapping around her body in an attempt to get them out of sight. Obi-Wan, who had quickly come over upon seeing Rex come out with the twins, bristled instinctively.

“Impossible.” He nearly growled. “We killed the last Sith.”

“Well, it seems like Sidious wasn’t the last one after all.” Anakin grit out, his Force signature a mess of emotions.

Cody, who had followed Obi-Wan, scanned the group that had just emerged from the caves. “Hey, where’s the little’un?”

Echo, who looked aged beyond his years by all the stress, answered. “We couldn’t find her. Somethin’s taken her.”

That, combined with Anakin’s realization, made Obi-Wan and Cody snap to alertness. Obi-Wan stood ramrod straight and put on his most serious face.

“Cody, send out an alert. All troopers are to look for any sign of Omega. They know what she looks like, and as hard as it may be to find right now, they have her scent. We need to be fast about this.” He said, easily slipping back into his general role. “Anakin, I need you to meditate with me. There’s Darkness all over this place, but if we work together, we might be able to get through it. Rex, help Padmé treat Luke and Leia.”

His orders were met with near instantaneous obedience. Cody rushed into the caves, his plasma lighting his way as he made his way back into Sanctuary. Anakin reluctantly pulled away from his mate and moved to sit next to his old Master. Both Rex and Tech gathered up the remaining medical supplies and started checking over the injured cubs. Once everyone was in motion, Obi-Wan settled down next to Anakin. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and allowed himself to become lost in the Force.

Chapter Text

Omega stumbled, thick mud sucking and pulling at her limbs as she moved farther into the seemingly endless forest. Her small wings hung at her sides, too heavy to keep tucked in close to her body. She coughed, the sound rattling in her chest. Fear was the only thing that kept her going, the emotion forcing her to clamber over roots and slog through puddles in a mad scramble to put as much distance as possible between her and the monster that had dragged her out here.

She sniffed miserably, wishing that she was anywhere else at that moment. Omega longed for her soft bed and warm blankets. She yearned for the many plush toys that her beloved uncles had given her. But most of all, she desperately wanted to see her family again. She always felt so safe around them, like nothing in the whole world could touch her.

Tears joined the rainwater that was already soaking her fluffy coat. She sniffed again, her lower lip wobbling as a sob wavered in the back of her throat. Her vision blurred, and she could do little else but try and blink away the tears.

Suddenly, as she stepped forward, her paw sunk into a particularly deep patch of mud. The thick, viscous liquid sloshed over the tiny cub as she fell forward, sinking in further as she landed. The mud quickly coated her body, dragging her down and choking her. Omega jerked her head back, nostrils weakly flaring as she rapidly sucked in air. The mud was cold, and her teeth chattered as she strained to free herself from it’s sticky grip.

After a few minutes of struggle, Omega wearily lowered her head, resting it on the surface layer of mud. She’d managed to free one of her paws, and she feebly reached over and gripped more solid ground. Exhausted, cold, and starving, there was little left for the poor girl to do but cry, so cry she did.

Omega shouted her sorrowful cry out into the deep brush, the sound nearly drowned out by the storm. Her wails were swept away by the wind, but the pup couldn’t care less at the moment. Fat tears streamed down her face, and her breathing hitched as she struggled to draw air into her lungs. Her vision became blurry as her tears covered her squinted eyes, and Omega shut her eyes, just having enough strength to keep her head above the mud.

Rrrrrrrrrr…

Omega shut her eyes harder, ears pressing flat against her head. She didn’t dare look to see what horrible monstrosity had emerged from the darkness this time. Was it the creature that had stolen her away from her family? Or something completely new?

The thick, earthy scent of the mud couldn’t mask the terrible odor that suddenly filled the damp air around her. Her snout wrinkled, and she peaked one eye open to see the source of the stench.

A matted, yellow creature was crouched before her. Its tail swayed in the wind, large clumps of brown fur hanging off the end of it. Large, haunting blue eyes watched her as it drooled. Pointed teeth dripped with saliva and rain, and it seemed as though the horrible smell was coming from the animal’s mouth. Omega trembled even more, eyes now wide with fear. The animal tilted its head and growled again, shifting on it’s three-toed paws. The dragoness didn’t know what to do. She was stuck in the mud, and fear prevented her from trying to get away. She panted, heart pounding against her chest. The animal sniffed her, blowing its hot breath in her face. The combined terror from her abduction, the storm, being stuck and now this strange creature getting in her space was simply too much.

Omega let out an ear-piercing scream, her tiny lungs pushing out all the air they could. The animal leaned back in surprise, its thin, pointed ears falling back. It bared its teeth, showing off six impressive fangs. It swiped at the baby shifter, its claws catching Omega’s shoulder. The force hauled her out of the mud, only to be sent right back into it as she fell back down with a yelp. Her cries were muffled as she thrashed, no longer able to keep her head up. The thick mud filled her nose and mouth, causing her to choke as she blindly flailed.

Just as she started to fade, Omega felt the creature’s Force signature flare with pain. Seconds later, she was lifted from the grasp of the cold, sucking mud. She coughed and spat, gasping for air until her chest hurt. Something (someone?) was holding her in their mouth gently, as she could feel the familiar brush of teeth against her body.

Still blind, Omega let herself hang as she snorted and gasped, too tired to do anything besides try and get air into her body. Suddenly, she was shifted, and something warm and wet cleared the mud from her face, allowing Omega to see her savior. She blinked, then squeaked weakly in delight.

It was another dragon. They had orange scales, occasionally broken by beautiful white markings. Bright teal eyes were framed by horns white and blue in colour, forming ear-like points on the top of their head, as well as draping down towards their shoulders. Their Force signature buzzed and crackled with power and protective fury, and it wrapped around Omega like a soothing hug.

“Well, aren’t you a surprise.” A feminine voice chuckled, and Omega’s ears perked up as a voice whispered a name into her mind.

Ahsoka Tano…

Their staring contest was interrupted by a sudden low growl. Ahsoka only had seconds to react before a bright red blade swung down right where the two dragon shifters had been. She snarled, a low roar echoing out into the darkness. Their attacker growled back, angry orange and red eyes glowing unnaturally through the storm’s gloom.

“Bareyth.” Ahsoka spat, tail lashing in the wet grass, “You slimy, underhanded coward. Going after a baby? That’s low, even for Sith scum like you.”

“If I was here to kill her, she’d already be dead.” The Bothan sneered, his dark fur dripping with cold rainwater. “My master wants her alive.”

“Oooh, trying to replace you? That must sting.” Ahsoka taunted.

Bareyth grit his teeth in an aggressive grin. “Actually, my master has decided to… bend the rules a little. After all, why have one apprentice when you could have two? Especially if they have such raw power like she does.”

“Well, your master is going to have to find an apprentice elsewhere. This little one is staying with me.” The Jedi moved into a defensive crouch, ready to spring away at any moment. Twin kyber crystals, bound to her tail, ignited in a wild flicker of energy, snapping and crackling in the rain. They were less refined then how they would be in lightsabers, but the effect of their blows would be the same.

“Oh good, I’ve been craving some bloodshed.” Bareyth’s grin became disturbingly wide, sharp teeth glinting in the red glow of his lightsaber. Ahsoka met his wild stare, eyes narrowing in concentration.

Obi-Wan leapt over a fallen log, claws extended as he wove through the void of the Shadowlands. Nearby, Anakin swooped through the air, wings cutting through the black as he surged forward. Their Force signatures were ablaze with Light as they tracked the flickering ember of Omega’s signature, the usually star-bright light dampened by the veil of Darkness that had perverted their home. His ears fell forward as the sound of fighting pierced through the sounds of the storm, eyes widening when he heard what sounded like the familiar clash of lightsabers colliding.

Somehow, he forced himself to go even faster, chest heaving as he fought the cramping sensation that was starting to form in his chest and sides. Light exploded in the dark, green and red erupting in a flash of energy. Shock ran through both his and Anakin’s Force signatures as Ahsoka’s bloodied form was sent flying backwards, a tiny, fuzzy ball held tightly against her chest. His grand-Padawan lifted her head out of the mud, muzzle twisted into a snarl as a Bothan howled with cruel laughter. He stepped forward, lightsaber raised as he prepared to strike Ahsoka down.

Although Anakin was usually faster, it was Obi-Wan who reached the threat first. He pounced, a snarl breaking his usually calm demeanor. The Bothan only had time to turn his head before Obi-Wan brought his full weight down on him. His claws sank into the Sith’s flesh, blood sprouting up with a gush. The Dark presence clouding Ahsoka and Omega’s Light dissipated a bit, revealing their pain and fear. Anakin was in front of the downed dragon shifters in an instant, bristling and snarling in fury. His own kyber crystal crackled with energy as he spread his enormous wings, his sky-blue eyes burning with a dangerous anger. Behind him, Ahsoka took the opportunity to pull herself up, a nasty wound on her leg forcing her to limp. Omega squeaked weakly at the movement, her face bruised and covered in thick mud.

The Bothan coughed and tried to use the Force to push Obi-Wan off him, but the two Jedi used their own abilities to push back against the Sith, pinning him to the muddy earth. The wind whipped through the trees, almost sounding like screaming as it moved through the tree branches.

“Who are you, Sith?” Obi-Wan hissed, fangs poised to strike. “Why did you come here?”

The vile creature bared his own teeth in a manic grin. “Me? I’m here to help my master retrieve her new… passion project. Nothing personal.”

“You made it personal when you attacked our home, our friends, our family.” Anakin spat, shielding Ahsoka and Omega from view.

“Didn’t think the Jedi would care so much about one clone. Aren’t you the reason so many were thrown into the war to die?” The Bothan asked, grunting in pain when Obi-Wan sunk his claws in deeper. “So, what now? You going to kill me?”

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin, who, after sparing a brief glance upwards, nodded once. At that, Obi-Wan gripped the Bothan and hauled him to his feet, tossing him away. He crushed the Sith’s lightsaber beneath his right paw, staring him down. “No, I’m not. Now, get out of here before I change my mind.”

The Bothan stared in disbelief at the two Jedi, ears folded back in shock and confusion. Putting pressure on his wounds, he stumbled away, disappearing into the blackness.

“Masters,” Ahsoka growled, voice hoarse from exhaustion. She leaned into Anakin, who drew her and Omega into a protective hug. “why did you let that Sith scum go? You had him!”

“Trust me, young one,” Obi-Wan said, nuzzling the Togruta in comfort, “he won’t get far.”

Ahsoka raised her head at the sound of movement. A white tail vanished in the direction that her opponent had gone, its owner in hot pursuit of the Sith apprentice.

“Come now, we need to get you two home.”

Bareyth’s paws ached as he ran through the Shadowlands, hot shame running through him. His master had been counting on him to retrieve the child, and he knew that his punishment would be harsh. He almost wondered if he should have attacked the Jedi again, if only to be given a mercifully swift death.

A clearing opened up before him, and he made for it, intending to use the open space to contact his master. Now that the Jedi knew they were here, it would only be a matter of time before they set their war dogs on them. As fun as a slaughter would be, Bareyth wasn’t sure if they would win a fight right now. Conjuring this storm and maintaining it had taken much of his master’s energy, after all. As he entered the clearing, he took a moment to breath, the rain pouring down harder on him, soaking into his clothes and seeping into his bones. Damn miserable weather. He’d rather be on Tatooine than deal with this much rain.

A bolt of lightning flashed overhead, and Bareyth froze. In the brief illumination, a flash of white appeared near the tree line. The apprentice was immediately on edge, looking all around him.

No, no a Jedi wouldn’t pull such a cruel trick…

…right?

The lightning came again, and the flash was now a defined form, or, rather, forms. A group of dragons locked eyes with him, rain dripping off their identical faces. Bareyth felt his heart rate increase, a rare flash of fear running through him. He instinctively reached for his lightsaber, only for the harsh reality of this situation to smack him in the face as he remembered that he no longer had a lightsaber. He backed up, eyes darting around wildly as he panted, blood bubbling up in his throat as his injuries flared with pain.

Was that thunder he could hear, or was it growling?

He tried to focus on the Force, to use it to try and discern how many clones were around him, but his pain made it difficult. Everything just blurred together in an indecipherable wall of energy. He kept backing up, one had raised defensively.

Thump

Bareyth stiffened for a moment, before whirling around just as a third flash of lightning illuminated the clearing. He was surrounded now, clones of all factions forming a tight defensive circle around the clearing. There was no way to escape. However, Bareyth hadn’t noticed that, too preoccupied by what now stood less than a foot away from him, its eyes ablaze with parental fury unmatched by any other.

Actually, that wasn’t quite right. It was equally matched by the four other sets of eyes trained on him.

The five dragons towered over him, much darker in colour than any clones he’d ever seen, but their teeth looked just as sharp. The closest dragon, half of its face covered by a skull tattoo, let out a fierce rumble. Bareyth opened his mouth to scream.

The snap of powerful jaws closing around his muzzle silenced him, leaving nothing but a gurgling cry as the gathered dragon shifters pounced, tearing into the Sith like a pack of starving animals.

Hynorith walked calmly through the moist grass, her tail swaying along with her gait. Her storm had cleared, but the Shadowlands, true to its name, was just as dark and shadowy as ever. She brushed past a broken branch, stepping out into a clearing. The scent of blood hang heavy in the air, almost strong enough to mask the stench of pure disappointment. The Rishii looked disdainfully down at the corpse of her former apprentice, or at what was left of it, that is. His face was a bloodied mess of gore and bone, his body shredded by teeth and claws.

“This is why I told you to retrieve the child and return to me.” She sighed, “Honestly, I’m ashamed that I wasted so much time on you.”

She stared down at the mess of guts and flesh, her anger building the longer she looked. With an enraged yell, she gripped the corpse with the Force and hurled it into the brush.

“HOW DID YOU FAIL AT SUCH A SIMPLE TASK?!” She screeched, her talons digging into her palms.

Hynorith panted, feathers puffing up in anger. She closed her eyes and breathed, forcing her anger back down.

“Fine, I’ll just start again. I’ll find a better apprentice, one that will be able to complete the tasks I give them.” She glanced downwards, spotting a track in the mud. A dragon’s pawprint stamped into the damp earth.

“Sleep with one eye open, little star. I’ll be back for you.”

Chapter Text

Hi! Sorry, you were probably expecting a new chapter, I know, but worry not! A new, and final chapter is coming out very soon.

And that is where all of YOU come in!

See, you may have noticed that this work is now part of a series. That is because a sequel fic is in the works, and I want to know something: do you guys want a preview of the first chapter of the sequel tacked onto the final chapter, or would you rather wait?

To vote, simply comment :D for YES, you DO want to see a preview, or X0 for NO, you want to go into the next one BLIND.

I look forward to your replies ( ps, the preview would include some art :) )

Chapter Text

The hours following the invasion of Sanctuary were hectic, full of worried pacing and fully fledged patrols scouring the area for any remaining threats. X-Ray spread himself thin caring for the five injured dragon shifters, each one requiring his attention. Luke was still unconscious, his side wrapped in bandages. Leia was resting next to him, her neck wounds also having been wrapped. Kix was awake, but he could only stay conscious for short periods of time. Omega had been cleaned up and warmed, but her breaths now came in wheezes, and she coughed quite frequently. Ahsoka’s leg was broken, and it had been cleaned, stitched, and set before being placed in a cast.

The ex-Padawan sighed in her sleep, leaning closer to Obi-Wan’s side. The Gray Jedi laid his head across her back, trying to comfort the Togruta. Anakin and Padmé were nearby, watching their children as they lay on the Medbay beds. The couple looked exhausted, dark bags forming underneath their eyes. Omega, small as she was, had been put on a heating pad to keep her warm. Her guardians were piled around her, Hunter being the one closest to her. His dark wings shielded her from view, and even X-Ray had to be careful when approaching the family unit, as they were still highly stressed, and would lash out if anyone came to close.

Rex, along with a few other members of his squad, was perched outside the Medbay, guarding the entrance with the ferocity of a highly trained soldier. His and Cody’s men were checking the boarders of Sanctuary, trying to figure out how the Sith had been spying on them for so long. When Leia had recovered enough to speak, Kix had asked the young girl why they had left the safety of the ledge. Her answer had disturbed all of them, and it had left them scrambling to try and figure out how a Sith Lord had gone completely undetected long enough to mimic their voices and ways of speaking.

Ahsoka had told her story as X-Ray had been setting her leg. She had been tracking the apprentice for a while, but had no idea where his master had been. As she had been talking, Hunter was still picking bits of said apprentice out of his teeth. The sergeant had scooped up his little one as soon as X-Ray had given the okay, nuzzling her as she weakly called for the rest of her buire. Tech had been quick to get a bottle ready, but she had been so distraught that it had taken almost an hour to calm her down enough to eat. Now, she was sleeping as best she could, recovering in the safest place in the universe; right beside the jaws of an apex predator.

Anakin’s tail twitched with unreleased energy, and all of the conscious Force sensitive people in the room could feel his simmering anger. He gently caressed his son’s face with a clawed digit, his mouth pulled downward into a tight frown. Padmé intertwined her tail with her mate’s, leaning against him.

“What do we do now?” Her voice broke the silence that had settled like silt on the bottom of a pond.

“We should contact the Council.” Obi-Wan said quietly, trying not to wake Ahsoka.

Anakin’s snout twitched. “They don’t have the best track record of tracking down Sith Lords.”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan admonished weakly, part of him agreeing with his old Padawan, “the Council is wise. They have resources we do not.”

“I can contact the other Captains,” Cody’s voice came from the entryway as he walked in, striding over to sit next to Obi-Wan, “they’ll want to help.”

“I would offer our services, but I’m afraid that’ll have to wait for a while.” Hunter said, lifting his head. His squadmates perked their ears up, listening to their leader. “We have to return to our home to hibernate as soon as Omega has recovered.”

“Is she going to be okay hibernating? I mean, she’s so small.” Padmé asked. “I remember being so nervous when it was time for Luke and Leia to hibernate for the first time.”

“I will construct something to monitor her vitals,” Tech piped up, “but it might not be a terrible idea for us to take turns waking up to check on her.”

Hunter nodded in agreement, drawing Omega closer to him. She nuzzled into his underbelly, tiny paws kneading at his armoured chest. “It might just be me, you and Echo, Tech.” He teased, “Crosshair and Wrecker are almost impossible to wake up.”

Crosshair’s tail whacked the back of Hunter’s head, drawing a chuckle from the gathered dragons.

“We’ll figure everything out later. For now, we should focus on getting everyone fully healed.” Obi-Wan said, shifting ever so slightly to allow Cody to lay comfortably next to him. The clone put a paw on one of Obi-Wan’s own, giving him a sense of comfort.

Sure enough, once Omega had recovered enough, Clone Force 99 prepared to return back to their summer base to get ready to make the journey to their winter den. In truth, they could have afforded to stay a bit longer, but Hunter was anxious to get his family away from Sanctuary for a while. If a Sith Lord was after Omega, he wanted her far away from a place where that monster thought she would be. Before they left, the Batch did a sweep of the nearby areas, but they found no signs of anything being out of place. It seemed like their attacker had fled offworld for now.

Hunter dipped his head in farewell to Captain Rex, the gesture returned by the elder clone.

“Safe travels, vod. I hope you’ll come back once things have calmed down. It was nice having you around, and everyone’s going to miss the kid, ‘specially Luke and Leia.” Rex said, stepping back from the sergeant.

“I’m sure you’ll see us around. Omega will need the socialization. We both know what happens to isolated clones.” Hunter said, recalling clones that had lost all of their batch or squadmates.

Rex shuddered slightly. “Yeah, we do. But she’ll have you lot, so she shouldn’t ever go down that path.”

“She won’t.” Hunter said, more to himself than to Rex.

“Are you two still gossiping or can we go home now?” Crosshair said, leaning against the door of the Marauder. He folded his arms and arched an eyebrow, a toothpick held firmly between his teeth.

Hunter rolled his eyes. “Yes, Cross, we’re heading home now. Introverted asshole.” He muttered, knowing only he and Rex could hear his words.

The captain chuckled. “Well, sounds like I better let you get going. Remember Hunter, you and your squad are always welcome here.”

Hunter smiled and let himself be pulled into a side-hug. Once he was released, he made his way onto the ship, taking one more glance back at the deeply wooded area, a seed of caution now buried in his gut. If, when, they returned, he’d have to be even more alert. They all would.

Tech shifted, stretching his wings out. He yawned sleepily, his full stomach making him even more tired. He and the rest of his squadmates had been eating far more than usual over the past month, trying to build up winter fat. Even Omega, sensing the instinctive urge to prepare for hibernation, had been chirping at them for food more often. They’d happily given it to her, all of them feeling anxious about going into a deep slumber for so long and leaving Omega unmonitored. Even now, as they made the final preparations to go into hibernation, Hunter held a bottle for the cub, watching her eat with tired eyes. A few patches were on her small body, which were wirelessly connected to a machine that would alert the Batch if something happened to Omega.

Eventually, Omega had finished her meal, and she moved her head away, stumbling to her paws. Ah yes, he’d nearly forgotten that, during the whole Sanctuary debacle, they’d missed her first steps. Omega made her way over to Crosshair, snuggling up to the sniper’s feathered tail. Crosshair was already passed out, snoring quietly next to an equally asleep Echo. Wrecker, surprisingly, was not quite asleep yet, his eyes trained on the device Tech had whipped up. He looked how Tech felt; worried that the device wouldn’t be enough, that something might happen while they were lost to the dreamless sleep of hibernation.

Tech had been having nightmares lately. He’d dream that the Kaminoans had found their secluded den, catching them in that terrible time after they first woke up. They were always too hungry and disoriented to pull themselves together in time to stop the scientists from stealing a still sleeping Omega, their tall forms disappearing into a shadowy mist. Every time, Tech tried to chase after them, but he was never fast enough. Then, he’d wake up, his heart pounding in his chest and his stomach twisted into knots. He knew that he wasn’t alone in his anxiety related dreams either. Hunter had confessed to having nightmares about something using their voices to lure him and Omega out of the safety of the den, before ambushing the duo, ripping them to pieces while they screamed helplessly. Tech did not envy his eldest vod, quite thankful that his night terrors never involved any actual death.

He wondered, miserably, if the nightmares would follow them into hibernation. Would they awake, bleary and unable to properly rest as their tired minds tried to discern what was reality and what was fake? Or would they remain trapped, looping the same dream, or falling into some new terror each time? Tech didn’t want to find out, not yet, but he couldn’t fight the urge to sleep much longer.

Hunter would be the last to succumb; he always was. A mix of insomnia and the need to see his squad soundly asleep first kept him up, a silent protector to them all. Even now, his gaze was settled on Tech and Wrecker, watching his younger brothers as they settled down. Tech lay his head down on his paws, rubbing at his eyes as he yawned again. It was almost time now, and he could feel his breathing start to slow. He blinked a few times, and each time his eyelids drooped farther and farther down, until his eyes closed for the last time, and Tech fell asleep.

Not too long after, Wrecker, too, gave in, a deep, rumbling snore filling the dark, comforting space. Once he was sure everyone was deep in sleep, Hunter forced himself to get up, leaving his pile of warm, comfortable pillows and blankets. He padded through the tunnel that led down into the den they’d built after the war, when they first really let themselves be dragons. He could still remember the feeling of dirt yielding beneath his claws, and a sense of pride filled Hunter’s entire being. He and his vode had built the den well, insuring that it was as hidden as it was structurally sound.

Soon, he reached the mouth of the den, snow covering the ground outside. He sat there for a while, simply staring out into the wilderness. Hunter employed all of his senses, wanting to be absolutely, positively sure that nothing and no one had followed them here. He sat in the cold, ramrod straight and surprisingly alert, until the sun started to dip beneath the horizon line. By now, Hunter could barely keep his eyes open, and he was slouched over, wings drooping at his side. His search had yielded absolutely nothing, which was exactly what the eldest clone had wanted. Finally satisfied, he plodded back down the tunnel, all but collapsing onto his now cool bed, curling up against Crosshair. His vod shifted in his sleep, kicking at his chilly elder brother. Hunter, not wanting to deal with Crosshair’s surprisingly persistent assault, moved down to where Omega was fast asleep. Gently, he scooped the cub up, drawing her into his chest. He tucked a blanket around her, not wanting to make her cold. She sought him out, even in slumber, nuzzling up to her buir. Hunter felt, for the first time in possibly forever, truly content and at peace. So, surrounded by his family and filled with the knowledge that they were, at least for now, safe and warm and together, Hunter let his eyes close and allowed sleep to take him into its quiet, kind embrace.

This is where this story ends, and a glimpse into a new one begins. If you do not wish to see, leave now. I will see you very soon, I hope, in the next work in this series: If I Should Wander, How Far Would You Follow?

Omega blinked, her vision blurry and unfocused. She rubbed at her face with a paw as she let out a yawn, her limbs feeling as heavy as stone. Lethargically, she pushed herself up, her wings hanging limply at her sides. The young dragon shifter stumbled her way over to where she knew a pile of snacks would be. Eyes mostly closed, she gripped the first thing that she could find. A bag crinkled in her grip, and she tore it open with her teeth, far too hungry and tired to care about manners. She stuck her muzzle inside, and was delighted to find that it contained Echo’s homemade cookies. Omega devoured the bag’s contents, her tiredness receding as she ate. By the time she had finished, she was fully awake, a youthful energy buzzing through her.

She picked out a pack of dried fruit and a bottle of water, already hearing Hunter’s stern voice in her head telling her to eat more nutritious things than cookies. In her defense, nothing beat Echo’s baking. It was too good not to be eaten, and she knew that her buire Wrecker and Crosshair would agree with her. Crosshair often teased that Echo’s baking skill was the only reason they brought him into their squad.

Carefully, Omega tiptoed her way across the room, stepping over wings and tails. The rest of her family likely wouldn’t rouse until at least the end of the week, but she still wanted to be careful. As much as she adored her family, any opportunity to explore on her own came would be taken. Once she was clear of the pile of sleeping dragons, Omega raced through the tunnel that would lead to the outside world, her food and water grasped firmly in her mouth. A gust of cold wind gusted against her, and Omega pulled her wings closer to her body, her feathers puffing up to keep her warm. What had once been two limbs covered in white downy fluff were now a set of distinctive, more colourful wings, the muscles there strong and ready to carry their owner whenever she finally figured out how exactly to use them. Dark teal bled into a burst of vibrant red on her coverts, while her primaries and secondaries remained a pristine white.

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and Omega headed straight for it, grinning as the smell of fresh air wrapped itself around her. She skidded to a stop just as she reached the mouth of the den, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as her paws touched snow for the first time in months. The light of the sun was blinding, and it reflected off of the sparkling snow that blanketed the undisturbed forest floor. The dragon shifter blinked, acclimating her eyes to the light of day once again. She set her snacks and water down and gazed out at the forest, watching as snowflakes fell softly to the ground.

Freedom had never looked so beautiful.