Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For the first time ever, Omega isn’t brimming with excitement and curiosity about where she and her squad are going next once the Marauder had left Kamino’s atmosphere. She wasn’t there for Hunter's talk over the holo with Rex, she’s not with her brothers in the cockpit, instead, she sits in her room tinkering away at AZI trying to restore his power unit. She’s still sopping wet and yet makes no effort to dry herself, she isn’t sure why.

She’s desperately trying to distract herself from her heavy thoughts. Thoughts of Kamino and leaving Crosshair to his chosen fate have been flooding her mind like the heavy seas that swept through the halls, corridors, and laboratories of Tipoca city, only, how much longer until her mind goes from flooding to drowning? She’s abruptly pulled from her thoughts when she hears a soft knock on the wall nearest to her.

“Omega?” Hunter calls to his sister from the other side of the curtain that provides her much wanted privacy from the others. Sluggishly she pulls the fabric back, not meeting Hunter's gaze, instead only giving the floor her attention.

“What did Rex say?” Her voice is lonesome and somber, very much unlike her usual excited self which Hunter takes note of immediately.

“He’s… sending some friends of his our way. They’re going to take us somewhere safe for a little while. Think we could all use that?” Omega nods with very little energy, her gaze stays down to the tool in her hand. “Why don’t you come up to the bridge?” Hunter's hand reaches for the tool Omega's holding, his face lights up with surprise when she pulls away from him.

“I’m…. I want to try to get some sleep.” The pause between them hurts her, hurts both of them, but Hunter doesn’t want to push her, he knows she’s tired. He knows what’s bothering her, what she’s thinking about over and over again because it’s the same thing that they all are thinking.

“Alright," He sighs worriedly. "I’ll wake you when we reach the rendezvous.” Omega watches Hunter leave her with her heavy thoughts when he returns to the bridge where the rest of their brothers are waiting.

Pulling her shivering knees up to her chest along with Lula, Omega pulls her blankets up and over her head to encompass her in the radiant warmth. She squeezes her eyes shut, forcing and pleading with herself to stop thinking about the depths of Kamino and Crosshair.

Chapter Text

Omega is already awake and out of bed before Hunter could retrieve her. Her mood hasn’t changed from what the others can tell. Hunter must have spoken to the others previously about giving their young charge some space for the time being. No one likes her silence, it's unsettling and unnatural from her usual behavior.

“Why is Rex having us meet all the way out here?” Wrecker had been pacing ever since Tech had inputted the coordinates sent to them by the clone captain. The idea of going to an unknown location is making him anxious, making them all anxious.

“He says it was a special request from his contact,” Hunter replies, moving behind Tech’s chair all the while side-eyeing Omega who is still looking down at her feet.

Tech looks up at Hunter with skepticism in his eyes. “Aside from that fact, it is a bit odd that we are to meet out here in the middle of nowhere.”

Hunter gives a soft sigh. “I don’t make the rules.”

“We’re here.” Echo pulls the Marauder out of hyperspace to their set destination. From that the crew can tell, they really are in the middle of nowhere. There are no visibly noticeable planets, moons, ships, or identifiable globular clusters insight, only them amongst the stars.

“Did you plot the correct coordinates, Echo?”

Echo shows his issue with his brothers’ question. “Of course, I did.”

The coordinates are indeed correct, there's no doubt. Honestly, none of them were certain of what they were going to find out here once they arrived, and now amongst this nothingness, anything would be welcome.

The silence is interrupted by the proximity sensor indicating an approaching ship, whether or not these are the friends of Rex has yet to be determined.

But they're left with no time to debate the situation because within seconds the ship appears from hyperspace. Immediately from the look of it, the Batch can tell that it's no imperial vessel. Not a commonly seen ship today, certainly a relic of another time but just as incredible to see.

The orange-painted accents of the ship are worn and faded. Blast marks cover a fair amount of the outside indicating that this ship has a fighting history. The size of the ship can carry more than half the cargo of any other ship, this one was designed as a cargo ship. With that factor in mind, many underestimate this ship's incredible speed. Most cargo ships are heavy and slow, but this model can keep the pace of any other maneuverable shuttle.

"Doesn't look like the kind of ship the Empire would have," Echo says.

“That’s a sight.” Hunter looks in awe of the vessel.

“An XS Stock Light Freighter,” Tech observes. “Very common in the days of the old Republic.”

The squad all fall silent when a male’s voice sounds over the comm channel. “Havoc Marauder, this is the Pulsar. Please dock your shuttle and leave your weapons before boarding.”

The group exchange looks clearly not certain what to do with this request. “I can begin the docking procedure, but I’m not sure about leaving our weapons on board.” No one is going to argue with Tech’s uncertainty. These are strangers after all. They will be going into an unknown environment unarmed, out in the middle of nowhere with only Rexes vote of confidence. Allies come in all forms, some even as enemies and loyalties can change quickly. Hunter looks down at Omega who surprisingly has yet to voice her opinion on the matter, instead she’s been completely silent, again, very unlike her. The Marauder jolts when it successfully attaches to the docking port on the Pulsar.

“We should do as they say.” Echo chimes in to voice his opinion. “Then we can make a judgment call.” The truth is there aren’t many other options being presented. They’re all tired and perhaps even a little desperate for help.

“Leave the weapons.” Hunter orders. “But stay alert. If anything looks out of place then we’re gone.”

They all wait in anticipation as the docking doors whirl and hiss in response to the locks releasing. Once the steam settles and their surroundings become visible again the Batch are met by a young, female Mikkian. She’s older than Omega but doesn’t look legal to drink, at least on some worlds. She’s wearing a black, long-sleeved tube top under deep orange-colored engineering overalls. Arm wraps reached down to her wrists and her fingers were heavily bandaged, wrapped in bacta tape. Her black cross-strap shoes look like ones a dancer would wear. A brightly colored headband is secured up and around her head, the fabric is woven and holds a series of colorful beads. Hunter remembers what Rex had told him about her, she’s a little…off. He steps forward to address her. “Are you Raylind Roo?”

She looks the squad over one at a time, her smile growing bigger with each glance. When her inspection is over, she nods. “I am she and she is I.” She answers, bowing her head out of respect. The Batch exchange uneasy looks, not sure what to make of her. “You’re the friends of our mutual friend Rex?” Now they all nod. “Wonderful, follow me please.” She begins to lead them down the corridors, to where they don’t know. The ship is much bigger in comparison to the Marauder, this one can carry three times the passengers. They pass a series of rooms on board that serve a variety of functions on the ship until they are brought to the primary cargo hold and see that it’s overcrowded with people. A wide assortment of people all huddling together in packs. Families and small children even younger than Omega, all of them looking exhausted and frightened.

“What is this?” Hunter glares at Raylind, forcefully grabbing her arm and pointing to the lounge where even more people were.

Raylind twitches in fear towards this sudden aggression, but she keeps her kind and calm composure. “People much like you. On the run, nowhere else to go. Many of them have had their homes and worlds seized by the Empire.” Even with this explanation, Hunter's grip doesn’t weaken.

Echo’s temperament toward Raylind matches Hunters. “So, what are you doing with them?”

“Taking them somewhere safe, same as we are with you.” Another female voice with a very heavy accent sound sin the distance. The Batch turns their heads up to see a female Cathar’s yellow eyes scowling at them. She’s observing the situation involving her friend closely. The intensity of her eyes are piercing through Hunter, it’s actually unsettling. “Let her go please.” The request is much more commanding than polite. There’s a stalemate between her and the others, she lifts her upper lip to reveal a sharp set of fangs meant to intimidate, her hand moves slowly to the E-5 blaster rifle holstered at her hip, ready to draw it if necessary.

“Please.” Raylind repeats catching Hunter’s eye. She still isn’t resisting or pulling away, she’s calm and cooperative.

Not wanting to cause trouble with a big crowd nearby Hunter releases Raylind. She rubs the sore area on her forearm. "Sorry.”

She just shrugs at Hunter's apology. “I get it. Things are much more….uh…” Her fingers twirl and wiggle with her struggle of trying to find the correct word to use. “Much more…”

“Unstable?” The Cathar suggests, her hands rest in the pockets of the deep green romper jumpsuit she wears.

Raylinds face scrunches. “I was thinking more along the lines of unbalanced.”

Her friend lowers her voice. “I was going to say something a bit more vulgar, but I remembered that there is a little one here.” She motions to Omega who’s looking up at her from behind Wrecker.

“Good call,” Raylind whispers back before motioning to her friend. “This is Tenzmin Motokov.” Tenzmin and the others acknowledge one another. “We appreciate you respecting our request regarding your weapons. And we’re sorry to have you meet us out here. It’s just for security reasons. But on the plus side, you won’t have to worry about flying for a little while.” She’s clearly trying to balance out the tension in everyone.

A multicolored R9 series astomech stands in the corridor repairing a patch of interior workings. She wheels herself back when she catches sight of the Batch, their imposing demeanor no doubt catching her off guard. “Ooooh.” She whimpers.

“This is R9-9E.” Tenzmin brushes her hand over the doids dome head. “These are Rexes friends.” The little droid playfully circles Omega which brings a welcoming smile to her face. “She likes you,” Tenzmin tells the young girl.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Omega pats the droid.

The overhead lights flicker in response to the ship suddenly rattling. The unexplainable turbulence startles the ship's passengers. Tenzmin and Raylind move to the cargo hold in an attempt to calm everyone. “It’s alright everyone, I promise. We’ll be getting underway soon.”

“Ninee,” Raylind taps the droid gently on her dome head. “Could you g try to keep our guests calm?”

The droid chirps sweetly, whirling her head before heading down the corridor to attend to her given task. Tenzmin tilts her head for the Batch to follow her and Raylind to the bridge where they find the pilot. “I told you that we shouldn’t have let him fly.” She rolls her calico eyes. “Vincent?”

“Oh, please get me out of this chair! Why do you both insist on making me fly?” His accent is much lighter than Tenzmins, posh and elegant. The chair turns to reveal a tall, human male. His accent doesn’t match how he’s dressed, much more rugged than elegant, his dark hair is short and slicked back and out of his face. He slinks out of the pilot’s seat showing visible discomfort.

Raylind giggles. “You have to learn at some point.”

“Yeah-no thanks.” He politely offers the seat to Raylind who graciously accepts. “I’ll leave it to the pros.” He looks at her sweetly. “Like you, Lind.” Vincent freezes the same as Ninee had upon seeing the Batch. “Whoa…..hello.” He waves weakly. “Vincent Talway, nice to meet you.” He settles his weight against the side of Raylinds chair, arms rested atop the headrest.

"Nice ship." Hunter remarks, genuinely impressed with the Pulsar.

"Thanks, it's on loan from a friend." Vincent replies.

Looking at everything they’ve seen and learned, the Batch has no reason to suspect that these kids are up to any kind of trouble, but their intentions are still cloudy.“So, do we settle up now or when we arrive?”

Raylind stops her task at the console, turning back in her seat to address Hunter’s question with her own."I beg your pardon?"

"You're charging these people for transporting them, right? How much?”

The trio stares at the Batch then each other and back at the Batch again in disbelief. This goes on for several minutes before Tenzmin speaks up. “Those lovely people all over the rest of the ship are refugees who have escaped the Imperial occupations of their worlds.”

“We’re not charging them anything. We found many of them with no personal belongings to speak of. So, we’re not looking to exploit their hardships for profit if that’s what you’re assuming. How dare you think that! You know, you lot look more like a group of bounty hunter than we do!”

Raylind waves her hand to calm Vincent’s temper. Once again, she continues to keep her calm composure. “They have nowhere else to go. That’s why we’re taking them to our homeworld of Iydro.”

Tech's eyes light up when hearing the planets name. “Iydro was a neutral world during the war, established only twenty years prior to the war. Comprised of primarily Republic citizens who left their worlds due to their lost faith in the Republic over the years. Separatist citizens would soon flock here too for similar reasons, mistrust in their government.”

Tenzmin, Raylind and Vincent all stare in disbelief at their guest’s detailed information drop. “Does he do that often?” Vincent asks, his dumbfounded look still present. Judging by the Batch's reaction to his question they are all too familiar with his forms of explanation. “Oh, that’s gonna be fun.” Vincent looks at his two friends with annoying concern.

“So, what are all of you exactly?” Wreckers’ curiosity beats Omegas for the first time.

Raylind smiles up at him. “What do you think we are?”

“And think carefully with your answer.” Tenzmin warns crossing her legs in her seat.

“Bounty hunters, smugglers, thieves?” Echo suggests.

Vincent scoffs folding his arms defensively. “Not even close.”

Raylind diverts the conversation to the correct answer. “During the war we were neutralists, but we moved from planet to planet helping those hurt by the fighting. Didn’t matter which side, we would help regardless.”

“Yeah, we’re not going to sell these people if that’s what you lot were thinking we were gonna do aye?” Vincent adds.

This had been an interesting detail. These kids aren’t soldiers, they don’t fight to defend the way that Hunter and the others did. From what Hunter can tell these three have been raised on the beliefs of unifying rather than dividing. “Is that how you met Rex?”

Raylind nods. “Pretty much.”

“You helped both sides?”

“Only if your precious Republic failed to provide the proper aid to those who needed it.” Vincent snaps back at Echo.

“So why help us? Isn’t that still a risk for you?” Wrecker questions the trio.

Raylind glares at Vincent telling him to not be so rude. “Iydro hasn’t gotten the attention of the Empire, thankfully. We have no doubt that they’ll be making their way to us one of these days. But until that happens we're just trying to do what we can without getting caught.”

Tenzmin turns her attention to how Omega still has yet to say one word since her arrival. She’s sleep-deprived and from what Tenz can tell this young girl is barely staying awake right at this very moment. “Is she alright?” She points to Omega with concern in her voice.

Hunter and the others quickly take notice of their young charges' tired state. “It’s been a long day for her. She’s just tired.”

Vincent’s suspicious eyes turn sympathetic towards the young girl. “We’ve set up an area for some of our younger passengers in Tenz and Lind’s room. She’s more than welcome to join them if she wants.” All eyes turn to Omega, waiting for her to give an answer. She only shakes her head before hiding behind Wrecker again. “Answers that question.”Vincent stands straight from his leaning position. “Follow me. I’ll show you where you can get settled.”

The Batch all follow Vincent out of the cockpit and down the corridor where they see more and more rooms full of people, they pay the Batch no mind, they all have too much on their minds to worry about than civil formalities.

Omega can't stop herself from empathizing with every frightened face she sees in the crowd. It's impossible not to feel the despair and fear radiating throughout the ship, it's painfully overwhelming. Noticing her dragging her feet Wrecker picks up and carries Omega the rest of the walk. “Almost there kid.” He whispers to her.

Vincent leads them only a little further down the corridor until they reach their destination, the Pulsars med lab. "It’s the last private open space on the Pulsar. You can hold up in here until we reach Iydro. There's food and clothes in these crates, so please help yourselves. We'll be moving soon." The Batch all thank Vincent and begin to situate themselves comfortably and accordingly. "I'll leave you to it then." He bids them goodbye for now and the door shuts behind him after he leaves the Batch alone to their own devices.

"Guess we don’t have much to worry about with them then," Tech states aloud once he’s certain that Vincent is out of range. He moves over to one of the mentioned crates to retrieve a set of blankets for himself and the others.

"I'm still not sure about them." Echo admits crossly as he takes a seat on the floor after taking the blanket that Tech offers him.

“I think we only need to worry about their passions. Rex told me they were very against the war.” Hunter settles next to the medical bed where Wrecker had placed Omega comfortably, she’s already fast asleep. “Looks like she has the right idea.” Hunter is the last to fall asleep. He comfortably sits guarding them all. His hooded eyes stay on Omega, watching her sleep safe and peacefully before he falls deep into the same state as the others.

"They're all settled in the med lab." Vincent tells Raylind and Tenz upon his return to the cockpit.

"Ninee, patch Rex through." The R9 model spins her head to the open space behind the console and activates her holoprojector for Raylind. An image flickers in the open space for a moment until it gains stability. “Hello Captain, we've retrieved your brothers and making our way home."

Relief washes over the captain’s face. "I can't thank you enough for this."

Tenzmin brushes off the gratitude. “No thanks necessary. We’ll make sure they’re safe.”

“Where are you now?” Vincent asks. “Where are Ahsoka and Reese?”

“We’re somewhere in the mid rim, near the Senex Sector. And don’t worry they’re both fine. They aren’t here right now, want me to pass on a message?”

The group exchange looks, not sharing a word between them, but Raylind speaks the words that they must all be feeling. “Just tell them that we’re thinking of them and we hope we see them soon.”

Rex grins. “I can manage that.”

“You stay safe too Captain,” Raylind adds. Rex nods in appreciation of the request and the well wishes. The hologram flickers again before fading away.

Vincent lets out a heavy sigh. “So, in the past few weeks we’ve helped a fugitive clone and Jedi and now we’re helping more clones…. Am I the only one thinking we’re in over our heads here?”

“We knew the risks we were putting ourselves in when Ahsoka asked for our help on that moon. We helped her despite knowing that she’s a Jedi. It’s too late for us to turn back now.”

“The Jedi are now seen as criminals, Raylind. Have you forgotten?”

“From what she and Rex have told us they are both victims in this outcome.” Tenzmin defends.

“I’m not arguing that, Tenz. They’ve been through a very painful ordeal. I just want us all to be certain that we want to get involved with them. I want us to consider the risks.”

Tenzmin and Raylind eye one another coming to a silent agreement. Both look up at Vincent and nod their heads confidently. Vincent groans sickly, not feeling as confident as his friends.

Omega waits until her brothers are all sound asleep before climbing out of the med bed and sneaks out into the hallway, the hum of hyperspace can still be heard. She looks up and down the hall to make sure no one is coming her way. Once the coast is clear she walks down the corridor, not sure what she's looking for, only knowing that she's feeding her curiosity. Omega jumps out of her skin when a series of beeps sound behind her. She spins on her heels and comes face to face with Ninee. She sighs in relief.

The little droid beeps apologizing for scaring the girl. "It’s alright, you just scared me." She Pat's the droid's dome which causes her head to whirl around enthusiastically. Omega can’t stop herself from finding Ninee charming. This R9 series astromech is truly a sight. She’s clearly constructed by a wide variety of pieces scavenged from all over. The model is not a standard factory model. Every single part of her is a different color from another discarded model. Green colored head dome, black with gold accents for the right leg, red and white for the left, and grey with yellow accents make up the body."You're not going to tell on me, are you?" Ninee shakes her head. "Thank you. Think you can show me around?" The droid jitters with excitement upon the request. With one hand on the droid’s leg joint Omega lets her new friend guide her around the vessel.

Chapter Text

The passengers of the Pulser were racing out of the ship to touch solid ground and breathe fresh air. One by one the families file out with their few belongings and walk out into the hanger. By the looks of it a planetary security team is talking with each passenger, inquiring about names, place of origin or current residence, and how long they plan to stay on the planet then escorted to their temporary living arrangements. Raylind had explained earlier that citizens on Iydro have offered to house refugees until they decide to leave or find permanent living arrangements on the planet.

“Stay here.” Vincent ushers the Batch away from the ramp when a male security officer with red hair makes his way over. “Lieutenant Briggs,” He waves to the man in uniform, a metallic blue full sleeve, calf-length coat. The skirt of the coat covering the back and sides of the legs is clipped to the primary belt, no doubt to make it easy for removal if called for indicating the bottom and top portions of the coat are two separate pieces. His helmet has the ID of the Iydro insignia as well as the letters ISB written in aurebesh.

He waves back at Vincent. “Haven’t seen you three in a while.” He acknowledges Raylind and Tenzmin who had already made their way down the ramp to join Vincent. Both work to not draw attention to the hidden passengers still onboard.

“Been a bit busy.” Vincent replies all the while keeping his attention on the Lieutenant to not draw unwanted attention to the Pulser.

“So, I’ve noticed.” Briggs grins while observing the crowd of refugees. His black-gloved hand scrolls through his datapad. “fourth drop off this week. You kids are doing great work.”

“We’ll be heading out again as soon as possible. Just need to restock a few things and then- “

Briggs raises his hand to stop Vincent. “No, take it easy for a little while. Your folks aren’t gonna like it if you all keep at it like this. You’ve done good, now go home and leave the rest to us for now.”

The trio all give a sigh of relief to have that pressure taken off of them for the time being. “Thank you, Ensign.” The Lieutenant nods at the trio before departing with the rest of his team. They all let out another heavy sigh of relief once the hangar is empty, with no prying eyes insight they can get moving.  

“Coast is clear.” Tenzmin signals to the Batch.

“Who was that?” Echo asks, referring to Briggs. 

“Lieutenant Ensign Briggs. An officer for the Iydro Security Bureau. It’s planetary policy to ID every newcomer to Iydro. We want to know if we’re housing criminals, fugitives, bounty hunters, or any potential threats to the planet. Had a few cases of that happening. It was a precaution set up when the war started.”

“Best for us to avoid them since we fall into the first two categories,” Tech observes his datapad, having already hacked into the planetary roster of citizen IDs.

“And now we fall into category one.” Vincent grinds his teeth nervously. 

Raylind gently rubs his arm soothingly. “Only if we’re caught. What Captain Silva and the Bureau don’t know won’t do any harm.” Her face sours. “It’s gonna be fine.” She’s more so telling herself than the group. “Alright.” Her worry-filled face snaps away to her bright smile again. “First things first.” She motions to Hunter and the others. “You’re all going to need to change.”

It doesn't take long for the Batch to change, then store their gear and armorments safely aboard the Marauder. The shuttle will stay safe in the hanger with the Pulser. Not having their weapons has them all concerned, but the Pulser crew insists that they will be more than safe without them.

“Everyone in.” Tenzmin calls once Raylind removes a tarp from a hidden Tantive IV speeder stored in the hanger. “Where you’re staying isn’t too far from here, just a little bit out of town.” 

“Ah, perfect! Something I know how to pilot.”

Raylind rolls her eyes while Vincent takes the controls. “It’s not that different.”

Vincent scoffs, gesturing to the controls. “Less than half the controls of the Pulser are on this thing, easier to memorize, so yes, it’s very different.”

The hanger channel is a massive hollowed-out cavern lined with three levels of hangers. The bottom and middle-level hangers hold mainly smaller vehicles, speeders, bikes, and civilian transports while the top holds bigger ships like the Pulser. Each level connects to a pathway leading to the primary entrance ramp where lower-level speeders and shuttles can enter. 

“Just keep your heads down.” Raylind advises after she and the others scanned the hanger entryway to make sure the coast is clear before speeding off into the city.

The valley is vast, green and lush, with large forests and towering mountains in the far distance. The clear skies above glow with a bright array of color signaling the arrival of twilight. The welcoming evening is bringing out all forms of activity into the city. Street and hung lights illuminate the streets, happy commotion fills the air signaling to enjoy the end of a long work week. The lovely glow of the lights catches Omega's wonder instantly, they are such a contrast from the bright, white lights of Kamino. These feel warm and safe. Even the variety of faces and species in the crowd embody warmth and safety. Standard apartments have their sectors in the city, but more urban housing is stationed further outside the city. Much of which has the same architecture as the city buildings. 

Once leaving the city circle and housing districts the speeder approaches a wide dirt road leading up into the valley where a scattered amount of houses can be spotted.

“Must be some view up there. ” Omega thinks to herself. The warm breeze on her face begins making her drowsy. The lights flicker on the road just as they begin to power up, they lead to a path in a thick brush of trees. The speeder halts for only a moment at a split in the road. A sign reading the word, Threnody while the other read aria. V invent doesn't hesitate for too long before taking the Threnody path. It isn't long until they arrive out of the forest and to a wide clearing where a house resides. It has the same design as the city and residential areas. Lanterns light and line the dirt entryway up to the house along with beautiful wildflowers. The lights lit within indicate that residents are home.

Hunter is trying his best to stifle his unease. These kids wherever they say they are had put their lives on the line by helping Rex escape the aftermath of Order 66 and with them being residents of a neutral world, that puts an even bigger target on their backs. Why would they choose to do that, help a soldier of the Republic, a side of a conflict that they want nothing to do with? That’s definitely at the top of the list of questions to ask more about.

Despite the house's distance from the city, to Omega it feels like one of the safest places on the planet. As the group begins exiting the speeder a repainted WA-7 droid races down the dirt drive to meet them.

“Elis!”

The droid spins with excitement upon recognizing the voice. “Oh, Mistress Roo, I’m so happy to see you!” 

Raylind laughs, beaming at the droid before embracing her. “I missed you very much, Elis. Are Mama and Matlin here?”

“Madam Roo is still downtown. She will be arriving soon with your sister. However, the rest of the family are home.” Elis then catches sight of Vincent and Tenzmin. “Mistress Motokov, Master Somb.” Vincent noticeably twitches upon his name being mentioned. Elis’s hands retreat to cover her autonomous mouth, if she could show facial features she surely would be showing some form of embarrassment. “Apologies, I did not mean to-”

“It’s alright, Elis.” Vincent cuts the droid off, no doubt desperate to stop her from saying anything else.

Raylind jumps at the chance to divert the conversation. “This is Elis. She's a personal attendant for my mother.”

Omega looks up to the Mikkian curiously. “Personal attendant?”

Raylinds expression becomes lighter, less expressive but in no way sad when she explains. “My mother is deaf. She can’t hear. Elis acts as an interpreter if my sister and I aren't around. She mainly helps my mom around the house and in our family shop. My sister is around your age, I think you’ll like her.”

The thought of having someone her own age around makes Omega perk up with excitement. Once Elis is made aware of the names to the visitors she motions for them all to follow her inside the house. Tenzmin fumbles while helping Raylind remove her nose ring. “Don’t tell my mama.” She pleads when the rest of the group takes notice. “It was a style choice that I know she won’t like.”

Elis pushes the door open for the guests inviting them all in. The foyer is stunning, with high ceilings with red-colored wood flooring and accents. The rug is a wild assortment of colors and holds strange patterns and designs. It’s heavy and sturdy, meant to last years of use. An extravagant clock rests opposite of the door, ticking away softly, a long single step leads up to the white tiling that leads deeper into the house. The air inside the house smells delicious and warm. “Something smells good.” Wrecker hums.

“Yeah, that’s the great thing about our family. When you come to visit you’ll never go hungry.” Vincent hands Elis his jacket. 

Despite there being much more of the house to see, Omega can’t stop looking at the rug under her feet with intense fascination. “Beautiful isn't it?” Raylind asks when she notices the young girl's interest in the item. “My Papa made it. Took him years.” Omegas eyes grow so wide upon hearing the fact that such an incredible piece of material could possibly be made by hand.

Tenzmin giggles when the sounds of footsteps approach. “Brace yourselves.”

A fair-skinned woman is the first to arrive in the foyer. The blush-colored, flowing duster dress she’s wearing compliments her skin nicely. Her light brown hair is pinned up and out of her eyes. The small amounts of her exposed skin, including her face, are decorated in freckles. The man with her isn't as quick as her when arriving. He carries basic features, dark hair with light eyes. But the one that catches the attention of Hunter and the others is the wheelchair he’s sitting in. Tech’s mind thinks through all of the possible causes that would require such a physical aid. Recovery from surgery, is the brace used to manage chronic pain, or was an athletic injury the cause? Either way, he and the others know better than to stare. He wears the same bright smile as the woman with him when he too starts embracing Vincent and the girls.

“We’re so happy you’re all here.” He breaths before looking over each member of the Pulser crew. The pair are both humans, possibly relatives of Vincents, his parents perhaps? They don’t have any features similar to them and they don’t have his accent, they have none at all actually.

It's the commotions of the greetings that cause the arrival of two more residents in the house. And just from the look of them, it isn't difficult to know whose family they are.

“Hi, Mom.” Tenzmin presses her forehead to her mother's, holding her close as her father embraces the two tightly.

Tenzmin's mother, Venew, carries a much more orange-shaded coloring in contrast to her daughter and husband, Quenjarv who stands only a head taller than Wrecker and just as big in mass. Wrecker is already intimidating in size alone but he isn't fangs and claws that look like they can tear into anything kind of intimidating. Quenjarv glares at the Batch looking very skeptical of them. The beast softens his expression once he sees Omega hiding behind Wrecker out of fear for the male Cathar. Tenzmin nuzzles her father's arm, reassuring his momentary distrust. 

The Pulser children take the time to introduce the Batch once the adults had managed to stop overwhelming them with worried affection.

Home Cooking isn't something the Batch has experienced much during the war. Military food is as standard as it comes and has very little variety. But with the variety and amount of food that the Pulser family had made, no one is in any position to complain. 

“Thank you, Elis.” Jay thanks the attendant for the coffee placed in front of him. Jay jolts when Ninee pushes his chair closer to the table. “Thank you, Ninee.” 

The dinner conversation was mainly made up of questions on both sides. Luris is a councilwoman on the Iydro Judiciary Assembly Board, a politician with no prior experience of such work. She had been a photographer long before becoming an Assemblymember. Her husband, Jay has been in his position as a pediatrician for close to two decades. Quenjarv is an educator at the same university that Luris and Jay’s daughter Bree attends, her evening classes are the reason for her not joining the family this evening. Venew has changed her profession multiple times over the years, she is now currently an engineer at the same hangar where the Pulser and Marauder are stored. She isn't sure how long she’ll be staying in that line of work but appears to be enjoying it just fine. Nyla, Raylind’s mother works as a fiber artist. She owns and runs a shop downtown. She and her youngest daughter Matlyn will be arriving soon.

None of the Pulser family wished to bore the Batch with the minor details of their lives, but they never held back answers if asked anything directly, especially if it’s Omega who would ask. 

 The Pulser family had all met through a planetary youth program when they were teenagers. The program had brought together all forms of species to study foreign planets and share cultural heritage. They had all stayed in contact after their excursion for years before all settling on Iydro. They have been residents of Iydro long before the war started, long before their kids were born.

“That’s some ship your family has.” 

Luris smiles at the Sergeant, looking very proud of the compliment. “Thank you. It’s been in my family for generations. Precious family heirloom. My son Reese inherited it only a year ago. Kind of a right of passage into adulthood with my family.” 

“And where is he?”

Jay shifts in his seat to allow his leg a better position under the table.“Assisting our dear Captain Rex. That’s all we know at the moment.” His eyes turn sad for a moment when Ninee lets out an equally sad sigh. “He’ll be back soon, Ninee. Don’t you worry.”

This statement catches the Batch's attention immediately. Rex had not made any mention of receiving outside help and aside from the Martez sisters, Hunter and the others were under the assumption that he had none. “Why would he be helping Rex?”

The adults and their children look amongst each other nervously, obviously being cautious about how they should answer that question. “The answer to that has to do with how we met him. I’m sorry but we can’t tell you more than that.” Venew’s eyes linger on the children, almost trying to read them to see if they had dispensed any information that they shouldn't have. 

“We know that explanation is…. Suspicious. But we assure you, we are acting on the request of the Captain.”

Echo doesn't like the sound of that, despite how patient Jay sounds when saying it. “More secrets, to keep us safe you say?”

The Pulser family's eyes match others in wide surprise. “More so for our safety than yours. If the Captain wishes for us to tell you, we will.” Jay changes his approach to sincere not wanting to emphasize on the importance of Rexes secrecy, not wanting to draw attention to or lead to any form of mistrust amongst the Pulser family and the Batch. “We don’t want you to assume we can’t be trusted. Granted, you barely know up and you all should feel no obligation to trust us simply because we share a mutual friend.” 

Echo takes a moment to acknowledge his rude bluntness, but the family doesn't dwell on it. It was a moment and the moment has passed. 

None of the Batchers thought to bring up the war. Talking about it with neutralists is…a touchy topic of conversation. They already know their views and thoughts just from looking at them. It’s better not to offend them. There isn't anything here that Hunter and the boys haven't heard a thousand times before. Strange, by the looks of it, not one member of the Pulser family wants to bring up or talk about the war either, that fact looked like more than them just wanting to be courteous to their guests.

“While you're our guests here, we just have a few requests.” Luris begins. “Nothing too specific, just basic things. You can go into the city any time you like. Vincent and the girls know it very well, so if you’d like a guide-”

“We’re playing tour guides now?”

“No, you’re playing the part of the hospitable host.” Venew corrects Vincent. “We promise however to protect you from forces who intend to do any of you harm.” Venew assures the group taking another sip of her tea.

Hunter is certain that he isn't the only one amongst his brothers to be skeptical about the idea of protection from these folks. Quen and Venew look like they can hold their own in a fight, the Cathar are supposed to be excellent fighters, but the rest of the group is made up of a politician, a crippled man, and a dead woman, not people that would be Hunters first pick when it comes to security, respectively of course. 

Crosshair would have been the one to make a sharp comment about it. Hunter can almost hear what he would have said word for word.

Every head at the table turns when the door to the foyer opens again and the sound of tiny feet echoes through the house. 

Those tiny feet belong to a small Mikkian girl, the same shade as Raylind and just a few inches shorter than Omega. She’s wearing a long knitted dress. Her head tendrils are very short, fitting for her age. She freezes when she reaches the kitchen where everyone is seated at the table. Raylinds huge grin can’t be hidden from view even with her hands over her mouth. “Hello, Matie!” She calls. The small girl spins on her toes toward her sister's voice. She squeals excitedly, tripping over her feet due to the polished tile. She jumps into her sister's open arms without hesitation, Raylind lets out a pained grunt due to the impact. Her little hands pat Ninee’s dome happily.

Nyla turns the corner old seconds later, she’s met with warm greetings by the family. “Hello, Dear.” Venue signs to her. Nyla replies in kind. The discomfort amongst Hunter and the others would be easier to hide if they were wearing their helmets. But Nyla appears quite normal, nothing about her would suggest she can’t hear. 

Matlyn waves shyly at the group of soldiers, her eyes doing a double-take when she sees Omega and her shy expression quickly changes to excitement. “Matie, this is Omega. Omega this is Matlyn.” Matlyn slides out of her sister's lap to get a closer look at the other young girl in the room. Her eyes grow as big as binocs lenses, she’s taking in every inch of Omega, observing her carefully. Omega looks up at Hunter, hoping he’ll provide some guidance, but he’s just as confused as his sister and the rest of their brothers.

“Relax, just let her do her thing,” Vincent says, leaning back in his chair. “Shorty’s really good at reading people.” 

Everyone is silent during Matlyn’s evaluation of Omega and her brothers. Her big hazel eyes shimmered like glass. Everyone is silent for the young girl's observation, other than Elis in the kitchen. When Matlyn concludes her inspection she looks back up to the adults with her conclusion. “I like them.” She smiles the same way as her sister.

Vincent laughs in disbelief. “Why?

“They have kind eyes.” Matlyn answers while crawling onto Vincent's lap.

He looks at his many guardians with the same disbelief all over his face, “There you have it, folks. I can see it now. When we all get arrested and put on trial for helping this lot our defense is going to be, Matlyn said that they have kind eyes...Oi. If we don't get sent to jail we are so going to the looney bin”

Matlyns smile fades to side-eye Vincent's remark. “Don’t be mean.” Ninee beeps at Vincent, no doubt scolding him.

Elis wheels over to Jay and the family to inform them that dinner is ready.

Not one person had a full plate once the meal concluded. Elis had brought dessert and more tea before beginning the cleaning in the kitchen. Omega and Matlyn sit under the table with their tea and a little plate of cakes, giggling and talking about who knows what. All that while the adults speak at the table. 

“We want to be clear,” Jay speaks sternly, all eyes on him. “We have agreed to house and shelter you five under the request of Captain Rex. While you are with us you will not tell anyone who you really are or where you come from. If you do and the authorities get involved, we will deny having any involvement in knowing anything about it. These requests are not to hinder you, rather they are to keep you as well as this family safe. Is that clear?” Not a single member of the Batch hesitates to nod their heads Jay smiles with a sigh of relief. He then ducks his head under the table to look at Omega who gives him the same nod as her brothers. Jay bows his head to the young girl to show his appreciation of her understanding. “I just needed to see you say you understand. Thank you.”

“You’re all taking a risk with helping these refugees,” Hunter says. “Even more of a risk helping us.”

Nyla knocks at the table, indicating that she wants to speak. All eyes turn to her immediately, not wanting to miss what she’s about to say. The movements of her hands are so fluent and beautiful. The Batch knows next to nothing about Aurbesh sign language. Tech of course could translate any language when required, but signing is one that has yet to go in the books for them. Practice and study is the only way to properly understand this one.

“We are not planning on sitting by while this oppressive force looms over the galaxy and terrorizes innocent people.” Raylind translates for her mother. 

“Funny how they say that when the war’s over.” Wrecker whispers to Hunter, thankfully none of the Pulser family picks it up.

Nyla gives another knock on the table, indicating that she wants everyone to listen. Raylind focuses her eyes on her mother so that she can translate. “More and more refugees are coming to Iydro more and more. We don’t know how much longer we can keep this operation going. We are prepared though for if or when we get caught.”

Tech is watching the nonverbal exchange between Madam Roo and the rest of the Pulser family carefully. Looking for any method or rhythm to their sighing, His hud wouldn't be able to translate without having a live model to record.

Jay pushes himself away from the table, turning his wheelchair to leave. “It’s late. I’m sure you’re all tired. We’ll have time to talk more tomorrow, but for now, I think it’s best for us all to say goodnight.” Luris rises from her seat to take the handles of his wheelchair. Vincent, Raylind, and Tenzmin along with their parents all say their goodnights to the Ayleens.

“You’ll see each other tomorrow.” Raylind tells Omega and Matlyn, taking her sister by the hand and letting her mother take her arm. Both girls reluctantly wave goodnight before the Roo’s and Motokovs depart the house.

“Staying here tonight, Vincent?” 

The young man shakes his head to answer Jay's question. “Nah, I made arrangements already.”

“Always welcome here you know.” Jay offers.

Vincent's pursed lips give his remark. “Getting a little too crowded in this house. I could use some personal time.”

Jay nods. “Sounds fair. Get back safely please.” It’s once Vincent leaves that Jay and Luris turn their attention back to their guests.

“Let’s get you all settled.” Luris outstretches her hand to Omega. “I’ll show you your room dear.” Back near the entrance of the house is a hallway that leads to two bedrooms. Luris opens the door on the left. “This is the guest room, I'm sure you’ll love it.” The room is painted a soft blue with white accents, a large bay window rests in the far wall, a decent-sized closet, and dresser on the other side along with a full-body decorative mirror. Luris turns on the floral-shaped laps on both sides of the large bed to illuminate the room better. “Raylind told me ahead of time that we would be housing a little girl,” Luris says once Omega starts to look around the room. “There are new clothes in the drawers and the bins have toys and books for you.

Omega stands in silent awe as she looks around the room in amazement. All of this is for her. Given to her by these complete strangers. She simply adores her room on the Marauder, but there’s something about this, at least the gesture behind this act that is just beyond belief. “This is all for me?”

“Of course, my dear,” Luris replies sweetly. Her eyes meet Hunters before she speaks again. “I’ll let her get settled, the rest of you can follow Jay outside when you’re ready.” Luris takes her leave from the room. With the lack of unfamiliar eyes on them, the group is able to breathe and draw their conclusions about their hosts.

“They all seem nice.” Omega says once she manages to climb onto the bed.

Echo’s expression sours. “Still think it’s weird that they’re being so secretive for Rex.”

“If they’re not going to pry about us, we should do the same for them.”

“The order did come from Rex.” Wrecker agrees with Tech. The good ol Captain wouldn't have made such a request of the Pulser family if it weren't serious.

“We’re not here to question the Ayleens.” Hunter reminds the group. “We’re here to regroup and hide for the time being. Let’s hope the Empire thinks we all died on Kamino.”

Tech's face turns to his usual deep thinking expression. “That is unless Crosshair plans to tell the Empire otherwise.”

Silence falls over the group when thinking over that small detail. With how they had all left things with their brother before departing Kamino, there are no guarantees that Crosshair has or hasn't told the Empire that his old squad is still alive. Laying low, for the time being, is the best option for them. 

Hunter notices Omega’s not so much uncomfortable with the bed but rather hints of uncertainty with the difference in the sleeping arrangements. It’s a big change from her room on the Marauder or the sleeping barracks on Kamino. The sergeant kneels down in front of her, smiling.

“It’s really big…..really soft.” She describes.

“Sounds good to me.” Hunter replies. “You gonna be alright in here?” Omega gives a gentle nod, one that reminds Hunter of the same one she had given to him back on the ship, the only difference is that she meets his gaze. The Sergeant matches her expression, rising to his feet again. “We’ll see you in the morning. Try to get some sleep.”

The rest of the Batch wave their partings to Omega before leaving her alone in her room. She waits until she can’t hear her brother's footsteps to climb off the bed again and begins to look through the bins around the room. Luris hadn't been exaggerating, they were all full of toys and books, things that she had never been allowed to have on Kamino, Nala Se considered them to be a distraction. There were a variety of hand-knitted dolls, no doubt made by Nyla. All of the books were stories that she had never heard of. Unless it was a medical encyclopedia or medical journal, the Kaminoans dictated a lot of what Omega was and wasn't allowed to read. She’s still trying to shake the memories of Kamino out of her head, trying so hard to forget the fire that rained down from the venators. She wants to stop seeing the dark, damp corridors, the flooding cloning chambers, the flickering lights, the moans and creaks of the building pressure on the walls, the darkness she had experienced washing over her when she had gone to rescue AZI-

Omega jumps when she hears a knock at the door. She collects herself, not wanting to look afraid in front of whoever knocked. “Hello?” She calls to the door. Luris enters wearing a long sleeping robe and with a glass of water in her hand.

“Are you getting settled?” She asks, her tone still warm and welcoming. Omega only nods. “I was just coming in to get a bath started for you. I’m sure you're sore after traveling. A nice bath always helps to relax me when I’ve been cooped up on a ship for a while.” She sets the water glass on the bedside table before making her way to the bathroom. 

Omega can hear the squeak of the facet when it turns than the water when it begins cascading. Steam fills the room instantly, it's warm and comforting. Luris sits perched on the side of the tub testing the water for the perfect temperature. Once she’s satisfied Luris reaches in a side wooden drawer for bath soaps to mix in the water. 

A bubble bath? Omega’s never had a bubble bath before. Not really a thing was done on Kamino, the only baths there were for medical use, bacta baths to treat small surface-level injuries, nothing that required the use of a full bacta tank. 

“I’ll leave you to it,” Luris says after shutting off the water once it had filled the tub. I’ll leave you some sleepwear on your bed. Just drain the tub when you’re finished and I’ll come and check on you in a little bit.” Omega gives another nod to tell Luris that she understands. The woman returns the gesture then leaves Omega alone with the bath.

She glides her hand over the surface of the water, she giggles when a clump of bubbles sticks to her sleeve. She folds her clothes up nicely then places them near the basin. She shivers from the exposure, wasting no time getting into the water. She breathes out a breath of relaxation as she settles into the warmth of the water and breathes in the flowery aroma of the soap. The bubbles tickle her face when she sticks them to that surface area. The warmth and security allow her mind to relieve much of the tension it has been feeling, all she wants to feel right now is this warmth. She doesn't leave the bath until the water temperature begins to grow cold. 

Luris had left out a plain white, long-sleeved nightgown for Omega. She folds her towel the same as her clothes and slinks into the garment with ease. The warmth from the material brings the embrace of drowsiness that she had been putting off for most of the day. Right as she was climbing into bed again she hears Luris knock at the door again. “All settled in?” She asks when Omega grants her permission to enter the room. 

“The bubbles were very nice.”

“Happy to hear it. I’ll wash your clothes for you, they’ll be ready in the morning for you. Jay and my room is right across from yours. If you need anything, come and get us.”

Omega pulls the covers over on top of her, still working on getting comfortable in the new bed. “Thank you, Luris.”

“Of course, dear.” She smiles at her. “Sleep tight.” She turns off the side lamp then slowly closes the door behind her, the crack of light from the hallway growing less and less until it’s gone. 

The moonlight from outside cascaded a faded light through the main window. The house is quiet, unlike the Marauder. On the ship, there was something always making noise which Omega never minded. She can no longer hear Luris’s footsteps outside in the hall, she must have gone to sleep. Omega pulls the covers off of her to peak out into the hallway just to check. But she’s greeted with a familiar astromech standing out in the hall. “Ninee?” The droid beeps softly, her dome head-spinning twice before settling to its usual forward position. She must be guarding the hallway, making sure all is well during the night. But this is a new environment for Omega, a very unfamiliar one too. “Can you stay with me?” She asks the droid shyly. Ninee knows immediately how to respond to this. Without a word the droid wheels into Omegas room and settles at the corner end of the bed. Omega climbs back into bed comfortably, keeping her eyes on Ninee until she falls asleep peacefully.

The guest house out in the back of the house was a decent size to house four to five people. Four separate bedrooms, two on each side of the house, each with its own washroom. The common area makes up the rest of the space. The walls are mainly glass except for those that made up the bedrooms. From lack of excessive use, it still smells brand new.

“I had this built-in case I ever needed to take work home with me,” Jay explains wheeling himself around the space. “Patients who can’t make it to my clinic in the downtown area will come here or I have to make the occasional house call.”

“I don’t mean to pry,” Hunter knows to choose his words carefully about the subject. “But how did-”

Jay waves his hand, brushing off Hunter's concern of offending him. “It’s alright. It’s more than natural to be curious. No...like Nyla, there were complications when I was born. Complications that affected my legs. Hence the chair, I’ve had it all my life. Such a shame, I can’t stand it really. People said I'd never stand a chance in life. Everyone looks at me and thinks I’m easy to push around.” Hunter gives the Doctor a very “are you serious” look in regards to his humor. “See? I can joke about it.” Jay looks around the room, inspecting for anyone else who may be inside.“It was great for getting sympathy from the opposite gender.” He jokes with a wink. “Before I met Luris of course.”

“Good to know you can laugh about it.” 

“Oh I’ve got lots more, don’t you worry.” Jay glances over at Echo, looking for some sort of indication that he does the same coping mechanism for himself. But when met with no such indication Jay simply smiles and drops the idea. 

“It's got a nice view.” Echo mentions when gazing out to the vast green valley and far mountains behind them.

Jay hums in agreement. “I don’t think there’s a single planet in the galaxy with this much green.” 

“That seems unlikely.” Tech corrects his host. No doubt thinking of thousands of other worlds with considerably more vegetation than Iydro. 

“Please tell me you’re not telling them your terrible leg puns.” All four men turn when Luris’s voice fills the room. Jay’s sense of humor must be one that she is all too familiar with judging by her question and her tone of voice.

“Oh darn.” Jay resumes his playful tone with her. “You just missed some of my best ones.”

“I’m sure they were real kickers.” She teases, her hand resting on her husband's shoulder. “I just wanted to let you know that Omega is sound asleep.” 

The brothers all look relieved to hear that great news. “She wasn't scared was she?” Wrecker asks Luris, not wanting the kid to feel alone in a new place.

“She’s fine. No trouble at all.” She reassures the trooper. “Is there anything we can get any of you right now?”

The want for sleep is catching up with the squad. Not wanting to be rude but also not wanting to prolong the conversation Hunter makes a 

 “You’ve all done more than enough. We’ll be fine for now.”

“We’ll leave you all to it then.” Jay then signals to Luris that it’s time for them to leave their guests for the night. Luris and Jay exchange their goodbyes before heading back to the main house.

“If kindness could kill.” Echo remarks once the couple is out of sight.

“I’ll admit that this level of politeness from those of a neutral world is not what I was expecting,” Tech adds to his brother's observation.

Wrecker doesn't care for either one's remarks. “Well, I like them.” He proclaims sternly.

Echo can only think of one reason as to what drew Wrecker to that conclusion. “You like anyone who makes honeycrust bread.” 

They've all had enough discussion for the day, enough traveling, they're more than ready to have their feet planted on solid ground for a little while. They all promise to talk more about their situation in the morning, but for now, the brothers take their leave to their rooms for some much-needed rest. they are all sore and tired.

Hunter stips down while waiting for the bath in his room to fill, he leaves the blinds to the wall window up, he wants to see the view. The embrace of the water makes Hunter just want to melt.

He sighs heavily resting his head on the edge of the tub, closing his eyes to only focus on his breathing. Subconsciously Hunter’s hand runs down his thigh to a small scar under his left knee, still to this day he can’t remember how he got it, yet it’s one he always finds himself revisiting when he’s alone. Hunter's free hand runs down his torso and across his navel to feel another scar on his hip, this one he knows. His body twitches in response to the sensitive touch of his hand. Hunter pushes himself under the water letting the silence take its hold on him.  

With his body stretched out and submerged in the water all the concerns that had followed Hunter to Iydro are now retreating far away. He hopes Omega is alright in the house without him and the others close by. He sits up, arms warped around him huddled in the warm water.

His naked body collapses on the bed, his skin’s shivering until he crawls under the blankets. The space is warm and cozy, it's the hum from the heat running through the space that manages to lull Hunter into a dreamless sleep. He’s glad, he doesn't want his worries invading his dreams for once.

Chapter Text

Omega didn't think of how long she had been asleep when she finally stirred awake the next morning. Her headaches and she shifts between hot and cold temperatures. On and off the blankets go, back and forth. Her throat tightens causing small coughing fits. Her entire body feels weak and heavy at the same time.

Instantly taking notice of the young girl coughing, Ninee wheels closer to the small girl. Omega only groans weakly in response to Ninee’s concerned beeps. Her voice is raspy and tired. R9-9E has been in service to the Ayleen family since Luris and Jay’s son, Reese had built her roughly nine years ago. Reese had built Ninee specifically for emotional and mental support for himself and with all that programming and time spent with her creator, Ninee had become quite adept at identifying when Reese is anxious, depressed, or wanting to emotionally shut down. But this is none of those things. This is something different, but something the droid is still familiar with.

Immediately, the astromech leaps into action, racing to the kitchen where Luris and Jay are preparing breakfast. 

“Good morning, Ninee.” Jay addresses the droid while setting the table. But Ninee wastes no time with friendly pleasantries. Instead, she spends a good deal of her energy trying to get Jay to move his wheelchair away from the table while she sings a string of boops and whistles. Knowing to trust the droid, Jay sets down the mug he’s holding, turning the wheels of his chair to follow Ninee to Omega’s bedroom where he quickly sees the mess of blankets she’s hiding under. Luris peeks around the corner with intrigue and a bit of confusion.

“Omega?” Jay runs his hand over the mountain of blankets. “Are you alright, Dear?”

Her response is so quiet that Jay barely hears when she answers, “I don’t feel well.”

Jay slowly removes the heavy blankets from the small girl. He notices immediately how red her face is and she’s shivering. The Doctor rests the back of his hand against Omega’s forehead immediately noticing an increase in her temperature. The doctor then immediately calls his wife.

Hunter bolts awake to the sound of rapid knocking on his door, Echo’s voice then follows. “Hunter, wake up.” His voice sounds urgent. No doubt there's trouble. Hunter springs out of bed to get dressed. Remembering that they left their weapons in the hangar with the ship, he wonders if the Ayleens have any blasters in the house.

Echo’s standing near the door when Hunter opens it but moves right past his brother to make his way to Jay and Luris who are talking to Tech and Wrecker.

“Now, it's nothing to worry about.” The Doctor raises his hand to help ease the soldier which does stop him in his tracks. “Nothing but a fever and a cough.” 

Still in his fight response from being abruptly woken up Hunter takes a moment to gather his thoughts before Tech informs him, “It appears that Omega is sick.” 

Again Jay works to reassure Hunter. “But with nothing serious. Nothing that can’t be treated. Her symptoms should only last a few days. I’ve already given her some medication and she’s asleep.”

The visible concern amongst the batch couldn't be understated. “What can we…?”

“Nothing, for now. Just let Jay take care of her, he’s the professional here after all.”

Nothing else could be said at that point. Hunter doesn't like feeling useless, no one does.

Luris called out of work so that she could assist her husband with Omega. Jay kept her on a strict medicine regimen throughout the day along with herbal teas to help her throat and light meals. But the most important remedy for her is rest and plenty of it.

The squad agreed to a shift rotation to keep an eye on Omega. On Wrecker's shift, Echo and Tech returned to the hangar for maintenance on the Muradure with assistance from Venue, Reelind, and Tenzmin, Hunter helped Luris around the house since Jay had been called to his clinic downtown. 

Luris had caught Hunter on multiple occasions darting his eyes over to Omega's room while he helped her clean the dishes in the kitchen. He was waiting impatiently for something, anything to happen. She had never been sick during her time with him and the others. What could have gone wrong? What did he do wrong?

“When my son, Reese got sick for the very first time, he was less than a year old.” She hands Hunter another glass to dry as she continues her story. “For three days I stayed up with him, night and day, worrying myself sick, ironically. I remembered being so scared for him, I refused to put him down, so the entire time I just held him.” From the look on her face, Hunter could see she was thinking fondly of that time. Her early stages of motherhood when she was once so uncertain of everything, but now, both her children are alive, well, and living their lives. What more could a parent ask for?  “When he finally got better I was so relieved.” She chuckled at the memory, thinking about how crazy and frantic she must have been. “I guess what I'm just trying to say is that kids, no matter the age are resilient. Whether they’re as young as your girl or older like my boy, they always possess strong spirits.” Hunter then reflects on Luris’s fond smile. Honestly, the story had made him feel a bit better. He hadn't done anything to cause this, it's just something that happens. Something unavoidable when raising kids.

As a favor to Luris, Hunter accompanied Ninee to the downtown area to retrieve Jay from the clinic. The evening was rolling in and Hunter was a bit anxious for Jay to give his latest diagnosis on Omega once they returned to the house.

“Enjoying the fresh air?” The Doctor asks when he meets the soldier outside the clinic.

“I needed a walk,” Hunter admitted. Since Omega's condition had improved, Hunter didn't feel as guilty about stepping out for a moment to clear his head. “Ready?” Jay nods and allows for the Seargent to take the handles of his wheelchair and guide him down to the end of the street where Ninee is waiting for them with the speeder.

“Doctor Ayleen.” 

Jay halts the wheels of his chair causing Hunter to stop as well. “Oh no.” He winces but turns in the direction of the voice. Hunter turns with him to see a slender woman in an ISB uniform walking towards them with two other officers, one male, and the other female. Now the reason for Jay's sudden fretting made perfect sense. If the Bureau has discovered that the Pulser family has smuggled Clones onto Iydro, it means trouble.

The woman is uniformed in the same garb as the rest of the planet's ISB officers. The only difference is the commanding officer badge pinned to the left side of her chest. The woman's dark eyes caught Hunter's attention right away. She has warm skin, similar to Hunters. Her dark hair was tied up in a perfect knot which appeared to be standard for female officers from what Hunter had observed. He says not a word, letting Jay take the lead.

“Captain Silva, good evening.” He greets her perfectly casually.

She gives a friendly smile in return. “Good evening, Doctor Ayleen, always good to see you. And this time with guests no less.” Her eyes examine Hunter curiously. He knows the thoughts behind a look like that, he's given them before. Analyzing a potential threat, thinking through an enemy's intent. Silva is no fool, Hunter can already tell. She's responsible for the security of an entire planet, anyone in a position like that is going to be cautious of newcomers. Still, she shows no hint of mistrust, it's a trick to lure in prey. “What brings you to our lovely world?”

Hunter grimaced at her question.

“Hunter, this is Captain Madrany Silva. The head of the Iydro Security Bureau. Madrany, Hunter and his family came to my clinic for treatment for his sick daughter. The planet was nearby and they were in desperate need of a doctor.”

Relief washes over Hunter. He forgets that sometimes the truth is the best answer when trying to avoid conflict. “Daughter?” Hunter takes immediate notice of the Captain when her voice softens when she says the words so warm and sweet. Madrany clears her throat, pulling herself back to the conversation from which her mind had wandered. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

Jay replied with the same reassuring bedside manner he had given to Hunter and the others. “She’s already on the mend.” He then makes quick work to change the subject. “How is your brother with the new baby?”

“He’s doing great. Lysa wants to wait a few more weeks before they come back home. She’s terrified about traveling with a newborn.”

“Understandable. Well, we won’t keep you from your patrols any longer. Give my best to your parents.”

“I will. Please, give the same from me to yours.” She turns to Hunter, her examining look returning. “Welcome to Iydro. I hope you enjoy your stay with us. And I hope your girl gets better soon.” She motions for her officers to follow as they make their way through the streets.

Jay lets out a big sigh of relief once he’s sure that the officers are far away enough to not hear it. ”I thought for sure they had figured something out. Don’t misunderstand, Madrany is a wonderful woman. Kind, intelligent, loyal, comes from a good family. It’s just best for us to stay off of her and the Bureau's radar for the time being.” Hunter couldn't agree more with that statement. That look she had given still hung over his head, even when he lay awake in bed that night. She’s suspicious, he knows it. He didn't care if it was paranoia or not. The moment Omega is well enough, he and his squad are leaving Iydro.