Chapter Text
“So, we’re stuck here?”
Omega turned from Wrecker to look at Tech, who pinched the space between his eyes as he sighed deeply. Behind them, the Havoc Marauder, as if in response to the large clone’s words, let out a great, sputtering whine, its engine spitting out a wispy column of smoke.
“Unfortunately, for the time being, yes. The damage the ship received from our previous mission will take me at least a few days to repair, barring any further complications.” Tech frowned, eyeing the ship in a way that Omega thought meant that this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
“With the Empire on our tail like they have been, we might not have a few days.” Hunter said, his gruff voice tinged with concern.
“Actually, we are most fortunate to have landed where we did. This particular planet’s magnetic fields interfere with any tracking signals. Unless a ship is within the atmosphere, the Empire has no way of tracking us.” the goggle wearing clone explained, gesturing to the sky.
“That’s good. We could all use the break.” Echo chimed in, leaning against the side of the ship. He was wearing a tank top-like shirt, a bandage wrapped around his shoulder. The cyberneticly enhanced man had been grazed by blaster fire during their latest mission from Cid, but they had luckily gotten some bacta spray on it before it had gotten infected. Now it was only a matter of letting the injury heal.
A break sounded great to Omega, who was more than a little tired of either being stuck on the ship or running for her life. Now, don’t get her wrong, she adored seeing new places in the Galaxy with her brothers, but even she was beginning to feel worn down by the constant stress that came with their lives as defectors. And the planet they were on was teeming with life, full of swaying blades of grass and the buzz of unseen insects.
“Hunter, can I go explore while you guys work on the ship?” Omega asked, looking up at the sergeant with her big, brown eyes, “I promise I wont go far! Please?”
Hunter considered her plea, scrutinizing their surroundings as he searched for any signs of danger. After a few moments, he turned his head towards Tech, who arched an eyebrow, clearly anticipating a question.
“Is there anything dangerous around here?” Tech was already scrolling through his datapad as Hunter asked the anticipated question, eyes flicking over the information.
“It appears to be safe. However, as you should in any new situation-”
“-I should always exercise caution.” Omega finished, flashing Tech a grin, “I know!”
Tech nodded in approval, lips turning up into a small smile at the confirmation that the girl had been listening to his safety lectures. Hunter hummed, still feeling cautious, but he eventually nodded. “Okay, you can go. But stay within hearing distance.”
“Your hearing distance or regular hearing distance?” Omega asked, a cheeky look on her face.
Hunter huffed and ruffled her hair with a gentle smile. “You know what I mean. Don’t get too dirty, or I’m going to let Wrecker throw you into the nearest lake.”
“No you won’t!” Omega giggled, but she dashed off anyways, content to have Hunter’s approval.
The blonde child sprang forward, trying to catch a fat, humming insect that had been sitting on the thin branch of a brush plant. She wanted to show it to Tech, hoping that he would be able to tell her what it was. It flew away just as her cupped hands closed around the space it had just been occupying. Despite her failure, Omega did not feel any frustration, only the need to try harder, do better. Whether the drive came from her genetics or the hard life she’d endured, she wasn’t sure, and quite frankly, Omega could not bring herself to care enough to ponder it. All she knew was that it was going to help her catch. That. Bug.
She mimicked the way she’d seen Hunter move, keeping her body low to the ground, shifting her feet so that her weight was evenly distributed. All of her attention was on the winged creature, her gaze following it as it looked for a suitable place to land. Soon, it settled on a leaf, the edges yellowed and slightly curled from the heat of the day. Omega angled herself in a way that put her right behind the bug, muscles tensing as she prepared to spring. Truly, nothing in the Galaxy could pull her from her concentration.
“Sound off, kid!”
Instantly, she moved from her crouch into a standing position, looking over her shoulder back towards the downed ship. Okay, maybe some things could distract her. Hunter’s calls were not something to be ignored.
“Right here!” she yelled back, pleased when she received an acknowledging nod from the bandanna wearing man instead of a command to return.
Having placated her watchful guardian, she resumed her mission, eyes easily finding the crawling creature once again. She resumed her pose, inching as close as she dared. The dry earth was warm beneath her touch as she crept forward, crumbling slightly under the pressure. Once she was as close as possible, she leaned forward, balancing on the balls of her feet as she raised her hands once again.
’Steady… steady… now!’
Omega lunged, eyes lighting up with delight as she successfully managed to cup her hands around the pudgy insect. However, that delight turned to surprise when she realized that she’d practically thrown herself forward, and with quite a bit of force at that.
“Omph!” she wheezed as she struck the ground, dirt flying up as she slid forward. Suddenly, the world tipped, and Omega felt her stomach flip violently as she toppled forward. She tried to scream, but her previous impact had knocked the breath from her lungs.
For a few terrifying moments, she fell through open air, limbs flailing as she desperately tried to find something to slow her descent. Nothing came to her, and so she continued to fall, unable to call out for help. Omega screwed her eyes shut, throwing her arms around her head in an attempt to protect one of her most vulnerable places. She gritted her teeth and waited for the harsh impact, for the pain she knew from experience would follow.
Then, as if from nowhere, something wrapped around her ankle, snagging on her shoe and going taunt, the movement so sudden that it sent a ripple of pain through Omega’s body. She gasped, the sound tight and quiet. She still hadn’t regained a full lungful of air, but her terror did allow her to take short, panting gasps. Now that she was not caught in the throes of panic, the trembling child allowed her eyes to crack open. She was upside down and hanging dangerously close to the stone floor of whatever pit she’d fallen into. Her insect quarry was long gone, likely having flown away as soon as she’d opened her hands. As a feeling of lightheadedness started to nip at the corners of her mind, Omega forced herself to look at whatever had wrapped itself around her leg.
It was a thick vine, its dark green leaves sharpened to a point. Small thorns stuck out of the stalk, some buried in the fabric of her pants. Taking the biggest breath she could manage, Omega used what core muscles she had to sit up, reaching up to untangle herself. She winced as the thorns pricked her hands, but this needed to be done. After a minute of fussing and pulling, the plant released its hold on the girl, allowing her to drop to the floor. A small cloud of dust floated up as she hit the ground, the particles shining in the beams of sunlight that streamed down from the top of the hole. Dusting herself off, Omega turned her gaze upward, hand raised as she prepared to call out for help.
She paused, her words dying silently in her throat. She lowered her hands, eyes widening in childish wonder and curiosity as she finally got a good look at her surroundings. Ancient paintings covered the slopping stone walls, stretching all around the space. Some had been lost to the harshness of time, covered in cracks or creeping vines and moss, but a great deal were still visible. Humanoid figures, adorned in armor very similar to the kind her brothers wore, were heavily prevalent in the paintings. Some were drawn fighting, swords and spears clashing together. Others were painted with their families, gaggles of children happily running around their parents or resting in their arms. Interestingly, not all of them seemed to be human, as Omega could see the occasional pair of wings or a winding tail. Slowly, almost reverently, the girl approached, running a gentle hand over the figures that had been lovingly painted so long ago, telling the stories of people long gone.
She kept her hand on the wall as she walked, drinking in the history presented on the stone. One painting in particular drew her attention away from the others. It was a larger one, placed in the centre of everything. The art piece showed the silhouette of a massive creature, its enormous tusks slopping down towards a group of bowing individuals. Atop the creature’s back sat a person that, to Omega, looked quite regal. They sported a flowing cape and they held their helmet-covered head high. However, the most alluring thing was the sudden burst of white that broke the patterns of muddled colours and ashy blacks. It was an outline, forming the shape of a stunning black blade. The figure held the weapon up high, proudly displaying it for all to see.
Inch by inch, she drew her palm against the rough stone, hesitating as she reached the central painting. Something drew her to this particular one, a strange feeling, gut deep and alien. She paused, lifted her hand, then gently laid it flat on the ancient picture, resting it on the neck of the beast. A ripple of frigid cold dripped down her spine like a trickle of water. She shuddered, sucking in a breath. The air was just as cold, void of the previous dry warmth. Omega rubbed her arms, teeth chattering slightly as she exhaled a puff of warm breath. To her shock, she could see her breath, a small cloud of quickly dissipating steam.
“What?” she whispered, stepping away from the wall. The chill did not recede, instead growing more and more sharp and wintry as it seeped through her tunic and settled in her bones.
Suddenly weary, Omega retreated to the safety of the patch of sun. Its golden glow did make the cold retreat slightly, but it still clung stubbornly to her. This whole situation felt wrong. She shivered again, backing up as she looked for a possible way out.
Tink!
Her foot struck something, and Omega spun, slightly startled. She peered down, wincing when a flash of white momentarily blinded her. The blonde rubbed at her eyes, squinting. A piece of metal, dark in colour and looking like it was made of steel, reflected the sunlight, strips of silver glinting pleasantly. She blinked, crouching down to get a better look at it. The feeling from before returned, stronger this time, and Omega took a moment to consider whether or not she really wanted to touch this mysterious object.
…
Okay, yes, she wanted to touch the thing.
She reached forward, trying to ignore the way her hand trembled. Was it the cold? Or was it fear?
Her fingertips brushed against the object, and a wonderful feeling of warmth bloomed in her hand. Eager to rid herself of the unnatural chill that had taken up residence in her bones, Omega ignored the little voice in her head that said that the warmth was just as unnatural as the cold and gripped the metal object fully.
In an instant, something in the air seemed to shift, like a slumbering creature had been awakened after a long, long time. Time seemed to freeze, her surroundings dimming into a void-like nothingness. The world fell silent.
Omega froze, her body completely paralyzed. She attempted to release the object, to cast it far, far away from her, but none of her limbs obeyed her. Not even her lungs responded to her calls, locked in a terrible, burning state of being stuck mid-breath. A primal terror rocketed through every fiber of her being, desperately willing, pleading, for her to move, to get away from whatever otherworldly danger had suddenly materialized.
She did not move.
She couldn’t.
She wanted to.
She needed to.
Omega remained where she was, grip firmly locked around whatever accursed thing she’d so foolishly allowed herself to touch.
Suddenly, her brain told her that something was behind her. If she’d been able to move her eyes, even just a bit, she might have been able to see it, to break whatever spell or curse had been placed on her.
She remained still.
The Something came even closer.
’How did she know that? She couldn’t see it. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t move. Shecouldn’tmoveshecouldn’tmoveshecouldn’tmoveshecouldn’tmove-’
It breathed, a single, raspy gust, colder than the void of open space and just as eager to stop her heart.
”Su cuy'gar, ad.”
A thousand voices echoed inside her mind, all of them collating into one. The feeling of being watched by countless eyes made Omega’s skin prickle and crawl like it was filled with bugs, and she all but seized, the sensation jump starting her body into functionality as she twisted around, a scream that she knew would bring her guardians to her ready in her throat as her lungs finally finally finally expanded fully and let air rush in oh Little Gods that felt so good-
A skull, long and massive and made of shadows, stole that precious air away as its empty eyes bore into hers, taking her cry for help with it. She choked on nothing, teeth bared in horror as she stared at the impossible sight that now stood before her. Her heart, if hadn’t stopped before, certainly felt like it had now.
Air. Air. She needed air! Breathe! Breathe, breathe,breathebreathebreathebreathe-
”Haalur, ad’ika.” the voices whispered, gentle and reassuring and everywhere all at once.
And she did.
The world blinked out of existence.
”Vi're olar jii.”
“-ga?”
“-mega?!”
“Omega, where are you?!”
Omega’s eyes shot open, a gasp escaping her lips. She quickly sat up, (when had she laid down?) taking in a deep breath of dry, earthy air. She blinked, confusion dancing through her mind. What happened? She’d been looking at the pretty paintings and then…
She frowned when a memory did not come, not a spark of recollection to be found. That probably wasn’t good. Did she get hit on the head by something? That would explain why she’d been on the ground.
“Omega!”
Her head snapped up at the sound of Hunter’s frantic call, guilt washing through her. How long had he been calling her?
“I- I’m here!” she yelled back, getting to her feet. Her legs wobbled a bit, a pins and needles sensation settling in her left calf.
In just a few seconds, she heard the sound of rapid footfalls. By the sound of it, all four of her brothers had come to look for her. That made the guilt twist in deeper, feeling like a vibroknife in her chest. Her clumsiness had caused them to have to stop working on the ship, no doubt increasing the amount of time they’d have to spend on this planet.
Hunter appeared at the edge of the grass first, a look of surprise coming over his face when he almost fell into the pit too. His hand shot up, making a signal that told the others to wait. A second or so later, she could see Echo, Wrecker and Tech as well, all of them looking both relieved and worried.
“Omega, what happened? Are you okay? Why didn’t you answer us?” Hunter asked, looking for a safe way down. Tech was already retrieving something from one of his many pouches.
“I’m sorry Hunter!” she apologized, feeling truly sorry. “I was just trying to catch this neat bug, when I fell into this hole! It knocked the wind out of me for a little while.”
“Kid, it’s been more than a “little while”.” Echo frowned, eyebrows furrowing, “We’ve been calling you for almost 15 minutes.”
Omega’s mouth dropped open in shock. 15 minutes? She’d been out for that long? That was really not good.
“I think something hit me on the head, because I just woke up on the ground.” Omega winced as she saw their faces instantly fill with concern and a bit of fear, Tech’s scrounging getting noticeably faster as he cast a glance at her, “But, I’m not in any pain. Is that weird?”
The older clones looked at each other.
“It is unusual for an injury that causes unconsciousness to not cause any pain.” Tech spoke up, taking a moment to wrack his brain for an answer, “I suppose you could be experiencing stress-induced analgesia, but I find that unlikely. I will examine you once you have been safely removed from this pit.”
“Stress-induced ana- wha?” Wrecker questioned, Echo and Hunter mirroring his questioning look.
“It is a response to stressful stimuli, such as immense pain. It blocks the neural pathways that stimulate the pain response in the brain.” the younger man smiled in satisfaction as he procured a thin but strong wire cord, “Essentially, it temporarily prevents the afflicted person from feeling pain after an injury.”
Uncoiling the wire, he lowered it down to Omega, who eagerly went to reach for it.
Metal, dark in colour and pleasantly warm to the touch, glinted in the sunlight, shimmering alluringly.
Omega blinked. When… when had she picked whatever this was up?
“Omega?” Hunter called down, tilting his head ever so slightly.
She shook her head, absentmindedly tucking the mystery object into one of her pockets before grabbing onto the wire, quickly tying it around herself. She must have found it before she got hit on the head. Whatever it was, she would look at it later. For now, she was far more focused on getting out of this dusty hole and back to her brothers.
Hunter and Wrecker quickly pulled her up, the former pulling her into a side hug. It wasn’t comfortable at all; he’d put on his armor and it was sticking into her at many different points.
Omega all but melted into the embrace, soaking up Hunter’s affection like a sponge.
“Are you hurt?” Hunter rumbled, soothingly rubbing her back.
“I don’t feel hurt…” she glanced over at Tech, who gently, oh so gently, brushed aside her blonde hair, searching for any signs of blood. He tentatively pressed against the back of her head, watching for any signs of discomfort or pain. Omega’s face remained neutral, if a little confused.
“You do not seem to be injured, but I would like to give you a proper examination.” he said, adjusting his goggles. He paused for a moment, looking indecisive, then put an arm around her, drawing her away from Hunter and into his own chest. The older clone let him, knowing that his vod often didn’t show much physical affection. If he was doing it now, he must be feeling overwhelmed. “I… am relieved that you appear to be unharmed. We we’re worried that another bounty hunter had somehow found you.”
Omega found a spot on his armor to cling to as she nestled in closer, feeling the warning sting of tears beginning to build in her eyes. “’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I never meant to pull you away from your repairs either. I know you don’t like it when people distract you.”
Tech chuckled softly, running a hand through her hair once again, this time for comfort. “You are the exception, ad’ika.” He said softly.
Usually, such words would have brought forth feelings of comfort and happiness, but Omega suddenly felt very… exposed. She stiffened, eyes darting around as she searched for the source of her discomfort.
“Omega?” Tech frowned, noticing her sudden change in demeanor. “Have I… upset you?”
His words drew Omega out of her own mind, and she shook her head again, blinking a few times. “What? Oh, no, Tech, I just…” She looked around again, the feeling slowly ebbing away, “suddenly got the feeling that I was… being watched.”
She looked back at Hunter, who’s face had gone tense at her words. “Can we go back to the ship please? I- I don’t think I want to be outside anymore.”
That made all of them go on alert. Omega loved being outside, and always had to be called back inside, unless they were being pursued or shot at. She’d never asked to go back inside before.
Hunter gave her his most reassuring smile. “Sure kid. Why don’t you and Tech head on in? We’ll be right behind ‘ya.”
Omega nodded, and Tech took that as his signal to move. He scooped Omega up into his arms, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. He and Hunter shared a concerned look, before Tech carried their team’s youngest member back to the Havoc Marauder. Once they were out of earshot, the remaining clones faced each other.
“Okay, am I the only one who thought that was super weird?” Wrecker asked, hoping he wasn’t the odd one out here.
Hunter shook his head and growled lowly. “Something’s up. I’ve been getting a bad feeling about this place ever since we landed, and this just seals the deal.”
“I still think we need to lay low for a while,” Echo started, “but let’s do it somewhere else. If both you and Omega are getting weird vibes, that’s probably a sign to leave as quickly as possible.”
Hunter and Wrecker nodded in agreement. Wrecker turned his head towards the hole they’d just pulled Omega out of, curiosity flickering in his one good eye. “D’ya think we should check out what’s down there?”
The other two turned back towards the pit. Hunter stared at it, considering Wrecker’s question. Really, they should. Perhaps the answer to their questions could be found down there, and Hunter’s military training told him to scout the area for possible dangers.
But his instincts, the ones that had kept him and his brothers alive this long, sang out a song of warning. They told him to get him and his family away from that place, as quickly as he possibly could.
“No.” he said, his voice quieter than he’d meant it to be, “No, I don’t think we should.”
His words were enough for Wrecker and Echo, who started off back towards the ship. Hunter lingered for a moment, gaze fixed on the pit, before slowly turning away.
The walls of the pit lay bare, void of any trace of those who had been depicted in those ancient paintings.