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"I don't think these are the True Mandalorians," Omega hisses in a whisper, leaning a little closer to Anakin.
"You don't think?" Anakin repeats under his breath, almost incredulously. There's not even a question of that, or they wouldn't have been so roughly taken captive immediately after venturing into this place. Even if the True Mandalorians didn't have any reason to trust their intentions.
"Quiet," the Mandalorian guard watching over them snaps, hand warningly resting on his blaster.
Fine.
So much for speaking out loud. If they really need to talk to each other, they'll have to do it telepathically. Anakin's taught Omega much of what he knows about the Force, even though he's still a padawan himself.
At least he was a padawan. He's not anymore, obviously, seeing as he left the Jedi Order with his master the same time Omega and her brothers... time-traveled to Carnelion IV. He was twelve when that happened – the same age as Omega – and it's been several years since. Several years that they've been building a life outside the Order, or in the others' case, learning to be something other than Republic soldiers or fugitives from the Empire that existed in their time..
Right now, he needs to work out a plan of getting out of here. Which likely is going to get... tricky.
"How can we be quiet if you're interrogating us?" Omega snips back, happily trying to cause a distraction. He doesn't even need to ask her.
"What is a Jedi doing out here?" the guards demands, ignoring her.
Right.
That he has his lightsaber here is not going to put them in a good situation. The guard already took it, along with Omega's energy bow; they can get them back with the Force at a moment's notice.
"I'm not a Jedi," Anakin replies firmly. He's not. They're... more than that. He still respects the Jedi the way he used to, still sees how much good they can do for the galaxy, but now that he's... no longer one of them, Anakin has adjusted to a very different life. Even if it's often hard to not be... a part of something larger, it gives them all more freedom, a sense of freedom he never knew he lacked. Here, as civilians, they're not bound by the same regulations normal Jedi are. And they're far more effective.
The guard pointedly holds up the lightsaber. Anakin can sense the disbelief radiating off him into the Force.
"You know, those can be found on the black market for the right price," Omega replies, with far too much cheer. She's still trying to hold his attention, and Anakin throws another glance around, looking for some way out. They'll have to Force-throw the guards and make a run for it. There's no better option. Though that will very much convince them that they are Jedi, so they can't fail to make it out.
"What are you doing here?" he demands, suspiciously.
"This is an old mining colony, isn't it?" Omega asks. That's what Concordia once was, after all. "We were just exploring. We didn't mean to intrude."
The guard waves for a moment, but Anakin can tell he's not convinced. Even if he is, they wouldn't let it slide. That's not who these people are.
Then he needs to make his move now, the moment the guard seems about to call someone. Anakin lashes out with the Force, throwing him back. Omega instantly yanks her energy bow to her hands, as Anakin calls his lightsaber back, and they sprint for the exit.
***
Omega's heart is hammering as they run, and she already can't shake the feeling that they aren't going to make it out of here. That doesn't mean they won't try. They just have to get back to their ship, and then –
Blaster shots ring out behind her, and she whips out her energy bow, firing at a guard who lands in front of them. They've called in reinforcements already, and she and Anakin need to hurry before they get overwhelmed.
Her armor – she got it after time-traveling, when they finally came to Mandalore not long ago – gives her a lot more protection than what she once wore, but they're hopelessly outnumbered. A shot hits the armor on her arm, right when she's trying to fire her bow, and it makes her falter for a moment too long.
They're being surrounded on all sides now, and there's no way they'll be able to fight off everyone without at least one of them being killed.
"Surrender," warns the guard, as they all prepare to fire.
Omega exchanges a desperate glance with Anakin. She can feel his resignation, as they throw down their weapons. They don't really have much choice.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asks in a whisper, as the Death Watch warriors move closer.
"Don't know for how long," she replies, breathlessly. This is not going to go over well, especially since Death Watch now definitely believes that they're Jedi. Maybe they shouldn't have tried running before, but it's too late for regrets.
The guards step aside a little, as another armored figure approaches. The leader, she thinks, from the way he's moving, and his needlessly fancy cape.
"They claim they are not Jedi, but their actions indicate otherwise," one of the guards reports.
"Search for their ship and any reinforcements," he orders, turning away, "And dispose of them."
They're... they're going to kill them. Her and Anakin are about to die – No, they will not die here, like this. But she doesn't know how they're going to get out, and nothing's stopping the Mandalorians from shooting them. There's nothing they can do to stop it, really – not when they're surrounded on all sides, and what are they waiting for, anyway?
Except then, the Mandalorians move closer, roughly shoving them towards the grinders on the far side of the room, which are smashing... something, dropping it into a melting pit down below.
Wait –
Oh.
Oh no.
They didn't shoot them because they weren't planning to. They're going to... put them in the grinders?! This is bad. Very, very bad.
And why did they have to put both her and Anakin in these stupid grinders upside down? If it's intended to make any logical thoughts completely impossible – aside from the fact that it already feels like she can't breathe through her steadily growing fear – it's certainly working. Because she has absolutely no idea how they're going to get out of this.
"... Anakin? Can you do something?" Omega asks, voice rising with fear as the machines they're suspended in start moving down, towards the grinder that's smashing everything that goes between it. Tech would know how to shut this thing down, and both he or Echo could do it easily if they were here. Even she could do it easy, if she could reach the controls, and of course, Anakin could, too. But they're nowhere near the controls and they can't move.
She can only watch, wide-eyed, as it crushes some pieces of something into... literal dust, dropping the debris into the melting pit below.
And pretty soon, they're both going to –
No. They can't die here. They have to find a way to get back to their family the way they always do, no matter how bad the situation is.
"I don't know," he sounds equally panicked, as he tries to twist around in his ridiculous position. Though any squirming is in vain, because they really can't move at all. And they're only seconds from being crushed, and she has no idea what to do or how to stop it.
She wishes Hunter was here. She wishes the rest of her brothers were here, because they went into ridiculous, life-threatening situations all the time, but they were always able to get out.
"Well, we better figure out fast!"
Because her brothers aren't here, and they won't be coming to save them. They came here completely on their own. It was something they should've been perfectly capable of handling.
"I have an idea," Anakin says, desperately, "But it's dangerous."
"Do it!" Omega yells. She doesn't care what it is – they just need to get out of here.
"Okay," he replies, closing his eyes.
She can feel the Force shifting around him, in that same overwhelming intensity it always does. She's never felt anyone even near as strong before – when their bond was first forming after they met, it was nearly overwhelming. And at that point, she wasn't even consciously using the Force yet.
Omega is more used to him now, to the burning feel of his presence. She's grown close to it, and it's a part of her just as much as her brothers are. Anakin is as important to her as they are. And they're... family. It's not the same way, and she can't even say she understands what it is, but he's... important. It's beyond friends. It's not siblinglike, either.
And they have to do something to get back, because their family – her brothers, and Anakin's mother and master – will... they need them. And she can't bear the thought of Anakin dying.
She hears the sudden sound of metal screeching, and for a moment, she's not entirely certain that it's not because she's about to be smashed. Or maybe it's the sound of being smashed, but then the machine suddenly stops moving.
The energy-fields that are suspending them just as suddenly deactivate, dropping them onto the still moving conveyor below.
It's still moving, and her and Anakin immediately Force-jump to safety, and she pauses, struggling to catch her breath. "What did you do?" she asks, breathlessly.
"Destroyed the controls," he explains, hastily scanning their surroundings for any guards – they're sure to be spotted any moment, "If I did it wrong, we could've been dropped into the melting pit faster."
Omega winces. She would very much not like to think about that right now. They've come very close to death countless times – like on Kamino, and she can only be grateful they were able to get Crosshair back after all that – but maybe it's just how alone she was in this that leaves her so shaken up.
Alone except for Anakin, and seeing his abilities, maybe she shouldn't have been so certain they were going to die. Sometimes, there seems to be little he can't do with the Force, and it never fails to leave her in awe.
Her brothers said that when they knew Anakin in the other timeline, he was far older and even more skilled with the Force. Frankly, she can hardly even imagine it – his power must've been close to that of a near demigod or something, by then.
Because apparently demigods are a thing according to Echo; he said his general told him a very strange story once, of this planet he was mysteriously pulled onto, that had entities of the Force itself. However that works.
Omega would like to know more about that sometime, not that it matters. She could always ask Echo for more details, though – he talks about his version of Anakin all the time, now that he has this one. He's changed a lot since the time travel; she never saw him truly happy until after he'd met the younger Anakin again.
"We better go, before they catch us," Omega hisses, and the two break into a run, ducking behind whatever obstacles they can find on the way for the exit, to conceal their escape.
Luck is on their side for a chance, and though they do run into a few pursuing guards on the way, they still manage to get back to the ship relatively unscathed. Anakin flies. Of course, he does – he's the best pilot Omega has ever seen – and with him at the controls, they manage to get away. But she doesn't breathe a sigh of relief until they've successfully made it far away from the abandoned mine. This is the last time ever that they're going to explore abandoned anythings alone. At least not without a third person coming along for the ride.
"Are you okay?" Anakin finally asks, not taking his eyes off the scenery ahead of them as he flies back towards where their family is.
Omega pauses, taking stock of herself before nodding. "I'm fine," she assures him, "Just... a little shaken. I didn't realize Death Watch was on this moon. I thought it was all... gone."
He makes a face. "Same. We'll have to let the others know."
Yes. They will. And that will not be a fun conversation. Probably. No doubt Hunter will castigate them both thoroughly for being too over-eager and not paying enough attention to their surroundings. Well, they probably deserve that lecture. It was foolish. And he won't be the only one. Omega suspects that every single person will have their fair share of things to say.
Shmi will scold them for sure, before expressing her relief that they're alright and fretting over them until she's assured they're in one piece. Echo... likewise. Crosshair will probably have a very snarky remark or ten. Wrecker will probably hug them. Tech will fret a little and then start talking about how predictable it was – definitely not – for Death Watch to still be loitering. Obi-Wan definitely will be lecturing them, too, and he's going to be far grumpier about it than Hunter.
Ugh great. She is really looking forward to that. ... Not.
Her opinion must be reflected into the Force – it's not like she was shielding or anything – because Anakin reaches out to pat her shoulder. "Don't worry, 'mega," he says, trying to be optimistic as always. "They'll just be glad we're alive."
She slouches down in her seat, even though she knows the truth to his words. "I know," she agrees sullenly, "But we were the ones nearly smashed to death. I was scared enough for everyone. It's not like worrying about it would change it."
"At least they care," Anakin replies with what is, in her opinion, far too much cheer, before sobering. Even with his helmet on – all of them wear full-armor now, like the Mandalorians they're trying to be; besides, it's protective and it conceals their identities to a point as well – she can easily imagine the look on his face, the faintly-troubled shine in his bright blue eyes.
A part of her wants to wrap him in a hug and not let go. She wants... something. Something she doesn't quite know how to put into words. It's not something she's even consciously realized as being there until now, after they nearly got killed. Sure, it might happen all the time, but this was different, because they were alone, able to rely on no one but each other.
"It – we have a... family here," he says slowly, "And maybe it can be annoying when they hover, but... I'm just glad that they'll do it, y'know?" There's a faint shred of vulnerability in his voice, and Omega reaches out, taking his hand without even thinking. He squeezes hers in return. She knows, all too well, that he's struggled a lot before they came, before they found him, before he joined them. Obi-Wan was a good master – teacher – perhaps, but he didn't know how to be a parent. Not until he met them and Shmi.
"I know," Omega promises.
***
They get back to the camp where the others are without much fanfare. That's the easy part. The hard part is... what follows. Anakin slings an arm around Omega's shoulders, tugging her along with him as they go in search of Hunter. Even now, even though his mom and Obi-Wan are here, Hunter is still their de facto leader. He looks to Hunter for guidance in a way that he can't with Obi-Wan even. It's just... how it is. He's used to it.
"What did you do?" Hunter asks the second he sees them. There's a hint of suspicion in his eyes as well as a resignation that inevitably shows up whenever he and/or Omega do something stupid.
"Who says we did anything?!" Omega protests, shrugging off Anakin's arm, and pulling off her helmet so she can pin Hunter with a sulky glare.
"Because you're always doing something," Crosshair drawls.
"No, we're not!" Anakin argues, realizing a beat too late that their denials are only making their guilt look more obvious. Crosshair cackles.
"What happened?" Hunter queries, before Anakin and Crosshair can go at each other. They do that all the time, recreationally sniping at each other until they can't think of any more witty comebacks. (According to Tech, if he can be believed, they once were at it for "three hours, forty-nine minutes, and seventeen seconds".)
"We... ran into... some... old acquaintances?" Omega offers.
"Mmhm. What kind of acquaintances?"
Probably, they should just spit it out, but neither of them wants to be responsible for the inevitable explosion. To delay the inevitable, Anakin pulls off his own helmet before deciding to 'fess up. "We – uh, we encountered some Death Watch warriors," he finally blurts out. "We went to that old, abandoned mine shaft to explore, but it wasn't actually as abandoned as it was supposed to be."
"Death Watch?" Hunter echoes, his worry flaring sharply into the Force. When Anakin and Omega nod, wordlessly, he turns to Crosshair. "Warn the others. Set up a perimeter and keep watch. We have to be prepared in case they try to attack."
"Copy that," Crosshair replies, giving him a two-fingered salute before moving away to carry out his orders.
"And then what happened?" Hunter queries, looking back at them.
Anakin glances at Omega for a moment. This is the part that he knows Hunter will flip over. "They... captured us, thought we were Jedi even though we denied it. They asked us some questions, but we didn't tell them anything," he explains, "And then... we tried escaping once but we didn't get far, so they decided to... uh..."
"Smash us," Omega interjects brightly. "They were planning to throw us into a melting pit."
Hunter tenses, almost imperceptibly, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face. "Are you two alright?" he wants to know.
"We're fine," Anakin assures him.
"Promise," Omega agrees.
Hunter steps closer, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm just glad you're okay," he says firmly, "But we'll have to be extremely careful now. No wandering off to explore anything without someone else, understand?"
"Crystal clear," Omega assures him, surging forward to throw an arm around him. After a momentary hesitation, Anakin steps closer as well, worming his way into the embrace, feeling the warm, comforting weight of Hunter's arm around him. He'd been terrified there, that they wouldn't make it out, that something would happen to them, that – that he might lose Omega and be forced to come back and tell the others how he failed her. He'd worried that they might be taken elsewhere, never to see their family again, and being here, with Hunter, soothes away that fear.
It's probably several minutes, though it still feels far too soon, before Hunter moves back, straightening. "You've both had quite the ordeal, it seems. Why don't you settle down while I gather everyone to secure our defenses?"
Anakin doesn't think he'll ever fully get used to the easy, casual way Hunter and his brothers show affection or concern; it's so unlike everything he experienced with the Jedi. Even if he was only in the Order for four years, some things, like that, have stayed with him.
"Sure," Omega chirps, grinning at her brother, before she reaches out, snagging Anakin's free hand in hers, tugging him away to a more private, secluded spot where they can be alone.
"That was terrifying," Anakin admits, still thinking about their near-death experience, the fear he'd felt so viscerally as he used the Force to shut down the controls.
"It was," Omega concurs, sitting down against a tree trunk, tugging Anakin down next to her and resting her head on his shoulder once they're settled. "I'm not sure they'll leave us alone for a long time now."
He huffs, shaking his head. "Can you blame them?" he replies, half-amused. "We went to explore and nearly died... And we found Death Watch by accident."
Omega snorts. "When you put it like that, it sounds so ludicrous."
"It's the story of our lives," he teases, patting her leg. He shifts to look at her, a ray of sunlight passing through the tree's branches, highlighting her face with a soft, warm glow. Her blonde hair glimmers, and it strikes him, all at once, how beautiful she truly is. Not just on the outside, but on the inside too. She's his best friend, the one he's done everything with since they met. And he could have lost her. He doesn't know what he would do if he did.
"I – I could have lost you," he admits, pressing his forehead against hers, wrapping her in his arms, a silent assurance that she's here and fine.
"But you didn't," she reminds him, voice just as quiet. "I'm fine. We're fine."
An unfamiliar warmth unfurls in his chest, irrevocably drawing him to her. It's not the first time he's felt this way, but... it is the first time he's actually been able to sort of understand what it means. "Omega..." he whispers, tightening his grip around her, voice trailing off. These feelings he has for her are not new, but they are... strange, and he worries about how she'd react if he told her. He will tell her, just... not right now.
For a moment, he feels, in the Force, a flicker of her own feelings, and realizes how much they seem to mirror his. But he's afraid to change the nature of their relationship, no matter how close they are right now, no matter how easy it would be to close the gap between them and kiss her. He will. He will, just... not right now.
Omega snuggles closer to him, seeming equally content to ignore the feelings crackling between them. They can talk about it later, or tomorrow, or in a week. Neither of them is going anywhere. But for now, they'll just relax and enjoy each other's presence.