Chapter Text
Hunter was on his little fishing boat, miles at sea. It was calming on his over sensitive senses to just float in the waters, the sounds of waves lapping gently along the haul. He had his fishing rod in the water, just peacefully enjoying the day. He had learned how to relax and enjoy himself, living on Pabu all these years. Yes, Omega is out having her own adventures knowing her family is safe.
He then hears the unmistakable yell of someone falling from far above, suddenly silenced as they hit the water with an enormous splash. Hunter holds on as he looks over the side to see if they come up on their own. After some bubbles float up, so does a person. Tech pops his up to the surface. He swims over to Hunter’s little boat, grumbling “.. like I’m falling for kriffing eternity …” he mutters as Hunter helps him up into the boat.
For some reason Hunter is not shocked, or even surprised to see Tech crashing in from out of nowhere. And Tech, looks as annoyed as a wet loth cat. Finally, situated on the little boat Hunter pulls Tech into a hug. Tech calms down and basks in it for a moment before pulling away.
“It’s good to see you, Tech.” Hunter smiles, and looks at Tech like he hasn’t been dead for years.
“It’s good to see you too, Hunter. I see the years have been kind to you. But what is that hideous thing on your face?!”
Hunter chuckles. “Like it? I knew you’d be jealous. So what brings you to this neck of the galaxy?”
“I bring concerning news about Omega. She’s in trouble, and needs our help.”
“Omega?” Hunter is suddenly serious. Clouds begin to turn gray as his anxiety over their child grows quickly. “Where is she? What happened?”
“Her ship was shot down, and her life support is failing. I suspect she has a rotation at most. If the empire doesn’t find her first.”
The winds have now picked up and a storm is blowing in. “Tell me where she is, Tech. I need the Coordinates.”
“I don’t have any. She’s on an ice planet in…” BOOM! He was drowned out by thunder as rain came pouring down.
Now they’re yelling to be heard over the storm. “What was that? Tech, I don’t understand.”
The water is now choppy and it’s hard to keep balance. “I said she’s on..” BOOM! Another clap of thunder. Drowns out Tech’s voice. Now the waves are getting too big for the boat. A big wave sends the boat capsizing…. And suddenly Hunter wakes up.
Wrecker was having the time of his life. It was the annual fireworks festival, and he was in his element! Good music, good food and best of all, explosives!
He had a whole cargo container full of different types of fireworks and explosives he couldn’t wait to try. He handed out sparklers to the kids. One of them got him an ice cream cone for trade. He hummed to himself has he mixed and packed magnesium powdered shells, getting them ready for his grand finale display. When a shadow came standing over him. He looks up, and there’s Tech. In a tropical shirt, and bermuda shorts.
“Tech!” Wrecker yells and takes him into a bone crushing hug. “Good to see ya! Are you here for the show? They gave me full reign on all the fireworks this year. I can’t wait to show them off.”
Tech smiles fondly at Wrecker. “I suppose if I’m here, I must be.” He says. “I’m glad to see you in your element.”
“Yeah. I was nervous at first, because I didn’t know what to do with myself. But Pabu has been great at given’ me stuff where I feel useful. And the food here is amazing, especially during the festival.”
“What are you celebrating?”
“This is the day that Omega says we were all born. And since half the island is populated by clones now, we thought we’d celebrate with a big birthday bash!”
“Oh. That's wonderful, Wecker. So where is Omega now?” Tech asked cautiously.
“She’s out flyin’ her ship in the stars, like she dreamed. She’s having her own adventures. Probably too busy for her Dad batch right now.”
“You call yourselves the Dad batch now?” Tech smiled. “I guess it suits you all.”
“It suits you too, Tech. We know you’re still around.” Tech is touched. Sometimes Wrecker says the most profound things.
Then Wrecker hands him a sparkler. “Since you’re here an’ all, you might as well enjoy yourself while you can.”
“Wrecker, I didn’t come here to enjoy myself, as much as I’d like to. I came to tell you that Omega is in trouble .”
Wrecker turns around to look at Tech. “I knew you weren’t here for my display. We gotta find her. Do you know where she is?”
“She's in the Burton system. On…”
Just then one of the sparks from the sparkler that Wrecker had given him catches some errant powder, leading to one of the smaller explosives he was working on to ignite. Before long, the entire cargo vessel is exploding in the most spectacular way imaginable.
Wrecker wakes up with stars still in his eyes.
He was in the blasted machine again. Electricity tearing through his body. So much pain, but also so hopeless. He’d done this to himself. Why oh why did the kriffing chip have to activate in his head? Crosshair was just as infuriated with himself as he was with Hemlock and his experiments.
Suddenly, there was the unmistakable sound of a fight. Crosshair looked over and saw Tech fighting Hemlock. If he wasn’t in so much pain, he’d be overjoyed at the sight of his brother taking down that monster. Tech managed to get away from Hemlock long enough to turn off the machine, freeing him from the locks. He then turned back to Hemlock and started beating the living crap out of him. Crosshair wished he had this moment on holo so they could all enjoy the sight of Tech kicking Hemlock’s ass forever.
Now free, Crosshair got out of the machine and put a hand on Tech's shoulder to stop him. Tech was panting, trying to catch his breath. “Just a moment, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.” He punched Hemlock’s face a few more times before he stepped away. He looked Crosshair up and down. “Thank you for that indulgence. Now, we have to get outside. Are you good to run?”
“Surprisingly, yes.”Crosshair gives Hemlock’s body one last hard kick to the stomach and turns to leave. “Which way.”
Tech picked a seemingly random direction, and grabbed Crosshair’s arm, to help support him.
“We have to rescue Omega, too” Tech told him. Suddenly the corridors start to echo with the ghost of a memory, in Crosshair’s own voice.
I wouldn’t think twice about leaving you behind.
Echoing off the walls and all around them.
Tech shivered. “Is this the kind of thing running through your head every night ?”
Crosshair looked at him confused. But Tech had them moving, rounding another corner.
“No matter. You have a chance to make amends.” Tech took another corner, but this one Cross recognized the way to the landing platform on one of the lower decks. How did they get here so fast?
They stopped at the closed door to the landing bay, so Tech could patch in and open it. “She was shot down in the Barton system.” Tech opened the door in record time. “She doesn’t have long.”
The bay doors opened to a familiar ice planet. Crosshair falls to his knees. “I know this place.” Tech leans in next to his ear.
“Good, now you know where Omega is. Go and get her before the empire does.” He shoves Crosshair off a platform that should have only been a small step into the bay, but Crosshair keeps falling for seemingly forever until he wakes up tangled in his own blankets years later on a bed many star systems away.