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Despite the twin suns, the weather on Tattooine was getting cooler as fall settled on the planet. The Bad Batch had been living on the desert planet for six months. They took over a small business in an oasis when the owner moved to Alderon and did their best to hide from the Empire. The business kept them busy but there was time every now and then for trips to Mos Esly. And celebrations to be had.
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Hunter woke up as normal ready to start the day. What he found was that two members of his family had crawled in bed with him: Omega & Kanan. Both children had become attached to him and saw him as their dad. Omega had never had a family before joining the Bad Batch. Kanan had grown up in the Jedi Temple back on Coresant & the only family he had known was his master who had been killed by regs right in front of him during Order 66 & the end of the Clone Wars. Because of that, even though they were both old enough to sleep in their own beds, Hunter didn't discourage them from crawling in bed with him. Omega hugged Lula close while Kanan was holding tightly on to his tooka plushy Depa. Hunter didn't want to wake them, but they had to open the store.
"Omega. Kanan," he said. "Come on, guys. Time to get up."
Both children groaned & rolled over, clearly not wanting to get up.
"Five more minuets?" Omega asked. "Please, Hunter?"
"No. It's time to get up."
Neither child made a move to get up.
"Alright but we were going to visit A'Yark & her tribe today."
Both kids were up instantly. They loved visiting A'Yark's tribe. A'Yark always told great stories. They also loved to play with the tribe's children.
"Can we bring Batcher?" Omega asked.
Batcher was a lurca hound that had become the family pet. Her main job was to be a watch dog but she was also a great playmate for Omega and Kanan. When the kids weren't working or having lessons, the three were always off playing something.
"No," Hunter said. "Batcher has to stay here."
"But why?" Kanan asked.
"You know why. She doesn't get along with the Tuskan watchdogs."
It was true. The last time they had brought Batcher with them while visiting A'Yark's tribe, she had gotten in a fight with the boss watchdog. Loyal and entuned with their surroundings, A'yark and her tribe used them as an early warning system for approaching sarlaccs and krayt dragons as well as for hunting. Both children looked disappointed. They loved Batcher.
"Come on," Hunter said. "Let's go. Phee's making breakfast."
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"We should be back by midafternoon," Hunter said when the last of the supplies were loaded into the speeder. "We have to drop some supplies off at the Lars homestead and at Ben's."
"Will Beru let us play with the baby?" Omega asked.
"Ben's not going to give me a lesson, is he?" Kanan asked.
"I don't know," Hunter said in answer to both questions.
That had to be a good enough answer for them. Both kids climbed into the family's speeder. It wasn't all that unusual for them not to fight over who got to ride up front. Despite both being basically an only child before Kanan came to live with them, they had gotten used to sharing and taking turns quickly. They had agreed on a rotation of who was going to be up front that was fair. This time it was Omega's turn. The kids waved as the speeder pulled away from the store. It was a bit of a drive to the territory that A'Yark's tribe controlled but Hunter and the kids passed the time by playing games.
"They have tendrils and big, black eyes and are amphibious," Hunter said.
"Nautolans," Omega said. "They're great hunters and use a form of echolocation."
"Togrutas," Kanan said. "They're really pretty."
"That's not much of a clue," Omega said.
"Kanan, you know the rules," Hunter said. "You have to give between two and five factual clues. 'They're really pretty' doesn't count."
"Okay," Kanan said. "They're said to be pretty and have lekku."
"Twi'leks," Omega said. "They're big and furry and live in trees."
"Wookiees," Hunter said. "And the game's going to have to be put on hold. We're here."
Several sand people gathered around the parked speeder. They had seen speeders before but never this close. They didn't get along well with the settlers and moister farmers. They got along with the squad because they respected them and with Obi-Wan because he respected them and had a connection to the Force.
"Welcome," A'Yark greeted them as she always did. "The other's did not come?"
"They stayed behind at the store," Hunter said.
The other members of the tribe had gone back to their work. But it seemed different from the other times.
"What's going on?" Omega asked.
"We are preparing for the night the spirits walk among us," A'Yark said.
"Spirits?" Omega said stepping closer to Hunter.
Before Tattis, she had been fearless. After the Bad Batch had rescued her, she had been more than a little jumpy and only Hunter and Batcher had been able to ease her anxiety. After Kanan came to live with them, she had started getting somewhat back to normal but some things still spooked her.
"Don't worry, little one," A'Yark said. "We take precautions so the spirits leave us alone. Bonfires keep them away and we dress as spirits so they think we're one of them."
"That sounds like fun. Costumes and bonfires," Hunter said.
He remembered hearing the customers talking about it and the candy at the store had been selling like crazy.
An idea suddenly came to him.
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"That does like a fun idea," Wrecker said when Hunter told them all his idea at dinner.
"Maybe some of the customers would like to come to the party as well," Tech said. "We can put a notice up in the store."
"We can make the flyer," Omega said.
"Then we have some planning to do," Echo said.
🎃Halloween Party🎃
Where: Omega's Oasis
When: Halloween Night
Bonfire and ghost stories
Costumes welcome; bring a dish to share and candy for the kids
"This is going to be fun," Omega said as she and Kanan helped Hunter put the fliers up in the store.
"I hope we get a good turn out," Kanan said.
"Well, I was contacted by some friends of ours and they'll be here in time for the party," Hunter said.
"You mean...," Omega said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"She'll be here," Hunter said nodding.
mean...," Omega said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"She'll be here," Hunter said nodding.
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Giggling could be heard as Omega, Kanan, and Hera got ready for the party. Hera and Kanan had become fast friends since she and her parents arrived at the store and the three had done everything together since, even having sleepovers every night in Omega's room. With help from Hera and her parents, the set up for the party had gone quickly. Hera had been excited at the idea of the party. Much like Omega and Kanan, she hadn't had a chance to be a kid for a while.
"This is going to be fun," Omega said as she put the finishing touches on Batcher's bantha costume which went with her Tuskan Raider costume.
Kanan had modified his Jedi robes into his Jawa costume and Phee had helped Hera with her pirate costume. All four looked up at a knock on the door.
"Are you kids ready?" Hunter asked coming into the room dressed in his Mandalorian costume.
"We're ready, Hunter," Kanan said.
"Then let's go. The first of the guests will be here soon."
The kids and Batcher hurried past him. All four were excited about the party (though Batcher was excited because her friends were excited). The others were already outside. Tech and Phee (dressed as pilots) were putting food on the table while Wrecker (dressed as a bounty hunter) and Cham (dressed as a soldier) stacked wood for the bonfire and Elanie (dressed as an Alderon princess) helped Echo (dressed as a droid) and Crosshair (dressed in his old armor) hang the lights.
"Everything looks good," Hunter said.
"This is a nice change of pace," Elanie said as Batcher and the kids ran to the candy bowl. "It's been a long time since we've been to a party."
Lights could be seen in the distance as speeders approached. The guests were arriving.
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Hera, Kanan, and Omega were fast asleep in Omega's room (Omega in her bed and Hera and Kanan in their sleeping bags). They had a fun time at the party; playing with the other kids, getting candy, and playing party games like bobbing for apples, spider toss, and donut eating. They had also loved the bonfire and ghost stories (though some, like Crosshair's, were a little scarier than the others). It was an hour past their bedtime by the time the kids went to sleep.
"They're going to sleep late tomorrow," Elanie said when she, Cham, and Hunter checked on the kids.
"With all the sweets they ate it's amazing they fell asleep," Cham commented.
"That's the sugar crash," Hunter said. "I just hope the ghost stories don't give them any nightmares."