Chapter Text
"Get her to the Marauder!" Hunter practically screamed. His helmet did nothing to hide the desperation in his voice as he held Althea's limp form in his arms. Her breathing was rapid and her eyes were wide with fear. Her blood soaked her side, staining her and Hunter's armor.
Wrecker ran in front of them, blasting at their attackers that chased them. He climbed the steps to their ship, immediately getting it powered up as Hunter skidded to a halt.
"Wrecker, get us out of here!" He yelled as he threw his helmet to the floor. Althea's wound was too open. She was bleeding out. Hunter set her gently on the floor, his hands shaking as he pressed his hands to her injured side.
"Ahh!" A pained groan escaped her. She tried to move away, her breaths rapid with fear.
Hunter grabbed her shoulder with one hand, his other compressing her wound. "I know, kiddo, but I gotta stop the bleeding." The ship jolted. "Wrecker! Why are we not in hyperspace yet?!"
"I'm trying!" Came the demo man's reply from the cockpit.
Althea's breathing grew more rapid. Hunter's heart hammered in his throat. He took her hands and pressed them to her the oozing gash in her side. "You gotta keep pressure on it, okay, kiddo?" It sounded like somebody else was talking. Someone who wasn't a soldier.
Althea cried out again, eyes welling with tears. Hunter's hands shook as he fumbled to find something – anything – to stop the bleeding. "Damn it!"
Her breathing grew more rapid and shallow. Hunter's eyes pricked with tears. "No, you're gonna be fine." He refused to believe otherwise.
Althea's hand gripped his own, fear the only thing in her eyes. Hunter pressed his hand to her wound as he pulled her close. "You're gonna be okay, baby, I promise."
Her eyes darted around as if she was searching for him, her breathing slowed.
The ship jolted again, this time into hyperspace. Wrecker came running into the cabin from the cockpit.
Althea's grip slacked on Hunter's arm. His vision swam, his heart fell into the void growing in his chest. "No, no. No!" He held her head in his hand, her long black locks matted down from the blood.
Her breathing grew grew shallower and shallower, until it stopped. Hunter held her closer. "No, no! Come on, baby, you're gonna be okay." Tears rolled down his face as he cradled the girl in his arms.
"Hunter..." Wrecker's voice was thick. His hand rested on his brother's shoulder.
But Hunter couldn't let go. Althea's body was limp in his arms, only moving when his body shook with silent sobs. He didn't care about the blood that was covering him, or he had his own wounds that needed tending to.
All he could think of was that his little girl was dead in his arms.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•
Hunter's eyes snapped open as he sat up in the chair. It was just another nightmare. He pinched the bridge of his nose, a sigh escaping him. A soft mumble turned his attention to where Althea was sleeping on her bunk. She was here, and she was okay.
His dream had mostly been a memory. One from six months ago, shortly after Omega was taken and Tech... He swallowed hard. Six months and he could barely even think about it without getting choked up.
It had been six months ago, Althea was severely wounded. It was so long ago. Before she cut her hair, before she wore Hunter's scarf as her own. Before she grew so bitter.
Hunter's dream had been a memory mixed with his fears. Althea had almost bled out on the floor of the Marauder, but Hunter had patched her up and she was safe. But nothing could make Hunter forget the panicked sound of her breathing. Nothing could wipe the image of her dying from his mind. Nothing could keep him from away from her, for fear if she wasn't, she would be harmed.
•°•°•°•°•°•
A soft breath escaped Althea as she stood the ’fresher. Her hair lay limp and damp against her head as she brushed her teeth. She had just taken a fast shower after returning from their latest mission.
A gargled scoff left her, prompting the medic to spit out the plain toothpaste.
Missions, she thought bitterly. More like a painful scavenger hunt that leads to nowhere.
Ever since Omega was taken to Tantiss, Hunter, Wrecker, and Althea had been hunting down any scrap of information they could find. All they had were mere crumbs, but that didn't stop them.
Althea spat the final bit of water out of her mouth and put her toothbrush away. She leaned against the sink, glaring at her reflection.
Her ebony hair was cut short, barely grazing her shoulders now. Her golden eyes were narrowed. A faded white scar – once dark and red – adorned her lips that seemed to be permanently scowling.
She had changed in the last six months, there was no denying it. Her lip wasn't the only thing that had scared over. Her heart was callous and unwavering. She had done things she had never imagined doing, even as a soldier, during their hunt for Omega.
She didn't care what she did, as long as it meant finding something – anything – that would help them find Omega. It was her only goal, and if she died while doing it, so be it. The galaxy had never been kind to her, why would it start now?
Althea pushed herself off the sink and turned to adorn her armor. She was rarely seen without it these days. The once bright teal and orange had faded like a desert sky. Her chest plate had carbon scoring on her left side, an angry testament to the dangers she had endured. She was missing a pauldron on her right shoulder, but a small bit of padding covered it.
She pulled the final piece over her head: a faded red scarf. It fit loosely over her shoulders with a small hood hanging off her back. She had been wearing it for so long, she couldn't quite recall how Hunter ended up giving it to her. She ran her fingers over the worn fabric. It had tears and was starting to fray from the abuse, but she couldn't bring herself to part with it for an unknown reason.
Althea pulled herself from her thoughts. Now was not the time to go there. She looked back to the sink and grabbed her hair tie, pulling her half of her ebony locks back into a soft tuft. Part of her missed her long hair, but she couldn't afford to be a liability on during the search. She had loved it, but she had to go without a lot of things she loved over the years.
Althea opened the ’fresher door and stepped out. The smell of oil reached her nose, a stark contrast from the plain scent of her shower. Her gaze immediately found Wrecker cleaning his blaster. He looked up at her and gave her a short nod. Even he had been down these days.
"Shower's free," the medic said.
"Thanks." Wrecker, seemingly finished with his task, put his supplies away and stepped past her into the small cleaning chamber.
Althea's eyes gleaned the cabin. It looked the same as always. Chairs waiting somewhat near the blinking consoles, a dim light flickering above – it been doing that more often lately – that barely illuminated the area. Gonky sat on the floor, barely making any noise. And next to the console were Tech's goggles.
Cracked and broken they sat there. The red light that had so often recorded their misadventures was as dead as their owner.
Althea stared at it, expressionless. At first, she was so shocked she couldn't believe Tech was gone. She had cried, but her tears had dried up. Tech's goggles stared at her, as if his very soul was imbued into them, asking her a single question: are you okay?
Althea jerked her eyes away, squeezing her hands to resist tapping them in a familiar code. She knew she wasn't okay, but that wasn't her main concern. Finding Omega was her concern.
The medic strode into the cockpit, taking a seat in the co-pilot's seat. The blue swirls of hyperspace danced before her, taking them to their destination.
"Any word from Echo?" She asked.
The man in the pilot's seat pressed a button. "He hasn't found anything on Tantiss," Hunter told her. "We're headed back to Pabu to get supplies."
Althea nodded, looking back out to hyperspace.
Hunter's armor, much like Althea's, had seen better days. He was missing a right pauldron, his chest plate had lost most of it's color, even his beloved red bandana had to been used as a bandage in an emergency. The tracker now wore a simple brown one he had found. The shade matched his eyes, which were often accompanied by dark circles underneath.
He had been working himself ragged to find Omega, and it was clear as day. Althea didn't know what to do about it, despite being a medic. Hunter was a run down machine, refusing to stop until he shut down entirely. The medic had considered using mild sedatives in his canteen, but she knew he would sniff them out easily. Wrecker had tried his best as well, but in the end, the only thing that would make the tracker rest was when he passed out from utter exhaustion.
Hunter pressed a few buttons and the hyperspace was replaced by a cerulean planet. Pabu was a breath of fresh air in a galaxy of smog, even if the breath was short.
It was dusk on Pabu as Hunter landed the Marauder. Wrecker stepped out of the ’fresher just as the ramp opened.
Althea stood from her seat and walked out to the open air. A light breeze rustled the leaves of the Weeping Maya tree. Pink flowers were beginning to unfurl, shyly showing off their petals to the island.
The medic inhaled through her nose, letting the salty sea air fill her lungs before releasing her breath through her mouth. These past months had been horrible, but Pabu was still a place she could breathe.
"They're back!" A voice called.
Across the plaza, three figures made their way towards them. Phee, Sorren, and Lyana. They had been helping as much as they could, Phee especially with her numerous contacts across the galaxy.
Althea, Hunter, and Wrecker made their way down the ramp, their boots thudding softly on the stone.
"It's nice to see your faces again," Phee commented as they met. While she didn't look as bad as Hunter, there were clear signs of fatigue in her eyes. She had taken Tech's death well, but Althea suspected that she didn't show her true feelings often, especially not in front of others.
That was why Tech was special to her.
"Any luck?" The liberator asked, a mix of Hope and trepidation in her expression.
No one answered her. Althea folded her arms and glared at the ground.
"Not yet," Hunter finally said. "But we're not stopping until we find her."
Phee hummed solemnly. Whether it was pity or empathy, the medic was unsure.
"Well, Shep's almost finished with supper," Phee spoke, "and you three look like you could use a good meal."
"Can't argue with that," Wrecker stated. But even his usual gusto was damped by their lack of success.
Althea looked up and found Sorren looking at her. Lyana as well. The girl missed her friend, and her brother wanted to help.
As they started walking down the paths to Shep's home, Althea fell behind the others. Sorren glanced back at her a few times before slowing his pace slightly to keep step with her.
"Nothing?" He asked softly.
Althea shook her head. "Not unless you count a few dead gangsters that didn't have anything."
Sorren didn't say anything to that. Althea couldn't quite understand why he stuck around her. They had never acknowledged what they were, mainly since she had barely seen him since before they left for Eriadu. He had kissed her cheek that one time, but other than that....
Althea knew she had feelings for him, she just didn't have time for feelings at the moment. And that moment has lasted for a long time now.
But that didn't deter Sorren, no. For some unknown reason, he still wanted to spend time with gruff, angry, violent Althea. She found it endearing, but also confusing.
When they reached Shep's house, the owner was setting out plates. He offered a greeting that Althea didn't care to pay attention to. It was the same runaround as with Phee. They hadn't found Omega, they look like death, and they're all moments away from losing it.
Althea was quiet as they ate. The food was good, but it took an exceptional effort just to swallow. She didn't want to eat. It felt wrong when Omega trapped somewhere. Who knows if she was even getting to eat.
"I can seek out more of my own contacts," Phee stated, drawing Althea back to the conversation. "But poking around for info on Hemlock isn't as easy as you'd think."
"Are there any contacts that you can give us?" Hunter asked. "We could divide and conquer."
Phee took a swig of her drink before pressing her mouth into a thin line. "I don't know. They don't take kindly to newbies, and if you go in blasters blazin’, you won't get any information out of them, and it'll jeopardize my ability to talk to them."
"We don't go in blasters blazin’ every time," Wrecker huffed.
"Althea here looks like she might." The liberator winked at the medic in an attempt at humor. "I wouldn't be surprised if those bright eyes of yours started cutting people on their own from they way your glaring at the table."
Althea blinked. Something clicked in her head.
Bright Eyes. An old nickname for her.
"Cid," she muttered under her breath.
Hunter looked at her, brow furrowed. He was the only one who could hear her. "Say again, kiddo."
"Cid," she repeated, louder this time. "It was right in front of us this whole time."
"What's that back stabbin’ reptile got to do with this?" Wrecker snarled.
"Don't you remember all the jobs we ran for her?" Althea asked. "It wasn't just for her all the time. She was the middle man. She owed part of her cut to her clients–"
"–who worked with people in the underworld," Phee finished. "Of course!"
Hunter hummed in thought. "If we can get information out of her, we have a chance at finding Tantiss."
"I wouldn't mind giving her a piece of my mind either." Wrecker sat back in his chair, arms folded across his chest.
"I'm not sure who this ‘Cid’ is," Shep started, "but are you sure that she's still in the same place you last met her."
A snort left Althea, the closest thing to a laugh she could muster. "Snakes don't leave their dens."
•°•°•°•°•°•°•
The streets of Ord Mantell were dark and dank. A few vendors remained in the market, but most had already packed up and left for the night. Thugs and homeless lurked in the shadows, unnoticed by most.
One building, with the entrance at the bottom of the stairs, was empty save for a single soul.
Cid Scaleback wiped the bar of her establishment with a cloth. The music from the jukebox was garbled. She had the Empire to thank for that. Ever since they stormed in, she had lost several customers and a lot of money. Part of that loss was from the lack of those boys running jobs for her.
But she had to cut her losses and turn them in. They had become liabilities, especially when they left for several weeks and then showed up randomly, panicked and bloody.
The lights flickered above her a few times before they went out completely. Great, now she had to get that fixed along with her jukebox.
She heard a thud. It sounded like it was coming from her office. Her slitted eyes narrowed. She reached down, her claws closing around a metal pipe she kept behind the bar.
Cid heard another noise. She felt a hard crack against her skull and her vision went white.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•
Cid groaned as she opened her eyes. All she could hear was ringing, but as her vision adjusted, she could see she was in her office. She moved to get up, but her hands her bound behind the chair. Her feet were clamped down as well.
She looked up in a panic.
"Nice of you to join us," Hunter said, standing in front of her. The desk had been thrown to the side. Althea and Wrecker were there too, standing in front of the door with their arms folded and eyes narrowed.
Hunter's helmet was discarded on the floor. He glared down at Cid. He wanted her to have to look her in the eyes. He could hear her heart rate kick up as she looked around nervously.
"W-What do you want from me?" She stammered.
"Where is the location of Mount Tantiss?" Hunter demanded.
"What?"
"Mount Tantiss," the tracker repeated. "An Imperial base run by Doctor Royce Hemlock."
"I don't know who you're talking about."
"Liar!" Hunter growled. "He payed you off after you tossed us to the Empire like the traitor you are. Now, where. Is. Tantiss?" He pulled his knife from the sheath and leaned in close.
"I don't know!" Cid pleaded. "I don't–" she stopped suddenly.
Hunter saw something. A glint of recognition in her eyes. "What?" He demanded.
Cid looked around fearfully. "If I tell you, they'd kill me."
Hunter pressed the blade to her throat. "And I won't?!" He snarled.
"The Durands!" She broke. "They have a bounty on a Pyke! They have information you could trade!"
Hunter pressed his knife into her scales, daring her to lie.
"That's all I know! I swear!" She begged. "Please!"
Hunter narrowed his eyes, the smokey hues turning cold and unwavering. He could hear his own ragged breaths. He wanted so badly to jerk his arm, to drag his blade across her throat. But he pulled back.
Cid gasped for air, breathing freely without a knife against her throat.
A blaster shot stopped her. A smoldering hole in her chest stopped her from breathing. Hunter turned to see Althea, her expression twisted in a nasty snarl and her arm raised, blaster still smoking.
"That was for Omega," she seethed.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•
Hunter sat in the pilot's seat, turning the information they had learned in his mind. Getting involved in the feud between the Durands and the Pykes was dangerous, but Hunter would stop at nothing to get Omega back.
"How long ’till we reach Devaron?" Althea asked, entering the cockpit.
Hunter turned his seat to face her. The Pykes were deadly. It was one thing for the tracker to put himself on the line, but he wasn't going to risk Althea.
"About that," he started. "Me and Wrecker are going on this mission. You're staying on Pabu."
"What??" Althea huffed. "Why?"
Hunter stood. "It's too risky, kiddo. We–"
"Too risky??" Althea repeated angrily. "I'm not a child! I handled myself when we went again Crimson Dawn!"
Hunter glared down at her. "You handled yourself?" He challenged. "Because last I remember, I had to stop you from bleeding out on the floor of the Marauder."
"Omega needs all the help she can get, and I'm not waiting around for her to fall into our laps!" Althea snarled.
"You are staying on Pabu and that's an order, Althea!" Hunter snapped. "You couldn't handle Crimson Dawn, and you're sure as hell not handling the Pykes!"
Althea glared up at him. She didn't say anything, just turned away and walked out of the cockpit. Wrecker walked in at the same time, glancing between the two as the door slid shut.
"What was that?" He asked.
Hunter slumped back in the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She's not going with us to Devaron," he sighed.
"Why not?" Wrecker asked.
"Because I'm not putting her in the middle of two fighting crime syndicates, especially when one of them is the Pykes."
Wrecker hummed is understanding and sat in the chair across from Hunter. "Yeah, s’pose that makes sense."
Hunter rubbed his eyes until he saw stars. He wanted to go back. To go back when they first went to Pabu. When Omega and Althea were laughing freely, and when Tech was still there.
But he couldn't. That life was gone, and as much as he hated to see it, so was Althea. The girl who laughed, joked, and cried was gone. She was replaced by a cold husk.
He wasn't much different. Finding Omega was his only goal, and he could barely recognize himself in the mirror.
Losing himself was one thing, but losing Althea was like watching his heart get ripped out. He may have kept her alive, but he didn't protect her.
He had failed.