Work Text:
Omega sat just beyond the Marauder’s ramp, using a stick to doodle in the dirt, albeit grumpily. They were going back to Kamino much sooner than she would have liked, and the long hours of transit were often boring. She had already made her displeasure known, which had been met with stern insistence that complaining would not change the fact that they were going back. Now she sulked, dragging her stick through the dirt to vent her unhappiness.
“Omega…”
Try as she might to be grumpy, Omega could not ignore the call. She turned a curious gaze on Wrecker as he approached her.
“I have a job for you,” Wrecker said, crouching to her level. “Wanna help me?”
Omega paused her activity, her discontentment pushed to the back of her mind. “Yeah!”
“See those flowers?” Wrecker pointed to a nearby patch of blossoms in the grass. “I need you to find the best one for each of us.”
“‘Kay!” Omega scrambled to her feet, eager to be of help.
“You gotta be fast!” Wrecker called after her. “We’re leaving soon!”
“I will!” Omega promised, running over to the flower patch. Blossoms sprouted in all shapes and sizes, filling the air with a sweet smell and giving her a large variety to consider as she perused them seriously.
She found one for Hunter first, an oblong bloom with lots of tiny petals in a shade of red that matched his bandana. Selecting the flower she thought was the prettiest, she ran back toward the Marauder, shouting, “Hun’er!”
As always, Hunter appeared quickly, stepping out onto the Marauder’s ramp. “Yeah, kiddo?”
Omega ran up to him, holding out the flower. “Lookit! For you!”
“Thank you.” Hunter took the offered bloom. “It’s very nice.”
“It’s red like your banana!” Omega proclaimed.
Hunter huffed a laugh. “It’s ‘bandana’.”
Omega barely heard him, scampering off to the flower patch again. “Gotta find ‘nother one!”
The next one she found was suitable for Crosshair. It was smaller than Hunter’s with large petals colored silver-white, the same color Crosshair’s eyes reflected when the light hit them right, and she sprinted to the Marauder with it. “C’oss!”
Crosshair was in the cabin, crouched over a crate full of things she wasn’t allowed to touch, and he turned slightly when she bounded in. “What?”
Omega shoved the flower in his face. “This one’s yours!” As soon as Crosshair took the gift, she wheeled around to go find the next one, but her impending takeoff was halted by an arm wrapping around her middle. “‘Ey, leggo!”
Crosshair only pulled her closer. “Not until you tell me why you gave this to me.”
Omega craned her neck to look at him. “‘Cause it looks like your eyes, silly, now leggo!”
Crosshair smirked back. “Maybe I won’t let you go. Maybe you have to stay here with me.”
“Nooo!” Omega complained. “I hafta go!”
“Now what could possibly be so important?” Crosshair asked, resting his chin on her head.
“Gotta find more f’owers!” Omega’s protests were interspersed with giggles as she tried to escape, Crosshair’s slight stubble brushing against her face. “For Wricker an’ Tick before we leave!”
Crosshair heaved a sigh. “If you insist…”
Omega broke free from his hold when he loosened it, and she turned and stuck her tongue out at him, dashing away in a fit of laughter at his indignant expression.
“You’re lucky I’m busy, womp rat!” he called after her.
Omega discovered Tech and Wrecker’s flowers together. For Tech’s, she found a bloom he had pointed out to her the day before with six small white petals. Wrecker’s was a large, bright blue cup-shaped flower, with a stem so long that it almost seemed as tall as he was from her perspective. She made her third run back to the ship, this time circling around the outside to the place where she knew Tech was working.
“Tick!” she yelled breathlessly. “Lookit what I got!”
Tech paused his work, putting out a hand to steady her when she came to an uneven stop beside him. “What do you have?”
Omega offered him the flower. “For you, I ‘membered it.”
“I see, well done.” Tech accepted the gift, and Omega beamed at his praise. “Do you remember what it is called?”
“Umm…” Omega paused, staring at the flower until the name came to her. “It’s’a ‘tarflower!”
“A starflower, yes,” Tech said, easily parsing her mispronunciation with an amused smile. “Thank you, sweet one. You’re developing quite a memory.”
Omega held up her other find. “What’s this?”
Tech studied the flower briefly. “I believe that is a blue windstalk.”
Pleased with that information, Omega ran to make her last delivery, accosting Wrecker in the cabin. “Wricker, I got a b’ue winds’alk!”
“That was fast!” Wrecker laughed, taking the flower. “Did you already get one for everyone else?”
“Yeah!” Omega said, though her enthusiasm was slightly diminished by the effort of running around.
“Good job! You make us look slow.” Wrecker ruffled her hair. “Maybe you should get some more.”
Omega leaned against his leg. “But m’tired now.”
“Maybe it’s time for a nap, then.”
Omega straightened, trying to hide any trace of weariness. “I don’t need’a nap!”
Wrecker raised an eyebrow. “But you just said you were tired.”
“Not that tired.” Omega turned and marched down the ramp with every intention of proving her claim, resuming the doodles she had been making before her errand. She held out as long as she could, until the pull of soft, sun-warmed grass became too much to resist, flopping onto her back.
“If you’re not tired, then what are you doing?” Crosshair asked from the direction of the Marauder.
Omega frowned at the pale sky above her, still vehemently opposed to a nap. “I’m resting.”
She got a strangled noise between a laugh and a scoff from Crosshair, undercut by Wrecker’s outright laughter. “Oh, yes, clearly.”
They did not push the argument further, leaving Omega to her own devices. It wasn’t long before the peaceful afternoon began working its magic, the sun’s warmth and the softness of the grass coupled with Omega’s physical exertion pulling her into a drowsy state. She fought to keep her eyes open, but her eyelids were getting steadily heavier…
“Alright, you. Let’s get you into a real bed.”
Omega stirred briefly as she was lifted gently to rest against a strong shoulder, her mind subconsciously recognizing Wrecker.
“How long did it take?” Hunter asked from somewhere farther away.
“No more than half a standard hour.” Omega’s head rumbled with Wrecker’s quieted reply. “Told you it would work.”
“Wha’ worked?” Omega mumbled.
“Nothing, kid,” Wrecker said. “Just go on back to sleep.”
Omega was placed in a soft pile of bedding she knew instantly was her own. She instinctively reached out for Lula, and the plush toy found its way into her arms. Wrecker pressed a slightly bristly kiss to her forehead, and she pressed her face into Lula’s softness, surrendering to sleep.
Omega woke up in her dim corner of the ship, wrapped in blankets and Lula in her arms. She stirred slightly, stretching herself and almost feeling tempted to stay in the comfortable coziness of her bed, but low voices caught her attention. Towards the front of the cabin, Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair all sat around the upside-down crate that had been designated as a table.
“Don’t look now boys,” Hunter said without turning around. He never had to look to know when she woke up. “We’ve got incoming.”
Omega slowly burrowed her way out of her blankets, drowsy but eager to be closer to the four affectionate gazes that settled on her.
“If it isn’t little miss ‘I’m not tired’ returned from over an hour’s sleep,” Crosshair teased.
Omega was too groggy to bother replying as she padded across the cabin, slumping against the nearest body, who was Hunter. “Are we in space now?”
“Yes, sunshine. We’ve been traveling for a while,” Hunter said, wrapping an arm around her.
Omega leaned into his hold and pouted, not only because they were going back to Kamino, but because she had slept through takeoff, which was her favorite part of flying.
“We’re going to get our next missions done as quickly as possible,” Hunter promised. “You won’t have to wait long.”
“Yeah, and your flowers will make us go faster!” Wrecker said. He pointed to the cabin’s console, where her flowers had been carefully arranged together in an empty canister on the top.
“Really?” Omega gasped.
“Of course.”
Omega’s happiness was short-lived when she lamented, “I should’a picked all of ‘em.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Tech reminded her. “Taking one is more than enough. We don’t want to be wasteful.”
Omega sighed, tilting her head back to look at Hunter. “‘Ow much longer?”
“About three hours or so,” Hunter said.
Omega fell against him in despair. Leaving Kamino always felt much shorter. “But that’s forever!”
Hunter ran a hand over her hair. “Well, I might have an idea of something fun to do.”
“What?”
“We could make you a fort out of pillows and blankets.”
Omega stared at him, increasingly interested but confused by the idea. “‘Ow?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll show you!” Wrecker stood up with a grin. “We used to do this all the time!”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt anything,” Tech agreed, “so long as it doesn’t take up too much space.”
Now fully invested, Omega followed along eagerly. All of them moved to begin the project except for Crosshair, and it did not take long for Omega to notice his lack of participation.
“C’oss!” she shouted as she yanked at the pillows Hunter directed her to retrieve. “You gotta help!”
“No, I don’t,” Crosshair huffed. “The four of you are already getting in each other’s way, and I’m not a cadet anymore.”
“But I wan’ you to help!” Omega insisted.
“Why?”
“‘Cause…’cause I wan’ you to.” Omega paused, trying to think of something to convince him. “P’ease?”
“Oh, now you can’t refuse,” Wrecker said.
Crosshair withstood Omega’s beseeching gaze for a few seconds, then he caved with a roll of his eyes. “Okay, fine, you little monster.”
Omega’s excited cheer was followed by Tech’s dry observation, “I seem to recall you spending a large amount of time in the constructions we used to make, to the point that we had to fight you for space.”
Crosshair grabbed the pillow from his bunk, brandishing it threateningly. “I hope you also remember me winning those fights.”
Hunter snorted. “Now that’s debatable.”
Omega laughed at Crosshair’s expression, only to hide behind Tech’s legs when he aimed a look at her.
The construction of the proposed fort got underway, and Omega enjoyed herself immensely. She made herself a nest of pillows, entertained all the while by the squabbling between the four men as they worked on setting up blankets to act as the “walls” and “roof” of the fort. The result was a lopsided little structure contained between the console and the nearest bunk, big enough for Omega to sit in comfortably.
“What do you think?” Wrecker asked as he finished securing one of the blankets.
“I love it!” Omega shouted, snatching one last pillow for the inside.
“Hey, that’s mine.” Crosshair made a grab for her. “You’re worse than a Jawa, you little…”
Omega dodged his hands with a cackle, diving into the safety of her new hovel. Once she was inside, she peered out at him with a wide grin. “Never said I couldn’t take it!”
Crosshair scoffed, though the corner of his mouth curled up. “Tech, you need to stop teaching her how to argue.”
“I taught her no such thing, though she has certainly observed it between us more than enough,” Tech retorted, then said in a slightly sterner tone, “Omega, you should ask nicely if you want to take something.”
Omega was undaunted, knowing what the answer was likely to be. “C’oss, can I p’ease have your pillow?”
“I take it back. You’re worse than a Jawa.” Crosshair sighed when she giggled. “I want it back when we land, got it?”
“‘Kay!” Pleased with that outcome, Omega retreated into her cozy fortress with some of her toys, and it was there she stayed for the rest of the trip until Hunter called for her.
“Omega, we’re going to be arriving soon. Get your things ready.”
“But I wanna stay in here!” Omega complained.
Wrecker laughed. “Hey Tech, you should write that down. I don’t think she’s ever wanted to stay on the ship before.”
“You’re right. That is rather noteworthy.”
Hunter appeared outside her fort, beckoning her. “Come on. We can make another one next time.”
Omega emerged with great reluctance and a frown, unhappy at abandoning her fort so soon after its creation.
“You know…” Crosshair began from his pillow-less bunk, “I don’t see why you couldn’t make one in the barracks.”
Omega gasped as the realization settled in, breaking into an excited grin. She ran off to the cockpit yelling, “Tick, ‘ow much longer? Gonna make ‘nother fort!”
“Good thinking,” Hunter told Crosshair, “But now you might never see your pillow again.
***
“Six hours?” Omega’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “Are you sure?”
“It’s Tech, of course he’s sure,” Crosshair drawled.
“He’s right. My estimates are generally correct,” Tech said, sitting back from the flight controls as the ship settled into hyperspace travel. “It will be a six-hour transit, barring any unforeseen circumstances.”
Omega groaned, slumping in her chair. “That’s forever!”
Tech cracked a smile. “I know it may seem that way, my dear, but I’m confident you’ll persevere.”
“You could always use the time to catch up on your studies,” Hunter suggested.
Omega wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather do something else.”
“I thought so.”
“Life was easier when we could just trick you into sleeping through half the trip,” Crosshair muttered.
“Trick me?” Omega repeated indignantly.
“A better definition would be ‘tiring you out’,” Tech said.
“Hey, don’t let them tease you, kid,” Echo put in. “You fill them with enough food and you can trick them into going to sleep. It’s the only way I get some peace and quiet around here.”
Omega laughed at the others’ affronted expressions. “Maybe I’ll try that.”
“Really? Then I’ll just have to use you to train for the next six hours!” Wrecker grabbed Omega out of her seat, lifting her above his head as she squealed.
“You can do better than that,” Crosshair said. “You might as well be lifting nothing.”
“Stoppit!” Omega laughed, limbs flailing. “I’m not even heavy!”
“Put her down before someone gets hurt,” Hunter ordered, though he was fighting a smile.
“Alright, fine.” Wrecker lowered Omega easily, plopping her in the nearest available lap, which happened to be Echo’s. He didn’t bat an eye as he was suddenly saddled with Omega, who had not stopped giggling.
“Crosshair’s right,” he said as he adjusted Omega to make her more comfortable. “You might as well be lifting nothing.”
“Sorry, kid. Guess you’ll have to find something else to do for the next six hours…unless…” Wrecker brightened suddenly, and he leaned over, whispering something to Hunter.
“Oh, great,” Echo grumbled. “Whispering is never good.”
Hunter ignored the comment, addressing Omega. “Wrecker suggested that you could pass the time by building a fort like you used to. Remember that?”
Omega squinted as she tried to dig up the memories. “A little…”
“Sound like fun?” Wrecker asked.
Omega almost agreed, but caught herself habitually. “Uh, won’t that make a mess?”
Wrecker shrugged. “That doesn’t matter.”
“Really?”
“We’ve made some far bigger messes than hanging blankets,” Echo said, “and I only know what I’ve been around for.”
“Yeah, so don’t worry about that.” Wrecker tugged Omega to her feet, and she followed him into the cabin as she warmed up to the idea.
“I don’t know where to start,” she confessed. “I don’t remember that much.”
Wrecker grabbed the rumpled blanket from his bunk. “That’s why I’m helping you out.”
“And me, as well,” Tech said, stepping from the cockpit. “Though admittedly, I would like to avoid any incidents similar to the attempts to hang Echo’s hammock in the barracks.”
“That was Crosshair’s fault,” Wrecker argued.
“For the millionth time, it was yours,” Crosshair shot back, following Tech. “Echo agrees with me.”
“What? No I don’t.”
Hunter sighed. “Even if you did, it wouldn’t make a difference.”
Eventually, all of them piled into the cabin to help with the construction. Omega had great fun putting together the fort, but more than that, she enjoyed simply being with them. They hung a blanket between the gunner’s mount-turned-bedroom and Gonky, upturning a couple of empty crates to act as support for the “walls” that surrounded a soft pile of bedding.
It was a simple project, crude even, but Omega loved it for those very qualities. It was the opposite of Kamino, built specifically for her by the men she loved. As she situated herself on the nest inside the little fort, she already knew she wouldn’t want to take it down.
“Now what are we going to do for the next five hours?” Crosshair asked when the fort was deemed finished.
“I got it.” Wrecker sat himself down on the floor in front of Omega’s fort. “Wanna hear some stories about what we got up to?”
Omega leaned forward eagerly. “Yeah!”
“So long as they are appropriate,” Tech added.
Crosshair rolled his eyes and turned away, but Wrecker caught his leg before he could move out of reach. “Aw, don’t go away! You had the best view for some of ‘em!”
Crosshair tried to shake him off to no avail. “Spare me.”
“But I want to hear your stories too!” Omega pleaded.
“Why?”
“Because…” Omega tried to come up with a convincing argument. “You get to see lots of things the others don’t!”
Crosshair stared at her for a moment, then sighed, biting out, “One.”
Omega grinned as he sat down, settling in as Wrecker began. “So, one time when we got stuck in a snowstorm, and the ship’s power supply froze up…”
Some time later, Omega blinked awake, her face squashed against Lula’s softness. Remembering where she was, she realized that she had fallen asleep somewhere in the course of the many stories told to her. What had begun as Wrecker and Crosshair had turned into everyone telling her about some of the wild exploits they had accomplished in her absence.
She sat up groggily, embarrassed at herself and fully prepared to be teased for her lapse, until she saw she was not alone. Everyone was strewn about the cabin; Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech were on the floor almost on top of each other, while Hunter and Echo were on bunks, but every single one of them was asleep.
Omega smiled, unable to help it as she rearranged herself. Laying down again, she basked in how secure she felt, and found she almost didn’t want to reach their destination and ruin the tranquility. Maybe long transits weren’t so bad after all.