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“Hunter.” Echo’s voice filled the room. Hunter couldn’t deny it was good to hear from Echo again. Updates were few and far in between and he missed him. But he suspected that he didn’t call without a reason. “Echo.” The small hologram flickered. “I need you all for something.” There it was. Hunter sighed. “Echo, we’ve just really settled down and we are still helping around Pabu, and Omega wants to go to Felucia, and Cross-” “It’s important, Hunter.”
Even through the flickering hologram, it was apparent how serious Echo was. “... Fine.”
Wrecker didn’t mind when Hunter told them. Then again, Wrecker never minded getting some action. He had settled well here, and the frequent trips with Omega kept them busy enough, but Wrecker was Wrecker, always grateful for an opportunity to maybe blow something up. Hunter couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m fine with helping Echo! And our trip to Felucia is only postponed, right, Hunter?”
“Of course.”
She smiled at him brightly, and Hunter realized again that he would give her the galaxy if he could.
Now, Crosshair was another story.
“Have fun.” He stood to the side, arms crossed tightly. He wasn’t wearing the bracelet these days, but Hunter knew it was securely tucked away in one of his pockets.
“Echo said he needs all of us.” Echo hadn’t. He had implied it, but Hunter also didn’t want to leave Crosshair alone, not after everything. He wanted them to stick together. Not risk getting separated again, even if Pabu was their safe place.
Crosshair obviously wasn’t buying it. “What use would I even be on a mission.”
“You’re the smartest here,” Wrecker chimed in. He was being genuine, and threw an arm around Crosshair that was met with a glare.
“We need you,” Omega said, eyes big. “And Batcher! She will not come without you!”
The lurca hound yapped as if she understood. Maybe she did.
Crosshair wasn’t convinced, that much was clear. In the end, they dragged him along anyway. It soothed some of Hunter’s anxiety. Whatever Echo needed them for they would manage, as long as they were together.
The flight was uneventful, not too long either. The clone rebellion’s new base was in an unassuming system. They had given up Teth, after the Empire had tracked them down all the way there. It was better that way.
Landing was just as uneventful. They clearly had been expected, by the way flight control - Gregor, if Hunter remembered correctly - greeted them.
“Echo’s waiting for you! Just enter through the big door and then straight ahead until you end up in a big room with lots of crates! You can’t miss it.”
“Thanks,” Hunter said, watching Omega stick her tongue out in concentration while she slowly touched down their ship. She was getting better at this every day and he couldn’t be prouder.
They followed Gregor’s instructions, walking down a broad hallway. Wrecker kept greeting clones left and right, being greeted back. Hunter could barely remember half of them - not that he paid attention to them much. His attention was on Crosshair, who hung back, keeping to the shadows. He was visibly uncomfortable, and Batcher stuck close to his side, nudging him along ever so often. Hunter was about to slow down when a clone stopped him and took that decision off his hands. The symbol on his armor identified him as a medic and he jabbed a finger against Hunter’s chest. “I just fixed him up, if you break him I’ll shoot you.” The medic glared at them, before walking on.
“Did something happen to Echo?” Omega started to fidget worriedly.
“He seemed fine to me,” Hunter mused. Barely a day had passed since he had spoken to Echo - not much could have happened. Hunter didn’t worry much. Still, he picked up the pace after Omega who hurried ahead.
Crosshair and Wrecker’s footsteps stayed close, fortunately. One less thing to worry about.
The hallway opened into a big room with, well, crates. That was not all. It seemed like most of the functions had been crammed into the big room, and it would explain how Gregor handled kitchen duty and flight control easily - the two things were set up next to each other.
Hunter didn’t have time to look around much, distracted by Omega yelling: “Echo!” and running to greet him. Echo scooped her up in a hug with a big grin, while Hunter released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Echo was alright, at least there were no obvious injuries and he moved normally. So what had the medic been going on about?
“It’s good to see you,” Echo said, when Hunter and Wrecker arrived. He looked over Hunter’s shoulder, nodding towards Crosshair who was still hanging back. No surprise there.
“Good to see you too!” Wrecker boomed, slapping a hand on Echo’s shoulder and making him stumble.
“Easy!” Echo laughed, shoving back a little.
Hunter didn’t have time for this. “Why are we here?” he asked. “And why did that medic threaten us?”
Echo blinked at him, then chuckled. “Oh, he made good on that promise.”
“What promise?” Omega asked.
“I’ll explain later. For now, I got something for you.”
“I thought you needed us for a mission?” Hunter asked, suspicious. He didn’t like being deceived. What was it that Echo couldn’t share with him over comms?
“Well, I might have lied,” Echo said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I needed all of you here.”
“For what?” Hunter asked, pulling Omega closer to him.
“It’s alright, Hunter,” Echo tried to placate him, “I’ll explain in due time. For now, I’ll just show you okay?”
Hunter narrowed his eyes.
“You better start talking now, or-”
He didn’t miss the way Omega straightened beside him, looking at something behind Echo.
“No,” she whispered, looking up at Echo. There were tears glistening in her eyes.
Echo smiled at her.
“Yes.”
And then Omega twisted out of his grip, sprinting across the room towards -
“Tech!” she cried, throwing herself in his arms. Tech let out a soft ‘Oof’ and staggered against Omega’s weight, but managed to hold his balance.
Hunter stood frozen in place, the picture before him so surreal, he couldn’t even find words.
Wrecker did, even if not many. “But- What?”
“We found him frozen in carbonite. The rest is a longer story, but I think you should go say hi. And, be careful. I know that medic, he will follow through with his threats.”
Wrecker grinned and grabbed Hunter’s arm to drag him along. He stumbled along, his brain still trying to catch on, even when he hugged Tech, even when he could pick up his heartbeat and felt him alive. With them. He didn’t want to let go ever again, not risk losing him again, any of them. Tech’s voice startled him out of it.
“Hunter,” he said quietly, and Hunter understood, pulling away with a soft smile.
“He missed you.”
Tech’s expression was unreadable, but when Hunter stepped out of the way, dragging Wrecker and Omega with him, Tech still approached Crosshair, ever so slowly.
Crosshair was still frozen where he had been, eyes wide, looking like a deer in the headlights. And yeah, Hunter got it. It was hard to believe, even now that he had felt Tech breathe, and for a moment he worried how Cross would react after everything.
Tech reached out to drag Crosshair in a hug, a long overdue hug. There was hesitation, but only for a moment, before Crosshair practically melted into the hug, holding onto Tech so tight as if he never wanted to let go.
Hunter slowly exhaled. Their family was complete again. Everything would be okay.