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Fox had only been with the Bad Batch for two and a half weeks but Omega felt like she had a good understanding of her new brother and how everyone else felt about him. The rest of the Bad Batch treated him in a variety of ways ranging from acting like he was made of glass to just ignoring him.
Echo always left the room when Fox entered. Omega thought it was odd since she considered Echo to be quite friendly. Fox also seemed to be avoiding Echo though so maybe there was a story to that that Omega wasn’t allowed to know. She knew it wasn’t her place to ask since neither man brought it up to her.
Hunter didn’t ignore Fox but he did avoid certain conversations with him. When he spoke to Fox it was always about simple things like the weather or the missions they ran for Cid. Although Omega had noticed that Fox was pretty argumentative when it came to them working for Cid. Omega didn’t understand why because whenever the two started to argue Hunter always left the room or sent Wrecker to distract her.
Wrecker was fairly normal around Fox. He was always having excited conversations about the missions the Bad Batch had done since they last saw their little brother. In response Fox would trade stories of his own, always with a sad smile that Wrecker never picked up on. If Fox didn’t want to talk though Wrecker was good about engaging him in a game of Sabach or just sitting next to him while they both scrolled on datapads.
Tech treated Fox the most normal out of the group. While Tech was never one for casual conversation he never excluded Fox from his lengthy explanations. Fox for his part was usually attentive when Tech spoke and never interrupted or commented if he found it annoying. Tech would also ask Fox questions about his force abilities or Jedi culture. Fox would usually answer if he could but sometimes his responses would be curt, but not cruel, and Omega could tell there was something he didn’t want to talk about but Tech would never press Fox about it if he even noticed.
Omega loved to go out of her way to ask Fox questions about seemingly minor things, like weapons or the coolest planet he’s ever been to, or get him to play games with her. Fox was the only person who could give Omega a challenge in Dejarik. Omega didn’t think Fox needed to be treated any differently. Sure he was a Jedi and he clearly had a lot going on in his head but he was still a clone at the end of the day.
The main reason for Omega’s opinion of Fox probably came from the extra time they spent together. Since Fox was opposed to the work the Bad Batch took on for Cid he always stayed on the Marauder while the others ran a mission. Hunter saw this as a good excuse to also leave Omega on the ship and out of danger. No matter how much Omega insisted that she could handle herself and even help on missions Hunter wouldn’t relent. Although he had tried to appease her by phrasing the coddling as her keeping an eye on Fox. Omega had rolled her eyes at that. How young and naive did Hunter think she was?
Still regardless of how Omega felt about the new situation she never projected that onto Fox. Despite Fox supposedly keeping an eye on Omega he would still give her her own space on the Marauder if she wanted it. The two would even wander off of the ship on occasion, though never very far. Fox seemed to share Omega’s love of exploring new planets which made sense from what he’d told Omega the first time the two wandered off to see the forest the ship was parked in.
Omega had glanced over to Fox once they had stopped walking to stare and admire the surrounding trees. She had noticed that the joy on Fox’s face was similar to her own. She’d never seen another clone look so awed by anything.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” Omega spoke.
“Me neither.” Fox replied.
“Really?” Omega questioned, turning to look at Fox. “I thought all the clones who left Kamino would have seen a lot of other planets.”
“Not the ones who were stationed on Coruscant.” Fox shrugged. There was a tightness in his eyes despite the small smile on his face. “I’ve only ever seen a few trees in the Jedi Temple. Nothing like this.”
“Sounds better than spending your whole life on Kamino then.” Omega lamented, she flops dramatically into the grass. “And now that I’m off Kamino Hunter won’t let me just explore. We go to all these amazing planets and I just have to stay on the ship. It’s not fair.”
“He’s just worried about you.” Fox states plainly as he gracefully sits down next to her, knees pulled to his chest. Omega was about to object, tired of hearing the same sentiment repeated over and over again, but Fox continued. “He feels like it’s his job as your older brother. Even if he knows you can take care of yourself he still worries.”
“Do you worry about them?” Omega asked. “The Bad Batch, I mean. You’re their older brother right?”
“Yeah I guess I do worry about them.” Fox’s gaze had drifted to the leaves and sky. “I’ve spent a lot of my life worrying about my brothers, it just feels normal to me.”
“Do you worry about me?” Omega asked softly.
“Of course I do, but not because I don’t think you can‘t handle yourself.” Fox runs his thumb over the gold beads he wears on his wrist. He’s silent for a moment, considering how best to continue. “I’ve just had enough experience with life to not worry.”
The pair had spent the rest of their time sitting in silence admiring nature before they returned to the Marauder so that the rest of the batch wouldn’t notice their absence.
Omega had always enjoyed the little adventures that she and Fox went on when the others were on a mission. She was especially excited for the upcoming planet that Cid had sent the group to. Tech had described the landscape as a gorgeous forest with lots of flowing rivers and, what Omega was most excited for, waterfalls. While the job for Cid was in a town, the batch was inclined to park away from society, meaning that she would be safe to explore the surroundings.
As the ship landed on the planet Omega was practically vibrating with excitement. Watching the trees and water come into view the closer they get to the ground. Hunter, in the copilot’s chair, looked at her with a smile.
“Will you ever stop being impressed by every new planet we visit?” Hunter asked.
“Maybe when they stop being so cool.” She responded earnestly.
“Environmentally speaking, Granthor is actually quite warm.” Tech chirped.
The cabin erupted into a chorus of laughter and Omega glanced back to look at her brothers behind her. Echo and Wrecker were in the other two chairs in the cockpit, sharing the group's laughter at Tech’s comment. Fox was standing in the doorway with a weak smile on his face. The sight made Omega smile impossibly wider but she hid its origin by turning back to the view.
After they landed Hunter gave Omega and Fox a quick run down of how long the mission should take and the usual order to stand by in case they needed emergency evac. Fox nodded slowly but diligently and Omega gave a small salute. Once the four left Omega and Fox stood in silence for a moment before the younger casually slid her hands behind her head before speaking.
“So have you ever seen a waterfall before?” Omega asks with a smirk, a habit she’d picked up from Hunter.
“Only artificial ones.” Fox responded flatly, already tying his bag onto his belt. Omega noticed that it seemed emptier than normal. She didn’t know what to make of it.
“How fortunate for both of us then.” Omega smiled as she grabbed her own bag. “I think this planet holds a new experience for both of us.”
The first time Omega had suggested the pair leave the safety of the ship, Fox had been reluctant to disobey Hunter’s rule to stay on the Marauder. Omega had eventually convinced him by arguing that he was supposed to keep an eye on her and if she left the ship he would have to follow. That had been enough and it had become their ritual when they were left alone on the ship.
Omega led the way as they left the ship and entered into the clearing to stand in the sun. Tech was right when he’d said the planet was warm. Omega rolled up her sleeves to enjoy the pleasant breeze on her skin as she spun in a small circle. Fox had foregone his pancho due to the weather, leaving his arms open to the comforting atmosphere. After her initial enjoyment of the new planet Omega took out her datapad and pulled up a map of the surrounding area. She located her target easily and began to walk in the direction of the closest waterfall, trusting Fox to follow her.
The two walked in comfortable silence. It was a familiar thing with Fox, some days he wasn’t in the mood to talk and Omega was fine with that. Omega just wandered the loosely defined path on her pad and marveled at the trees and flowers around her. She periodically glanced behind her to check on Fox. He followed closely but didn't glance around as much as he normally would. Omega silently offered her hand and Fox accepted it. The two walked the rest of the way holding hands which Omega hoped comforted Fox as much as it did her.
When the trees cleared and the waterfall came into view Omega was shocked into stillness, which was fortunate because the ground cut off into a cliff. The high walls that the waterfall fell from were a bright white with glittering crystals that reflected the sun in magnificent rays. The waterfall itself was fantastic. The soft green water of the planet fell about fifty feet into the wide pool below in a little valley.
Omega sat down on the grass not far from the cliff’s edge and continued to stare at the sight in front of her. Fox wandered closer to the drop and the look of awe in his eyes looked like how Omega felt.
“It’s beautiful.” Omega breaths out.
“It’s hard to believe.” Fox mumbles, barely loud enough for Omega to hear. “That something like this exists in the galaxy.”
“I know what you mean. After my whole life on Kamino, seeing anything other than oceans and storms seemed impossible.”
“Coruscant makes you think nothing like this could exist.”
“Do you ever miss it though?” Omega asked cautiously. “Because sometimes I miss Kamino. Not everything about it, just certain things, certain people…”
“Yeah.” Fox replied simply. There was a bit of silence and Fox took a deep breath then turned and sat cross legged next to Omega. “I miss a lot of people from Coruscant.”
“Will you ever go back and visit them?” Omega questioned, looking over at Fox.
“I can’t.” It was one of his clipped responses that told Omega he didn’t want to explain more. After another long pause Fox spoke again. “Who would you want to visit on Kamino?”
“I miss AZ, he’s a medical droid. He was my only friend for a long time.” Omega smiled as she remembered her friend. “And maybe Nala Se. She wasn’t always nice but she cared a little, I think. Oh and Crosshair. I know that he’s tried to kill us but he’s still our brother.”
“Crosshair?” Fox asked with clear confusion.
“Yeah CT-9904. I thought you knew the batch when they were cadets?”
“I-I thought… From the way everyone talks I thought he was dead.”
“Oh yeah. Hunter doesn’t like us talking about him. I think he feels like he betrayed us.”
“What happened?” Fox’s confusion was mixed with concern. “Why did he try to kill you?”
“He sided with the empire.” Omega responds somberly. Her gaze drifts away from Fox and back to the waterfall. “He’s been working with Admiral Rampart to try and kill us for treason.”
“The chip?” Fox asked simply.
“That’s what I think.” Omega nods. “He was more affected by Order 66 than the rest of the batch.”
“So it’s not his fault.” Fox states bluntly.
“That’s the way I see it. But Hunter doesn't feel the same way.”
“That’s because he’s never felt what it’s like.”
“Have you?” Omega turned back to Fox to see the grim line of his mouth.
“Sometimes.” Fox huffed. He pulled his knees up to his chest and ran his hand over the gold bracelet on his wrist. “Like today.”
“What?” Omega’s eyes went wide, “I thought your enhancement negated the chip, like the rest of the batch?”
“It does, for the most part.” Fox tightened his hand around his wrist. “But sometimes it acts up. It tells me I should do things.”
“What kind of things?”
“Bad things.” Fox simply says.
“So bad that you can’t tell me?”
Fox just nods. Omega nods back in understanding. She’s good at telling when Fox is done talking about something so she switched the topic.
“What was the best part about Coruscant?”
“My brothers.” Fox replied after a moment. A faint smile crossed his lips.
“You said earlier that you couldn’t visit them.” Omega speaks gently. “Is that because they’re dead?”
“Some of them.”
“What about the ones that aren’t dead? Why can’t you visit them?”
“The same reason you can’t see Crosshair.” Fox sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He undid the braid in his hair and started redoing it. “Not every clone is lucky enough to escape the empire.”
“Oh.” The response sounded lame even to Omega but she was at a loss for words.
The pair sat in silence as Fox finished fixing his hair. Seeing the way the motion seemed to calm Fox a bit, Omega got an idea.
“Can you do that to my hair?” She asked.
Fox gave her a questioning look and Omega worried that he would say no.
“Your hair’s not long enough for a braid like mine.”
“Oh.” Omega pouted. “Could you do a small one though?”
“Well, I-”
“Please, Fox.” Omega pleaded, pulling out her best loth cat eyes. "It would look so cool.”
“I guess I can.” Fox relented. “But it will have to be with your bangs. That’s the only hair that’s long enough.”
“That’s perfect! That way everyone can see it.”
“Alright, scoot over here then.” Fox waved her over to sit in front of him as he shifted back to sitting with his legs crossed.
Omega was quick to oblige and shifted over so that her leg brushed against Fox’s. Omega hummed quietly as Fox ran his fingers through her hair to separate out the pieces. It was relaxing and Omega couldn’t help but close her eyes while Fox braided. When he got close to finishing the braid Omega noticed that Fox’s hands were shaking. Omega opened her eyes and saw that Fox was crying.
“Are you okay Fox?” Omega asked, grabbing Fox’s hand as he finished tying the braid off. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No you didn’t do anything, Omega.” Fox wiped at his eyes with his free hand. “I just started thinking about the last time I did something like this.”
“Is that a sad memory?”
“No, it's a good memory. It just makes me miss my vod’ike.”
“Your…” Omega hummed for a second in thought. She knew that word. Fox had taught her it before. “Your little brothers?”
“Yeah.” Fox smiled. “I used to braid their bangs like I did yours.”
“Do you want to talk about them?”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
They spent the rest of their time at the waterfall talking about Fox’s brothers from the Coruscant Guard. Omega loved hearing all the fond memories Fox had. By the time they were walking back to the Marauder Fox seemed the happiest Omega had ever seen him. The pair made it back before the rest of the batch as normal and they spent the rest of the time waiting, playing a round of Sabach.
“Fox?” Omega asked in between hands.
“Yeah Omega?” Fox paused in his shuffling.
“Do you think you can braid my hair again sometime?”
“Sure.” Fox smiled. “I’d be happy to.”