A/N: A shorter one, but necessary. Also, just letting you all know I changed to rating from K to T because of upcoming scenes.

Thank you, TK-632 for the review!

A small bow to Cuthalion97's "Not Our Style" as well as a bow to wwheeljack's "Unshaken" through (hopefully) subtle details. Can't wait to see you pick them out, wwheeljack!

Chapter 4: Talking With Tech

"Copy that!" Omega called to Hunter as she bounded off to her room. Tomorrow was going to be fun. She might even be able to wheedle Tech into letting her fly the Marauder! She could clean it up while the others were gone and surprise Hunter with how well she took care of the ship.

Occupied with these happy thoughts, Omega clambered up her ladder and flung the curtain aside just as she noticed a dim blue glow emanating from inside her room.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Tech was sitting with his back to the wall, his face illuminated strangely by the light from his datapad. He looked up as she entered, his eyes practically invisible for the screen's reflecting off his goggles.

"Tech?" Omega hopped onto the soft floor of the modified gunnery station and searched about for a moment before locating Trooper. Lula had somehow found her way onto her pillow as well.

Tech cocked his head. "Well?"

"It's all good," said Omega, wanting to put the unpleasant situation of the half hour previous far behind her. "Thanks for the assist, commando." She saluted him with a flourish.

Tech set aside his tablet and adjusted his goggles.

"How good are you at fixing things?" he asked.

Omega pursed her lips. "Well... I used to help AZ with his repairs back on Kamino. And I've put together a few things here and there..."

"I was thinking," said Tech, "that perhaps you would be willing to assist me in my repairs of the ship tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes...!" Omega cut herself off and took a thoughtful glance at Tech's steady expression. "I will gladly render my asstance should you require it," she stated gravely. That was better.

"Very good," said Tech, hopping to his feet and carefully making his way towards the ladder. As he slid to the ground, Omega popped her head up from the pillow.

"Can you show me how to fly?" she asked.

Tech turned back, but kept his gaze on the datapad in his hands. Omega leaned out farther over the ladder to try and get a look at what he was working on. Tech showed her the screen and the rows of code scrolling up and Omega stared, trying to figure out what it was until the code seemed to be going both up and down at once. She pulled back, rubbing a hand over her eyes.

"So can I learn to fly, please, Tech?" she asked again.

Tech typed away, glancing up intermittently as he spoke. "I can definitely instruct you on proper maintenance of ships in general, the main functions of it's controls and how to properly use them," he said.

"And then may I fly it? It would be so much fun, Tech!"

Tech pushed his goggles further up on the bridge of his nose. "Learning to fly isn't necessarily fun, Omega. There are multiple things to remember and manage all at once. It is something that needs to be adjusted to after a significant span of time, and even after the training, there is no guarantee without an experienced individual with you at all times that it would be safe to try."

Omega giggled. "You must really like the Marauder, Tech. Didn't you feel anything when you first flew it? When did you get it anyway?"

"The Marauder was formerly owned by one of the rainers on Kamino. Commander Cody selected it to be our ship during our training session on Vinnda Prime. After that...we were permitted to keep it."

"It must have felt wonderful to fly your very own ship, huh?" Omega lay down, folsing her arms under her head as she watched Tech. "What did it feel like?"

Tech blinked and adjusted his goggles again. "It was a strong sense of exhilaration, I believe," he said.

"Exhilaration..." Omega repeated, sighing to know what that felt like. It had to be amazing if Tech had experienced it. 'Exhilaration' sounded amazing.

Her thoughts wandered again to her mistake that evening, and she studied Tech's passive expression and calm eyes.

"It must be nice to always be in control."

Tech went very still. He looked at her, unblinking for a long moment.

Then,

"If you are referring to me, then I believe you are incorrect in assuming that to be the case. I have become angry before, sad, excited - "

"And scared," Omega finished.She still thought Tech was very controlled. (She had certainly never seen him behave as she had!)

Tech nodded.

"I was scared tonight," Omega went on. "I was afraid Hunter was mad at me. But he wasn't," she hurriedly added. "I just hope I can be in control more so that I don't do that again."

Tech cocked his head. "We all experience things like that," he said. "It is perfectly understandable."

He turned to leave, and Omega, one more thought falling from her tired mind called after him, "Making mistakes hurts."

Tech paused and glanced back in her direction, tipping his head towards the ceiling in thought. "That is how we learn," he said.

Omega cocked her head back at him at his distracted tone, then turned over and went to sleep.

Hunter was okay with her, and Tech seemed confident that mistakes and their aftermath were perfectly normal. She'd be better tomorrow. Starting now.