Chapter 6: Technical Difficulties

Omega pushed the control button as softly as she could. The hissss!!! of the door wasn't any quieter because of it, but Omega still tried to be as silent as possible.

The noise of Hunter, Wrecker and Echo preparing for their respective occupations for the day dimmed somewhat as Omega stepped across the threshold and into the room.

It was dark, with the exception of a dull red glow emitting from Tech's goggles. He had left them on - both on his face and powered up.

Omega tiptoed closer to where the technician lay fast asleep. She had never woken someone up before. Somehow it felt like an adventure or a very important assignment.

"Tech?" she whispered, giving his arm a tentative shake. Tech's only response was a soft snore.

"Tech?" Omega tried again, a little louder this time. "Hunter and the others are ready to leave. You need to wake up now."

Nothing.

Omega reached down and tugged at his hand which hung limply over the edge of the bunk. She was starting to feel a bit desperate.

"Tech, please wake up," she hissed. "The others have to go. They can't leave until you get -up!" She tugged a little more, but Tech's fingers didn't so much as twitch.

Omega frowned in determination and poked Tech on the tip of his nose.

Tech jerked, and Omega pulled back, barely avoiding getting slapped by his flailing arms.

"Tech...?"

Tech sat up, his eyes sliding about somewhat as he stared bleerily at her. His focus seemed to adjust rapidly enough, for within moments he cocked his head and blinked.

"Omega?"

"Hunter and the others are leaving, so you have to get up now," said Omega, relieved.

Tech nodded. "I shall be there in a moment."

Omega left the room and headed for the supply crates. She procured a couple of ration bars and a water pouch, and seated herself at the table to keep watch at the door.

Hunter approached her with a smile. "Making sure Tech eats some breakfast?" he asked.

Omega nodded.

"Can I have those, Omega," said Hunter after a moment.

Omega nodded again, confused but curious.

Hunter took the rations from her hands and slipped to the opposite side of the corridor. "Watch and learn," he mouthed at her.

Wrecker sniggered and walked in exaggerated tiptoe to the other side of the door, and Echo slid his hand down his face.

"Seriously?" the cyborg groaned.

"It was Crosshair's idea," Wrecker whispered back.

The door slid open and Tech emerged, his head bent over his datapad. As he tripped past Hunter, the sergeant yanked Tech's datapad from his hands with astonishing speed and substituted the rations for it before Tech's fingers could close on thin air.

Tech looked up in bewilderment, and Wrecker picked him up from behind and deposited him on the table before Tech had time to protest.

Omega giggled so hysterically she nearly tumbled from her crate.

Tech blinked owlishly at Hunter. Hunter folded his arms and stared down at him.

"Eat all of that and pay attention," he said.

"I am perfectly capable of paying attention while working on other things," Tech replied matter-of-factly.

"Good, let's see you do it," Wrecker grinned, and gestured to the bars and water in Tech's hands.

Tech frowned minutely and began to pick at one of the wrappers.

Omega spun about to get a full view of the Marauder's interior. There was nothing out of place, but there was definitely some straightening up that could be done.

She skipped to the cockpit and leaned as close to the viewport as she could to watch as Hunter, Echo and Wrecker disappeared around the corner of the street.

Now to begin...

"Tech?" she called.

"What is it?"

Omega looked around, trying to place Tech's location, and glanced up as his head stuck out from the ceiling compartment.

"Oh! Can I come up?"

Tech's only response was in lowering a small bundle of tools down to her. "It would be preferable to have everything completed by the time the others return," he said.

"Okay, so what's first?" Omega bounced on her toes.

Tech flipped to the ground and consulted his datapad. "I will need to compile a list of all the processes that need to be managed," he said. "It might be a little while before I am ready to begin the actual repairs."

"Okay...then...while I'm waiting, Tech, I thought I might...clean the ship? You know, a surprise for Hunter?"

"By all means," said Tech, his fingers already skimming over his tablet's screen.

"By all means," Omega said to herself and ran off first to her room.

After ensuring it was neat and clean, Omega ran the table and straightened the chairs, then straightened the seats in the cockpit. She skipped into the bunk room (really a modified storage room) and made the beds, neatly lined up the spare armor on the shelves, sneaked another look at Hunter's holopad, and slid around the doorway into the corridor in search of Tech.

The man was seated on the arm of the pilot's chair, rapidly tapping away when Omega came to a halt at his elbow.

"I shall be ready momentarily," Tech said.

Omega nodded and looked about the ship again. What it needed was a good polishing, she thought. She brightened as a thought occurred to her.I know!

"10 minutes?" she asked.

Tech scrutinized the text on his screen. "30 would be more accurate," he said.

Omega fist-pumped and, stealing another glance at his preoccupied expression, slipped down the hall to her room. Activating the hatch controls, she slipped out of the ship underneath the gun and took off at a run towards Cid's.

There was a large trash pile behind the building with all that she needed. Mainly, rags.

Ten minutes had elapsed between her leaving and returning to the Marauder with the precious rags clutched firmly in her hand. She located a spigot nearby the landing pad, and set to work rinsing and soaking the rags.

Tech was still in the cockpit and didn't even notice her entry.

Omega began to clean. She whiped down everything within sight and had just started on the floor when she glanced at the chronometer.

Five minutes remained before Tech would be ready to begin repairs.

Omega gasped and gathered up the rags to her chest, hurrying from the ship once more. She knew she'd been borrowing trash, but she didn't want to keep even what other's were throwing away. They might want it back.

She set the pile of dirty cloth back where she had found it by Cid's back door and turned back, jolting to a halt.

"We do have cleaning supplies, you know."

"T-Tech?" she gasped, the struggle to catch her breath made harder by the start Tech's sudden appearance had given her.

"One would think," Tech said shortly, tapping her on the shoulder and moving back towards the Marauder, "that your encounter with the bounty hunter on Pantora would be enough to make you cautious. That was foolish, Omega."

Omega felt like squirming at his brusque tone, a strong sense of shame filling her chest.

"I'm sorry, Tech," she whispered, and kept her gaze on the ground the whole way back to the ship.