Author's Note: Hello pals! This is my first fic I've written in a while, and my first Star Wars fic, so I may or may not be a little nervous to post this! Please be nice!
This story wasn't written with a particular point in a timeline in mind, but I guess it's a time where Crosshair is back with his brothers, and they're just travelling around the galaxy with Omega, working jobs for Cid. This was written prior to watching the season finale, and so I had some form of hope that Crosshair would rejoin the Bad Batch...ha.
I've written this with various headcanons of mine incorporated into it. Other than that I've tried my best to have it accurate to canon. Apologies in advance for any slip ups!
The forest was silent as large snowflakes continued to cover everything in sight. The starry sky illuminated the bright white snow on the trees, completely undisturbed.
Until the Havoc Marauder came into land in a clearing, breaking the silence and blowing snow from the branches that landed untidily onto the smooth layer on the forest floor. As the engines powered down, silence fell once more in the forest.
Clone Force 99 were making a much needed supply run after just over a week of space travel. By the fifth day, Wrecker had pushed Crosshair to way past his tolerance limit, and the rest of the squad were tired of the constant bickering. The Marauder didn't offer much in the way of privacy.
"Great. Snow," Echo muttered as he got up from the co-pilot seat, glancing at the young clone curled up in the seat behind Tech's, "We haven't exactly got Omega equipped for all climates."
"I doubt you will have any success keeping her on board," Tech said dismissively, "Especially if Wrecker has anything to do with it."
"Anything to do with what?" Hunter got down from his rack, adjusting his bandana on his forehead, "What's Omega doing sleeping there?"
"Nightmare," Tech stifled a sigh.
"Another one?" Hunter shook his head, "They're getting worse."
"It's hardly surprising, after everything," Tech shrugged, "She's fine."
The young clone had crept in the cockpit while the Marauder was cruising, apologetic for disturbing her brother as he went between piloting the ship and working on some kind of task on his datapad. Even if he didn't show it, Tech didn't mind her company. Omega's curiosity and interest in his tasks was a welcome change, and he took pleasure in answering her seemingly endless questions. That, and he knew how it felt to be plagued by nightmares. They all did.
Soon enough, her words had slowed, her brown eyes fluttered closed, and Omega dozed off with Lula clutched in her arms. Protecting her, just like Wrecker promised. Tech draped a blanket over her for good measure.
Once Echo got up to assist with landing, Tech scooped the bundle of Omega, Lula and the blankets up into his arms and moved her back to the seat behind his own. The girl nestled back into the blankets and fell silent again.
"In case she wakes again," was all Tech said as he slipped back into the pilot seat. A silent nod from Echo, and the pair had turned their focus back to the ship to begin their descent.
Wrecker began to stir in the bunk as Hunter handed Tech and Echo a ration bar each.
"Are we there yet?" he grumbled, thudding off his bunk with little thought to Crosshair still asleep nearby, "I'm starving!"
"This will keep you going until we restock," Hunter held out a ration bar, which was swallowed within seconds. The bright white view outside the ship caught Wrecker's eye, and his face lit up with a childish glee.
"Wrecker..." Hunter already knew his warning tone was futile.
"Snow!" Wrecker whooped and punched the air, "Where's the kid? Hey! Omega!"
"Let her-"
Wrecker was already charging to the gunner's nest, but upon finding it empty, his attention turned to the only clone left on the bunks.
"Cross! Cross!"
The grey-haired clone was already stirring, but was shaken awake as his largest brother grabbed him up off the bank.
"Here we go," Echo rolled his eyes, and Tech shook his head in exasperation. They, along with Hunter, glanced over to Omega to find her still fast asleep. Crosshair twisted himself out of Wrecker's unforgiving grip.
"A good morning would have sufficed," the sniper snarled, shoving his brother for good measure as he snatched up a ration bar.
"Aw, c'mon, Cross!" Wrecker laughed, "The kid's never seen it before."
Crosshair looked over at his brothers with an exhausted expression.
"Snow," Tech informed him, "Omega has yet to experience this kind of terrain."
"Oh, goody," Crosshair slumped back on his bunk to eat.
"What's snow?" a little voice broke the tension, as a mess of blonde hair and big brown eyes peeked from over the back of the seat. Red-tipped ears popped up beside her.
"A frozen form of precipitation," Tech explained casually, watching Omega scramble past him to see for herself from the cockpit. The girl giggled in excitement as Wrecker lifted her up to get a better view, "Ice crystals, to be precise. They form in the atmosphere, and stick to the ground if-"
"It's fun!" Wrecker grinned, "You can throw it!"
"It's also cold and wet," Echo muttered.
"And therefore not ideal for a man made of mostly metal," Tech cut in, looking over to Hunter, "Or one with heightened senses."
"Do you like it, Tech?" Omega asked, not taking her eyes from the snow outside."
"It interferes with visibility during flight," Tech shrugged, "And I can't say I enjoy it being thrown at me."
"Aw, c'mon," Wrecker whined, "Can we go outside now?"
"Let her eat," Hunter took out the last ration bar in the container and held it out to Omega.
"Do you like snow, Crosshair?" Omega said through a mouthful of food, receiving only rolled eyes in response.
"He doesn't like much," Hunter smirked, turning to Wrecker, "Take Omega out while we take inventory and prep for the supply run. And don't let her get too cold; she's not protected from the elements like we are."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Wrecker gave Omega a gentle squeeze.
"I don't want a block of ice returning to the ship," Hunter winked at the girl, "Got it?"
"Yes, sargeant," Omega said dramatically and saluted, but she couldn't hide the mischievous grin, "But can't I get my own armour?"
"While your growth is not accelerated, you have grown at least half a foot since joining us. You would outgrow armour too regularly to be sustainable," Tech appeared behind Hunter.
"We can at least ensure she's prepared for any environment," Echo pointed out, "The elements will take her before anything else could."
"Without any form of armour she's as good as target practise," Crosshair muttered from the back of the ship, "If you insist on keeping a kid in this life, you can at least ensure she's properly protected."
"He's got a point," Wrecker looked from Crosshair to Hunter, and Omega perched on his shoulders began to smile.
"He does," Hunter sighed, "I'm sorry, kid. I guess I naively hoped you wouldn't need it with us around. But if you have a weapon, you need protection."
Omega grinned in excitement.
"Go on, go explore," Hunter tipped his head in the direction of the ramp, "Stay close. Come inside if you get cold."
"Yeah!" Wrecker placed Omega back on her feet and ran outside eagerly. Crosshair got to his feet, only to find himself with the young clone's arms wrapped around him.
"Thank you, Crosshair," she whispered, and the sniper had to suppress the urge to push her off as he would to his boisterous big brother. Even he couldn't do that to her. As much as he loathed Omega, she was just a child. He wasn't even sure if he truly loathed her. Instead, he half-heartedly pattered her head a couple times.
"I'm just surprised you're even still alive," he muttered, brushing her away to begin checking crates for supplies.
"That's a compliment, by Crosshair's standards," Echo smirked, "I'd say he likes you."
Crosshair grunted in annoyance, but Omega smiled and rushed outside after Wrecker. The bright white surroundings hurt her eyes for a moment, but once they adjusted the girl couldn't take in her surroundings quick enough.
"What d'ya think?" Wrecker waited in anticipation, unusually patiently as his sister looked around in awe.
"Woah," she whispered, cautiously stepping off the ramp. The powdery snow gave a soft crunch beneath her feet. It wasn't what she had expected, but then again, she hadn't known what to expect. Wrecker couldn't wait any longer and kneeled to form a snowball in his hands.
"Watch this!" he hurled the snow at a nearby tree, cheering as it exploded onto the bark, the force of it sending all the snow on the branches tumbling onto the snow below.
"Snow is amazing!" Omega cried joyfully, scooping up a handful and shivering as the cold melted into her fingers, "But what happens when it's warm? Where does it go?"
"It turns to water and the forest is back. Tech will know," Wrecker shrugged, "You warm enough, kid?"
"I think I'll be fine just a little longer," Omega raised an eyebrow before looking down a clear path in the forest, "Can we go over there?"
"Uhh," Wrecker frowned, "Wait! I have an idea! Wait right there!"
Omega nodded dismissively, wandering a little further from the Marauder. She stopped in her tracks as the snow covered forest floor ended, replaced by a glistening, transparent material spreading out in a shape resembling a lake. A lake with still, solid water. Without thinking, the girl knelt down in the snow, shuddering as the cold, wet snow seeped through her clothes, and reached out to touch the glass-like floor.
It was colder than she had ever felt before. Omega drew back automatically but found herself laughing at the revelation. She had lost track of how long she had become a part of Clone Force 99, but clearly there was still so much more to see and experience across the galaxy.
A cold breeze sent a shiver through the girl, her tunic far too thin to keep her even remotely warm. She knew she was pushing her luck, she was shivering from the cold. She really should go back. The thought of curling up by Gonky with several blankets was certainly a welcome one. Omega got to her feet to head back to the Marauder, until a glint of silver snapped her out of her thoughts.
Fish!
Going right back to crouching beside the solid lake, she realised there were creatures under there, swimming around and seemingly oblivious to being trapped beneath a sheet of cold glass.
"Wrecker! Come look at this!" Omega called, watching a school of bright yellow fish navigate through the water beneath. Her voice startled the creatures and sent them darting away, "Hey, wait!"
She stepped out onto the glass and her feet almost slipped from beneath her. Taking careful steps, Omega ventured out further, so engrossed in the aquatic life below that she had to keep steadying herself.
"Omega!"
Hunter's voice startled her, sending the young clone stumbling as she slipped on the glass.
"Times up," she mumbled to herself, turning to head back to the rest of the squad.
Until the glass began to crack and move under her feet. Omega stopped dead, watching as the cracks extended out with any move she made.
"Omega!" the urgency in Hunter's voice had intensified, "Get off the ice!"
She didn't need telling twice. Hunter came charging into view as she carefully stepped towards the forest, wincing at every crack that formed with each step. With one last step, the glass gave way beneath her, sending Omega plunging into the ice cold water below.
"What are you doing?"
Wrecker looked up from the crate he was rooting through to find Hunter and Echo watching him with matching frowns. Crosshair had returned to sitting on his bunk, chewing on a toothpick, and Tech was sat engrossed in his datapad, muttering to himself about armour.
"Where do we keep the civ clothes?" Wrecker moved onto the next crate, "I thought they could help keep the kid warm!"
"And where is the kid?" Echo looked toward the ramp.
"Still outside. I knew she'd love the snow!" Wrecker laughed to himself.
"We keep the civ gear under the bunks," Hunter gestured to the opposite end of the ship, "Good thinking, Wrecker. It'll help until we can get her own stuff."
"She's not out here," Echo called from the ramp. Hunter cursed under his breath and rushed to join his brother.
"You'd think she'd have learned by now," the sargeant shook his head.
"Kids always find a way to get into trouble. It's what they do," Echo repeated Suu Lawquane's words perfectly. Hunter couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Wrecker! Come look at this!"
Hunter immediately looked in the direction of Omega's voice, further away than he would have liked. In the same location, a strange creaking sound, that almost sounded like-
"Omega!" Hunter called, breaking into a run as he followed the small footprints in the snow Seeing his leader's expression drop in rare terror, Echo followed suit behind him. The panic in his voice was enough to snap Tech out of his deep thought, and both he and Crosshair approached the ramp to find Hunter and Echo sprinting through the snow.
"Kid?" Wrecker looked up from the crates with a frown.
"Looks like you let it wander off," Crosshair shook his head with an eye roll, grunting as his big brother shoved past him.
"I told her to wait!" Wrecker cried, charging from the ship after his brothers.
"Omega's curiosity outweighs her ability to obey orders," Tech watched them go,
"It's a wonder you get anything done," Crosshair sneered, "Between chasing after a child and cleaning up Wrecker's messes."
Tech looked a little taken aback, "Omega may be a child, but she is one of us. And we don't leave our own behind."
"Right," Crosshair scoffed, discarding his toothpick into the snow and ducking back inside the ship.
Hunter heard the ice cracking before he saw Omega walking on a frozen lake, staring at the ice in complete awe. Her pattern of movement suggested she was following something moving within the lake.
"Omega!" Hunter yelled louder, "Get off the ice!"
His urgency struck fear in the girl's face, and she attempted to get back onto solid ground quickly but carefully. Within a split second, she disappeared into the murky waters of the lake beneath her with a startled squeal.
Ripping off his armour piece by piece, Hunter dove into the water without a second thought. The moment he came into the contact with the icy water, though, every nerve in his body felt as if it had burst into white hot flames. He squeezed his eyes shut, every instinct was screaming at him to curl up as tight as he could and shut it out, let the overwhelming sensation pass. Just like he always had when his own abilities turned against him.
"Omega!" Wrecker's voice boomed from above the surface, and was sufficient in focusing Hunter's mind back to the task at hand. Opening his eyes he found Omega, wide-eyed and reaching out for him. Without hesitation, he grabbed her into his arms, and despite the agony that had overtaken him, fought to bring her up to the surface.
"Get them out of there!" Echo commanded.
Strong hands grabbed under Hunter's shoulders and hauled him from the water with Omega in tow, the pair of them taking a simultaneous gasp of air. Hunter let go of the girl as soon as they were on solid ground, curling in on himself almost immediately. Coming into contact with the cold air, followed by being placed onto snow, only made his nerves ignite even further.
"Hunter?" Omega's voice was panicked as she continued to gasp for breath. Hunter winced at the sound involuntarily. He had trained himself to tune out the seemingly endless background noise he picked up on, but in moments like this it was impossible. Every sound felt amplified, every single one seeming to be battling to be the loudest. The four heartbeats around him, particularly Omega's racing one, rang loudly in his ears and rendered him curled up with his hands clamped over his ears. He daren't open his eyes, he couldn't even bear to force out reassurance for Omega. She was watching him, wide-eyed and shivering, but he couldn't even take the sound of his own voice vibrating through his skull.
"He'll be fine," Echo carefully plucked her up out of the snow, "Wrecker, get him back to the Marauder."
"What was that stuff?" Omega's teeth chattered so much she struggled to get the words out, looking to Tech who had just caught up with the others. He watched Wrecker coax Hunter into standing with a saddened gaze, "It's like glass..."
"Ice. It's-" Tech began, hoping to be of some use.
"The science lesson can wait," Echo snapped, "Get back to the ship, warm it up."
Tech nodded a little sheepishly, "I...will divert additional energy to the heating systems."
Tech ran ahead back to the ship followed by Echo carrying Omega, and Wrecker guiding Hunter by the arm.
"H-Hunter?" Omega repeated as she peeked over Echo's shoulder. The squad leader was walking slowly, his face pinched as if the mere sound of footsteps in the snow pained him, focusing on one step at a time as his body slowly recovered from the sudden overload. A hand on Wrecker's arm was the only physical contact he could handle at that moment.
"Give him a minute," Echo reached the ramp, where Tech was waiting with the spare clothes Wrecker had retrieved, and Crosshair observed from inside.
"Obviously this will be too large for you, Omega," a muted green tunic was held out to her, "But it's imperative you change into dry clothing to aid in regulating your temperature to normal."
Omega reached a shaking hand and grabbed the tunic, resting her head on Echo's shoulder as he approached the gunner's nest and lifted her up to her room so she could change. As she went behind the curtain, she recognised the tunic from Saleucami and Pantora; it was Hunter's. She pulled it on quickly after discarding the soaked ones to the side. It hung from her extremely loosely, down to her feet, but that didn't come as much of a surprise. It felt warm, at least, and that was what mattered most.
"Don't touch me. Please," Omega had never heard Hunter so out of sorts. Usually so sharp, it sounded like every word was causing him pain. She peeked around the curtain to see the squad all stood watching their leader in concern as he sat on the bunk, holding his head.
"Give him space," Tech shooed his brothers towards the cockpit, his voice purposely lowered, "Here."
He passed something over to Hunter, who quickly put them over his ears. Almost immediately the Sargeant began to relax, and he curled up on the bunk. Tech watched him for a moment with a knowing look, but there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes. He noticed the girl watching from her makeshift bedroom.
"He'll be alright," Tech nodded in her direction, his voice still low, and turned away to gather supplies.
Once she tied the oversized clothes at the waist to help with the fit, Omega attempted to climb down the ladder into the main deck of the ship. With shaking hands and clothing trailing near her feet, Wrecker rushed forward to get her down without falling.
"You alright, kid?"
Omega nodded, but she couldn't hide her shivering.
"I'm not sure alright is the correct word after what happened," Tech's voice was stern, "Come here, Omega. You need a medpac and warming up."
Wrecker placed her down in a seat beside Tech, who was stood holding various blankets he could find around the ship.
"Take as many as you need. I've diverted energy to these generators to warm the bunks. It will be best if you remain there for now," Tech helped Omega wrap several layers of blankets around herself and handed her some medicine, "And take this. It should reduce your likelihood of falling ill."
"I'm s-sorry," Omega's voice shook with the chattering of her teeth, "I didn't-"
"Don't apologise, kid," Wrecker looked down sadly, "I shouldn't have left ya on your own."
"I sh-shouldn't have..." her voice trailed away as tears brimmed over.
"Yes, well-"
"C'mere," Wrecker scooped the girl up into a hug and gave her a gentle squeeze, "Did I ever tell ya about the time I almost blew myself up?"
"Wrecker has a plethora of stories that would make this incident look minimal in comparison," Tech raised an eyebrow, "Things happen, Omega. No one died. No one is gravely injured. We're fine."
Omega looked over at Hunter curled up on the bunk. His entire body appeared tense, "I didn't know he still got overloaded."
"Quite often," Tech lowered his voice, "I've found he's good at masking it, most of the time."
He adjusted his goggles and looked at Omega, "You said-"
"I remember. In Nala Se's lab," the young clone nestled into Wrecker's arms, her head tucked under his, "I remember his cries when she would overload him on purpose."
Tech nodded solemnly, "That continued throughout training. We did what we could to help."
"Like good brothers would," Omega said proudly, letting out a yawn.
"Rest," Tech gestured for Wrecker to place her on the bunk above Hunter's.
"I know who can help!" Wrecker said loudly as he carefully laid Omega down. Despite the noise cancellers in Hunter's ears, Tech gave Wrecker a light shove for the excessive noise.
"Sorry," Wrecker whispered dramatically before rushing over to the cockpit and returning with his tooka plush, "Lula will take great care of ya, kid."
"She always does," Omega smiled sleepily and hugged Lula close to her chest. Wrecker remained by her side until she drifted off to stop.
"She alright?" Echo leaned to look at the bunks.
"Resting," Tech pulled out his datapad, "We can get our supplies while she and Hunter recover."
"Maybe now you'll take her need for protection more seriously," Crosshair muttered, "You're lucky you had the civ gear."
"Can it, Crosshair!" Wrecker snapped.
"Will you please keep it down?" Tech hissed, glancing at the racks.
"He's right," Echo shook his head, "We should have taken it more seriously weeks ago."
Omega woke to a darkened, quiet ship, still nestled up amongst several blankets. The warmth was a comfort, especially since her bones no longer ached from the cold. Her now dried clothes were folded at the end of the bunk. Lula was laying dangerously close to the edge, long ears dangling over, so she slowly reached out a hand to grab her arm and pull her close again.
"Warm enough?"
Omega sat up with a start to find Hunter sat near the cockpit, still only in his blacks but any sign of distress had long subsided.
"Hunter!" her face lit up, and Hunter got to his feet and approached the bunk, "You're okay!"
"I'm...sorry you had to see that," the clone sargeant avoided her gaze for a moment.
"I'm sorry I caused it," Omega reached out a hand to him.
"You don't need to apologise. It happens," Hunter gave her hand a squeeze, "But maybe you should stop wandering off alone on strange planets, like we've told you."
Omega couldn't help but smile, "I guess I got a little carried away."
"Just a little," Hunter smirked, "But you're alright?"
"I think so," Omega kept a hold on his hand, hugging Lula with the other, "What was that stuff?"
"The ice?" Hunter frowned, "It's frozen water. Not always strong enough to hold the weight of a person, so best avoid walking on it next time."
"I learned that the hard way," Omega's smile grew, "I saw fish under the ice and I followed them. Back on Kamino..."
The girl's face fell, clutching at Lula a little tighter. Hunter's amused expression quickly turned to that of concern.
"Being alone in that lab all the time...sometimes it felt like the fish and whatever creatures that swam past, well, they were the only company I had," Omega shrugged, suddenly appearing so much smaller as she curled in on herself, "I guess seeing them in that lake reminded me of...home."
Hunter studied her face, his chest clenching as her eyes sparkled with tears.
"Hey," he placed his hands on her shoulders, "You never have to be alone again. You're stuck with us."
"I wanted to go with you, when you were sent away," Omega threw her arms around his shoulders, "You were my little brothers, back then."
"I think you've got a while before you catch up with Wrecker, now," Hunter chuckled, taking her into his arms, "The others will be back soon."
"Can I see the snow again?" Omega asked hopefully, "Please?"
"What did I-"
"Can't we just sit on the ramp? I'll stay in the blankets," Omega's eyes were wide and resembled Wrecker's puppy-dog eyed expression. Hunter may be highly trained for battle, but even he struggled to compete with those eyes.
"Fine," Hunter shook his head in amusement, giving her a gentle squeeze and heading out onto the ramp. He sat Omega down, ensuring the blankets were secure, and sat beside her.
"When did you first see snow, Hunter?"
"Probably a better question for Tech," Hunter looked out at the view, "He keeps track of that kind of thing."
"It's beautiful," Omega said dreamily, "There's so much more to the galaxy than I ever could have dreamed of."
"And we'll show you as much of it as we can," Hunter smiled, flinching at the sudden sensation of Omega hugging his arm. She had shifted closer, resting her head on him. The too-long sleeves of his tunic hung past her hands. Hunter ruffled her hair affectionately, making her laugh.
"Ah, you're awake," Tech said as he and the others approached the ship with several crates in tow, "I trust the blankets were satisfactory?"
"Yeah, I'm good," Omega smiled, "Can I help unpack?"
"There is one crate for you to open," Tech gestured to the crate on Wrecker's shoulder, "Otherwise, you should rest."
"Everything in here is for you, kid!" Wrecker grinned, scooping her up with one arm as he went up the ramp.
"For me?" Omega gaped, looking back at Hunter, who was following them inside.
"You earned us a killing in that last dejarik tournament," Echo brought a crate of food supplies on board, "Wrecker decided some of your earnings should be spent on you."
"I agree," Tech added, "Besides, today proved you need better protection."
"About time," Crosshair muttered outside the ship.
"Tech!" Wrecker put Omega down on her feet, "You'll ruin the surprise!"
Omega eagerly pulled the crate lid off, eyes wide with excitement as she rooted through the contents.
"Woah," she whispered, the smile growing on her face. Wrecker watched on in anticipation.
"Well?" he shifted on his feet, "What d'ya think?"
"You picked all this for me?" Omega looked up at him. Wrecker looked away, bashful, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, Tech helped," he shrugged lightly, "And Echo."
"I only ensured everything would fit you and wouldn't be outgrown too quickly," Tech said dismissively.
"And I only reassured him that you'd like what he picked," Echo raised an eyebrow, "It was all down to Wrecker."
"Crosshair suggested it," Wrecker mumbled.
"Crosshair?" Omega's voice sounded a little hopeful.
"Told you he likes you," Echo cracked a smile.
"Just take the credit, Wrecker," Crosshair stepped inside the ship.
"Show me?" Hunter knelt beside the girl as she threw off the blankets and eagerly pulled on a deep blue, fur lined coat.
"It's perfect!" Omega flipped up the hood, her face almost obscured by the fur, "No one's ever given me new clothes before."
She twirled on the spot, hugging the soft, warm fabric to herself, and grabbed the matching gloves from the crate. One-by-one, Omega tried on everything, each item being thrown down eagerly to grab the next. Gear for cold weather, hot weather, waterproof gear for rain, sun protection, all bases were covered. Hunter quietly picked up and folded everything as she went.
"Looks like you're set up for any scenario," he smiled as Omega threw herself at her biggest brother, still wearing the black blast vest, "Nice work, Wrecker."
"N'aww, it's nothing," Wrecker grinned, "So, you like 'em, then?"
"I love them," Omega looked at the crate, "Wait, what's that?"
A pair of long ears stuck out from the bottom of the crate. Wrecker knelt down to allow Omega to grab up the blue and purple tooka doll.
"I thought Lula might like a friend when we have to leave her in the ship," Wrecker ruffled her blonde hair as she hugged the plush tight.
"How much did you spend on me?" Omega's brown eyes peeked over the tooka's head.
"We prioritized essential supplies first," Tech approached the pair, "Nothing was sacrificed for your things. Cid will have another job for us when we get back to Ord Mantell. We'll be fine."
"And your things were essential," Wrecker flicked the tooka's ears, "So, what are ya gonna call her?"
Omega thought for a moment, "I'll think about it."
The sky was beginning to darken as more snowflakes began to fall, covering over the footprints that had disturbed the perfect white sheet covering the forest floor. The supplies were packed away, Omega's new gear stowed away in the hold, and the squad tucked into bantha meat wraps with potatoes, an unusual luxury afforded by a higher payment than usual. The remaining credits from the supply run were a valuable reserve. The plan was to leave after gathering supplies, but after the day they'd had, they opted to stay on solid ground for the night and depart for Ord Mantell at sunrise.
Omega sat on a crate outside the ship with Wrecker, wrapped up in her coat but careful not to drop food on it, with Lula and the new tooka sat between them. Hunter was sat on the ramp, while the others ate inside.
"Can we explore before it gets dark?" Omega asked hopefully as Wrecker practically inhaled his wrap.
"If you promise not to fall in anymore lakes," Hunter smirked, and Wrecker barked a laugh.
"I'll try," Omega laughed.
"I saw a place that sold Mantell Mix in town," Wrecker nudged Omega eagerly, "Dessert!"
"Let her finish her meal first," Hunter got to his feet, "I could use a walk."
Perched on his shoulder, Omega and Wrecker happily shared their box of Sugar Mix as they walked back to the Marauder with Hunter. This version was, as the name suggested, far sweeter than their beloved Mantell Mix, but this didn't phase the pair at all. Hunter, however, took a different stance. Maybe it was just him, but with the overly sweet taste, he had no idea how they could bear to eat that stuff.
"So, where to next?" Omega asked hopefully, leaving the last piece of Sugar Mix to Wrecker, who discarded the empty box onto the snow. Hunter rolled his eyes and picked it up again.
"Back to Ord Mantell. And then it's wherever Cid's next job takes us," Hunter folded and crushed the box in his hands subconsciously as they went.
"How long will it take to get back?" Omega hopped down from Wrecker's shoulder.
"Not as long as it took to get here," Hunter raised an eyebrow, "So hopefully Wrecker can't wind Crosshair up as much as this journey."
"Hey!" Wrecker protested, and Omega couldn't help but laugh.
"I don't think he enjoyed being target practise," she grinned, "And I don't think Lula enjoyed being thrown at him over and over again."
"Funny, though, right?" Wrecker nudged the girl playfully.
"Maybe a bit," Omega shrugged, unable to hide the mischievous smile, "Maybe a lot."
"You two," Hunter shook his head in amusement, "Give him a break."
Crosshair was sat outside the Marauder cleaning his rifle, while Tech continued to be engrossed with his datapad, pacing around and muttering to himself. Echo was nowhere to be seen, presumably inside the ship to avoid the cold. It was darker now, the clearing only illuminated by the lights of the Marauder, but thanks to a long nap, Omega wasn't ready to sleep just yet.
"What are you working on now, Tech?" Omega skipped up to him, waving to Crosshair as she passed him. She went by too fast to notice him raise a hand in a half-hearted wave in return.
"This might be of particular interest to you, Omega," Tech knelt down to her level to show her the datapad, "I have been formulating possibilities of creating some form of armour for you. Wrecker has you protected in all weathers and in mild combat, but you would benefit from armour like ours in some scenarios."
"You can make me some armour?"
Tech looked up from the datapad to see Omega's face alight with excitement, "While you are not fully grown, it will be more basic than what we have. But yes. If I can obtain the correct materials."
"So I can be a real Bad Batcher?" Omega looked back at her brothers, wide-eyed with wonder. Echo had appeared in the entry way of the ship, leaning against it.
"You already are, aren't you?" Hunter crossed his arms.
"You have always been one of-" Tech was cut off in surprise as Omega hugged him. He floundered for a moment, looked to his brothers for help. He still needed to put the endless child-rearing theory he'd read up on into practise. Echo, Hunter and Wrecker all gestured to him silently, and he eventually put an arm around her shoulders. With only a second's hesitation, he focused back on his datapad and continued with his project. A small moment of affection, but Omega appreciated it.
"Hey, kid! Catch!" the girl turned to see a giant snowball flying her way, and she managed to duck seconds before it hit her directly in the face. Missing it's target, snow instead exploded all over Tech, covering his datapad. The ice cold was enough to bring him out of focus.
"Do you mind-"
"Better take cover, Tech!" Echo called, as Omega immediately threw one back. It only managed to hit Wrecker's knee.
"Gonna have to do better than that!" Wrecker yelled excitedly, roaring with laughter as he caught Omega's shoulder with another snowball.
"Like this?" Omega threw her next one at a run, stopping in front of where Crosshair was sat. The sniper rolled his eyes and got up to move. He wasn't in the mood to be a target. Despite her efforts, Omega missed Wrecker completely as he crouched down to make another snowball, but she wasn't about to give up. Hunter watched on in amusement, and couldn't help but laugh when Crosshair was struck on the back of the neck. He hissed as ice cold water trickled down his back. Even Wrecker stopped in his tracks.
"Sorry, Crosshair," Omega said a little sheepishly, clutching at yet another snowball.
Crosshair's usually pursed lips formed into a smirk, and he held out his hand, "Give that here, kid."
Her nervous expression quickly relaxing, Omega handed him the snowball and watched in awe as he effortlessly aimed and threw it at Wrecker's face. Direct hit.
"Got him!" Omega cheered. She heard Crosshair grunt a laugh as he turned to head inside the ship
"No fair!" Wrecker's laughter boomed through the forest, "Well, if you wanna play it that way..."
"Run!" Omega laughed hysterically, "We're for it now!"
Crosshair stood in the doorway of the Marauder, watching as the largest snowball yet was launched into the air towards him. Omega had taken shelter behind Hunter, peeking out behind him. Crosshair stood his ground, a knowing smirk on his face, until he grabbed his rifle and shot the snowball in mid-air before it could reach him.
"Nice!" Wrecker whooped in delight as the snowball exploded, "Do it again, Cross!"
"C'mon now, let's not bring weapons into this," Hunter looked to Crosshair, who had already lowered his rifle and turned to take it inside.
"Wrecker's a big target. Practise your aim," Crosshair turned to Omega, and just for a moment, he smiled, "You'll get there."
"With your help?" Omega was still using Hunter as a human shield – a snowball hit him in the chest with a triumphant cry from Wrecker.
"We'll see about that," Crosshair tried and failed to bring his cold exterior back up. Maybe having this kid around wasn't as bad as it seemed, she seemed eager to learn and help where she could. He stepped back inside the ship to join Tech and Echo.
"Are you throwing or not?" Wrecker said impatiently, and Hunter stepped aside.
"Yeah, quit hiding behind me and practise your aim," the Sargeant nudged Omega playfully, ducking from Wrecker's next attack. Omega ran ahead to resume the snowball fight, taking the time to focus more on her aim per Crosshair's advice. Wrecker was kind enough to allow for that...for the first few throws.
Hunter leaned against the doorway of the Marauder as Omega and Wrecker tired themselves out, finding himself feeling a warm sense of pride. The main objective was to keep his squad safe, that came before everything. He'd managed to keep that up for a while, besides some near-misses. But these rare moments where Omega was allowed to simply be a child, where she got to have even a moment that very few clones had ever been allowed, they felt even more meaningful. After the childhood, or lack thereof, Clone Force 99 had endured, the least they could do was fight for Omega to have as much of one as she could, while she still could.
"Tech," Hunter looked into ship to find his brother engrossed in his projects once more, "Tech."
A sharp nudge from Echo startled Tech out of his trance, "What is it?"
"Come out here," Hunter beckoned him with a tilt of his head. Tech wasn't convinced and remained seated at the computer terminal.
"I'm not having my datapad covered in snow again," he said firmly, "I don't want to be a snowball target."
Crosshair and Echo both laughed to themselves as Tech stood his ground.
"You won't. It's my job to keep you safe," Hunter started to smile, "Just come here, will you?"
"This better be important," Tech mumbled, staring down at his datapad as he approached the doorway.
"If you're looking to record any new sounds today," Hunter looked out at Wrecker and Omega, their laughter quite possibly one of the happiest sounds he'd ever heard, "Record this."
Thank you so much for reading! This was going to be just a short story of Wrecker and Omega having fun in the snow, but I had to make it a tad more dramatic. I also just really wanted to get Omega some better clothes, seeing her running around without any protection at all (besides her squad!) was giving me far too much anxiety.
I think I managed to allow each member of the batch a hug too, which is nice, because they need all the hugs.
I enjoyed exploring my headcanons too - I think Hunter struggling with sensory overload on occasion is an interesting topic, especially as we don't see as much of his abilities onscreen compared to his brothers. As for Omega spending time with the Bad Batch as a child, I highly doubt this actually happened. but it was an interesting concept I might write more about you enjoyed this fic, please let me know! It would mean a lot to hear from you :)