Hello pals!

I'm back with another fic, and this one will be part of a series! I realised how much I enjoy writing sweet little moments between Omega and her brothers, and I had a bunch of ideas mainly revolving around how each of them would respond to Omega having nightmares, and so this series was created!

This one I've had in my head for a while, and I hope you enjoy it!

As the squad sergeant was slammed against the wall and left to crumple to the floor, she knew was the only one left standing. She knew he knew it, and he wouldn't stop until she was down too.

He couldn't help it, he couldn't stop it, and perhaps he was watching himself take down his brothers one by one while utterly powerless to control himself. If the chip hadn't become fully functional for even a few more seconds, perhaps it could have been removed before he caused anyone harm.

She ran as fast as she could, as far away from the medbay, spurred on by the pounding footsteps charging behind her that made the floor shake. It felt wrong to be running away from her own brother, the one with the warmest hugs, who had helped so much in making her feel a part of the squad. She wouldn't have her own room on the ship had it not been for him. But that part of him, the good man he truly was, had been locked away, suppressed by the inhibitor chip.

She crawled under the blast door, thankfully too small a space for him to get through immediately, and looked back to find him crouched watching her, his usual bright eyes dull and blank. Her grip on the blaster hadn't subsided, her knuckles white as she clung to the hope that she wouldn't be forced to use the weapon against him. He got to his feet, disappearing from view, leaving her frozen in terror. He'll find a way in. The blast door creaked, and she hurried to duck under a sheet of mangled metal. She hugged her knees to her chest, tears blurring her vision. No one was coming to save her, and she couldn't take him on alone.

A rage-filled cry sent her cowering further under the debris. He was inside the room now. His footsteps loomed closer and away as he searched the cluttered room, pulling away various potential hiding spots piece by piece. It was only a matter of time until he found her.

All she could do was beg and plead, scrambling backwards as he stared down at her with that terrifying hardened expression. Reminding him they were friends, this wasn't him, anything she could think of that could snap him out of such a trance. She knew it was likely useless, but she needed to try.

She was guilty of treason, he told her. That young girl he treated like a sister now a criminal and a traitor. There was only one way to deal with a traitor. And good soldiers follow orders. His blaster was raised, aimed at her, his expression unyielding.

"Kid?"

Omega's eyes flew open to find Wrecker watching her from the foot of the gunner's nest, the blank face of a killer replaced with his familiar wide, puppy-like eyes and a look of concern. The Wrecker she knew and loved. And yet she had flinched at the sight of him and found herself cowering with Lula clutched tightly to her chest, her breathing still rapid. She righted herself immediately, loosening her grip on the plush and sitting up normally, but it was far too late. Wrecker visibly turned in on himself, and Omega was sure his eyes sparkled with tears as he looked away. Her reflexive action hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Are...you alright?" Wrecker's voice was smaller than usual, hesitant, "You sounded like you were having...oh."

He looked crestfallen, and couldn't meet her eyes, "...a nightmare."

"I'm fine," Omega mumbled without hesitation, "Promise."

"Ya sure?" Wrecker shifted awkwardly on his feet. Omega nodded, desperately blinking away tears.

"It's nothing," she said quietly, but her voice cracked, "You need to rest, Wrecker. Please don't worry about me."

Wrecker nodded sadly, "Wake me if ya need me, then."

"Thank you," Omega watched as he turned away, dejected, and got up onto his rack. Hunter, fast asleep with his noise cancellers in full effect, shifted in his sleep on the bunk below. It didn't take long for Wrecker to drift off to sleep, he was still exhausted from the surgery.

Omega let out a quiet sob, burying her face in Lula's soft fabric as she was overwhelmed with a sense of guilt. Wrecker had been through enough, why did she have to make him feel even worse? Why did she flinch so hard, she knew the ordeal was over. Hot tears leaked onto the tooka plush in her arms.

Another pair of eyes caught hers, and she saw Echo watching her in concern. He had dozed off in the seat at the computer terminal, until the sound of Wrecker getting off his bunk had woken him. His biggest brother was incapable of doing anything quietly.

Omega wiped at her eyes and attempted to smile at him before pulling back the drapes to conceal her emotions from everyone else on board. She heard Echo sigh and get to his feet, and to her dismay his footsteps came closer. She had so naively hoped he was going to check on something else.

"Omega?" Echo said quietly. Omega kept her head rested on Lula's, "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Omega sniffled.

"You don't sound alright," Echo's voice softened, "Come down, maybe we can talk about it."

"You should rest, you've had serious-"

"Omega," Echo chuckled to himself, "If you'd rather be alone, that's okay."

"I'm sorry," Omega burst into tears, and Echo felt a pang in his chest. To see her, the source of such light and optimism, in such a state of upset was disturbing to say the least. Usually so full of life and curiosity, she just seemed defeated, and Echo was certain he never wanted her to feel this way again.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Echo spoke calmly, "It's okay to want space. And with what little space on this ship we have, you have to take what you can get."

Omega smiled a little through the tears, unbeknownst to Echo.

"Take all the time you need, I'll be right out here if you change your mind," Omega heard him turn and head back to the computer terminal. Silence fell on the ship once more.

"Thank you," she sniffled, attempting to settle down and try to get back to sleep.

Before long, Echo heard small footsteps heading down the ladder, accompanied by quiet sniffles. Omega glanced up at Wrecker, asleep on the bunk, as she passed him, still clutching tightly at Lula. Echo said nothing, not wishing to rush her. She stopped in front of him, head bowed and face concealed by the plush toy. Her eyes were red and filled with tears.

"I'm...I'm not scared of him," her voice was tiny, she couldn't stop it from shaking, "I'm not."

"I know," Echo got up from his seat and knelt down in front of her, "He knows too."

"It wasn't him," Omega shook her head, "He couldn't help it."

"The chips are gone now. It won't happen again," Echo put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm just glad Rex got to us in time. Things could have...ended very differently."

He looked away with a shudder, Rex had told him just how close Wrecker had been to harming the young girl in front of him. Wrecker knew it too, and he was clearly very upset with himself. Omega started to cry, and without hesitation Echo pulled her close, giving her a gentle squeeze. He had never hugged anyone so close before, no one except his closest brother, so long ago. She needed it, though, and he held her for as long as she needed him to.

"I-I had a nightmare," Omega whispered, voice shaking, "and when I woke up I...and I know he saw..."

"He'll understand," Echo held her at arm's length for a moment, "No one can be angry at you for having a natural reaction to such an...attack."

"I don't want him to feel bad," Omega buried her head in Echo's shoulder again, "It wasn't his fault."

"Omega," Echo sighed, "He could have killed his entire squad. His siblings. He was watching himself do it and he couldn't stop it. That isn't something he can just let go. And that isn't something you can expect yourself to let go either. Give yourself time."

Omega remained nestled in his arms, curling up in his lap and clutching at Lula. It was an alien situation to Echo, he couldn't say he'd ever expected to find himself with a child in his lap, consoling her. Funnily enough, this wasn't something covered in training. What would Fives think if he could see him now? He'd tease him for practically being a parent now, Echo was sure of that, but he was also pretty sure that Fives would have taken Omega under his wing much like he had. They both took a liking to not doing as they were told, they would get along well. He'd like to think that his brother would be proud of him, for taking in one of their own and keeping her safe.

In the short time he'd known Omega, Echo found it was almost coming naturally to him. The entire squad was adapting to having a child around, albeit at varying rates, and Tech's substantial research on child-rearing, conducted the very same day Omega boarded the Marauder, had certainly made a difference. In a way, the young girl reminded him of a certain plucky young padawan he had once known. He didn't even know if she was alive; surely Rex would have mentioned it if she was. Then again, mentioning a Jedi to a squad of clones with inhibitor chips...

"Nala Se told me the chips were made to prevent aggression," Omega finally spoke, her voice shaking, "She said it was to help you."

Echo gritted his teeth in anger but didn't respond. The thought of his friends and teammates turning on their own leaders, on General Skywalker, General Kenobi. Maybe even Commander Tano. Rex had appeared so troubled when recalling his own experiences with his chip. What had he seen? What had he potentially done? It made him stick to his stomach at the mere thought.

"She made those chips. She inserted them herself, I've seen her do it. She knew their real purpose. Why would she do that?" the young girl's face was stricken with betrayal. "That chip turns good men into killing machines."

"I think our true purpose was kept classified for a reason. No jedi expected their loyal troops to gun them down," Echo sighed, "We're just toy soldiers to them. Disposable. Mouldable into whatever they want us to be."

"Not anymore," Omega sniffed, "You can be free now."

"I'm not so sure about free," Echo smirked, "But we have our own minds back, at least."

Omega nodded, rubbing at her eyes, "I was scared it would all go wrong. And I'd be alone again and-"

"You can't get rid of us that easy," Echo raised an eyebrow, "It'll take more than brain surgery to finish us off."

Omega began to smile through the tears, a few fresh tears falling down her cheeks. A few quiet, tearful giggles only made Echo smile more.

"That's more like it," he wiped the tears away, "You won't be alone anymore, Omega. Not if we have anything to do with it."

"Promise?"

Echo paused, looking away from the girl as his smile faded. The life they led, there were no guarantees. He especially should know that. They were lucky to have someone like Cid watching their backs and providing them with some source of income, but even that could be taken away in a second and leave them fending for themselves. It was against everything he believed in to make a promise he wasn't certain he could keep. But as he looked back at Omega, those big brown eyes still red from crying, he realised that maybe he had to set aside those beliefs in that moment. In that moment, he had to tell her what she needed to hear.

"I promise," he said, doing his best to sound convincing. If it came to it, she had Rex to keep her safe. Or the Lawquanes, if he knew where they relocated. Hell, maybe Cid cared enough about the kid to take her in. Maybe the promise could be kept, in some form or another.

Omega appeared to relax slightly, still clutching at Echo with one hand, Lula in the other. Echo watched her for a moment and found himself being even more set on protecting her than he had before. He looked at her and was reminded of his days as a cadet, when he was half her age but the same age physically. Young CT-1409 had so much hope and ambition, dreaming of being an ARC trooper the moment he learned what that even was. His hope was challenged as one by one his brothers were torn away from him, before he was torn away from the last Domino standing. His hope wavered upon waking to find Rex before him on Skako Minor, with Fives nowhere in sight. But after everything, after finding a new band of brothers he felt he belonged amongst, his hope never dimmed. And he never wanted Omega to lose her hope either. She was in the fortunate position where, with some luck, she could be whatever she wants to be. And Echo was committed to ensuring that happened.

"Can we watch the stars?" Omega asked quietly, looking toward the cockpit, "I don't think I'm ready to sleep just yet."

"Alright, but not for long," Echo got to his feet and followed her as she led the way, past Tech fast asleep in another seat, "You need to rest too."

"The stars help me sleep," Omega clambered up into the pilot seat, "You couldn't often see the stars on Kamino. I didn't even see them until Nala Se took me as her medical assistant. My quarters in the medical wing had the best view of them when they were out, though."

"I never really appreciated them until after I was rescued," Echo settled into the pilot seat beside hers, looking up at the murky sky with only a few stars peeking through. Not the best view, but Omega was looking up with a serene smile on her face, "Too much else going on."

Omega pulled her knees up to her chest and watched the sky in awe, "I dreamed of being amongst the stars, and now I get to see them in so many different skies."

"I guess I took that for granted," Echo laughed to himself, "Travelled all over the galaxy and never stopped to look."

"Someday I hope we can explore," Omega mumbled sleepily, yawning, "When we don't have to run away anymore."

Nothing wavered that kid's hope, it seemed. In truth, Echo wasn't sure what he even would do with true freedom. Their current situation was confusing enough, now they had no Republic to align to or report to, the galaxy was rapidly changing into something none of them recognised. And all they were intended for was to be a pawn in this new Empire. They might be on the run for the rest of their lives, and it was highly likely that Omega would end up outliving them.

"We'll see about that," Echo smirked, watching as the girl began to doze off, her head drooping and breathing slowing. He smiled to himself and got to his feet, past Tech, past Wrecker and Hunter in the bunks, to retrieve a blanket and drape it over her. He settled back in the pilot seat beside her, and leaned back to resume observing the sky. The mist and clouds had subsided a little, revealing a starry sky behind them. They were as beautiful as the first stars he had seen post-rescue. Maybe he should stop to appreciate them more often.

Hunter woke to see Wrecker slumped in the seats opposite the bunks, visibly agitated as his knee bounced rapidly. He got to his feet, setting the noise cancellers in his ears to gradually power down so he could adjust. A useful feature engineered by Tech.

"Morning," Hunter raised an eyebrow, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," Wrecker shrugged, "Didn't sleep much."

Hunter gaped as his always-hungry brother waved away a ration bar, "Alright, humour me, what's going on?"

"The kid...I...I think..." Wrecker looked up at Hunter sadly.

"She's not afraid of you," Hunter put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "I can promise you that."

"How do you know?"

"Because she never left your side until you woke up. No matter how many times we tried to get her back on the ship," the clone sargeant started to smile, "And I saw you two tucking into some Mantell Mix together."

"But...but last night...she looked so scared," Wrecker looked down, "I think she had a nightmare...about me."

"That's understandable, given what happened," Hunter sighed, "Don't take it personal, she's just a kid. And no kid should have to see something like that."

"I guess you're right," Wrecker mumbled, quietly reaching to take the ration bar.

"Talk to her. It's no use making assumptions," Hunter looked up toward Omega's room to find it empty, "Where is she?"

They found her in the cockpit, curled up in the pilot seat with a blanket draped over her. Lula laid abandoned on the floor where she had fallen out of Omega's grip. Echo was in the other seat, having also fallen asleep.

"Let her rest," Hunter said in a hushed voice as Wrecker retrieved his tooka plush, giving her a sad squeeze, "We've all been through it."

By the time Omega woke, the rest of the squad were up and making preparations for the day. Tech was tapping away at his datapad, while Hunter and Echo were quietly discussing something toward the back of the ship as they checked the storage hold. Wrecker was nowhere in sight.

Tech was too engrossed in his task to notice Omega get up and walk past him, but Echo and Hunter looked up from theirs.

"You alright?" Hunter watched her in concern. The girl nodded without a word, "He's outside, if you're looking for him."

The largest clone was sat with his back to the ship, uncharacteristically quiet, looking out at the wreckage ahead of him. He was so used to taking everything in stride, dedicating no more than a few moments of upset before moving on. This was different, though. All he could remember was the fear in that little girl's eyes, cowering away as he chased her down. The way she squeezed her eyes shut and looked away as he had prepared to shoot. He couldn't be more grateful that Rex had gotten to them in time, but he was haunted by just how close he had come to killing an innocent child.

"Wrecker?" Omega approached her brother almost cautiously.

"Hey, kid," Wrecker looked around and offered her a smile, "Are you-"

"I'm sorry," Omega sat beside him, Lula between the pair, "I just got a little spooked from my nightmare...I didn't mean to look so afraid."

"Don't be," Wrecker reached and gave her hand a squeeze, "It's not your fault."

"It's not your fault either," Omega kept hold of his hand, "You couldn't help it. I'm not afraid of you, Wrecker. Not the real you."

"I hurt Tech...and Hunter, Echo, Rex," Wrecker looked away, "All of them."

"They're fine. They understand," Omega leaned closer to him, "It's okay."

"If I'd hurt you too, I...I don't know what I'd do."

"But you didn't," Omega tried to smile reassuringly, "That's what matters."

"Only because Rex got there before I could," Wrecker tried to pull his hand away from Omega's, but she kept hold of it.

"Wrecker," she cut in, "It wasn't you. And the chip is gone. You don't have to think about it anymore."

Wrecker sighed, staring down at his feet. He could sense Omega watching him carefully, not speaking, just letting him know she was right there with him. She was only a kid, but she sure knew what he needed to hear.

"I hope the nightmares stop," Wrecker said after a beat of silence, "

"It's nothing we can't handle," Omega reached to hug him, "We're Bad Batchers, we can face anything."

Wrecker laughed, hugging the girl tighter, "Too right."

"We need the biggest carton of Mantell Mix when we get back," Omega grinned, "We earned it."

"I like the sound of that," Wrecker scooped her up and sat her on his shoulder.

"You two figured things out?" Hunter and Echo stood in the entryway of the ship.

"I think so," Omega looked down at Wrecker with a smile, "Just planning out our next carton of Mantell Mix."

"Another addition to Cid's tab, then," Hunter leaned on the doorway as Tech appeared behind them, "We're going to scope out the cruiser. Are you coming, or do you want to-"

"Can we stay here?" Omega looked down at Wrecker, "Wrecker promised to teach me some stuff."

"Yeah, real important stuff," Wrecker nodded, attempting to look serious. Hunter couldn't help but laugh.

"Lay low. Keep an eye out for scrappers," Echo said firmly, "Don't attract attention."

"Copy that," Omega saluted, hopping down from Wrecker's shoulder and running ahead to the Marauder to gather what they needed. Hunter shook his head in amusement and put on his helmet, and Echo and Tech followed suit.

"I want the ship intact when we get back," the squad sargeant pointed to the pair, his smirk concealed by his helmet, before leading the way to the Jedi cruiser.

"So, what's the first lesson?" Omega looked back at Wrecker as he carefully placed Lula at the computer terminal. He rushed over to a crate and rooted through it, eventually pulling out what appeared to be a live explosive.

"Let's see how we take apart one of these."

Thank you so much for reading!

I was a little sad writing both Omega and Wrecker so sad, but I always thought there'd be a bit more to work through than what was shown in the episode. And a little bit of mom Echo time doesn't hurt.

Just a little note about the mention of Hunter wearing 'noise cancellers', this is part of my headcanon that I mentioned in my first fic, about him getting sensory overload at times - in my mind he has devices (probably made/modified by Tech!) that can help him out, and in this case, he might use these noise cancelling devices to help him sleep sometimes, to block out any noise.

Stay tuned for new additions to this series, which will be a mix of directly tying into episodes in the season and post-season based stories.

Please let me know what you think!