Damra awoke in the dark stillness of the pre-dawn hours on Saleucami. For a minute, she did not recognize her surroundings, and felt a surge of anxiety. No humming lab instruments, no glowing lights, no swishing of the underwater oxygen exchanger. Where was she? She stared around in the darkness, listening intently. She heard the slow breathing of someone close, and what sounded like purring. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the outline of a child sleeping nearby, a tuft of blonde hair just barely visible. Omega. She sighed in relief, remembering the events of the past week. She stared at the sleeping girl, wondering if she'd made the right choice by agreeing to stick with her. Omega's brothers did not need anything Damra had to offer. Crosshair knew about the potential threat to Omega due to her MARC status, and the squad of commandos were more than capable of protecting her. But she also felt that Omega would need a sister figure on board, and no amount of information Tech could look up would suffice. But was that value enough to ride with one of the most victorious squads in the entire clone army? Damra had never been a part of anything that notorious or successful, having operated largely alone for most of her life. It didn't feel like the best fit...to plug into such a finely-tuned machine like a wayward sprocket. One mistake and the entire squad suffered, including Omega.
She became aware of a pair of eyes staring at her from the bed next to Omega. Alema's ice blue orbs reflected the waning moonlight, and a slight smile appeared on her lavender face. Damra smiled back, and jerked her head towards the window. Alema winked in acknowledgement and both women silently got out of bed. They grabbed their shoes and quietly stole downstairs. Omega didn't stir at all, but slumbered on, a nexu kit curled up in her arms.
At the bottom of the stairs, they found 5 young men, all clad in armor except one, slumped across the table or floor, or lounging in chairs, all fast asleep. Damra silently shook her head...how could they sleep like that? Alema snuck quietly towards Tech, and with the delicate touch Damra could never match, slid a handheld computer from his slackened grip. She turned to Damra, showing off her prize, and grinned wickedly. Damra suppressed a laugh and tiptoed outside with Alema. She glanced back at the sleeping men, to make sure they really were asleep. Crosshair, lying on his stomach, his head resting on his crossed forearms, looking peaceful and much younger than he ever had. He was the only one who looked comfortable enough to sleep. Tech's head hung back over the edge of the chair, his legs propped up on the table, his mouth slightly agape as he softly throat-snored, his red light and eyewear on as always. Wrecker, larger than life, lay slumped over the table, snoring a little, clutching his stuffed tooka doll, Lula. Echo, too, had propped his legs up on the table, his head tilted to one side and resting on the chair back, his arms crossed. Damra frowned, wondering. Did Echo actually need to sleep? How much organic material did he have left? Either way, he'd have a neck ache when he woke up for sure. Hunter sat by the hearth, leaning his back against the stone fireplace, his legs stretched out in front of him, his recently injured one propped up a little at the knee, arms crossed over his chest. She noticed with a start that Hunter had eyes on her, silently scolding her with his steely gaze. She froze. He simply continued to stare at her. Finally she shrugged and grimaced apologetically, waving goodbye. He smirked and closed his eyes again.
Once outside, Alema stowed Tech's beloved device under the front steps behind a tuft of dewy grass, wondering if he'd find it. They sat by the ashes of last night's fire, donned their shoes, and then they quietly stole away towards the forest of greater cake trees, where two starships sat in semi-cover. When they had traveled well out of earshot, Damra spoke. "That's a pretty mean trick to play on Tech, you know. That device is like an extension of his body."
"I know, and one he could do without," replied Alema, with a hint of coolness.
"Just because it's your belief, Alema, doesn't mean it's right," said Damra, evenly.
"Just because it is my belief, Damra, doesn't mean it is wrong," Alema replied, just as calmly. Damra sighed and kept walking. They reached the Wraith, Alema walked towards a stand of trees and Damra boarded. She greeted H8R, who responded by powering up and swearing. She laughed and headed to the refresher. Next she found her foraging bag, and walked back outside. Alema reappeared from behind the ship, adjusting her tunic.
"You know, there's a refresher on board," said Damra, with a smile. "It's even got a heated floor and seat."
"The tree appreciated my gift, I'm sure," replied Alema. Damra just sighed and followed Alema as she led the way deeper into the woods. Both adopted a quiet, slow pace, careful not to disturb any plants or litter. There was just enough light to see where they were going but not much further. Alema had always led, she had much keener senses than Damra. They approached a clearing after several minutes, and Alema paused and crouched at the edge. Damra copied her, unsure of what her friend saw. Alema obliged by pointing carefully at a flock of nuna, scratching in the dirt for grubs. "They should still have nests nearby, yes?" she whispered. Damra nodded.
"Nuna are still laying eggs this time of year. Once the harvest season is over, though, they'll stop until planting season," Damra said. Alema nodded and crept silently around the edge of the meadow, looking in the grass for the nest to raid. Damra proceeded to forage for fungi, greens, herbs, fruits, and berries. By the time dawn broke, both had full bags. They walked through the trees back to the waiting ships. Now that the starklebirds sang in announcement of daybreak, they spoke as they walked. No need to worry about scaring away game when their forage bags held this many spoils.
"You might just as well carve your initials on Tech's armor if you want him to notice you," said Damra, looking sideways at Alema and grinning. "This little hide-and-seek game you're playing is lost on him; these 'men' are truly boys, only 11 or so in standard years." Alema's cheeks flushed a little, and she cast her eyes down and grinned sheepishly.
"What would you know of it, Damra? When was the last time you were in a relationship?" replied Alema. "You are so afraid of closeness that you push everyone away, living only with superficial connection. You've run from anyone that came remotely near your true heart since...well, for a long time."
"I haven't had time for a social life, and Kamino isn't exactly the hottest dating scene," Damra said, somewhat airily, though blushing all the same. "But I can still recognize a playground crush when I see one." They smiled at each other and walked on. "I don't know what's going to be worse, a squad of 5 grown men with the emotional intelligence of a pre-pubescent, or a pre-teen girl."
"Definitely the immature men," said Alema, chuckling. "Omega has a chance to learn, the men may be too set in their ways."
"Challenge accepted, Alema. I'll educate them all. These clones have a chance at a life that none of the other clones ever had. If I can help them succeed outside of the Empire's control, then I can have at least some solace for all the millions of clones that I can't help, who are still locked in the doom designed by the Republic, engineered by the Kaminoans, and executed by the Jedi." she said, narrowing her eyes in disgust. They walked on in silence for another minute, while Damra fumed and brooded. Her train of thought led her to another concern, and she gathered the courage to ask the stickiest question of them all.
"Alema," asked Damra, as casually as possible, "How strong is the Force in Omega?" Alema frowned a little, and glanced at Damra.
"How do you know this? You are not sensitive to the Force," said Alema. Damra just kept walking.
"It's the truth, though. Let's begin with the truth," Damra said. Alema sighed.
"The Force is very strong in Omega, strong enough for her to wield it. I suspect it has been suppressed in her sterile environment, with the unemotional Kaminoans and their binary world. But each day she spends creating connections, whether with people or with creatures or with any living thing, the stronger it grows. I think even now she is aware, whereas she was not when she came only a rotation ago." Alema stopped, frowning. Damra stopped too, and turned to face her. "Why do you ask?"
"The Empire may be after her," said Damra. "She's a research clone. I think the Kaminoans were trying to engineer force-sensitive beings. Omega's only the first one they successfully created, as far as I can tell. She may have even been an accident, but she'll provide genetic material for more experimentation if the Empire has its way." Alema stared open-mouthed, eyes wide with shock. "Crosshair and I discovered the research data on Bora Vio."
"You must not abandon her, Damra," said Alema quietly, her eyes still wide and her voice urgent. "I think you know this, and that reason drove you to join this rogue squad." Damra pursed her lips and nodded.
"I know. But...I don't really fit with them at all, Alema," said Damra, shaking her head. "I'm just going to be in the way, yet I can't abandon Omega," she said, looking desperate. "I'm also not Force-sensitive. I can't teach her to understand and use it. What good am I going to be to anyone, what help can I give?" said Damra, doubt and fear welling up inside her.
"Stop it, Damra. You teach better than anyone I know, and you understand the Force, even if you cannot feel it or use it. Your reputation as a pilot is known throughout the Outer Rim. Your scientific knowledge outstrips most of the great minds in the galaxy and you managed to avoid Imperial capture on Kamino, unlike the other top geneticists. And you know as well as I do that Omega needs a strong woman in her life. How can you claim you have no use? Let's, in your words, begin with the truth," said Alema, encouragingly. Damra smiled a little. They turned and walked on.
"She can't become a Jedi. The Empire will hunt her down for sure," said Damra.
"She could never be a Jedi," said Alema, a little dismissively. "She loves too passionately, cares too deeply, and completely disregards orders in favor of wild impulse. She would never earn acceptance." She couldn't hide the hint of bitterness in her voice. Damra smiled and gave Alema a one-armed hug.
"I'm glad you flunked out," she said, laughing. Alema smiled.
"I am also happy the Jedi order declined to train me," she said. Damra frowned.
"Alema, the Empire had the clones slaughter the Jedi." Alema nodded.
"I felt the disturbance. I mourned for several days." She sighed. "All of them?" she asked Damra.
"I'm not sure. I think they're still being hunted so...some of them must have survived..." Damra continued. "Alema, what if the Empire comes after...after you? If they murdered all the Jedi, surely they have a record of all the Force-sensitive potentials as well?" she asked. Alema shook her head.
"I am not a Jedi. What would they want with me?" Alema asked.
"Being a Jedi is a choice. I am afraid the Empire is after your abilities, especially since you didn't follow the path of the Jedi." Alema looked concerned for a moment, but then shrugged.
"If they come, they come. I will deal with it then." Damra sighed, knowing better than to offer an argument for fodder.
"Come on, let's get back to Cut and Suu's. I'm sure they're all up and hungry by now."
Hunter sat awake, though he kept his eyes closed. Alema and Damra had left several minutes earlier, and everyone else slept on. It had taken Hunter hours to fall asleep last night, he sat awake, brooding and pondering, well after his brothers had nodded off. Even though they had successfully found Crosshair, he felt like he was back at square one, with no idea what to do next. He didn't know how to integrate Damra into the squad any better than he knew how to integrate Omega when she joined, but at least this new addition came with a ship and some skills and a high level of independence. However, Damra's dire warnings that she had no abilities as a soldier and no desire to kill definitely moved her closer to the "liability" side of the scale than the "asset" side. But Crosshair, the hardest of the squad to please and with whom to build any type of rapport, trusted her completely and so did Omega, who had more intuition than the entire squad put together. Hunter understood Omega's previous relationship with Damra and gave some of the credit for their fast connection to their history. But he couldn't figure out Crosshair's sudden change of heart. Hunter opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Crosshair, who slept on the floor next to him. What had happened in the few short days Damra and Crosshair shared to create such a strong bond?
"What?" whispered Crosshair softly, not opening his eyes. Hunter smirked. Crosshair, always with the stealthy upper hand, must have been awake when the girls left, too. It really was good to have him back.
"Why do you trust her so much?" Hunter asked in a low whisper.
"She's earned it," Crosshair breathed quietly, still not opening his eyes.
"How?" asked Hunter.
"Tell me how Omega earned your trust, and I'll tell you how Damra earned mine," he drawled in a whisper, pushing himself up on his forearms at last and looking directly at Hunter in the semi-darkness.
"I trusted her because she was right about the Empire," murmured Hunter quietly, while glancing up the stairwell to make sure Omega remained out of earshot.
"No, something before then created a connection," said Crosshair in hushed tones with a slight scowl. "She warned you on Kamino, and you said there was something about her you just couldn't figure out." Hunter frowned, remembering. He nodded.
"Yeah, but I still don't know what it is about her. She has more intuition than I do, and I trust it...I just don't know why," Hunter breathed, still straining his ears to make sure Omega slept.
"I do," whispered Crosshair. Hunter looked at him. At the exact same moment, Tech sat up and turned his head towards Crosshair. Echo did too, and Wrecker's head lifted off the table to turn as well. Apparently all of them had feigned sleep. Hunter looked around, pressed his finger to his lips, and jerked his head outside. Crosshair rose and led the way. For a group of 5 grown men, most of them wearing armor, they moved with unparalleled stealth to the grounds outside the house. Hunter was slowest to rise, testing his leg before walking out. Tech immediately retrieved his handheld device from under the stairs, smirking slightly at the attempted prank. The dawn approached, and they took seats around the ashes of last night's fire in the misty yard. Wrecker dug up the coals and tossed a few bits of kindling onto them, coaxing a flame from the smoke with a few puffs of his massive lungs. Within minutes a small fire crackled. Hunter looked back at the house, making sure Omega slumbered on. Then all heads turned to Crosshair and everyone leaned in over the warm flames.
"Omega is Force-sensitive," he began quietly, staring into the flames. "She's what the Kaminoans called a Midi-chlorian Augmentation Research Clone, or MARC for short," said Crosshair in a low voice just above a whisper. Hunter interrupted his train of thought.
"MARC Omega," he murmured. Crosshair looked questioningly at him. Hunter obliged. "Cid said her Imperial informant heard about a project called 'mark Omega' but we assumed it meant she was a bounty hunter's mark, not an M-A-R-C."
"So... what's that mean?" asked Wrecker in a rumbling whisper.
"Midi-chlorians are microscopic creatures inside all living things at a cellular level," said Tech in a quiet but clear voice. "Some beings are sensitive to these symbiotes, and can learn to manipulate them, like the Jedi and the Sith. The most powerful of these beings tend to have high levels of midi-chlorians. Omega, apparently, falls into this category of high M count?" he asked, looking at Crosshair. Crosshair nodded.
"She has a very high M count according to the Kaminoan files," he said. "Kolac Pru, the scientist leading the project, worked for years to engineer a Force-sensitive clone, using several species, but eventually they gave up the mass scale research and abandoned Bora Vio. Omega was engineered nearly 40 years later from a donor that wasn't Force-sensitive, and seems to organically have this extreme M count. Because the Kaminoans own her, they could have continued experimenting on her for as long as she lives."
"So the Empire wants to create an army of these...MARCs," said Tech, frowning. "That's not good."
"Not an army," said Crosshair, thinking. "The Empire focuses on efficiency. If they wanted an army, they wouldn't have decommissioned Kamino, they would have commandeered it. I think the MARC project has a much smaller scope. Only an elite few would result from the experiments. On the other hand," he continued, "Damra thinks the Kaminoans intended to create the next-generation clones from Omega, thereby creating an army superior to the original clones and remaining relevant to the Empire. She might have been right; I told you the time of the Regs was over," Everyone brooded over this news. "Obviously Tipoca City was destroyed, along with any Kaminoan agendas for the clones. But their chief scientists, including Nala Se, and the cloning technology went with the Empire to Mount Tannis on the planet Weyland. I was part of that particular operation on Kamino."
He turned to Hunter. "You still wonder why you have a connection with Omega that you can't explain?" asked Crosshair. Hunter tilted his head questioningly. Crosshair continued. "You have a high M count too," he finished, smiling in a satisfied way. Hunter looked astonished, and so did Wrecker. Tech and Echo, however, nodded thoughtfully.
"Whooooaaaaaaahh," said Wrecker, softly.
"I have a...a high M count?" stammered Hunter.
"Yes, but not nearly as high as Omega's. Your M count is also an organic anomaly since Jango Fett wasn't Force sensitive," said Crosshair. "But apparently not high enough to make you a candidate for cloning, like Omega, as you were later enhanced and your growth was accelerated." Hunter brooded over this news.
"Hunter, your M count is the reason you have a heightened sense of other people's feelings and why your intuition is so strong," said Echo quietly. "I completed many missions with the Jedi, and while their ability to manipulate objects and defy gravity were impressive, their ability to read emotions and sense feelings usually proved just as valuable." Hunter lowered his eyes to the fire and nodded. He understood how valuable empathy and intuition had become in his role as leader of the squad. He glanced up at Crosshair. It certainly wasn't infallible though, he had missed a lot with Crosshair.
"That makes sense," said Tech, in his matter-of-fact tone. "Hunter's always felt sensitive to emotions and exhibits more empathy than the rest of us."
"So whaddo we do now?" said Wrecker.
"Now we discuss our newest squad member," said Hunter, keen to deflect the attention from him and his newly found symbiotes. "Tell us why you trust Damra." He looked expectantly at Crosshair, who sighed heavily through his nose, ran his hand across his scarred head, feeling his straight gray hair that had regrown a little over the past week, and relented.
"I trust Damra because she's earned it. She's..." he paused a little, thinking. "She picked me up on faith, because...she said she didn't want to see me die, and hoped I wouldn't kill her." He paused again, marshalling his thoughts. "She's smart and talented and could have abandoned me at any time, but she didn't." He held his breath, and looked around at his brothers, both slightly accusatory and a little ashamed. They all lowered their eyes for a second, but then looked directly at Crosshair and leaned in closer. Everyone understood these simple gestures as a second apology and recommitment, and continued. "Tactically she stood to gain nothing in retrieving me. In fact, I was a threat, a liability. I initially did intend to incapacitate her and flee. I'm not the...nicest...guest." Everyone smirked a little. "No matter how severely I treated her, she countered with genuine concern. I had no choice except to trust her. Her skills and knowledge only reinforced my decision." He lowered his gaze, while Hunter scrutinized him closely. Intuitively Hunter knew there was more to the story, but he also somehow knew not to push it, at least, not right now.
"She sounds like Omega," said Wrecker.
"Not exactly," said Tech. "Damra is an independent and highly skilled adult with her own resources, and does not need us. As Crosshair said, she stood to gain nothing by helping him. Omega, on the other hand, cannot rely on herself. But I do agree, it is hard not to trust someone as kind as Omega and Damra, and even Alema. Additionally, Damra's independence makes ulterior motives a low probability."
"Damra has a ship and she's quite the pilot. She seems relatively skilled in hand-to-hand combat based on what we saw with Alema," said Echo. "Is she handy with a weapon?"
"No, she's a terrible shot from what I've seen," said Crosshair. "Even if she had decent aim, she'd avoid hitting anyone because she's hard-wired to preserve life. She spent the last decade saving the air whales of Kamino. She's also pretty emotional and has no filter...she says whatever comes to her mind. She's absolutely clueless when it comes to tactical knowledge. No field awareness or battle sense at all, and doesn't see threats anywhere. Absolutely cannot follow even a simple order." He rolled his eyes a little.
"So why is it we should trust her again?" asked Tech, sarcastically, but Wrecker elbowed him hard.
"Hey, stow it, Tech. Omega was just like that when we took her in. She still doesn't follow orders very well," he rumbled.
Tech continued, sighing begrudgingly. "She seems to be reasonably tech savvy. The RH-8 droid has far more capabilities than normal ones, and she's made several clever and useful modifications to the Pathfinder," he said, clicking away at his handheld.
"Omega trusts her, and Crosshair trusts her. The truth is she saved Crosshair when we couldn't, and she helped us get off Bora Vio in one piece. We all should give her that benefit of the doubt if we're to work together," said Hunter, eyeing each in turn. "However it suits you best, find a way to trust her and include her. She's one of us now and we're all moving forward together." Everyone nodded, and Hunter committed mentally to working through his own trust issues surrounding Damra.
For the next few minutes, only the calling of the birds in the distant trees disturbed the dawn. A lovely sunrise began to dissipate the fog. Stretches, yawns, and groans punctuated the stillness as everyone tried to shake off the drowsiness with trips to the refresher and splashes of water to the face from the well. Hunter cracked his neck while Crosshair rummaged for, and found, a toothpick to chew on. Omega made her way out groggily, looking around for everyone while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, the nexu kit trailing after her. Over the loud birdsong, Hunter caught snatches of singing well before anyone. By the time everyone else heard it and turned, Damra and Alema were visible in the morning sun, striding hand-in-hand back to the homestead with full game bags, singing together in harmony. Damra's voice was loud and somewhat tight, but she sang clear and strong. Alema's lower tones had a throatier quality, mostly because of her strong Twi'lek accent, but blended nicely with Damra's. No one but Damra and Alema seemed to know the song...not the melody or the words...how could they? None of the clones grew up with music. But the song told the simple story of a love as strong as the sun and the happiness it brought. Everyone smiled as the two women approached and by the time they arrived at the fire, every head had turned to listen. Tech even tore his eyes away from the screen in his hand to enjoy the serenade. They continued the song and ended with the last refrain, both laughing a little after they finished.
"I did not think you would remember all the words, Damra," said Alema, looking into her game bag.
"I never forget the words to a song," she replied. She turned to Omega. "Good morning, Sunshine. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah!" shouted Wrecker, and Omega giggled, nodding. Damra started to go into the house to prepare the morning meal but Hunter called her back.
"Damra, can we have a word with you?" he said. Damra stopped, looked a little worried, but handed the game bag to Omega.
"You go with Alema, I'll be right there," she said, shepherding Omega towards the house. She turned back to look nervously at Hunter. "Am I in trouble already, uh...sir?" she asked tentatively.
"No. Of course not. Have a seat," and he smiled and gestured to the fire pit, where the rest of the Bad Batch sat waiting. She took a seat, compulsively tugging at her hair, her eyes darting around as if looking for an escape route.
"What's up, guys?" she asked, her voice quavering. Out of nerves, she began rambling. "Look, I'm sorry if I woke you up this morning, I tried to be really quiet. I thought it would be a good idea to find some breakfast and Tech, it was totally Alema's idea to hide your handheld..."
"We need to talk about the MARC project," said Hunter, cutting across her babbling. She visibly relaxed.
"Oh, is that all? Oh, ok, whew. Did Crosshair fill you in?" she asked. Hunter nodded. "Ok then, I'll go get Omega," she said, turning back to the house.
"No," said Hunter quickly, making a shushing motion with his hand. "I don't think she should hear this, I don't want to scare her." Damra looked puzzled. Hunter elaborated. "You weren't with us when that bounty hunter dragged her through Bora Vio. She couldn't sleep after seeing all those...those cloning experiments."
"That doesn't make any sense. She's at the center of this project. She should know what's going on," she replied slowly.
"Hunter, she's right. We need to tell Omega. She can't run with us unprepared, she'll be in more danger if she's blind," said Echo in his deep tones. Hunter frowned, thinking.
"If we tell her the Empire might be after her and she might end up as an experiment, it will just frighten her," he persisted.
"Look, if you want to protect Omega, you need to prepare her. Giving her this information is no different than...than..." Damra stumbled, looking around for ideas. "Teaching her to shoot a blaster, or...or to pilot the ship, or...some other soldier-type thing," she finished lamely "Alema says Omega's beginning to notice the Force, and it's extremely strong in her. The sooner Omega understands the truth about who she is and what's going on, the sooner she can learn to leverage her abilities and the better she'll be prepared for and aware of the potential threats."
"She's got a point, Hunter. If Omega'd known about the bounty hunter, she probably wouldn't have wandered on Pantora," said Echo.
"WE didn't know about Fennec Shand, how could we tell her?" growled Hunter, a little defensively. Echo looked slightly abashed.
"How does Alema know that Omega's Force-sensitive?" asked Tech quickly.
"Alema's Force-sensitive, too. She's sensitive enough to have been considered by the Jedi as a padawan. They went so far as to test Alema. She can feel how strong it is in Omega," said Damra. Tech's eyes widened in surprise.
"I wonder why she didn't mention it before," muttered Tech, clearly thinking hard.
"I'm sure she thought it was so obvious she didn't bother," Damra replied. Tech frowned, but nearly everyone else grinned and chuckled a bit. Damra, not noticing the inside joke, looked at Hunter. "So we're including her in this conversation, right? Sir?" Hunter looked around at everyone else, and then relented.
"I suppose it is best if she knows the truth," he said. "Let's at least wait until after breakfast though, alright?"
''Yeah!" shouted Wrecker, enthusiastically.