Dyslexic Writer: I will die like a man, i.e., I will go over the edge with the canonical scream of Star Wars off screen swan divers.
Summary: Omega dies on Kamino, and wakes in her bunk on Kamino in the first year of the Clone Wars, still having much to learn, she nevertheless sabotages the chips. Not understanding what the Emperor was, she's playing with kyber when she becomes Kenobi's left hand. Will her intentional and unintentional actions change the fate of the galaxy? Probably. Time Travel, and you don't need to watch the Bad Batch to enjoy this story, but obviously, SPOILERS if you do plan to watch it.
KEYnote: I will be screwing with the timeline of the Clones Wars, because I've been through it before and I can make it more fun playing with events. So y'all who have not watched the Clone Wars and the Bad Batch, I got you :D Not a fix it because of dark themes but I'm not killing any named clones or Jedi.
Also, Cody doesn't like Anakin, but Rex does, so the POVs will change how characters are viewed whether that be exasperation or awe.
Prologue
Omega was running out of air.
She didn't need proof that she and her brothers were disposable.
She didn't need proof that the Empire didn't want them anymore now that they had served their purpose.
She didn't need proof.
But as her lungs soaked in the ocean, she had it all the same.
"Hunter," she tried to scream, but she had no voice, no sight to call out to the only real family she had ever known.
Omega should have been more afraid than she was, as they died together in darkness.
But in the cold arms of death, she found something that had long eluded her.
A warmth.
A belonging.
A connection to the wider galaxy.
Stars winked out around her, their lights doused by a salt seasoned breathlessness, as she was welcomed home by a force she could not name.
)o(
Omega woke gasping for air, she rolled off her bunk in Nala Se's private rooms. She patted herself down, her lungs expanding and compressing without hindrance. She was smaller, her limbs weaker, but she was alive.
Alive.
She ran to the fresher and stared at her younger face. Her mind was spinning with the prospect that she should be dead and Kamino should be gone.
But here she was, her reflection staring back at her, the chrono on the wall telling her that she was awake at a time that Nala Se reserved for meeting with the Prime Minister most days. Omega's pounding heart told her repeatedly that she was alive and not merely dreaming.
The chrono was also telling her the date.
Which was impossible.
But the starlit warmth in her mind was urging her to believe.
To act.
To move.
Her feet took her from the private rooms to Nala Se's personal lab that luckily had minimal if any recorded security measures.
Omega was Nala Se's 'special one', the clone she believed perfectly obedient because of the intelligence she had shared with her. Intelligence to a Kaminoin meaning more than literally anything else.
More than family, decency, or compassion of any kind.
Time travel was impossible, but Omega didn't have time to worry about it. If this was real, which her senses were telling her it was. She needed to act quickly.
She and her family, the Bad Batch, had come here to retrieve Hunter, but Echo had had an alternate plan.
Had walked her through the coding, over and over again as they travelled through hyperspace.
As Nala Se's personal assistant, Omega had access to all her clearance passcodes. Not because the Kaminoin had willingly shared that information with her but because Omega had understood at an early age to look for every advantage she could find. Everything she had ever learned growing up in these sterile halls had taught her to be careful; looking at her brothers incubating tubes, helping perform autopsies of brothers who would never know her, breaking down DNA on datapad, being taught medical aid with no care for the pain of her possible patients, and listening to the way the Longnecks talked about them.
Talked about their 'decommissions'. They had never meant anything to the Kaminoins but a science project. They weren't people; they were organic materials, plants to be churned and recycled.
Omega got past Nala Se's security with laughable ease. They hadn't known if this would work on the chips that were already activated, but she continued typing in Echo's coding with precise accuracy because they had every reason to believe it would work on the inactive chips.
If she had any purpose in life, it would be to help rewrite this evil.
Good soldiers follow orders.
She would counter it with Echo's brilliance that would undo the things the chips were meant to do.
Maybe her and her brothers would never be free by law or body.
But their minds?
Their thoughts?
Those were theirs.
And no one would be able to cross those boundaries again.
She hit the last line and watched with satisfaction as the code was accepted and made invisible to anyone who wasn't her or Echo.
That warm starlight brushed against her senses, pleased and surging with happiness that seemed as bright as a supernova. Omega thought the galaxy must have seen it.
Hope from the darkness, like a newborn star.
That same pressure on her mind then nudged her.
Omega froze, what would she do now?
She looked at the chrono.
Could she face Nala Se again?
No, Omega knew she couldn't not without revealing that something -everything- about her had changed and risk being decommissioned.
On impulse. Omega erased everything on the computer she was using. There were backups everywhere, but her history on this computer would be destroyed. She took care to delete the recovery as well before resetting the device. Luckily, these were some of the fastest computers in the galaxy. So Omega reinstalled the base account and systems, then logged back on with Nala Se's clearance, looking for the truth she had already learned.
Omega had a twin brother, Alpha.
But he hadn't taken that name, no, her twin brother was the only clone on Kamino who had had a father.
Boba Fett, the son of Jango Fett.
The Prime, the original.
Omega didn't delete the recovery this time as she reset the computer again. She took one of the fire extiquesers, and though she was small and weaker than her brothers, took great delight in smashing the computer to bits.
Someone would put it back together, someone would go through the recovery process and find what Omega had seemingly learned and look no further, assuming she had run off to find Boba.
Which was not on her todo list, no, not when she now held the greatest secret in the galaxy.
The chips that were newly put into her brothers' brains and the ones already grown in the cadets and soldiers would be corrupted by Echo's code of freedom.
If any 'order' was given, or if any chip was ever activated, it would be rendered unable to control their minds.
As long as no one knew to temper with the codes.
Omega heard AZI-3's voice, the droid who had been her only friend once upon a not so long ago time —thanks, time travel— and she fled.
With her new awareness of the world around her, she was able to flee down passages unspotted. But as glorious as this widened awareness was, breathing purpose into her, she could feel the quiet silencing of stars.
Not like how it had been when the facilities had been bombed into the ocean depths, but soft exhales of life, un-evenly paced and far from constant, but present all the same.
Deaths of her brothers being decommissioned.
She had to stop this; she had to stop this!
But she was just a clone, and she would meet the same fate if she stayed here.
She would also be signing Hunter's decommission flimsy if she went to him for help, the Bad Batch being highly surveilled.
No, Omega was on her own.
But if she was in the past, a year into the start of the war, then there were people who had the power to stop the Kaminoins.
All Omega could do was try. She couldn't abandon her brothers, she wouldn't, not like the Prime had.
She was different, and as an honorary member of the Bad Batch, she would use that to survive; to save them all.
As she somehow successfully managed to sneak onto a supply fratter that was departing before anyone could check the security feed to stop her, it seemed that the stars themselves were on her side.
Chapter 1 - Oh, Joy, Another Blonde
Marshal Commander Cody was exhausted. Growing up on Kamino, mostly indoors on a sterile factory island, he had always imagined the galaxy would be greater, hold grand adventures, and it did, however…
But he had never anticipated how many responsibilities that would be given to him, how his rank would have him leading nearly a third of his brothers in this endless warfare.
As High General Obi-Wan Kenobi's right hand, Cody wasn't at all sure how in the hells his General could stand on two feet, much less act as a Council Member, lead a war, and take care of his Padawans.
General Skywalker was gifted in war, his errors compensated by Rex whose rank as a mere Captain belied his accomplishments and skills. But the boy was socially inept with absolutely zero understanding of the burdens weighing down his Master Jedi. And that was coming from a clone whose only experience with people had been heartless scientists and brothers who all wore the same genetics.
Padawan Ahsoka Tano, who was the youngest Jedi Padawan he knew of who had been allowed the rank of Commander, was a handful, but as lethal as she was spunky. He liked her, everyone liked her. Except it had not escaped the 212th or 501st's notice that General Kenobi was acting as Master for both the younger Jedi.
Which brought Cody back to being exhausted and marvelling at the patience in which his General listened to Skywalker and Tano retell their latest mission.
It had all gone up in flames, and as usual, the 501st had pulled a miracle. Technically, 501st Legion, which included Rex as well as General Skywalker and Commander Tano, were under Cody's command. But Kenobi had asked him to not bring that up unless absolutely necessary.
Cody had no problems with relying on the overqualified Rex, Jesse, and Appo, to tend to the near joyful violence of the 501st. Besides, Cody would never trust Skywalker or Tano to follow his orders to the letter, as they certainly didn't respect High General Kenobi's commands.
To Tano's credit, she would at times quietly side with her grandmaster if Skywalker wasn't paying attention, which was a good fifty-fifty percent of the time.
Regardless of the ranks, Skywalker's story was giving Cody a migraine, and the only reason he was here by the fire was because he needed to make sure Kenobi ate his kriffing rations.
Jedi did not make good soldiers; fine leaders and even finer weapons, but the Kaminoins would have decommissioned them all.
General Kenobi stiffened.
Cody noticed immediately even as Skywalker continued talking, waving his hands about as he mimed some act of insane heroism.
Rex and the other officers present, noticed Cody go still.
Cody watched closely, and sure enough, his general signed with right and box.
Cody had been thankful that his General was fluent in Mando'a and Mando'a sign, it had made life and the battlefield so much easier. It had also earned General Kenobi unwavering loyalty.
This Jetii who shared with them more attention, care, and pieces of their culture than the Prime had ever willingly given them.
Cody moved slowly, putting his cup of soup on the dirt, as he rose. His general would have signed danger if it was urgent, this was either a low ranked trooper —who was welcome to join them if he had the guts to do so (or the sanity to spare)- or some animal that had gotten into the supplies.
Which would be impressive as these crates were fresh from Kamino.
Cody sighed as he found a crate with latches undone, his heart sinking as he feared the worst.
And the worst proved true.
Kriffing cadet. Cody's mind was already racing with how he might ask his general to make an exception for this di'kut as he dragged the ad'ika out by the collar. There was no more danger keeping him around on the front then sending him home.
If they sent him back to Kamino, he would be decommissioned immediately.
Which was a damn shame, because the cadet weighed nothing, small enough that the war might have been over by the time the ad'ika came of age.
Cody was the only one who knew how hard General Kenobi was pushing for clone rights, for their citizenship. He was in frequent communication with Senators Organa and Amidala, but there was no ray of hope to share that information with.
Cody only knew because General Kenobi had asked him to help with his role as a Council Member. That Cody signed documents in Kenobi's name that would dictate the fate of the Jedi Order as a whole was a terrifying honour despite having permission and being at Kenobi's side when he did so.
There was a collective groan that escaped his brothers in both blue and gold as the firelight illuminated their unexpected guest.
It finally shut up Skywalker as Cody set the cadet on his feet, keeping a firm hand on his shoulder to let him know how deep the bantha-dung pile he was in.
General Kenobi, however, greeted the cadet with a soft smile, his blue eyes sparkling in the flickering firelight.
"Hello there."
Skywalker and Tano were oddly quiet as they stared at the cadet with a bit too much attention.
Waxer looked like he was about to cry, Boil leaning into his side for comfort where they sat around the fire.
This cadet was too small, too young, the Jedi would send him back, not knowing what that would mean. His longer than standard hair reminded him painfully of Rex who had been forced to keep his head bald to hide his errant physical trait.
The cadet, who didn't seem at all threatened by Cody or the officers around him, waved, and said cheerily, "Hi."
Cody frowned at how high the cadet's voice was. Well, not exactly high pitched from a boy his age might have, but it didn't match how he knew the ad'ika's voice should sound.
Appo snorted, "Oh, great, another blonde."
Rex smacked his Sergeant over the back of the head.
Was that it? Was that why the cadet had run away? Risked his life, already slated for decommission for his hair colour?
It had happened before, Rex's lack of batchmates could attest that, but the Kaminoins hadn't been as strict with that now that there was a Jedi living on Kamino. Cosmetic deviants were something that the Jedi Generals could easily spot and remember, acts of disobedience or failure seemed less memorable to the Jedi who were more forgiving of such things.
Kenobi's smile softened further, "Quite the feet slipping off Kamino undetected. Do you have a name?"
"Omega," the cadet said easily.
Interesting one so young had chosen a name already, but then again, he had sneaked off of Kamino alone.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Omega. I am Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and your brother behind you is Marshal Commander Cody."
Omega flashed a relieved grin up at Cody, then at General Kenobi, "I guess I got really lucky then. I thought I was going to have to wire a droid to get a message to you."
"Me, specifically?" Kenobi asked, voice deceptively light.
Omega nodded, the headpiece that had slipped Cody's attention fell off into the cadet's hand. He tossed the piece of metal —that was strangely Longneck in design— into the fire.
Everyone tensed, but relaxed when the fire swallowed the metal without incident.
"What message?" Cody growled, wondering where a cadet had even gotten such a piece of jewellery.
Had he stolen it? A run away and a thief?
But now that Cody was looking, he realized the cut of Omega's clothing; the finer material and colour that was a far cry from standard greys or jumpsuits.
"I wanted to ask for your help in stopping my brothers from being decommissioned on Kamino. I know we aren't citizens but given a chance, we all have worth. There is something each of us could do, no matter our imperfections. We don't deserve to be put down without a chance to live free from Kamino."
Everyone went perfectly still, and Omega finally flinched under Cody's tightening grip.
"What do you mean, 'decommissioning'?" Skywalker asked, "Shaak Ti is there, she wouldn't let any of the troopers be murdered."
Omega's sweet voice turned confrontational, "If you think the Kaminoins care about what the Jedi think of them, you are wrong. Only credits and furthering their 'science' matters to them. We aren't even slaves, because at least a slave is recognized as a living thing whose lacking deserved rights."
"What is your designation?" Appo asked, voice sharp.
Slave wasn't a word one used around a clone or General Skywalker for that matter. At least Skywalker's murderous rage didn't seem to be directed at Omega.
Cody wasn't angry, he was tired. Now that the war had started, the cadets had been more eager to join the war; it was something real, something to work toward, something to truly fight for.
But the older generations of clones, they knew better, knew how unjust their lives were and how short their life expectancy was even if they survived the war.
They existed because of this war, it was hard to wish they had never been decanted, hard to know that 'perfection' didn't mean human, it meant a superior weapon to be laid to rest after they had fulfilled their purpose.
Those who had spoken out, those who had in word or gesture shown any descent had simply disappeared in the night.
Or for the Alpha generation, put down during training.
Appo asked for Omega's designation because whoever his batchmates were, he had just signed their decommissions.
But this little cadet was full of surprises, "Clone Force 99."
Jesse snorted.
Cody almost smiled, ruining that particular squad's reputation literally couldn't be done. Black armour couldn't be further tarnished.
They were called the 'Experimental Unit' for a reason.
"You are far too young," Rex snapped, "to be a part of the Bad Batch."
Omega raised his chin, "I'm older than you are, Captain Rex."
Rex huffed a laugh, "How do you figure that, cadet?"
"Let her speak," General Kenobi cut in.
Cody froze.
The cadet's voice.
The petite frame.
But that was impossible…
Unless she was a part of something like the Bad Batch, in which case, Cody shouldn't be surprised that the Longnecks would consider gender to be a mutation.
Gregor, Cody's second, coughed, "'Her', Sir?"
Kenobi's eyes were sparkling, "Unless, I'm very much mistaken, Omega?"
Omega nodded, "Yeah, I'm a girl. The only one of the Prime's lineage that I know of."
Cody let go of her shoulder, "I've never heard a whisper of you, and the Bad Batch isn't known for their secrets."
At least not in the early years.
Omega shrugged, "They don't remember me, but we were decanted in Nala Se's personal labs."
"Like Boba," Appo remarked, the ARC-trooper proving that he was older than Rex. Appo only had a lower rank then Jesse because the 501st needed a frontline pilot.
Appo was nearly as good as the Jedi in the skies.
Omega nodded, "His designation was Alpha, mine Omega. But he got picked because the Prime didn't want a girl, he just wanted the one."
Cody frowned, "You and Boba were decanted at the same time?"
"Yes," she said, looking up at him with brown-gold eyes that were identical to his own, "He's my twin, it's why I don't age as fast as everyone else."
And why she was actually older than all of them, Cody included. Boba Fett had no altered genetics, he was more or less a simple clone, an exact unchanged Jango Fett. It had been the payment he wanted at the beginning of the deal.
Boba was about as close to a nat-born as existed among them, though Cody liked to think their alterations, like being spared Jango's various allergies, made them more individual than Boba could ever hope to be.
But Omega being female? That had to change things, didn't it? It was literally impossible for her to be a copy, a relative, yes, but not a carbon copy.
It hit Cody then that she was his first and only sister. It hit him like a clanker getting in a gut punch.
Unlike Boba, she had called them her brothers.
Cody didn't know why he was getting emotional over this. Being one of the officers who had trained with the Prime, who had once been fool enough to desire the man's approval, to envy Boba his freedom and having a guardian that gave a damn about him, he should have learned his lesson about caring for the opinion of their dar'buir and dar'vod.
The Prime had tossed the rest of them aside, dirt he knocked off his boots. Cody also didn't know why it surprised him that Jango Fett could take Boba but leave Boba's twin behind. That shouldn't be surprising, because the Prime had done the same to millions of them.
But this was different, Omega was different, unique, individual in a tangible way, yet born the same way Boba had been. Why take the boy and not the girl? What had made her lesser than in the Prime's eyes?
What made them all less than?
If Cody had children of his own, if he truly considered any one ad'ika his son, he couldn't fathom viewing the boy's twin sister as anything but his daughter.
"Come sit with us," General Kenobi said, signing safe, keep.
Omega didn't seem to understand, but the 212th immediately did.
Waxer offered his hand out, "Come on then, join us." The man's joy was palpable and hastily echoed around them as whispers spread beyond them to the other groups of vode.
Omega's smile was brilliant as she took the offer without hesitation, planting herself between Appo and Waxer like she had always been meant to be there.
As if she were the missing piece of their aliit back where she belonged.
Cody didn't have a clue what the future would hold for them.
But what he did know was that his general had just promised that they would be keeping her with them, and General Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't make promises he couldn't keep.
AN: So this is a redo of Stronger Than You Know because I finished the Bad Batch and fell in love with Omega. Again, you don't have to watch that show to enjoy this fic. But thoughts, macaws, or feedback, pretty please?