The rain had not let up all morning. For over three hours it had fallen in fiercely pounding drops, and now there was thunder as well.
Omega leaned on the dashboard, slumped over in the copilots seat. She watched the swirling rivulets of rainwater streaking down the viewport and sliding off to who knew where. Everything was dark and silent.
Omega wished, not for the first time, that there would be some way to fix everything. She was sure there was, if only she could find it! She definitely needed to talk with the others - perhaps then she'd be able to sort out the confusing swirl of thought in her mind. She had so many questions, but that was all she knew. She wasn't sure what those questions were, nor even what they were about. It was frustrating, and that puzzled her.
She idly flipped an unresponsive switch on the control panel back and forth, back and forth...
There was...one question she had - it had come to her that morning while Hunter was talking to her. And that question she wanted an answer to. Perhaps she could discover what else was bothering her if she at least had one answer to work from.
She needed an answer now.
Omega bounced up from the seat and spun about, pausing as she looked around the very empty ship. Empty except for -
Omega sank back into her seat and shook her head. She would be quiet and leave Crosshair alone.
But then another thought struck her. A thought from the previous evening. Crosshair still had his chip. She was sure of it. And she'd forgotten to tell Hunter!
Perhaps she was mistaken, but his reactions and what she had heard from the hold when Tech and Wrecker were patching Crosshair up was clearly not from Crosshair's physical injuries. Also, the way he had looked when she had seen him after... Something wasn't right.
The Marauder's main console communications board flashed at her, and Omega watched the lights dance, letting her eyes slide shut to the mezmerizing patterns. Only to jerk awake as she realized someone was trying to contact her.
She hit the button and Echo flickered into view on the holo. "Hello, Echo," she said.
"Omega? Just checking in - Hunter's still arguing with Cid about our payments. Nust letting you know we could be later than anticipated."
Omega shrugged. "That's fine. Did you find a good job?"
"Well... It pays pretty well - four thousand, supposedly, if Cid doesn't cheat on us again."
"She's pretty tricky, huh?"
"Yeah," Echo chuckled. "Unfortunately, she's the only one we can go to for jobs without risking getting turned in to the Empire - though come to think of it, she might just do that if it suits her."
"Don't say that, Echo," said Omega. "I don't think Cid would turn us in. She likes us, I think... Plus, we've gotten her a lot of money! I don't think she'd risk me as her Dejarik player." Omega always felt very grown up, talking over holo.
Echo sighed. "I hope your right, Omega. But as far as I'm concerned, it's all about the credits with Cid."
Omega nodded along.
"And that's another thing," Echo went on. "Cid found out somehow that we have another person on board! Docking fees just went up because of that!"
"What?" said Omega, trying to sound as affronted as Echo did, but not quite sure she understood what it was all about. "She's charging more because Crosshair is with us?"
"Yup," said Echo. "Force help us if she ever finds out he was Imperial - maybe still is Imperial. How's it going over there? Everything okay?"
"Oh, fine." Omega looked about the ship again. "Crosshair hasn't come out since you left, and I've cleaned up the ship, studied more about those yalbecs -"
"Yalbecs? Why would you be studying about those?"
"Well..." Omega giggled a little nervously. "They are interesting...! And..."
Even over the holo, Echo's raised eyebrow was evident. "And what?"
Omega took a deep breath. "Wrecker said fighting them is the only way I'll be allowed to use a big knife," she blurted.
Echo facepalmed. "Omega, I hope you never have to use a big knife."
"I know..." Omega hid her hands in her lap and stared down at the toes of her boots. "It's just...I just want to..."
Echo smiled faintly. "Maybe later - oh! Gotta run. Look, Omega, we'll...bring you back some Mantell Mix. Okay?"
The Echo holo disappeared as did the sound. But not before Omega had heard Cid's sharp voice over the speakers contending with Wrecker's for volume and Tech's higher tones chirping out, "That is extremely unfair!"
Omega smoothed her tunic and wandered towards the rear of the ship. She wondered how Crosshair was doing.
The bunkroom door was still shut. It was nearing 1300 hours.
Omega knocked. "Crosshair?"
No answer.
Omega checked the controls. The door was no longer locked. Tapping the button, Omega opened the door and stepped inside.
Crosshair was sitting upright in his bunk, watching her.
Omega jumped. "C-Crosshair! How...how are you?"
"What do you think?"
He sounded just as sour as ever. Good. Nothing was seriously wrong.
Omega stepped forward. She wanted to ask him if he had heard her knocking (she was sure he had), but decided a less confrontational approach would be more prudent.
"Are you hungry? she asked.
"Yes."
Omega blinked. She hadn't been expecting such cooperation. Crosshair seemed to guess her thoughts.
"What?" he sneered. "Surprised?"
Omega shrugged as politely as she could. "Um..yes, actually. A bit..."
"Hmph." Crosshair leaned back against the wall and massaged his bandaged ribs. "You're an observant little pest. I figured you wouldn't accept a lie, so...if I answer the way you want, maybe you'll go - away."
Omega sighed and moved to the shelf where Hunter kept the ration bars. She didn't think Crosshair was ready for MREs.
Setting a bar and a water pouch on the pillow, Omega stepped back and folded her arms. "Does that mean if I ask you to eat something, you will? Because I won't go away until you promise to," she said.
Crosshair snorted. "You're so naive."
"I just want you to eat some food!"
Crosshair rolled his eyes.