Author's note: Hello friends!
This is an AU fic that's been a long time in the works. I have several chapters written all over the timeline, it was just a matter of finally writing the first chronological chapter so I could finally start to share it! Writing this has helped me a lot through a rough patch I've been in recently, from writing sweet, soft moments between little Omega and the batch, to expressing my misery through a lot of angst (yeah...have fun with that when that comes!), and I'm so excited to share it with you. I'll try to update it as often as I can!
Note: Please don't ask how the war ended and what happened with Anakin/Padme/the Jedi. I just wanted to write an idealistic setting where the clones could be free, so I didn't put much thought into it. All you need to know is the clones are free and happy and order 66 didn't happen!
This AU assumes that everything up to the Citadel arc from the show happened (besides 99 dying, I couldn't let him be dead, Omega needs a grandfather figure), meaning that Fives, Tup, Jesse, Hardcase, all our faves that we lost between seasons 4-7 are still around to be Omega's uncles! This does mean that our beloved Dominos Cutup, Hevy and Droidbait are sadly not with us, but if it's any consolation, Fives got to be there on Skako Minor to help rescue Echo! I do touch upon why Echo chose to stay with the batch rather than go back to Rex and Fives in an upcoming chapter!
Winter, four years after War end.
The homestead was quiet as night fell, and the former troopers of Clone Force 99 were all having quiet evenings to themselves. Crosshair was still out, likely finishing up his closing shift at Cid's and not subtly kicking the last few customers out. Wrecker had turned in early after having worked overtime all week to finish construction on a new building for the school in town. Echo was winding down for bed himself, reading in his room with a cup of cocoa. Tech was in the same place he usually was at this time of night, deeply focused on a project in his room, having taken it with him back from his workshop, with no intention of sleeping anytime soon. That left Hunter, cleaning and sharpening his knives in the lounge, half listening to the holo-show he had on in the background.
The day hadn't been anything particularly extraordinary for any of them. All five of them had work, leaving and returning all at different times, so they hadn't seen much of one another. This wasn't uncommon, if their work schedules overlapped one could go at least a day without seeing the others at all. They were all content, though, it had been close to four years since they settled and built their homestead from the ground up, a cheap plot of land on the outskirts of town. Quiet, peaceful, and they could keep to themselves.
Their arrival was met with mixed response, and it was the same across the galaxy as the vast remainder of the clone army was relieved of all duty and left to disperse, each with enough credits to help them on their way. Some clones went their own way alone, while a large portion stuck with their squadmates, just as the former Clone Force 99 had done. They had pooled their credits and built themselves a home near a quiet town, surrounded by hills, forests, lakes and meadows, plenty to explore. It wasn't much, but it was enough, much more than anything else they'd ever had. They each had their own room, a luxury they had never been afforded before. They weren't alone either, having built a lakeside home for 99, the clone formerly assigned to maintenance on Kamino, just a short walk away. With all he had done to support them, it was the least they could do, and it had been their first act of freedom to fly back to their homeworld to take him with them.
Between this town and the next stood an old, scarcely used barracks from the war, that had since become the new home of the former Captain Rex and several members of the 501st, who had converted the barracks into a comfortable home. This was a common trend amongst the now freed clones, converting old barracks and abandoned buildings from the war, to avoid being situated in the middle of a town and for the slight sense of familiarity the buildings gave. Just a few years after the war ended, Cut Lawquane and his family had relocated to the very same planet, just the next town over, upon hearing of the superior farmland, as well as the opportunity to be closer to some of his brothers.
For the most part, the towns of this planet had been welcoming, although snide remarks were still heard here and there. Outer rim planets were the destination of a large percentage of freed clones, not wishing to live on largely populated planets. Others remained, however, Commander Cody took up a post working alongside the Jedi on Coruscant, like many clones electing to continue serving the Republic.
In the beginning, the little things were the most exciting and novelty. The freedom to take a walk, buying groceries, cooking a meal, all things they had rarely experienced before, if ever. If the clones of the former Clone Force 99 were all free at once, they would often go hiking, scaling the rocks and exploring their surroundings, sometimes even taking a dip in the lake. Times like that were scarce, but they made the most of it whenever they got the chance. They enjoyed one another's company, of course they did, but none of them could deny how much they appreciated their own space, their own time, and their own separate lives. They would always be brothers, a team, but none of them missed living in close quarters on a small ship, not one bit.
Through constructing their homestead, Wrecker found he had just as much affinity for construction as he did for destruction, and so had found himself work in exactly that. If he was lucky, some jobs would have ample opportunity for blowing something up. His job had taken him all over the planet, occasionally off-world too, building houses, to schools, to buildings as large as hospitals. He spent his free time working out often, and regularly visited Cid's parlour with Hardcase, who was his partner in construction.
More recently, Wrecker had taken up a new hobby, one that Crosshair had ridiculed him endlessly over. While renovating the home of a kindly older twi'lek woman, she would invite him in for his breakfast, prepare him lunch and endless cups of cocoa, and often send him home with freshly baked cakes and cookies. Once the job was complete, the visits continued regularly. She had no family living locally, and had come to see Wrecker like a son. Across these visits, she had begun to teach him how to knit, resulting in him knitting at every free moment. He found it calming, and his brothers regularly received jumpers, scarves and other knitwear as gifts.
Crosshair worked evenings at Cid's, one of the main bars in town, and had quickly worked his way up to head mixologist. Not one of them would ever have expected someone like Crosshair to find himself wanting to work with customers, but he liked the atmosphere at Cid's and had developed a fascination with mixology. By day he enjoyed painting, and would often settle down somewhere, by the lake, in the forest, to sketch and paint before his shifts. Despite still insisting on putting up a cold, hard front, his brothers could see the difference in him for sure. He sure tried to hide it, but he was visibly much happier and far more relaxed.
Now he had all the time in the galaxy to explore, experiment, and attempt to satisfy his neverending thirst for knowledge, Tech was in his element with his newfound freedom. He had taken great pleasure in building and configuring various household appliances not only for their home, but for 99's and the 501st's also, and ended up setting up his own repair shop for anything from a faulty datapad to droids and entire ships. No challenge was too big for him, and he promised a full refund to any job he couldn't solve. So far no refunds had needed to be given.
Tech's work never really ended, he would work well into the night and be early the next morning to carry on, likely after having fallen asleep at his work table. This was much to the other's dismay, causing Wrecker to build him a workshop in the yard where he could continue his work, and have a place to run his shop without depriving his brothers of any sleep, or cluttering the house with various debris and mechanical parts that wouldn't fit in his bedroom. Still, it didn't stop him from tinkering quietly in his room when he claimed he was going to bed.
If he ever dragged himself away from his repairs, Tech was fascinated by nature, from taking plant and soil samples to catching insects to study. Seeing everything with his own eyes, as opposed to on a datapad, that was better than anything he had ever experienced before. He had yet to lose the expression of boyish wonder on his face, even years on.
Echo was taking things much slower than his brother, but after everything, they understood. Echo helped out with Tech's repair shop several days a week, but otherwise spent his days in his garden, working on his plants and crops, on occasion helping with others' gardens if needed. Almost daily, he spent a lot of time keeping 99 company, and the pair had taken interest in baking. A day with 99 often resulted in baked goods for the rest of the squad.
As for Hunter, he found himself work in carpentry, and found pleasure in creating various items with his newfound skill. Most furnishings for their own home came from his own handiwork. Over time and with hours of practise, he learned to create beautiful, intricate carvings into his creations, which led his work to become highly sought after. He'd even received orders off-world for his work. When he wasn't carving he was exploring the surroundings, often with a brother in tow. He enjoyed his morning and evening runs, and in good weather, a swim too.
They all had their own lives now, no longer forced to be surrounded by each other constantly, but they never had any intention to separate. The time apart only strengthened their brotherhood, and they would work together and help each other without question. Their chosen work and hobbies meshed together well, Wrecker's builds often included woodwork from Hunter, technical work from Tech and Echo, and even decorative painting from Crosshair if they were really lucky. Not only that, but Tech had devised many contraptions to help his brothers with their various tasks.
Anyone who loudly opposed the clone liberation were vastly overshadowed by those who saw the five of them as a tremendous asset to the community, as were the 501st, who were all contributing just as much. Thanks to them the community had a new medic and several marshals, just to name a few.
It was getting late, and Hunter's concentration was beginning to dwindle as tiredness crept in. He sheathed the knives and stored them away, flicking off the holo. He was glad to have a few days off now; staying inside in the warm, at least for one day, was extremely inviting. Maybe he and some of the others could actually sit down for dinner together, all five of them, perhaps. They hadn't gotten to do that in weeks. Maybe they could even eat out. Crosshair and Wrecker were definitely due a day off, and Tech closed up his shop whenever he felt like it. He'd ask them in the morning.
Heading to the kitchen to make a cup of hot fruit tea, Hunter stopped in his tracks. There was a strange sound coming from outside. High pitched mewling, it sounded like. Perhaps some stray animal, a young tooka calling for it's mother. He shrugged it off, grabbing his cup from the shelf and starting up the water heater.
He stopped again. The noise sounded too human, upon second thought. Like crying, a baby crying. That couldn't be right, it was coming from right outside the house and wasn't getting any quieter, it wasn't someone passing with their child. If his suspicions were correct, there was a child outside. Rushing to the door, those very suspicions were answered. There, right outside the door, out in the freezing cold, sat a basket. A small basket, perhaps one for gathering fruit, overflowing with dark blue blankets, a little pink face nestled amidst them.
The baby couldn't be older than a few days, it was tiny. Tiny enough to fit into such a small basket, at least. Hunter stepped outside, looking around for any sign of someone out there.
"Hello?" he called, taking a further few steps into the night. The outdoor lamps only illuminated so much, he saw nothing but the lights of the town. An icy gust of wind made him shiver, and it took him a good few moments before looking back at the basket. The baby had managed to free one of its arms from the blankets in its upset, the tiny pink fist flailed helplessly as it cried. Panic shot through him. What was he thinking, leaving an infant to cry in the freezing cold. Stars forbid he ever became a parent.
Cautiously, Hunter lifted the basket and got it inside, placing it near to the fire. He stared at the baby in confusion, unsure as to what had even just happened. What had begun as an ordinary day had managed to derail pretty fast. Just a few minutes ago he was sharpening his knives, now there was a crying baby in front of him, seemingly left at their doorstep, with no sign of it's mother. He should probably at least try to stop the crying.
Hunter lifted the bundle of blankets from the basket slowly, and carefully cradled the infant in his arms. Whether he was doing it right, he had no idea, he'd barely seen a baby before, let alone hold one.
"Shh, shh," he said softly, trying his best to rock the baby, "You're...you're safe, little one. We'll get you back to your mother."
"Found a stray tooka, have we?" Crosshair chuckled behind him, having just gotten home, "Found yourself a pet?"
"Not quite," Hunter turned to face him, and the former sniper's smirk disappeared. The baby had quietened considerably, high pitched cries reduced to whimpers.
"Is that-"
"What's going on down here? I thought I heard-" Echo's grumbling came to a halt, and he widened his eyes, "A baby."
"Did you see anyone as you came home?" Hunter turned to Crosshair, his voice urgent, "Anyone at all?"
He looked down at the baby, now silent and looking up at him with familiar brown eyes. Eyes like a million others across the galaxy.
"There was someone," Crosshair frowned, "Headed towards town, long hooded cloak, definitely looked as if they didn't want to be noticed. I'm sure they sped up when they saw me."
"A woman?"
"I couldn't tell," Crosshair sighed, "Too dark."
Hunter sighed, "Who would leave...leave him with us?"
"Her name is Omega, for a start," Echo said, picking up something from the basket, "She's...it says..."
"Says what?" Hunter frowned.
"This is your daughter, Omega, keep her safe," Echo read aloud, "And there's this."
He held up a grey oval pendant, adorned darker grey markings they didn't recognise.
"Daughter?" Hunter gaped, looking down at Omega in disbelief, "Who? Which one of us?"
"There's no name," Echo frowned, "Cross, get Tech and Wrecker down here. Hunter..."
He faltered a moment, looking at his scomp arm before picking up one of the excess blankets and wrapping it around the cold, hard metal of the scomp link. He sat down on the couch, "Give her here, see if you can find whoever left her here."
Hunter looked from Omega to Echo, and the former ARC trooper smirked.
"No offense, but you look terrified that you're going to drop her any minute," he raised an eyebrow, but he too looked apprehensive, "Not that I've ever held a baby...especially not with one arm."
"This wasn't a part of our training," Hunter started to smile, carefully passing little Omega to Echo, who took her with ease. His scomp arm supported her weight, cushioned by the blanket.
"Hello, little one," Echo's usually gravelly voice softened, looking up at Hunter with an equally as soft expression, "She really is tiny."
Omega yawned, letting out a soft squeak, and the pair of them melted a little, gazing at her for a moment with pure adoration. The infant opened her eyes, staring sleepily up at Echo.
"Oh, you're one of us alright," Echo chuckled softly, "I'd know those eyes anywhere."
He glanced up at Hunter, still watching the baby with doting eyes. It had barely been a few minutes, but the former sergeant was clearly taken with her, "The longer we wait, the further away they'll get. Take the speeder if you have to, but we need answers."
"Right," Hunter nodded, taking one last glance at Omega before hurrying outside to the speeders.
"I was tryin' to sleep," Wrecker's voice grumbled from upstairs.
"What could be so important to interrupt my research?" Tech said as he came downstairs following Crosshair, Wrecker yawning behind them.
"Please, you were playing that game you've gotten yourself addicted to," Crosshair scoffed.
"For your information, I was actually taking a – Echo is holding a baby," Tech's eyes widened.
"Well spotted," Echo smirked, as Tech came closer and adjusted his goggles. He leaned closer to the baby.
"Where did you get it?" he asked, his voice alive with curiosity.
"Hunter found her outside the door," Echo said matter-of-factly, although his voice remained soft and lowered, "And...it appears one of you is her father."
"You...what?" Wrecker was suddenly much more awake, "One of us?"
"See for yourself," Echo nodded to the note and pendant in the basket.
"Which one of us?" Wrecker picked up the note, turning it over and clearly looking closely for a name.
"If she's the daughter of a clone, she's technically the daughter of all clones," Tech said, taking out his datapad, "Let's see here, I'll run her DNA against ours, and provided it's a match, we will all, genetically speaking, be fathers."
"Lucky us," Crosshair muttered, folding his arms.
"You mean...she could be mine?" Wrecker knelt down, looking at the newborn in awe.
"Any of ours, well, except," Tech glanced at Echo sheepishly. Echo couldn't meet his eyes, the hint of disappointment on his face was unmistakeable.
"She's so small," Wrecker went to touch her arm, still out of the blankets but now considerably less pink, but pulled away as if afraid of breaking her.
"Very small. She cannot be older than a few days," Tech said, his voice also softened, "The real question is who left her, and why."
"No sign of anyone out there," Hunter sighed as he came back inside, "Maybe they heard me coming and hid, but there was no one out there, and town is deserted."
"So, what do we do?" Wrecker looked from Echo to Hunter, and back to Omega.
"We find her a proper family," Crosshair muttered, "Five ex-soldiers, that's no place for a child, we don't have the first idea what to do."
"Says who?" Wrecker said fiercely.
"Keep your voices down, both of you," Echo hissed, "She's already been abandoned once, we might just be all she has. Besides one of you is responsible for the fact she's even here right now, the least you can do is step up and care for her."
"I propose we look at dates," Tech said casually, "Human gestation – normal human gestation – lasts for approximately nine standard months, although birth can occur earlier or later. Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, think back to between eight to nine months ago, did you engage in any-"
"Please stop talking," Crosshair grimaced.
"It's the only way to deduce who fathered her, Crosshair," Tech said curtly, "The only way to deduce who should take responsibility for her mere existence."
"Does it really matter?" Echo frowned, "She was brought to us, she is more than likely our blood. Shouldn't we all take responsibility and care for her? I thought we never left our own behind?"
"We're a match," Tech said the moment his datapad beeped.
"She's ours," Echo had a sense of pride in his voice. The five of them fell silent, all eyes on the sleeping newborn in Echo's arms.
"We should call Kix," Hunter finally spoke.
"Why? Is she sick?" Wrecker's expression of wonder was replaced by that of worry.
"No, but she's been left outside in the cold for we don't know how long, and we have nothing to feed her," Hunter didn't take his eyes off the baby, "Kix works with babies and children all the time, he knows more than we do and might have some supplies."
"She's staying?" Crosshair shook his head.
"This isn't something we can walk away from, Cross," Echo said, "You could be her father, or one of you did, we can't give up on her before we even try."
"How hard can it be?" Wrecker grinned, "She's so little, taking care of her will be easy!"
"I'll call him," Hunter grabbed the comm, "If he's even awake at this hour."
As Hunter stepped aside to make the call, Tech shifted a little awkwardly, speaking with his voice lowered, "Echo? Can I..."
He held out his arms a little, gesturing to the baby, "I can't say I've ever held a baby, or really even interacted with many children before, but considering I could-"
"Be her father? You?" Crosshair sneered, "You would have to put down the datapad and talk to a woman for that to be a possibility, Tech."
"Cut it out!" Wrecker snapped, giving Crosshair a shove.
"Leave it, Wrecker," Tech said proudly, "He's only lashing out because he's afraid."
Crosshair scowled and sat hunched over on the other side of the lounge. Echo shot him a glare before turning his attention back to Tech.
"Just remember to-"
"-to support her head, I know," Tech said, taking the baby into his arms, "I know..."
He fell silent, studying her closely. He examined her tiny hand, smiling to himself when her tiny fingers curled around his.
"You are extraordinary," Tech whispered, stroking her tiny, perfect fingers with his thumb.
"Are you crying, Tech?" Wrecker smirked. Tech cleared his throat and blinked away any tears.
"It is a known fact that babies can evoke an emotional response," Tech said, "And up until now the idea of ever having a child, it wasn't at the forefront of my mind."
Echo got to his feet, stepping closer to Tech and little Omega. Despite his effortless response to Crosshair's remark, he looked a little saddened.
"You alright?" Echo said quietly. Neither Tech nor Wrecker looked up from the baby.
"I never even considered," Tech said softly, "The odds of this ever happening to me were non-existent, so I had barely even given it a thought."
"You're always looking to learn something new," Echo started to smile, "I'd say raising a child will give you an endless opportunity for that."
"Until the next thing comes along," Crosshair muttered, "And he-"
"Will you shut up?" Echo snapped, "No one forced you to stay down here, Cross, keep the snide comments to yourself."
"At least the rest of us are stepping up," Wrecker growled, "Don't listen to him, Tech."
"I'm not," Tech's voice was almost dreamy, "He just needs to find a better means of handling his anxieties."
"I've called Kix, he's on his way. Seemed a little confused given-," Hunter flinched as Crosshair shoved past him into the kitchen, "What's that about?"
"He's just lashing out because he hates to feel ill-equipped for this new situation," Tech said, as if telling Omega, "I'd say he'll come around, but this is Crosshair we're talking about."
"First thing to know, kid," Wrecker grinned, carefully reaching and taking her tiny hand amidst his fingers, "Never listen to Crosshair."
"Leave him," Hunter tried to sound serious, but he struggled to keep a straight face, "It's a big change for us all, give him a chance."
The ordinary day a distant memory, the five clones of the former Clone Force 99 individually began to process this new arrival and this new role they possessed. Tech barely took his eyes off her as he cradled her in his arms, keeping her quiet and calm with his mere presence. Crosshair eventually slipped back into the lounge, stood the other side of the room and clearly the most conflicted about his potential daughter even existing. Hunter and Echo stood quietly discussing their new situation. One thing was for certain; their quiet lives were about to get...a lot less quiet.
Author's note: Thank you so much for reading! I've loved writing this so much and can't wait to show you more! Chapters 2&3 are very close to being ready to post, so I will get those up as soon as possible. Please feel free to leave a comment, I get so excited when I see I've had comments!
Plenty more soft clone content to come!
PS. I'm going to be writing all kinds of one-shot type stories in this universe with Omega at all ages - feel free to suggest a cute scenario for inspo!
