Summary: "He knows that she'll come into the cockpit shortly- she always does, and he thinks she finds his presence comforting, though he has no idea why." Tech's surprised when Omega apologizes to him for a reason he doesn't know. One-shot.
A/N: Read last fic for context.
Apologies For The Uncontrollable
None of them are oblivious as to how the girl, Omega, has been following them around, watching them all with unabashed interest. Wherever they happen to be, so is she. In the hallway, in the mess hall- she's always there.
Crosshair's distrust of her is obvious. But he's also been acting odd in general since Kaller.
Hunter tries to warn her to keep away, for her safety.
Wrecker can't understand why anyone would be so interested in them.
Echo seems a bit uneasy, his reactions almost a mix between Hunter's and Wrecker's.
Tech, however, is rather intrigued. A part of him is almost as curious about her as she appears to be about them.
Even as they're locked up after Onderon, she's there- locked up as well, apparently, for being somewhere she shouldn't have been. As if that isn't enough, Tech vaguely notices how she's copying Hunter's movements. At the same time that it's odd, it's partly amusing.
He doesn't notice her watching him as well.
He plans to go into the Kaminoans' database and find what information he can on her later.
Now, Crosshair's bunk is empty, and the gunner's seat has been transformed into a room- Omega is part of their squad as much as the rest of them. And Tipoca City is no more. A lot has happened.
The familiar swirling mist of hyperspace stretches on forever outside the viewport as the Havoc Marauder flies back toward Ord Mantell following the success of another one of Rex's near-suicide missions.
The others are asleep, Tech knows, except for Omega. She always stays up later than the others, watching the stars fly by. He knows that she'll come into the cockpit shortly- she always does, and he thinks she finds his presence comforting, though he has no idea why.
She seems thoughtfully distant when she does enter, doesn't engage in conversation for a long time. He frowns at her, curious as to why she's quieter than usual.
He catches her watching him intently.
Tech tilts his head inquisitively in her direction, takes it upon himself to start the conversation this time. "Do you want to talk about it, Omega?"
"No." He doesn't miss the guilt that crosses her face as she averts her gaze back to the viewport.
"Alright, well, let me know if you change your mind." He offers, deciding he'll cross this bridge another time.
"I'm sorry!" She blurts out eventually, when he's oiling the cockpit door. Her voice is nervous, containing that same guilt he had seen in her face. When he glances back at her, he sees the emotion straining her features.
He doesn't understand, can't help but feel he's supposed to. "Whatever for? You have not done anything wrong, Omega."
"It's my fault, Tech! I-I shouldn't have let them do it." She breaks down into sobs, her words cut off.
Should not have let who do what? He's at a loss.
Nonetheless, he turns away from the door to try to calm her. If the chances are high that Wrecker and Echo will wake, Hunter is certain to.
He hesitantly reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder, flinching in surprise when she takes it as an invitation to bury her face in his chestplate and to cling to him. "I am not certain what you have done, but it clearly has not done any harm. The Marauder is taking us back to Ord Mantell, Omega. We are safe for the moment."
When his words make it worse, he knows that he's missing something big.
He doesn't find out what it is.
But he knows that she's sorry for it.