A/N: Repurposing of small parts of Episodes 1 and 7 of Season 1 of The Bad Batch for this Chapter.
Jek wakes at 8:00 AM, rubbing his cheek where Omega had struck him during her night terror. He feels a cool gentle breeze from the window and shields his eyes from the sun beaming through the window. Birds chirped outside, and there was music playing in the distance. Omega's light breathing suggested she was still asleep. Shaeeah looked up from her book. "Good morning, sleepyhead,"
"Good morning, Sis." Jek got up and looked at Omega's larger though temporary, bed. "Should we wake her? She never sleeps this late."
Shaeeah looked over and shook her head. "After last night, let her sleep on. We'd best go get breakfast first."
The scents of breakfast drift from the kitchen, slightly oaky. Jek's nodded as his stomach growled. They crept out, carefully avoiding the fold in the carpet next to their wardrobes.
When Jek and Shaeeah entered, the Kitchen lit up by the light that shone over the table, and there was the sound and scent of caff and cooking.
Cut and Hunter were at the table talking while Echo was helping Suu with cooking breakfast. Suu noticed their entrance. "Good morning, sweeties. Did you sleep well?" "The music helped us sleep better, so yes."
Shaeeah and Jek took their seats, and Echo plated some food. "Hungry?"
They nodded and started eating, though Jek was distracted by the ache in his cheek.
"Need an ice pack?" Cut asked.
Jek nodded, and Cut grabbed one for him.
"How long before Omega will awaken?" Shaeeah asked.
"If she's not awake at 9, I'll go in and wake her," Hunter replied.
Suu nodded. "After what happened with her last night, she deserves to sleep in".
Hunter nodded in affirmation. Suu then remembered something from last night.
"Oh, speaking of Omega, she called me mum last night," Suu said.
"You've been a good mother figure to Omega, so I'm not surprised she did," Hunter replied, smiling at her.
"Heh, thanks, Hunter," Suu replied, smiling back at Hunter
After breakfast, Jek headed to the Lounge Room to draw while Shaeeah headed for the refresher.
Omega woke up later that morning, the music player still going as a cool breeze ruffled her face, the sunbeams landing over her bed. In the distance, she could hear a shower running and the distant sound of conversation from the Kitchen.
She got up and saw that Jek and Shaeeah weren't in the room with her, their beds not made.
Registering that there was no birdsong, though that slightly oak scent from the farm was present. Sensing a friendly presence at the door, Omega asked, "What time is it?"
"Almost 9 am. How are you this morning?" came Hunter's concerned voice from the door.
Omega climbed out of bed and stood on the soft carpet, "Better than last night, but I'm still tired, and my hand hurts."
"Well, let's get you to the Kitchen, and we can get an ice pack for it, and you can have breakfast and take your medication," Hunter replied.
Omega sleepily got out of bed, turned off the music player, and followed Hunter out of the room, stumbling on the carpet fold.
Most of the cooking had stopped when Omega and Hunter entered the Kitchen, though the scent of the cooking and caff lingered. Cut had gone outside, but Echo and Suu were at the table having breakfast while Shaeeah was drawing.
Omega sat opposite Shaeeah. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."
Shaeeah looked up from her drawing. "No worries, Omega. You needed it after last night."
Echo noticed the mark on Omega's hand. Frowning and putting his utensil down, Echo asked, "Need something for your hand, Omega?"
Omega nodded as Hunter passed her breakfast and medication, which she took.
Shaeeah gave Omega a questioning look as Echo placed the ice pack on her hand.
"Minimising infection risk," Omega said. The coldness of the ice pack made her shiver slightly, but the relief from the pain was instant.
Shaeeah nodded in understanding, then went back to her drawing.
"I need to talk to you and Jek a bit later," Omega said.
Shaeeah didn't look up from her drawing. "Jek's in the shower, but we can squeeze it in once he's out."
"Thanks," Omega replied.
Once Omega had finished breakfast and Jek re-joined them, Omega returned the ice pack to Echo, got up and led the duo back to their room.
As they enter the kid's room, Shaeeah stumbles over the fold in the carpet, too focused and worried about her big sister to remember to avoid it. She notices the shadows in the room, which doesn't help the gloomy ambience. She can also sense Omega's nervousness about explaining what happened last night. Shaeeah wants to know so she and Jek can help Omega with future Night Terrors and reassure her that they're not scared of her, despite Omega having hit Jek during the episode.
As they sat on their beds, Shaeeah noticed a guilty grimace cross Omega's features, possibly at her having a larger bed than her or Jek. She's unsure how to wave this off, as Omega's taller than her and Jek.
Finally, after Omega took several deep breaths, Shaeeah knew that Omega was ready to explain.
"Jek, Shaeeah, firstly, I'm sorry you had to witness one of my night terrors. Though my nightmares are frequent, I rarely get night terrors," Omega admitted.
Shaeeah looked to Jek as he got up from his bed, walked over to Omega, and took Omega's hand in his. "You don't have to be sorry, Omega; you can't help it. I just wanted what was tormenting you to end."
"I understand, Jek. But I-I tried to pull out of the night terror. I-I tried as hard as I could. But, but. I got too caught up in it. Jek, I'm so sorry about hitting you. I-I had no control over my body."
Shaeeah got up from her bed, walked over, and hugged Omega. Jek said, "I know, Omega, it's OK."
Jek put his hand on Omega's cheek, as Omega did for Wrecker after his Order 66 rampage months ago, and said, "I know Omega, it's OK. We're a bit sore, but we're fine. Right?"
"It's fine, Omega, we understand. We get nightmares and night terrors, too." Shaeeah said. Jek joined in the hugs, making Omega smile, relieved that Jek and Shaeeah weren't scared of her.
"Thanks. You have no idea how much of a difference this makes for me," Omega said. Shaeeah looked up at her big sister and was glad Omega was calmer.
It was then that she noticed Omega get an idea.
"Hey, I want to share something with you, A local delicacy from our home base. I've got to go to the ship to get some, though." Omega said.
Jek and Shaeeah replied, "Sure, we'll be in the Living Room when you return. Morning cartoons are on."
Shaeeah and Jek let Omega go, feeling calmer now that their big sister was OK. As they departed, Shaeeah made sure not to stumble over the fold in the carpet again.
In the Kitchen, Hunter asked, "What are you doing?"
Omega replied, "I'm going to get some Mantell Mix from the ship", but she held her head as a headache briefly flared.
Seeing this, Hunter said, "Don't. In your current condition, please don't push yourself. Where's the mix? I'll grab it."
"Alright. It's next to the Gunner Nest. But I still want to share the Mix with Jek and Shaeeah," Omega replied
Hunter smiled and nodded. He got up, grabbed a bowl, and headed out while Omega waited at the entrance.
Once Hunter returned from the ship with the Mantell Mix, he gave the bowl full to Omega.
"Thanks, Hunter," Omega replied, hugging Hunter, which he returned. Omega then headed into the Living Room.
A light in the ceiling was the source of the Living Room's light, dimmed to help Omega. The other lights came from the television that Jek and Shaeeah were watching. The scents mainly came from the carpet and the Mantell Mix.
The cartoon Jek and Shaeeah were watching had them quite excited.
As Omega sat next to them, she offered the bumpy, white and purple snacks to the Twi'lek hybrids.
"Mantell Mix, a local snack from Ord Mantell," Omega stated as she offered them the bowl. As Jek and Shaeeah thanked Omega and took a few pieces, Omega noticed the TV Cabinet, made of several different types of wood, all only subtly different.
Later in the afternoon, Omega was dozing on the soft and very comfortable couch in the Living Room. The sounds of Jek, Shaeeah, Wrecker, Gonky and AZ-Pi playing with a few friends carrying through the house, Suu, playing card games with Cut, Hunter and Tech, suddenly got an idea.
"So, how about we take you guys out tonight?" Suu asked.
Hunter replied, "We don't want to be a burden."
"Come on, Hunter. You guys deserve it. Plus, Omega needs interactions with people her age," Cut replied
Tech responded, "Jek and Shaeeah are quite a few years younger than Omega, though."
"Agreed, but something like this could be important for Omega," Wrecker pointed out.
Hunter conceded, "Point taken."
"Then it's a plan," Cut replied, and they rounded up the rest of the family and headed to the local restaurant.
When they arrived, they saw it was a 3-story building built out of wood and brick. There's a balcony on the top floor, and the roof is a magnificent rustic brown.
"Where's the restaurant?" Hunter asked.
Cut replied, "On the third floor. There's a kid's playroom and a balcony with an awesome view of the town and surrounding areas."
It truly is a beautiful view," Suu said.
Rex replied, "It does look good, especially nearing sunset."
"Alright. Lead the way, Cut," Hunter said. Cut nodded and led them inside.
When they entered, Suu said, "I'm taking the lift. Hunter, Omega, are you going to join me?"
"Yes," Hunter and Omega replied, and they entered the lift while the rest took the steps. They reunited on the third floor and entered the diner.
When they entered the restaurant, it was a warm, inviting environment. The soft but thick marzipan-coloured carpet meant that conversation sounds were deadened with distance, giving a quieter air than expected. The tables are close together but positioned for enough room to move around. The Waiters are moving quickly but are on top of things. The smells and tastes are overwhelming, a complex mix of flavours and scents.
"Wow, I didn't expect this," Hunter admitted.
Cut replied, "It's a favourite of ours. You can see why."
"Yeah, it's nice," Hunter replied. Jek turned to Omega and said: "Hey, would you like to join us in the playroom, Omega?"
"Maybe if I'm young enough for it. Also, I won't be able to go on any play equipment." Omega replied.
Shaeeah replied, "That's fine, Omega." Cut found a waiter and got a table for 10.
After getting settled, the family all select what they want. Jek and Shaeeah could take from the kid's menu, but Omega, at 13, was too old. The restaurant was relatively cheap,
with a solid menu selection, though it had a gourmet option you had to book ahead to try.
"So much variety to choose from on the menu. I want to try it all," Omega said wondrously.
Hunter replied, "Just pick what you fancy the most", while Suu added, "And remember, we can refrigerate whatever you don't eat for future consumption."
"Alright," Omega replied. Soon, she, Jek and Shaeeah had made their orders, along with the rest of the crew. Only Echo struggled but eventually found a meal he could eat one-armed.
"Can we go to the playroom now?" Jek asked.
Cut replied, "Sure. We'll call you when dinner's ready, alright?"
"Alright," Shaeeah excitedly replied before she said, "Come on, Omega." before Omega could say, "Wait, I'm probably too old," Shaeeah took her hand and dragged her towards the Playroom, with Jek not far behind.
As Omega had predicted, when they reached the Playroom, they discovered that Omega was too old for the Playroom.
"5 to 12. Yep, I'm too old for this," Omega sighed. Jek turned to Omega and said, "Wait, you're not," before remembering that Omega was older than she looked.
"I keep forgetting you're a teenager, Omega. Sorry," Jek said.
Omega patted Jek on the head and replied, "It's OK, Jek. It doesn't look like I'd have much use for it anyway", and she looked around. The play equipment dominated the room, which Omega couldn't use for safety reasons. There were a few game consoles, but they were all occupied.
"Hey, how about we introduce you to our friends?" Shaeeah asked.
Omega replied, "Sure, but you've got to get them off the play equipment first."
"OK," Shaeeah excitedly replied, and she ran onto the equipment to find them, Jek close behind.
Omega only had to wait a minute before Shaeeah returned with her friends. A full-blood Twi'lek female, green-skinned, blue-eyed, wearing a long sleeve maroon dress with black pants, looked about Jek's age. The other friend was a female Togruta. She was darker skinned, with shoulder-length, white and blue patterned lekku and small Montrals, wearing a blue and black onesie and about a year older than Shaeeah, also joined them.
"Lucina, Alexis, this is Omega. She's the older friend I told you about, remember?" Shaeeah asked.
Lucina and Alexis briefly looked at each other before remembering and replying, "Nice to meet you, Omega."
"Nice to meet you too," Omega replied, shaking their hands. Alexis then asked, "How old are you, Omega?"
"Thirteen," Omega replied.
Lucina replied, "No offence, you don't look thirteen," Omega chuckled.
"I know. I look younger than I am," Omega replied, smiling.
Jek then approached with two friends of his own. One friend was a male about his age who looked like a Twi'lek hybrid like him, with reddy-brown skin, hazel eyes, shoulder blade length lekku, wearing a red-and-black shirt, black jeans, and black, fingerless gloves.
Another, a female human/Togruta hybrid with light skin, blue eyes, short, white and brown lekku and montrals, looked about a year younger than Jek.
"This is Maxwell and Madelyn Omega. Maxwell, Madelyn, Omega," Jek said, and Omega shook their hands.
"Nice to meet you, too," Omega replied.
Maxwell replied, "Did I hear that right? You're nearly double Jek's age?"
"Yeah, I look younger than I am," Omega replied.
Madelyn replied, "Wow. Man, I feel bad for you not being able to play on the playground. It's so much fun."
"So, I've heard. Sadly, even if I was young enough, I'm currently injured, so I can't play on it, lest I make it worse," Omega replied.
Madelyn turned to face Jek and asked, "How is she injured?"
"She's got some stitches in her side," Jek replied. Omega smiled at them and said, "Thanks for the intros, but unfortunately, I've got to head back. As was said earlier, I'm too old to be around here."
"That's OK, Omega," Shaeeah replied. Omega then waved to the group, which they returned, before heading back to the table. As she watches Omega leave, Alexis gets an idea.
"Hold on, I'll be back," Alexis said, and she ran out of the playroom towards the table her family sat. After a short discussion with her parents, and a male who looked about Omega's age, she smiled, hugged her parents and brother, and ran back to the playroom.
"My brother is about her age, so at least she'll have company," Alexis said.
Shaeeah and Lucina both nodded, and everyone returned to the play equipment.
As Omega returns to the table, she notices the restaurant is marginally busier than when she left.
Clone Force 99 is updating Cut and Suu about their adventures between Salecumai and now. Rex is updating everyone about what he's been doing.
There was a stack of bread rolls, although nobody was touching them. A few drinks had been ordered and were sitting on the tables.
Echo feels sorry for himself because everyone's getting regular meals, while he ordered what he ordered due to his physical limitations. Wrecker. Suu and Hunter are watching Omega, while Wrecker is half talking, half looking longingly at the playground he's way too big to go on.
Echo can understand Wrecker's longing and is annoyed at Tech for not being a more active part of the conversation, staying on his datapad even when he was talking.
Hunter and Suu have been watching Omega with concerned looks, and their fears about Omega's exclusion were accurate.
"I've always maintained it should be about size, not age, for access to that playground," Cut admitted as he noticed Omega returning. This comment made everyone stop their conversation and look at Omega.
"Even if it was about the size, not age, Omega is too injured to play on the playground. That part is about safety," Tech stated.
"Even so, it's not fair," Suu sighed, looking empathically at Omega as she rejoined them, looking downcast. Echo nodded in agreement.
"I'm too old for the room. And even if I was young enough, I'm too injured to play on the equipment," Omega sighed.
Hearing this, everyone turned to face her.
Hunter replied, "It's OK, ad'ika. We'll find something for you, alright?"
"OK," Omega replied. She sighed sadly. Tech then handed his datapad to her.
Omega perks up slightly, "Thanks Tech", then starts looking for something to distract her.
Cut and Suu look at the Batch. A look that immediately tells them this is a band-aid solution.
The conversation resumes, but Echo looks to Omega. He understands her feeling isolated and hates seeing her like this.
A few minutes later, the Togruta male from earlier approached the table. He was darker skinned, with orange-brown skin and blue eyes. His lekku is marginally shorter than shoulder-length, with 4-inch long montrals, coloured white and navy. He wore a black singlet, navy blue, knee-length, short jeans, and black and blue sandals.
Echo looked at the young man and wondered, "Why has this person approached us?"
"Ah, hey there. You're Alexis' older brother, correct?" Cut asked.
He nodded. Wrecker looked at him and asked: "What's that?"
"Adolescent Togruta male. Origins? Oh, there are his parents." Tech stated, looking over to the other side of the pub, where his parents were sitting. Suu smiled, then asked, "Alejandro, correct?"
He nodded, then turned to Hunter and asked, "Hey, I was wondering if your daughter could join me on the balcony."
"On the balcony?" Hunter asked.
Alejandro pointed to a balcony looking out over the town.
"What do you think?" Hunter asked, turning to Omega, who looked up at Hunter briefly, then over at Alejandro, and then to the balcony.
"Sure, I can accompany you out there if you want," Omega replied, returning to the datapad to Tech. Alejandro smiled and led the way. As they left, Echo, spotting the nervous look on Hunter's face, stated, "Actually, I'm going to go and just keep a general eye on them."
"Just make sure to stay out of immediate sight, alright?" Hunter warned.
Echo replied, "Don't worry, I won't," before following. Suu chuckled and said, "Echo's certainly the Mama bear of your Batch, isn't he?"
"Always has been. Since Omega joined us, at least." Hunter replied. Suu nodded, and they returned to talking. But not before Tech noticed that, despite having grown considerably, Omega was still small for her age, seemingly a foot shorter than Alejandro, despite him seeming to only be a year older than her at most.
As Omega, Alejandro and Echo arrive on the Balcony, Suu notices Hunter perch forward on his seat, his eyes moving between the conversation and the trio on the Balcony. Hunter's foot taps on the carpet, making the table vibrate subtly and the carpet move slightly. She can tell he's irritated and nervous.
"Hunter, relax. It's OK. You agreed that Omega needs interactions with teens her age," Suu reassured.
"I know. It's just so sudden that Alejandro showed up. I don't want Omega to feel excluded again." Hunter replied, and Suu agreed.
"I know. It's called dad's nerves. But Echo's out there keeping an eye on things. You worry too much, Hunter. Leave that to Echo,"
"I just don't want Omega to be hurt again after everything she's been through," Hunter replied, looking at Suu.
"Well, if you're serious about it, let this interaction flow. It looks like a good first impression," Suu smiled, looking at the Balcony herself. Hunter looked over, nodded, and visibly relaxed, sitting back in his chair.
"It'll be fine. I know Alejandro. He's a good kid. He'll be a good friend for Omega," Suu reassured.
"I'll trust your judgement Suu" Hunter replied.
"Does Omega have any other friends?" Suu enquired.
"Only a twi'lek girl named Hera Syndulla. She's a couple of years younger than Omega, though she doesn't look or act like it. They haven't interacted in months," Hunter admitted. Suu noticed a guilt wash across Hunter's features as he said this.
"I hope they catch up soon. At least Omega has a friend, and hopefully, another in Alejandro," Suu replied, "I also hope she's ready to be a big sibling role model for Jek and Shaeeah,"
"She already called you mom, so I'm sure she'll step up to that role," Hunter replied.
"Good" Suu smiled, and they both returned to the conversation, though Hunter kept the trio in his peripheral vision.
Alejandro had been on the balcony numerous times, but they'd revarnished since his last visit. The smell combined with the flowering trees in the path below, but the grand view from the balcony was still the same. Mountains in the distance frame the whole area, and the sun setting completes the picture. Alejandro also noticed that Echo was looking at the view while keeping a close eye on them.
Slightly unnerved, Alejandro turned to Omega. And the fascination in her eyes as she looked over the view was mesmerising. Alejandro hadn't stopped to appreciate the view. If he was honest, it felt like a little screenshot of Dantooine. It was calming to watch, which it looked like Omega needed.
"What's the Cyborg member of your family doing watching us?" Alejandro asked as he leaned against the railing next to Omega.
She looked over and recognised Echo was pretending he wasn't keeping a close eye on them.
"Oh, don't mind, Echo. He can be very paranoid, but he means well. He's the momma bear of the family," Omega reassured, but that didn't reassure Alejandro much.
Turning his mind back to the conversation, he offered his hand to Omega.
"My name's Alejandro. What's yours?" He asked.
Shaking his hand, Omega replied, "My name's Omega. Nice to meet you, Alejandro. Would it be OK if I call you Al, though?"
"Sure. It's what everyone else calls me," Alejandro replied.
He then turned back to the view and heard Omega ask, "What do you think of the view?"
Alejandro leaned on the solid wooden railing, facing the view as the sun continued to set.
"To be honest, I've seen this view so often that I never appreciated it as you have," Alejandro admitted.
"Well, it's a lovely view," Omega replied, smiling.
"Agreed, Dantooine's a beautiful planet. The planet doesn't get much traffic, but that's for the better," Alejandro replied. Omega nodded in agreement.
"So, you said Echo was your brother. Are the others in the restaurant your brothers too?" Alejandro enquired, looking back towards the restaurant where the others were talking.
"They all are, in a way. The one with the Bandana is Hunter. Wrecker's the big one, Tech's the one wearing the goggles, and Rex is the blonde-haired one. They're my brothers," Omega explained, pointing each out to Alejandro.
"Wait. Those five are your brothers? They look like your dads," Alejandro responded, surprised, which made Omega chuckle.
"They had their ages accelerated while mine wasn't. I've been living for longer than they have," Omega replied.
"Really? You learn something new every day. I didn't know age acceleration was a thing," Alejandro wondered.
At that point, the sun had gotten low enough that the lights on the balcony turned on, bathing the area in a yellow glow.
Alejandro then remembered something related to why he decided to visit them.
"My sister mentioned that you were too old for the playroom. How old are you?" Alejandro asked.
"I know I don't look it, but I'm 13," Omega replied, preempting the statement about her looking younger.
"How old are you?" Omega asked in turn.
"I turned 14 a month ago," Alejandro replied.
Alejandro then looked back at the talking Batchers and Lawquanes.
"You're a Clone, right?" Alejandro asked curiously, and Omega sensed another follow-up question she was asked a few times since joining the Batch.
"Yes. The Kaminoans altered me to be female, though." Omega replied.
Alejandro noticed the mention of the Kaminoans seemed to flash a haunted look in Omega's eyes. Alejandro quickly decided to change the subject.
"How did you meet the Lawquanes?" Alejandro asked curiously.
"Rex. He met the Lawquanes while on Saleucami after he got injured on a mission. Echo learned about them from him, and it snowballed from there. How about you?" Omega explained.
"Playdate. I'm five years older than my sister, so when the Lawquanes arrived on Dantooine, Jek and Shaeeah started at my sister's elementary school. I'm already in Middle School, though, so I didn't get to interact with them. So when Alexis came over with Shaeeah, that's how we met. I met the rest of the family when they came to pick Shaeeah up." Alejandro replied.
Alejandro then remembered something.
"If you're OK with saying it, my sister said that you were carrying an injury that prevented you from playing on the playground, even if you weren't too old. What happened?" Alejandro enquired.
"Injured on a mission with my brothers. I've got fourteen sutures on my side, all dissolvable, so they'll dissolve over a few weeks. But it'll likely be at least a month before I can return to action," Omega explained, sighing as she did her best to ignore her itchy side.
Alejandro heard this, felt sorry for her, and rested his hand on her shoulder.
"That sucks, Omega. But look on the bright side. You'll be good as new, and you'll have a badass story of survival to tell,"
Alejandro saw Omega put a hand on his hand, and she nodded.
"Thanks, Al, and you're right. I guess I've just been feeling a bit depressed, honestly, over the last week or so. Between the injuries, the night terrors, a very traumatic past, and private matters, I've been struggling to cope with it all,"
Alejandro wanted to give Omega a big, comforting hug here, but knowing Echo was watching them and that it was inappropriate for a first meeting decided against it.
"It's OK to struggle when life's piling a bunch of shit on you, alright? Everyone struggles with their mental health, including me. My advice would be to do things you enjoy. Things that make you feel good and relieve stress and anxiety. If your mind is racing, meditation can help a lot with relaxing your mind. And if you just need a day to rest and recharge, take it. It's how I do my best to manage my mental health." He replied, smiling warmly at her.
"Thanks for the advice, Al," Omega replied. She then thought of something else and looked at him, slightly puzzled and concerned.
"How did you figure this out?"
"I've struggled with my Mental health for a long time. I've found these strategies work for me," Alejandro explained.
"I'll try them out then. Music seems to work for me, so I'll see what else can work for me." Omega said, which made Alejandro smile.
"And finally, if you need someone your age to talk to, I'm here for you. Alright?" Alejandro concluded. Omega nodded in confirmation.
Hunter and Alejandro's dad then appeared at the door, and they both said, "Dinner time."
"Alright. Talk to you later, Omega," Alejandro said, and he joined his father while Omega returned with Echo and Hunter.
With Alejandro,
As Alejandro returned to the restaurant, he saw it was lit up more by the lights now the sun had gone down. While there were no additional people in the restaurant, it was a lot noisier now the kids had left the playroom. When he reached the table, he saw that his dinner, a ham and cheese pizza, had just arrived, and Alexis was already starting on her kid's fish and chips. His parents had just finished talking when he arrived and were glad to see him smiling. They were still waiting for their food.
Alejandro returned from the balcony. His mum asked, "So, did you enjoy your time on the balcony with her? And what's her name?"
"Yep, Omega is her name, and I had a good time on the balcony," Alejandro replied.
His mum then asked, "What did you do?"
"We just talked mostly. I did discover something about Omega and the others that surprised me." Alejandro replied.
His mum replied, "That's lovely to hear", while his dad asked, "What is it?"
"She's a clone. So are her brothers," Alejandro replied, which surprised both parents.
"Wait, what? They look like her dads, not her brothers," Alejandro's mum responded, surprised.
Alejandro replied by nodding and adding, "She doesn't have the accelerated ageing that her brothers have"
"Oh, that would explain it," Alejandro's mum replied. Alejandro's dad then asked, "What else is she like?"
"Omega is nice, friendly, badass, and smart but is going through a lot. I'm honestly a little worried about her. She's been a bit depressed lately and still struggles mentally. I gave her some advice to try to improve her mental health," Alejandro replied
"Oh. I think we should talk to the brothers and ensure they're adequately helping her cope," Alejandro's dad replied.
Alejandro's mum added, "I'm sure they're doing their best."
She then asked: "Do you like her?"
"Yep, I do. She's made a good first impression on me, and I hope I've made a good first impression on her".
He turned to Alexis and said, "Thanks for recommending I talk to her Omega has proven to be interesting so far."
"No worries, bro," Alexis replied, smiling.
As she, Echo, and Hunter returned to the restaurant, Omega also noticed the lights and the sharp increase in noise, which caused Omega to hold her head as her head ached again.
After a little bit, it dulled.
Omega reached the table, hoping that moment went unnoticed by everyone else.
She was wrong. Everyone looked at her with concerned looks on their faces. The adults stopped talking when Omega arrived, while Jek and Sheeah stopped talking between themselves.
Their food was being served gradually, though quickly, by the Waiters. Echo, Cut, Hunter, Jek and Shaeeah had already got theirs when Omega arrived. Almost everyone had a drink, though nobody was drinking anything with alcohol in it. Jek and Shaeeah had lemonades, all of the Clones had a non-alcoholic beer, while Suu got herself and Omega a glass of apple juice.
Hunter, Echo, Jek, Shaeeah and Cut had their meals served, and the Waiters gave Omega her food just as she took a seat.
Once everyone had started eating their meals, Rex asked, "So, what were you two doing on the balcony?"
"Just talking. Alejandro had quite a few questions to ask me, and I answered them as best I could. He also advised me about ways to improve my mental health. He's battled with his mental health, too," Omega replied.
Hunter asked, partially concerned, partially curious "Other than mental health, what did you two talk about?"
"How we met the Lawquanes. Age. He asked me a few questions about being a Clone. And a brief mention that I got injured on a mission," Omega replied,
Hunter nodded and replied, "Nice to hear."
"So, what do you think of him? Do you like him?" Suu asked.
Omega nodded and replied, "I do. He's an interesting guy, and I'm curious about him too. We mostly talked about me, but maybe I can get time to ask a few questions about him."
"That's a good plan," Hunter replied. And they returned to their meals.
Once they complete their meals, Alejandro and his family approach. Hunter is unsettled, as he isn't sure why they've decided to come here.
"Hello, everyone," Alejandro's mom said.
"Ah, Aurora, nice to see you again. How are you?" Suu smiled at them.
"We're good. How about you?" Aurora asked.
"We're doing pretty good. Should I do the intros?" Suu asked.
"Sure," Aurora replied. Suu added, "You've already met my family and Rex. So, this is Hunter," she pointed to Hunter.
"Nice to meet you," Hunter stated, waving to them.
"Wrecker," Suu continued, pointing to Wrecker, who waved and said, "Hey there."
"Tech' Suu followed up, pointing to Tech, who waved without looking up from the datapad and said, "Hi,"
"Echo," Suu continued, pointing to Echo, who said, "Hello,"
"And finally, Omega," Suu concluded, pointing to Omega, who waved and said, "Hello,"
"Nice to meet you all," Aurora and Astro both said. Then, Suu added, "Batch, this is Aurora, her husband Astro, their son Alejandro, and daughter Alexis,"
"Nice to meet you," the entire batch replied. This time, Omega asked Alejandro, "Hey, would you like to join me on the balcony again?"
"Sure," Alejandro replied, and they headed back out to the balcony while Jek, Shaeeah and Alexis headed back to the playroom.
Echo went to stand up to accompany Omega and Echo, but Rex, seeing alarm bells with the potential for Echo to interfere in forging a friendship, gently but firmly put his hand on Echo's shoulder and shook his head.
"I'll keep an eye on them. I understand your concerns, but I don't want you interrupting the forging of this friendship, alright? I can keep an eye on them without making things uncomfortable." Rex firmly said.
Echo sighed and sat back down.
"Alright, Captain"
Rex then got up and followed Omega and Alejandro to the balcony.
With the Batch, the Lawquanes and Alejandro's parents.
Hunter didn't mind Alejandro's parents coming over to see them. He was irked by the fact another family had come to talk to them about raising Omega, but if they had the advice to help, he wouldn't mind too much.
"I'm going to assume you're here to ask how we're working to help Omega with her mental health?" Tech stated.
Aurora nodded and replied, "Alejandro said she was not feeling good after the events of the last week,"
Echo nodded, then stated, "We started working on her Mental health last night after she experienced a terrible night terror. It's been hard to this point, as Omega wants to leave what she endured in the past."
Aurora replied, "That's terrible that she had the night terror and understandable with kids wanting to leave their trauma in the past. But good that you're starting to work on her mental health,"
"She's going through a lot at the moment. She's probably got a storm of feelings in her head." Hunter replied. He then turned to Echo and added, "Echo, I think you'll have to have a long talk with her soon. Try to get her to open up about what the Kaminoans did to her in those labs. Your trauma overlaps with hers so it could help both of you". Echo nodded and replied, "Then that's what I'll do. The question is when,"
"I'd wait until she passes a concussion test personally," Suu suggested.
"When's that?" Wrecker asked.
Tech replied, "Day after tomorrow, hopefully,"
"Good," Echo replied. Aurora smiled, then said, "Sounds like you guys care a lot about her,"
"She's our whole world," Hunter admitted, and the rest of the batch agreed.
"Agreed. Which is why we're here," Tech stated, not looking up from his datapad.
"We're also taking this time to help Omega with her mental health. Music, physical affection, whatever she needs. Even touch-adverse Tech has hugged Omega without a thought," Echo added.
"Well done, Tech," Cut stated, clapping Tech on the back. Tech looked up from his datapad and smiled.
"Well, hopefully, Omega will have a few new strategies from Alejandro," Astro said.
"Omega said that Alejandro's battling his mental health. What happened?" Hunter enquired.
"He had a major accident a couple of years ago. It left him with a big scar on his back. He had to relearn how to walk and use his right arm again. He still has to do weekly bacta treatment to keep his body functioning properly," Aurora replied.
"I'm sorry to hear that happened to him. That sounds like it affected him," Hunter replied,
"It did. It still does, to some degree. But, with lots of work, support, and hugs, especially from Alexis and me, he's come out the other side. I'm so proud of him." Aurora replied fondly.
Hunter was beyond relieved that they were doing the right thing by Omega, according to another family with a kid who's gone through traumatic experiences.
"I'll go get Jek and Shaeeah," Suu stated.
"Alright, I'd better go collect Omega. It was nice to talk to you, Aurora," Hunter said.
Aurora replied, "Nice to talk to you too, Hunter," before Hunter went to the balcony, and Aurora went to the playroom.
Meanwhile, Alejandro, Rex and Omega
Omega was glad that Rex kept an eye on them, not Echo. He stayed at the entrance and was a lot better at hiding that he was keeping an eye on them. It allowed her to focus more on the awe-inspiring view from the wooden balcony.
Even though the wood was solid and rough, she could smell and taste the varnish used on the wood and the cool air with the smell of trees and the flowers blooming on them.
On top of the beautiful view, the night sky was out, and thanks to the frosting on the lamps, the night sky was only minimally affected by light pollution, so it looked beautiful.
Alejandro joined her, and Omega realised she was bursting with questions she wanted to ask him.
"So, you learned a fair bit about me. But I didn't learn much about you." Omega said.
Alejandro replied as he leaned on the railing. "Ask away,"
"So, have you always lived on Dantooine?" Omega enquired.
"Yep. Although my family and I had to move across Dantooine several times due to conflict and the Clone Wars." Alejandro replied.
Omega gave Alejandro an empathic smile, "I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. But I'm glad your family has found a nice part of Dantooine to settle in. How long has your family been here?"
"Two years"
Omega then thought of something and pointed to Alejandro's montrals and lekku.
"I've seen these on Suu, Jek and Shaeeah, but not these horns. What are they?"
"Oh, these?" Alejandro asked, pointing to the Lekku, and Omega nodded.
"These are Lekku. They're sensory organs. Twi'leks, like your friend, have only two Lekku going backward. Togruta, like yours truly, have three. Two in front and one in the back," Alejandro explained, pointing them out on his person.
"Cool. So what about the horns?" Omega enquired, excited to learn more about both Togrutas and Twi'leks.
"The horns are called Montrals. And they're unique to Togrutas and one other galactic species called Kessurians. They're also sensory organs, allowing us to sense our surroundings significantly further than most beings, which is handy for hunting," Alejandro pointed to the montrals.
"Fascinating," Omega breathed.
She then remembered something else he'd mentioned in the earlier conversation.
"You said you have a scar from an injury. What happened, if you're OK with explaining?" Omega asked, now a bit nervous, hoping she hadn't overstepped.
Alejandro looked at her, surprised. Then he nodded, turned around, and pulled his singlet up to show the scar on his back.
"I got slashed in the back by a Commando Droid. I barely survived, but it did damage my spine a bit. It's why I can't move very quickly," Alejandro explained. Once Omega had seen, he let his singlet fall.
Omega looked empathically at Alejandro, shocked at what had happened.
"I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you," Omega stated.
"Thanks, Omega. It hasn't been easy, but I've been able to adapt. So has my family, even if it has put a bit of a strain on the finances," Alejandro sighed.
"I wish I could help," Omega admitted, feeling sorry for Alejandro.
"Well, I could do with another friend, especially one as friendly and empathic as you," Alejandro smiled warmly at her.
Omega then notices Alejandro look at her oddly.
"Do you have any friends? Since, you know, you're on the run from the Empire?"
"One friend and two adopted siblings. The friend's name is Hera Syndulla. She's a Twi'lek living on Ryloth. But I haven't interacted with her in months," Omega sighed sadly.
"Sounds like you need more friends. Perhaps I could be your next friend?" Alejandro suggested, smiling warmly.
Omega looked over the town and thought about this for a bit. Having a friend her age would be nice. But Alejandro would have to accept that she could be unavailable to interact for weeks or months.
"Sure, but unless we have a way to communicate outside of in-person, or else it could be months before we interact in person," Omega admitted
Alejandro delved into his backpack, grabbing a datapad.
"Awesome to hear, Omega. As for interactions when we're apart. If you have a datapad, we can communicate there," Alejandro smiled happily.
Omega then saw Alejandro turn to the door. Turning around, she saw Tech approaching.
"Perfect timing, Tech. I want to share my Datapad number with Al," Omega said excitedly. Seeing this, Tech smiled, then gave her the datapad.
"We're heading off, so make it quick," Tech stated as Omega took the datapad and shared her number with him.
Omega got Alejandro's number on her datapad, then handed it to Tech, "Thanks, Al. Now we can stay in touch,"
"No worries, Omega. Again, if you need to talk to someone about something, I'm just one datapad call away. I'm not always on, so if you're available, message me, and we can talk. How does this sound?" Alejandro suggested.
"Sounds good," Omega replied, smiling.
Astro then appeared at the entrance to the balcony.
"We'd better get going, Alejandro. It's late. And both of you have school tomorrow,"
"Alright, dad. I'll see you around Omega," Alejandro replied.
"See you around, Al," Omega replied, and everyone met up again before heading home.
"So, how did it go?" Hunter asked.
"I like him. If I need someone to talk to, of my age, I have someone to talk to." Omega replied.
"Congratulations, Omega. You've got a second friend your age, and you can talk to him outside of in-person meetings," Hunter smiled as Omega told him what had happened.
"Sounds good," Echo replied, relieved that the talk went well.
"Alright, let's get home. Jek and Shaeeah have school tomorrow, so we'd better get going." Suu said.
"OK," Hunter replied, and the group departed the restaurant, which was emptying quickly, and started heading back to the household.
As they headed back, Shaeeah, noticing that Omega still seemed down, asked, "Hey, Omega, are you OK?"
"I'm alright. My conversation got a bit heavy at times. So, I've still got a lot to process," Omega replied, patting Shaeeah on the head. It's then that Jek gets an idea.
"How about you read to us tonight?" Jek asked excitedly.
Omega replied, "Sure, I think it'll help us all get a better night's sleep. Plus, it'll allow me to test if staying snuggled with someone other than my brothers will still help keep the nightmares away".
"Sounds good. I hope it works out," Echo replied, smiling at Omega.
"Who do you sleep with to keep the nightmares away?" Shaeeah asked.
Omega replied, "I've stayed with all four Batchers, but usually I stay with Hunter or Wrecker. How about you two?"
"When we were little kids, we'd stay with our parents. Now? Usually, we'd stay with each other," Shaeeah replied.
"How often do you two get nightmares?" Omega asked.
Shaeeah replied, "Usually once or twice a week. How about you and your brothers?"
"Echo, and I get them every couple of nights. Hunter and Wrecker get them about once or twice a week. Tech rarely gets nightmares, but that's because he's an Insomniac, so he's awake into the early mornings," Omega replied.
Cut, overhearing their conversation about Nightmares, asked Jek and Shaeeah, "You two using your calming strategies before bed?"
"Yeah, we are. It helps to reduce the intensity of nightmares," Jek replied. Shaeeah added, "That's why we're getting Omega to read tonight. Maybe it'll help all three of us."
"That's good to hear. Omega could do with a good night's sleep," Hunter replied.
When everyone gets home, Jek, Shaeeah and Omega head to the kid's room first. Omega grabs her nightclothes and heads for the refresher to change, while Jek and Shaeeah stay in their room to change into their nightclothes.
When Omega returns, she looks at Jek and Shaeeah and asks: "You two are OK with seeing each other change?"
"We're used to it. We've shared a room for as long as we can remember," Shaeeah replied, shrugging.
"That's OK. Seems a little strange to me," Omega replied.
She got into her bed and asked, "Now, can you please pick a book for me to read?"
"Sure," Jek replied. He got a local speciality book, and he and Shaeeah joined Omega and snuggled against her on either side as Omega began to read.
Omega found that focusing on reading to Jek and Shaeeah helped calm her down, as she was still a bit tense. She could see that Jek and Shaeeah were both enjoying the story, but she could also see that they were starting to drift off to sleep.
Jek was first off to sleep about ten minutes after Omega started reading. Shaeeah followed another five minutes later. Omega finished reading the story but was so tired that she put the book on the blankets, then wrapped Jek and Shaeeah up in an arm each before drifting off to sleep.
The following morning Suu went to the kid's room to wake Jek and Shaeeah. However, what she saw was adorable.
Omega, Jek and Shaeeah were all snuggled against each other. Omega had one arm around Jek and the other arm around Shaeeah. Jek and Shaeeah were also embracing Omega, one of their arms tucked under Omega's head, the other wrapped over her midsection, their hands interlocked, while the book Omega had been reading them laid a bit above the hands. Suu knew that Jek and Shaeeah regularly held each other in either of their beds, mainly for support after nightmares.
She gently closes the door and gets a camera. She wanted to capture this pure and peaceful moment. Suu returns to the room and takes a cute photograph of the trio resting peacefully. She senses someone approaching and spots Hunter. Shushing Hunter quietly, she points to the room, and Hunter looks.
After a moment, he closes the door and whispers to Suu, "That's so cute. I don't want to spoil it by waking them,"
"I'm afraid we're going to have to. Jek and Shaeeah have school today," Suu replied. She then gently knocked on the door, which awoke all three.
"Good morning, sweeties. Did you all sleep well?" Suu asked.
Jek asked Omega, "That we did, right Omega?"
Omega replied, "That I did, I haven't slept this well in a while."
"That's good to hear, ad'ika," Hunter smiled. Suu also replied, 'That's good to hear. Jek, Shaeeah, you'd better get ready for school."
"Alright," Jek and Shaeeah both replied. Shaeeah grabbed her towel and school uniform and headed for the refresher while Jek headed for the Kitchen. After a few moments, Omega followed.
After Jek and Shaeeah headed off to school, Omega spent most of her time in the local library or hanging with the Batch. When Jek and Shaeeah returned home, Omega, like a good older sister, helped them with their homework.
So it was for the next week as Omega gradually recovered, physically and mentally, from her near-death experience. The Batch knew that such an event would permanently change Omega.
But, with lots of support, implementing strategies to support and improve Omega's mental health, and ways to handle future periods, the Batch could see some of the old Omega return. Omega's bright eyes and infectious laugh returned. Hopefully, with these strategies, Omega would cope better with what the galaxy will throw her way.