Chapter 4 - Faith Is Having A Reason
Author's Note: The Batch try to get on without Crosshair. :')
~ Amina Gila
They end up keeping Omega. Hunter had thought of trying to send her with Cut's family on Saleucami, but she hadn't wanted to go, so they kept her. He promised her that if she wants to stay with them then she will. He's not certain that it was the best decision, especially after a bounty hunter nearly gets to Omega on Pantora. The attempt had failed, miserably, because the woman could never have accounted for them being vampires, but it's still shaken them all up.
Omega had come too close to being hurt, and all Hunter can think is that it wouldn't have happened if she was truly one of them, if she could defend herself and move like they do. He hasn't even told her that she's Force sensitive, because he knew she'd want to learn, and he's so uncertain of his ability to train anyone with the Force, especially now. (He misses Crosshair, needs the steady reassurance of his presence at his side and in his mind.)
He waits to say anything until they've left Pantora.
"We need to train Omega," he tells his brothers when they're still in the cockpit, once they've decided to go to Ord Mantell so they can get in touch with a contact Echo knows of who might be able to help them identify the bounty hunter and find out who sent her. "She could have been hurt or taken, and if these bounty hunters will be coming after her, she needs to know how to protect herself."
"Ya sure she wouldn't be safer as one of us?" Wrecker queries, casting her a worried look.
Hunter pauses at that, considering it again. Omega's been with them for a short time now, and they've had some time to adjust to her presence. She's so young, though, small and inexperienced. He can't expect her to take care of herself the way he can for his brothers. She hasn't had the same training that they have. But to make her a vampire? He… doesn't know. She's just a child, and if they turn her, she'll be like this forever; there's no going back.
"Please?" Omega instantly interjects, giving him her best pleading look. "I wanna be one of you. You know that."
She'll be staying, not just temporarily, either. She's a part of the squad. He's not sure if turning her is really the right thing to do, but then, when he remembers the terror he had felt, seeing the bounty hunter with Omega, seeing her fall, not knowing if he'd get to her in time to keep her from being taken from them – and probably back to Kamino, if he had to guess – he… doesn't know what else to do. Still, he looks at the other three, trying to ignore the way he instinctively searches for Crosshair, too, waiting to see their feelings on the matter.
Wrecker is grinning and nodding, giving Hunter a look every bit as beseeching as Omega's. Tech and Echo just look speculative, but not outright against the idea. "I think Anakin would turn her," Echo says at last, and Hunter pays more attention at that.
They all respect Anakin, especially since they've worked with him on and off ever since Echo joined them and Anakin was turned, and they've gotten to see the kind of person he is. Hunter has always… prided himself on knowing what to do and how to handle situations, because he's the leader, and he always has to know what to do, but on the occasions when he's lost, he finds it easy to look to Anakin for advice or assistance, something that the Jedi has given him many times.
And if Echo thinks that Anakin would turn Omega, Hunter will listen to that. "Why?" he asks curiously because the reasoning behind the decision is just as important as the decision itself.
"When he was training the Commander, shortly after she became his Padawan, after she had a run-in with Grievous, he told her that the best way he could protect her was by teaching her how to protect herself," Echo explains. "He had us shoot stun bolts at her, while she stood in the center of the circle. It honed her instincts, made her stronger, and because of that, she survived situations when most other young Padawans did not." His gaze flickers to Omega.
"Omega is young," he continues, "But if she's staying with us, it'll put a target on her. We can do things she can't, not without being a vampire like we are, and… I think Anakin would agree that turning her is for the best. It's not ideal, but then, not much of this situation has been." He huffs out a breath, his emotions flickering towards bitterness, a sentiment that Hunter strongly seconds.
"Okay," Hunter agrees, because it makes sense. He doesn't like it much, necessarily, but she is part of them, part of the squad, and being a vampire only cements that in blood. There is power in blood, and Omega needs that protection now more than ever. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that, he supposes.
"Turning Omega may also enhance her Force sensitivity," Tech points out, "And perhaps Hunter could teach her like Anakin taught him."
"Force sensitivity?" Omega echoes, frowning. "I'm… Force sensitive?"
"Yeah," Wrecker answers, "We can smell it on you."
"What?" she asks, sounding freaked out.
"Force sensitives' blood has a stronger… lure to vampires," Hunter explains. "You draw us in more than most people. It's probably why the bounty hunters are after you – to take you back to Kamino since you're… valuable to them. Other than you, I am the only Force sensitive clone they know of."
"There's one other," Wrecker whispers loudly. "Kix. He became sensitive after feeding on Anakin."
"They don't know that, though," Hunter reminds, shaking his head and turning his thoughts back to their current situation as he kneels in front of Omega so they're at eye level. "Are you sure you want this? You can't change your mind once it's done, and we don't know how it will affect your aging."
"It doesn't matter," she says firmly, meeting his eyes. In her, he can only feel determination, and not a trace of fear or uncertainty. "I want to be one of you. That's all I've ever wanted." He feels more in those words than she's telling them, but he doesn't push. When she's ready to talk, she can come to him; he won't push her if she's not ready.
"Okay," he replies, moving to sit on the edge of his rack, "Come here." He looks at Tech. "Can you get something to numb the bite?"
Tech goes, and Omega eagerly jumps up next to him, staring at him with a calm, trusting gaze that unnerves him more than anything else, because she's just a child, and he doesn't know how to handle her. He's afraid of failing her, losing her, after he took it upon himself to protect her. And now, he'll be adding her to their coven. She'll be a part of them forever, and if something happens to them, there will always be other vampires in their coven who will take her in and care for her, just because she's one of them.
None of them have ever had that before, that open acceptance. Sure, they're mainly regs from the 501st, which is a rather unusual legion in general, but to have regs who welcome them and include them instead of looking down on them for being different isn't something that Hunter, or any of them, ever thought they could have.
Tech brings the medkit, applying a numbing cream to Omega's neck, and Hunter's heart is in his throat when he looks at her, waiting trustingly for the bite. Hey, it'll be okay, Echo whispers into his mind, a gentle, calming touch, and Hunter breathes out slowly, trying to let his anxiety go into the Force, the way Anakin showed him. He doesn't have to like where they are now – he just needs to accept it.
"I'm ready," Omega insists when he hesitates, and finally, he leans closer, gently touching her chin and tilting her head, letting his fangs graze her skin before he bites down with intent. He doesn't bite deep, and she hardly even twitches, feeling the pressure more than the pain, but he makes sure it's deep enough for the transformation to take root.
He doesn't really… feed from her, too afraid of hurting her and feeling hesitant about it because she's… different. He feels responsible for her in a way he never has for his brothers. He's used to seeing them hurt, and he knows they can take care of themselves, but it's different with her. She's just a kid, small and breakable and completely vulnerable and innocent, and they have to protect her, since she's untrained.
Hunter feels it when the transformation takes root, the flicker of light in the back of his mind as another bond settles into place. When Omega gets further along and the hunger starts up, Wrecker scoops her into his arms and lets her feed from him.
It's… strange to have a child with them, one who needs their protection, who cannot protect herself, but Hunter finds that it's not so wholly… unwelcome either. Just different. And now that she's one of them, her bonds with them slowly developing and settling, they can protect her better than before – and Echo is right that she can learn to protect herself more effectively, too. He doesn't know why the Force led them here, but it did, and for all that he misses Crosshair and always will, he doesn't regret Omega joining them, either.
He just wishes Crosshair was here to see it. He would love her.
**w**
"Good," Hunter says, watching as Omega levitates a number of items, keeping them floating and following his directions as he guides her, trying to teach her to use the Force the way Anakin taught him. She's a good student, a fast learner, eager to please, and he… kind of likes teaching her. He actually likes teaching her a lot, if he's being honest.
They've settled on Ord Mantell, struck up a tentative… partnership of sorts with Cid, a Trandoshan who used to be an informant for the Jedi during the war, and who is a black marker information dealer. She gives them jobs and a cut of the payment, enough to cover whatever costs they have. It's been working out for now, so Hunter sees no reason to leave. Besides, with the Empire after them, they need all the allies they can get – Cid was right about that. They need allies and money, and with her, they have both.
On the side, in between jobs and in whatever time they have, Hunter and the others have been working with Omega, training her to use and control her vampire abilities, in addition to the energy bow she picked up from Zygerrian slavers on their first job for Cid, and Hunter has been teaching her the Force. He's taught her how to shield herself, how to be mindful of her surroundings, how to sense emotions and intentions. He's taught her how to use the Force to lift and move objects. She's gotten better, stronger, but it's not nearly enough for her to protect herself if she's on her own. Still, it's enough to put Hunter's mind at ease, at least a little. He's not quite so terrified about losing her; she doesn't seem quite so vulnerable anymore.
Their last mission to Corellia went well, and they got the droid head they'd been tasked with retrieving, in addition to giving a copy of the intel on it to the two girls who'd also been after the head. Omega did good with her bow, but Hunter didn't miss the looks of awe and wistfulness she'd given him when he'd drawn his two lightsabers and gone after the security droids which had attacked them.
She wants a lightsaber too, something he can understand. It might help her learn to focus better, as well, but it would be very risky; kyber crystals can't be found lying around anywhere, but… he thinks it would be worth it. On the one occasion when he'd let her use one of his, he'd felt the way she'd tried to connect to the crystal, seen the way it balanced her, and for the first time, he can understand why Jedi use lightsabers instead of blasters. The kyber crystal is almost living, an extension of the Jedi's essence, and it… helps them fight better. Their lightsaber responds to them in a way that blasters can't.
They'd talked about it together, when Omega was resting, and they agreed that a short trip to Ilum might be worth the risk, especially if it gives the kid a weapon that she can use more effectively to defend herself. Her bow is good, especially in most situations, so she won't be falsely labeled as a Jedi, but a lightsaber is… different. It's personal.
Maybe he just wants her to be able to share the same experience that he did, when he went to Ilum to get his crystals. It had been a little terrifying, and even knowing that he'd have a vision of his greatest fears, a vision he needed to confront and overcome, had not prepared him for the reality of it. It had been terrifying. He'd known it wasn't real, and that was the only way he'd gotten through it, seeing his greatest fear of failing his brothers, their secret found out, of them being taken to labs to be picked to pieces while the Republic and Kaminoans attempted to weaponize their vampirism.
"How soon will we get there?" Omega asks again, opening her eyes, but she doesn't lose focus, the objects continuing to lazily float around her, rising and lowering as she commands them to.
"Soon," he answers, sitting across from her. Looking at her, he feels pride, pride for her accomplishments, for what she's been able to do in such a short amount of time. She's doing so well; she's their kid, and he has no idea how to raise a child, but he's doing his best, and he thinks they aren't doing that badly, all things considered.
(He wishes Crosshair was here. He misses him fiercely, a deep, unending ache in his chest, one that twists and deepens with each passing moment that he's gone. He needs Crosshair. They all need each other, and he doesn't – he doesn't know how to keep going on without him. They talked about going back for him, multiple times, but it… they just haven't done it yet. They don't quite know how or where to start – or more accurately, they aren't ready to have Crosshair try and kill them again. They try not to talk about him, since it hurts too much.)
It isn't long before they do, finally, arrive on Ilum. The planet is still untouched by the Empire, and Hunter feels a sense of nostalgia wash over him when they touch down. The last time they were here, Anakin was here, too, and Hunter misses him, admittedly. They've stayed in contact since the Jedi was turned, and they've fought together off and on, but as the Outer Rim Sieges got worse, and their skillset became more demanded, that changed. They haven't spoken for a month, and it's quite abrupt from before, when they spoke at least once a week if they weren't working together.
"Wow," Omega breathes, eyes wide with wonder as she steps off into the snow. "This is so cool!"
"Literally," Hunter deadpans, and she giggles, reaching down to gleefully scoop up a handful.
"Wanna have a snowball fight when you're done?" Wrecker calls to her, and she turns to him.
"What's that?"
He gasps, overly dramatically. "You gotta try it!"
"If we have time," Tech grumbles. Echo just sighs, a little fondly, but mostly exasperated.
Hunter rolls his eyes beneath his helmet, resting a hand on Omega's shoulder and steering her towards the towering structure in front of them. He remembers when he came here with Anakin. He'd been awed by his surroundings and the beauty of them, the Light and calmness in the Force here. Even now, with the Force so stained and darkened, Hunter still feels the peacefulness here, as if the songs of the kyber crystals are stronger than the death and despair that is so pervasive in the rest of the galaxy.
"It's so… beautiful," Omega breathes, awed as Hunter stops her outside the entrance, kneeling in front of her as he thinks back to what Anakin told him when he'd come here.
"You must go in alone," the Jedi had said, "This is a trial for you and only you. When you pass it, you will find your crystal. You will see visions, the things that you fear most, but don't lose focus. None of what you see there is real, merely a manifestation of your greatest fears."
"I can't come with you," Hunter tells her, "But I'll be right here waiting for you. You'll see things, your greatest fears, but none of it is real, okay? I'll be here."
Omega's expression flickers with uncertainty and unease as she looks from him towards the massive structure. "But it's so… big," she protests, "How will I find a crystal in there alone?"
"Because it will call to you, and the Force will guide you there," Hunter answers. "Focus. Remember what you've learned. You'll feel it calling out to you. Follow its call."
"Okay," she replies bravely, straightening as she enters the building alone. Hunter wants to go with her, but he knows he can't so instead, he remains kneeling in the snow, centering himself in the Force and trying to meditate. If she's in danger, no matter how unlikely that is, he'll know.
He remembers when he'd seen the vision, how it had terrified him. He remembers how he'd felt Crosshair shadowing him with his mind, unwilling to let him be totally alone, his presence warm and bright and near in the back of Hunter's mind as he'd reached for him through their bond, clinging to him. He remembers how Crosshair had reached out to him when the vision took root, whispering words of encouragement.
"It's not real," Crosshair had told him through their bond. "Whatever you're seeing, Hunter, it isn't real. I'm here. I'm okay. Just come back to us."
He'd clung to those words, letting them and Crosshair's presence guide him back out, back to his brothers, his coven.
Remembering it hurts. It hurts so much, a pain far too deep for tears. Crosshair should be here. They should all be here, together, guiding and training Omega together. They were never meant to stay apart, and Hunter doesn't know what to do.
I need him, he whispers to the Force, trying to find answers amidst the chaos and darkness. I need my brother back. He'll go after him alone if he has to, but he's terrified – terrified to do that, terrified to stare down the end of Crosshair's rifle. Even if he's stronger, more powerful, even if he has a good chance of getting to Crosshair and getting him out, he doesn't want to fight him to do it. He doesn't. He can't. Not again. Please.
The Force is quiet, but Hunter still gets the vague feeling of… something, maybe a reassurance that all is not lost, that they'll get Crosshair back sooner than they expect.
He's still meditating when he feels Omega's flare of fear and panic, and he reaches for her through the Force, through their vampire bond, sending soothing feelings to her. It's okay. You're not alone. Because if he has to guess, he imagines that it's being alone, separated from them, which she fears the most.
When Omega comes back, there are drying tears on her face, but she's grinning brightly, hand fisted around a kyber crystal. She opens her hand to show it to him, and he feels a swell of surprise at the shimmering aqua color of it. Aqua. Huh. He doesn't think he's ever seen aqua before. It's special, just like her, and he lays a hand on her shoulder to lead her back to the Marauder.
Wrecker scoops her into a hug when they get back, offering congratulations. Hunter doesn't miss the way she's being extra clingy, deciding to stay with them instead of playing in the snow, eager to start building her own lightsaber. He had been much the same – not that he would have played in the snow anyway, Crosshair.
By the time they get back to Ord Mantell, the lightsaber is half constructed, and when they go to Cid's to see if she has another job for them, it's to an unexpected visitor.
Rex.
"It's been a while, boys," Rex greets them with a small smile.
"Where've you been, Rex?" asks Echo stepping forward, once Wrecker finishes hugging Rex. "What's happening?"
"That's a long story," he answers with an amused huff. "Where's Crosshair?"
They all freeze, and there's no way Rex doesn't feel their rising grief through their bonds. "He… is with the Empire," Hunter replies quietly, not quite looking at the Captain. "When – when the Order came out, he – he was affected by it." They turned him against us, he wants to say but can't, because it hurts too much, and the words get caught in his throat.
"I'm sorry." Rex's voice is quiet. "I know you all were close. Do you know where he is now?"
Hunter shakes his head. "Last we saw him, he was shooting at us in the hangar bay on Kamino, when we went back for the kid." He pauses, nodding to Omega. "Omega's a clone like us. Unmodified. Force-sensitive like me, but she has it naturally."
"Hi," she says brightly waving at him.
"You turned her," Rex realizes as he smells the metallic edge to her scent and undoubtedly feels the bright link to her.
"There are bounty hunters after her," Tech interjects. "We decided it was the most logical course of action which would provide her with the most protection."
"Understandable," Rex answers.
They go back to the Marauder where they can talk privately, and once there, Rex fills them in. "I was with the Commander, on the way back from Mandalore when we got the Order. I turned her, to make her one of us, so we wouldn't have to kill her. Anakin joined us shortly thereafter. The whole coven is together now, except for you. We couldn't find you, until Rafa and Trace Martez let me know about the rogue, possibly Jedi, clones who helped them on Corellia."
Hunter huffs out a half-laugh, rolling his eyes. "I told them I wasn't a Jedi, but I guess the lightsabers meant they didn't believe me."
"You know about the inhibitor chips, right?" Rex queries, becoming more serious, expression grim.
"Yes," Tech replies, "Given how the regs appeared to be programmed, it was the logical conclusion. Our deviant nature, however, appears to have impeded their functionality. Except in Crosshair." He sounds hurt, a little angry. Hunter thinks they all are. They don't exactly blame Crosshair for it, since they know it isn't his fault, but he was still the one shooting at them. He was still the one who reported Hunter's Force sensitivity which put them in the spotlight. It's… complicated.
"Have you been feeding?" Rex questions, brow furrowing.
"Yeah," Wrecker answers, confused.
"We've confirmed that feeding leads to the breakdown of the chips," he explains, seeing their uncertain looks, or maybe sensing their confusion. "Apparently, once they have been activated, our bodies register them as foreign material and 'heal' them, breaking them down and rendering them inoperative."
That makes a flicker of hope rise up inside of Hunter. If – if they can get to Crosshair, get him to feed, then they can fix all of this. Of course, the trick will be getting him to do so, but he had wanted to, the last time they were together, though he'd rejected Hunter's offers for whatever reason. He can be stubborn, but he's still a vampire, and his instincts to feed are deeper and stronger than whatever stubbornness he possesses. They'll just have to find him first.
"That is fascinating," Tech states, leaning forward. "I was working on a scanner to locate our chips, and I should like to complete it, to see if ours have also been similarly degraded."
"Do that," Rex all but orders. "Those chips make you a threat to everyone around you, and you cannot take any chances. If the Empire finds out what we are and tries to weaponize our abilities, it would be a disaster for all of us."
Hunter exchanges glances with his siblings and nods. "I understand," he answers. "We'll make sure we're free."
"I'm glad you're doing okay," Rex says, looking between them. "We're building an army, collecting supplies and equipment, and we could use your help when we hit another location. You want in?"
Hunter wavers, because yes, he wants to. He's missed the 501st, as crazy as it sounds, and he would like to work with other vampires again, when they don't have to be so careful about hiding their abilities, but there's also Omega to think about. They have to protect her, too. He can sense that his brothers are thinking similarly, an uptick of hopeful yearning mingled with uncertainty, their eyes skating to the kid.
She's one of them, part of the squad, part of their coven. She's learning so much, and the best way of learning is by putting skills to use; that's why they went through battle simulations on Kamino. She can't be injured easily, much less taken if there will be so many other vampires around. Probably, it'll be safer for her on the mission than on Ord Mantell or any of their jobs for Cid.
"Yeah, we're in," he answers. Why not? They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, after all, even if they don't want to move in with the rest of the vampires, wherever all they're staying. Cid said they need allies, and they have them. They can't ask for anything more – except getting Crosshair back.
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