Clone Force 99 was paying a visit to the Lawquane household on Dantooine after a rough run of missions. Because the Lawquane household only had eight rooms, including a main room ensuite and a Shed, the house was not big enough for the Batch, so they set up their sleeping quarters in the shed while Jek and Shaeeah planned to share their room with Omega. Hunter expressed to Jek and Shaeeah his concerns about Omega's struggles with going to sleep and nightmares once she was asleep. Jek and Shaeeah agreed to help Omega where they could.
That night, at about 10 pm, a thunderstorm started up. Omega hated thunderstorms. She cringed every time the Thunder rolled through, and the sound of heavy rain made her anxious, reminding her of her traumatic experiences on Kamino. Her brothers understood this, and whenever a storm went through, one of them would stay with her, reassuring her that she was OK. But she was also exhausted after the missions. Yet she could not get to sleep. She tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable nor shut out the sound of the raging storm outside. After twenty minutes, Omega gave up, got out of bed, and headed for the Living Room, hoping the sounds of the storm outside were not as loud.
When Omega exited the kid room, the marginal sight enhancement she shares with Crosshair kicked in, allowing her just enough sight in the pitch darkness to walk down the hallway. She saw the Living Room light was on and deduced that Cut and Suu were still awake. It was cold, and Omega violently shivered as she moved down the hall to the Living Room. Her sensitivity to heat and cold is a downside to the marginally enhanced senses she shares with Hunter, though nowhere near as bad as what Hunter has to endure.
Cut and Suu had just finished watching a movie in the Living Room and prepared to go to bed after a long day. It was after 10 pm, and the cold Spring night meant they huddled for warmth. The TV and Lamp provide light to the room, and the TV and the storm outside, the insulation deadening the noise somewhat. They can smell and taste the thunderstorm and the wood of the table and TV stand. Everyone saw the flecks of Mantell Mix in the carpet, but only Cut and Suu knew the aerial was fake.
As Cut and Suu start heading to their room, they hear noises from the hallway. Someone is moving around in the hallway. Unsure, Cut said, "Someone's moving around in the hallway. I'm trying to figure out who it is,"
Suu looked to Cut, "Are you sure?"
"Positive. I can hear the footsteps," Cut replied. They listened for a minute, trying to discern the identity of the footsteps. As the footsteps closed, they could hear the weight between the kids and the Batchers.
"It's Omega," Cut whispered. Confirmation came when the footsteps stopped about three feet from the entrance.
"It's OK, Omega. You can come in," Suu gently called. Finally, they heard Omega walk the final feet into the Living Room, clutching Lula tightly and looking exhausted. And immediately, both adults could tell something was stressing out the adolescent Clone. Suu can tell that the brain chemistry changes from the marginal mutations she shares with Tech made Omega's stress and anxiety worse.
"What's wrong, sweetie? You look exhausted. Why are you out here?" Suu asked, offering Omega to join them under the blanket. Cut knew what was bothering her.
"Is it the thunderstorm outside?" Cut asked. A flash of lightning lit up the room, causing Omega to flinch.
"Can't sleep with the storm outside. And it's too loud in the bedroom. It reminds me of my time on Kamino and what the Kaminoans did to me," Omega whimpered as she approached. Cut and Suu knew that Omega was traumatised. They had seen her flinch at unexpected sounds, her constant anxiety and how Omega regularly awoke from nightmares during the night. They knew the Kaminoans were involved, but they didn't realise how badly the Kaminoans treated her.
However, they knew Omega needed comfort and support.
Cut immediately pulled the blanket off him and Suu before Suu swept forward and pulled Omega into a close embrace, getting a giggle and a quiet "Eep" from Omega, surprised at the sudden embrace. Cut embraced his wife and adopted daughter and wrapped a blanket around all of them.
Omega tightly hugged Suu, the latter noticing Omega's surprising strength for a girl her size. She deduced this was the marginal strength enhancement she shared with Wrecker.
"A little too tight, sweetie. I'm not Hunter or Wrecker," Suu said. Omega let go slightly, "Sorry, I'm used to hugging them like that,"
"It's OK, Omega. Your comfort is more important," Suu replied as she started running her hand through Omega's hair while Cut gently rubbed Omega's back.
"Thank you," Omega replied, sighing as she shielded her eyes from the persistent lightning.
"Omega, are you OK with telling us what the Kaminoans do to you?" Suu asked.
"It's hard to talk about, but I can try," Omega replied.
"You're in a safe space, Omega. We don't judge here. You can open up if you're ready," Cut replied.
The only person Omega had told anything about what the Kaminoans did to her in the labs was Echo because his trauma overlapped with hers.
"Alright," Omega adjusted her seating on Suu's lap and started talking.
"Before we start, I need to show you something. You've deduced that I've got psychological scars from the abuse. But the scars aren't just psychological," Omega said.
"Physical?" Cut asked, and Omega nodded as she pulled the sleeves of her shirt up, showing her extensively IV-scarred upper arms.
Seeing the scars crossing her upper arms made Cut feel horrible for Omega and furious at the Kaminoans for hurting Omega like this. Suu had seen them before while helping Omega change into a different set of pyjamas after a severe night terror, and her heart broke every time she saw them, knowing how badly they affected her. Suu's heart broke even more, knowing the Kaminoans were responsible for them.
"These scars are predominantly because of Nala Se. I was a lab experiment to her for the longest time. She would test my mutations, strengths and weaknesses and my general development. They went for hours, and the IVs were consistently painful to put in and out. And Nala Se didn't care how much it hurt me, especially if something happened with the IV. She also didn't care if I found the tests humiliating or tiresome. Nala Se just wanted the test results, and I never told anyone except for a few who already knew what was happening," Omega explained, a haunted look crossing her features as she explained what happened.
Suu's heart broke hearing about what the Kaminoans did to Omega and how traumatised the tests left her. Cut, meanwhile, was filled with a mix of anger and horror. Hunter had told him that Omega was as traumatised as they were, but he didn't believe it until now.
"That Demagolka," Cut growled quietly, "How could she do such things to you? She has to pay for what she's done,"
"Easy, love. I know it's infuriating, but we've got to focus on comforting and supporting Omega, alright?" Suu put a calming hand on Cut's shoulder.
"You're right. Sorry," Cut replied as he returned to rubbing Omega's back.
"It almost constantly rains on Kamino, and thunderstorms are common. This storm would've brought back those memories. But remember, Omega, you're no longer on Kamino. You're on the other side of the galaxy from Kamino. You're here with two loving families who want the best for you. You don't have to carry your burden alone. We're here to support you in any way we can. Alright?"
"Alright," Omega replied, smiling at Cut. She was enjoying the comfort she was getting, as it allowed her to relax somewhat.
"And, remember this, Omega. You're not defined by what happened to you on Kamino, alright? You're a strong, resilient young lady who's empathic, curious, intelligent and resourceful," Suu replied.
"Thanks, Mom," Omega replied, making Suu chuckle.
"And remember your Dad Batch, and we are here to help you to start healing from what the Kaminoans did to you. We'll work together to help you face your fears and trauma and provide you with a brighter future," Cut reassured.
"Thanks for the reassurance, guys," Omega replied, tears welling in her eyes in gratitude.
"What do we do now? This room won't be enough for Omega to sleep if she can still see the lightning and hear the storm outside," Cut asked, noticing it was after 10:30 pm, over ninety minutes past Omega's bedtime.
"Well, our room is completely soundproof, and it has unique curtains that will stop lightning from lighting the room. If Omega's OK with it, she can stay with us tonight," Suu replied.
"You'd do that for me?" Omega asked, her eyes lighting up.
"Of course, anything to help you get a good night's sleep," Cut replied.
"And tomorrow, I'm talking to the Dad Batch about getting you some noise-cancelling headphones and a sleep mask so you can sleep during a thunderstorm," Suu added.
"Hunter and Crosshair have those to help them sleep," Omega replied.
"Then let's get going. It's nearly 11 pm," Suu said as Cut pulled the blanket off everyone, and they started heading to the bedroom. Cut turned off the light before they exited.
By the time Omega followed Cut and Suu into their room, it was after 10:30 pm. It was warm for a Spring night in the room, and Omega saw a diffuse night light lit the room. Omega could hear a music player, and Omega could smell and taste the blankets and wood of the bed. The carpet is soft on her feet. Everyone could see the cot containing baby Corin, but only Omega recognised the giant weighted blanket on the bed. It was the same brand she has on the Havoc Marauder and is currently sitting in the kids' room.
Omega felt calm as Suu closed the door, shutting out the thunderstorm. Suu smiled gently at Omega as Cut went to the refresher to change. Once Cut returned in his pyjamas, Suu went to the refresher herself and soon returned in a long nightgown.
"Ready?" Suu asked.
"I'm ready," Omega replied. Cut and Suu climbed under the blankets, and Suu patted a spot between them for Omega to rest between them. Omega climbed into bed between Suu and Cut and snuggled herself against Suu.
"Comfortable?" Suu asked.
"The Weighted Blanket is heavy. I feel like I'm suffocating a little," Omega admitted.
"Ths Blanket's only 7.5 kilos (16.5 pounds). How much do you weigh?" Suu asked.
"31 kilos (68 pounds) at last checkup," Omega replied. Suu realised that Omega was slightly underweight for a girl her age and height.
"I'm not surprised it's suffocating you. This blanket's a quarter your weight. Snuggle with me, it's a bit lighter on my end, and I can keep it directly off you. Alright?" Suu asked.
"You'd do that for me? Thank you so much, Mom," Omega replied, snuggling herself against Suu, being careful not to hug her too tightly.
Suu chuckled, "I'm not your biological Mom, but I love you like my daughter, Omega," as she embraced Omega, carefully ensuring the Weighted Blanket wasn't directly resting on her. Cut swept both into a close embrace, and the three fell asleep.
The following morning Cut and Suu called a meeting with the whole squad of the Bad Batch to meet in the Kitchen after breakfast. It was warm for Spring in the Kitchen because of the breakfast. The lamp in the ceiling provided light, and Suu could hear the wind outside. She smelt and tasted the caff and remnants of breakfast, and the ground was solid on her feet. Everyone could see the plates piled on the sink, but only Suu could see the first strand of hair forming on Corin's head.
"We need to discuss something. On Dantooine, at this time of year, storms are frequent. And Omega can't sleep during them," Suu explained.
"Because it reminds Omega of what the Kaminoans did to her," Echo replied. When Suu nodded, Echo continued, "I knew storms were triggering for Omega. They remind her of her time on Kamino. She usually comes to me for comfort,"
"You two took care of her, I assume? She didn't come out to the shed," Hunter asked.
"Yeah. And that's what we want to discuss. We don't want to keep Omega in our room every time there's a storm so she can sleep. She needs noise-cancelling headphones, sleep masks, things like that to shut the storm out," Cut explained.
The squad looked at each other momentarily, then silently agreed on who would handle what.
"Omega can keep Lula. I know she needs her for comfort," Wrecker said.
"I'll handle noise-cancelling headphones for Omega. I've got a pair myself," Hunter said.
"I'll take Omega to get a sleep mask. I've got several," Crosshair added.
"I'll look into some ASMR to help Omega shut external noises out," Tech continued.
"And I'll teach Omega some mindfulness and relaxation techniques to help relax before bed. I've found that helps a lot with me," Echo concluded.
Suu smiled, "Good, we've got a plan," Hunter noticed Suu rub her side.
"What happened?" Hunter asked.
"It's OK. Omega just hugged me a little tight, that's all," Suu replied.
"Is it true that Omega has all of your mutations?" Cut asked the squad.
"A little from each of us, yes," Tech replied.
"Explains a lot," Suu replied.
"Now, later this morning, we're all going out to grab everything for Omega," Cut replied.
"Alright," Hunter and Crosshair replied.
An hour later, Omega, Cut, Suu, Hunter and Crosshair were at the shopping complex on Dantooine. It was raining again, and Omega was anxious the entire way. However, once Omega entered the shopping complex, the sound of the rain deadened, reducing her anxiety.
It was mid-morning in the shopping complex, which was cold for a Spring day. Omega noticed the lamps lighting the complex, and the shoppers produced most of the sound. She can smell and taste the air freshener and the various scents from the shoppers. The floor is solid on her shoes. Everyone can see the mix of old and new bricks in the walls, but only Omega and Crosshair can see the infrared markings on the ground.
"First things first, the noise-cancelling headphones. We'll need an electronics store for that," Hunter turned to Omega, who nodded.
"The electronics store is coming up on the right. I'll take you there. Once we have bought the noise-cancelling headphones, Suu and Crosshair can take Omega to the Department Store to get a few sleep masks," Cut pointed out the electronics store as they approached.
The front of the store had large panes of glass showing off the latest electronic items with Galactic Tech in Aurebesh plastered over a yellow entrance foyer. The catalogue stands were present out the front full of catalogues for Galactic Tech.
As Omega, Cut, and Hunter enter the store, the many sights and sounds of the store assault their senses, the hums of the electronics and the many customers getting their electronics. The floor is laminate brown, and the various electronics are on tables or stand showing off the latest electronics. Everything electronic, from Laptops, Tablets, DVDs, videos, Earbuds, TVs, DVD players, and Smart Watches. Eventually, they found the aisle for headphones.
A light-skinned female Togruta approached. She wore a black coat over a white shirt, a long black skirt and dark grey leggings. She was slightly shorter than Hunter and looked like she'd been there for a long time.
"Hello there, how can we help you today?" she asked.
"We're looking for noise-cancelling headphones to help Omega here get a better night's sleep," Hunter explained.
The Togruta nodded to Omega, "Sure. Follow me. We have two varieties of noise-cancelling headphones. I'm sure we can find some for sleep. Do you have a pair?" She asked as she guided them to the noise-cancelling varieties.
"Yeah, it helps me with my sleep," Hunter replied. Soon, the quartet reached the aisle with the noise-cancelling headphones. It didn't take long for Omega to find a durable pair that blocks sound out totally.
"Can you hear us?" Hunter asked as Omega tried a pink-and-purple pair in. When Omega didn't respond, Hunter gave the thumbs up, which Omega returned.
As Omega removed the noise-cancelling headphones, the sudden sound increase stressed her senses.
"Alright, here's a pair in their packaging," the Togruta female said as she gave Cut the headphones.
"Let's pay for these, then we can get some eye masks," Cut replied.
"Thanks," Hunter said to the Togruta female.
"No problem," she replied, before turning to Omega, "I hope this helps you get a better night's sleep,"
"Thanks," Omega replied before they headed for the cash register.
After paying for the headphones, they meet up with a talking Suu and Crosshair. Since entering the store, people have moved on from the complex, reducing the noise. Suu had a hand on Crosshair's shoulder. It looked like they were talking about something personal for Crosshair.
"We've got the headphones," Hunter said. Suu and Crosshair stopped talking, "Good. Now for the Department store, Star Departments,"
Crosshair replaced the toothpick in his mouth as the group headed for the department store.
Hunter and Cut stayed back this time while Suu, Crosshair and Omega entered the store. In contrast to the loud shows of Galactic Tech, Star Departments was more muted, just a big show of Star Departments in Auberesh on an off-white background. The pillars at the entrance are striped blue and white, and it was more open plan compared to Galactic Tech. The lights in the ceiling flood the area with light, and the marble floor is off-white. The aisles are full of all the merchandise, everything from clothes to sleepwear, confectionary to toys to electronics.
"Where are we going to find sleep masks?" Omega wondered, amazed and overwhelmed at the sheer size and variety of items.
"Follow me to the sleep aisle. We'll find some sleep masks there," Suu replied.
It didn't take long for them to find the sleepwear aisle, and when they started along it, Crosshair reminded Suu, "She needs one that can filter Infrared since she can see slightly in that part of the electromagnetic spectrum,"
"I know. That could be a bit of a problem, though if necessary, Tech can make the required adjustments," Suu replied.
Soon, they reach the sleep masks. And here, Crosshair quickly finds one that not only blocks out visible light but blocks infrared wavelengths too.
"This is the same as the masks I have," Crosshair said as he grabbed four.
"Here you go," Crosshair gave them to Omega, and they headed for the cash register. Omega gave Crosshair a quick hug in thanks, which he returned by putting his hands on her back.
"Progress," Suu thought, watching this. After they had paid for the masks, everyone headed home. On the way home, Omega wore her Noise-Cancelling headphones to shut out the rain.
Once they got home, Tech worked with Omega to find some relaxing ASMR music for her to listen to, while Echo helped Omega with relaxation and mindfulness techniques to keep herself calm and help improve sleep.
That night, another storm whipped up.
"We're sorry we weren't there for you last night, Omega. Can we please make it up to you tonight?' Jek asked.
"Apology accepted. And how do you intend to make it up?" Omega asked.
"Can we please stay with you tonight?" Shaeeah wondered.
"Sure. I need to go through my nighttime routine first. Also, the weighted blanket on my bed may be heavy for you two. As I found out last night with your parents," Omega replied.
"We'll be OK. We have you to protect us," Jek grinned. Omega patted Jek on the head, smiling, then guided Jek and Shaeeah through her pre-bed nighttime routine. Once Omega had done her calming exercises, she set her ASMR on her datapad, connected it to her noise-cancelling headphones, then snuggled under her blankets and invited Jek and Shaeeah to snuggle with her, which they did. Omega put on her sleep mask, and then the trio drifted off.
Combining the Noise-Cancelling Headphones, Sleep Mask, ASMR, and relaxation techniques for Omega improved her sleep pattern and reduced the frequency and intensity of her nightmares. Even during the worst storms, Omega could rest peacefully. And when they visited the Lawquanes, Jek and Shaeeah would stay with Omega, adding an extra layer of comfort and security for their big sister.
A/N: Yes, I headcanon Omega is on the Autism spectrum, just like Tech.