Omega and Khan stayed embraced for several minutes. Omega didn't want to let go of him after her experiences on Mt. Tantiss, especially since it had been two years since they had last seen each other. Once the freighter jumped to Hyperspace, Khan convinced Omega to retire to a private room where they could update each other on what they've been up to.

The private room they found was small but comfortable. It was cool inside the room, and a ceiling light shined on the duo. The engines humming echoed through the room as the scent of black carpet and metal wafted as they sat on the soft beds.

Khan started by updating Omega on what he had been doing between fleeing Kamino during the Inhibitor Chip fiasco and now. Omega was surprised to learn there was another age-accelerated counterpart to her, like Emerie.

Omega then informed Khan about her adventures with Clone Force 99 after the transition from the Republic to the Empire, and Khan listened to every word, proud of his sister for how far she had come since the last time he saw her on Kamino.

Then Mt. Tantiss came up, and Omega's face went dark.

"If you don't want to talk about what happened, you don't have to," Khan walked over and embraced Omega, who returned the embrace.

"Thank you, Khan," Omega replied. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Omega asked.

"It's Hunter. Just wanted to check that you two were OK," came Hunter's voice through the door. Khan used the Force to open the door, and Omega saw Hunter framed in the doorway.

"We're OK," Omega smiled gently, "We've been updating each other on what we've been doing the last two years,"

"Sounds fun," Hunter replied, sitting opposite to them.

"It's been interesting," Khan said, "You've been a positive influence on Omega,"

"Thanks," Hunter replied before he turned to Omega.

"Echo's waiting in the next room over. You said you needed to talk to him about something. Now's your chance if you're ready," Hunter said.

"I'm ready," Omega replied as she detached herself from Khan and exited.

"I hope they can help each other with the trauma," Khan sighed, "I'm just glad she's away from Kamino, from Nala Se, and the Empire,"

"We're glad, too," Hunter replied. He noticed the tired look in Khan's eyes and asked, "Are you OK?"

"I'm slightly overwhelmed by finally reuniting with Omega," Khan admitted, "I've been unable to sleep for the past few days in nervous anticipation of her rescue,"

"Understandable. But Omega's back with all of us. Finally, after 227 days," Hunter replied.

Khan whistled, "Whoa. Seven and a half months. That's rough,"

"Agreed," Hunter replied, "What are you going to do?"

"Get some sleep," Khan admitted, climbing onto the bed.

"Alright. Rest well," Hunter replied as he got up and departed. Soon, Khan had fallen asleep.

Meanwhile, with Omega

Kuan Si and Boba intercepted Omega before she reached the room Echo was occupying. The corridor was warmer than the room she exited, and the scent of metal wafted strongly. The engine hum was also louder, and artificial lights lit the corridor.

"We need to do something with your hands to ensure the Empire can't track us," Kuan said.

Omega and Boba looked at their right hands and simultaneously remembered the tracking inside the marks.

"Right," the Fett twins replied.

"Follow me," Kuan said. Omega and Boba looked at each other, nodded, and followed to the ship's rear.

When Omega entered the room at the ship's rear, she briefly thought it was a Kaminoan laboratory. Thankfully, the environment was more pleasant than Kamino. Several artificial lights lit the room, and the sounds of the ship's engines were softer than the corridor. The scent of chemicals mixed with the ship's metal as Omega stepped onto the hard floor.

Omega looked around and saw a pretty young woman working at one of the desks. She had dirty blonde hair tied in a bun, dark brown eyes and a darker skin complexion. She was wearing a white lab coat and long black pants.

"Hey, Irala, have you got the neutralisers for trackers?" Kuan asked.

"I do," Irala replied, and to Omega's shock when Irala turned around, she looked like an age-accelerated version of her.

"Another one," Boba said, surprised.

"Hello. Irala Zo at your service. What do you need today?" Irala asked.

"They were marked by the Empire soon after they arrived, and the marks might have tracking sensors. We'd like you to neutralise them," Kuan replied.

"Alright," Irala replied, "Omega, Boba, please sit at the desk and extend the hand with the mark on it,"

Omega and Boba sat at the desk and extended their right hands. Irala grabbed a strange, pen-shaped scanner from a case of similar-shaped devices and scanned their hands with them. The marks briefly glowed blue, then dimmed.

"There you go. You two now cannot be tracked by the Empire," Irala said.

"Thanks," Boba replied.

"Now, I recommend you two get some rest. You two have endured a harrowing ordeal. Rest is important for now," Irala said.

"I need to talk to Echo first," Omega replied, "It's about Kamino,"

"Oh," Irala sighed, "I understand. Don't take too long, though,"

"I won't," Omega replied as she got up and left the room with Boba close behind.

Hunter then headed for the hangar bay, unsurprised to find Fennec Shand sitting at her ship. Hunter wanted a quick word with Fennec before he insisted on a Batch cuddle pile with Omega in the middle. It was warmer in the hangar bay than

"Is Boba OK?" Fennec asked.

"He will be," Hunter replied, "He wasn't on Mt. Tantiss anywhere near as long as Omega was. Plus, he has nowhere near the trauma from Kamino that Omega does,"

"He's going to need others to care for him, though," Fennec replied, "His syndicate dissolved when the Empire came,"

"Why don't you be that guardian?' Hunter asked.

"I haven't considered it," Fennec admitted, "But I guess someone has to watch over him. I know Hondo Ohnaka would take him in, but I guess I can be the watchful big sister or something. Are you considering adopting him or something?"

"Dr Hemlock said who knew that Clones could be so parental?" Hunter said.

"I hope Nala Se informed him that Boba exists because of Jango's parental instinct," Hunter replied.

"I've noticed the parental instinct is strong with Clones," Fennec replied, "As you've demonstrated on multiple occasions while we worked together,"

"I'm aware," Hunter replied, "I was just wondering what would happen to him without other figures like you in his life,"

"I'll consider it," Fennec replied, "I enjoyed working together, Hunter. We make a pretty good team,"

"Agreed," Hunter replied before he departed for the bedroom.

Omega awoke nine hours later feeling relaxed and comfortable for the first time in months. Omega looked at the figure snuggled against her and realised Khan was snuggled against her, having joined them in the middle of the night. Omega looked around and realised she was the centre of a batch cuddle pile. It was a cool, clear morning. Artifical lights glowed gently over the scene. There was a gentle hum from the engines, and the scent of her brothers wafted through as she rested on Wrecker and Hunter while closely embraced by Khan. Omega looked down at Lula and smiled. She had managed to rescue the tooka doll before they left the downed Havoc Marauder.

A minute later, Khan awoke. He looked down and saw Omega was also awake.

"Isn't that Wrecker's doll?" Khan asked.

"Yep, this is Lula," Omega replied, "Ironically, it was initially Boba's, given to him by Jango. She was then passed around for a while until Wrecker got it. He eventually gave it back to me, and Boba got ahold of her briefly. Now she's back in my arms,"

"That's lovely to hear," Khan smiled.

Over the next few minutes, each member of Clone Force 99 awoke.

"Good morning," Omega said.

"Good morning," Hunter replied, and Omega could hear that Hunter was relieved she was there.

"How long before we arrive at wherever we're going?" Omega asked.

"Four hours," Khan replied.

"Alright," Omega replied as she got up and headed for the nearby refresher.

Four hours later, the freighter they were on exited Hyperspace. And instead of another ship, Omega was shocked to realise they were approaching a planet.

"With the sheer number of Clones we rescued, my network can't house all of those Clones in our primary ship. So we're going to bring them here for treatment and assistance in transitioning from military to civilian life. Our mission is to secure a future for the Clones," Kuan explained.

"That's very noble," Omega replied as she looked over the planet. The orb was a mix of blue ocean, green forest and plains, and white, snow-capped mountains. The K-Class star glowed an orange hue over the planet.

"It's beautiful," Omega admitted, "What is it called?"

"Kytaro," Irala replied, standing with them. Hunter, Fennec, Boss, and Fixer approached.

"Kuan, have you got our spacecraft to travel to reunite with Scorch and Emerie," Boss said.

Kuan turned to face them, "We have prepared the freighter. You need to input the destination Scorch gave you, and it'll take you there," Kuan replied, "Are you sure you don't want us to help?"

"Your offer is kind," Fixer replied, "But we've got to head to Kashyyk afterwards to find Sev first. We'll consider it once we've got him back. Emerie needs somewhere to find herself,"

"I understand," Kuan nodded, "May the force be with you, always,"

Fixer and Boss nodded, then departed for the hangars.

"Oh, by the way, for Clone Force 99, we have a special surprise for you once we get to the surface," Kuan said.

"Really?" Hunter asked.

"Yes," Kuan replied, "Lots of surprises. There's a station nearby you'll all need to stop at first to clean up,"

"Alright," Hunter replied.

Two hours later, with Clone Force 99 wearing new clothes as their regular clothes were in an industrial washer, Clone Force 99 met in a room near the back of the station. It was warm on the station for a Fall day. Artificial light lit the area, and the craft moved around and echoed through. The scent of metal and crat fuel wafted as everyone sat on the solid chairs.

Hunter started by addressing Wrecker and Echo, "I shouldn't have run out on your two. I felt like I couldn't lead you two anymore after the spate of failed missions,"

Wrecker clapped a hand on Hunter's back, "It's good to have you back,"

"Did you rediscover your leadership?" Echo asked.

"Thanks to Fennec Shand, I realised I couldn't keep treating you guys as I have been, especially Omega. I realised that everyone on the squad has perspectives I should respect. And there's more to leading the team that I've missed or refused to accept. I understand we need to work together to get the best out of this family," Hunter explained before he turned to Omega.

"It took Boba for me to understand that I haven't been treating you properly, Omega. For too long, I've still seen you as the little traumatised girl we rescued from Kamino. I've found it difficult to separate you from the young Commando you've become. It's something all of us must work on separating. You're capable now. You can defend yourself. But it will be challenging and messy to separate the version of yourself you are now and the version of yourself you were. I've taken the first step in that process, thanks to Boba. He's only a year or two older than you, and I saw first-hand how capable he is, and it made me realise how capable you've become. I hope you can forgive all of us, Omega, and please be patient with us, alright? Even when we test you. Especially now you've reached your teenage years," Hunter explained.

Omega considered this momentarily, then smiled and nodded, "I will. Just remember that I'm a teenager now, so there's lots of changes coming over the next few years,"

"Don't worry, Omega. I know what to expect. When I was with Rex's legion during the Clone Wars, the General had a Padawan female Togruta marginally older than you. Those processes had started before she became his apprentice, but the 501st learned about them quickly," Echo said before turning to the others, "With Phee dead, the squad will need a female battle medic to help Omega with female-exclusive issues,"

Every Batch member was noticeably depressed when Echo mentioned Phee.

"I don't get some of those," Omega admitted, "I'm not, strictly speaking, female,"

"What do you mean?" Echo asked.

"Complete Androgen Insensitivity," Crosshair replied, "It means she has male genetics but develops female due to the receptors on her cells not taking up particular hormones,"

"What does that mean?" Hunter asked.

"It means Omega won't experience some of what most females from her age experience. But it also means she can't have kids naturally," Crosshair replied.

"When did you find out about this?" Omega asked.

"I confronted Nala Se about what she was doing to you, and I learned about your condition that way," Crosshair replied.

Omega huffed, "It was bad enough that Dr Hemlock and Emerie knew,"

"Your brothers were going to find out eventually," Crosshair replied.

"So, what does that mean or Omega's Identity? Is she, what, Transgender?" Wrecker asked.

"Intersex," Omega replied, "It means my internal anatomy doesn't match either male or female but has some of both,"

"That'll be important to know," Echo replied, "But it means we need to consult with someone like Irala to know how to proceed. Tech would've known how to"

Everyone was depressed at the mention of Tech and went silent for several moments.

"Look, Hunter," Crosshair broke the silence, "I thought I knew what I was getting into with the Empire. I thought I was being a good soldier. But I was wrong. The Empire betrayed me, so I betrayed them, and that's how I wound up on Mt. Tantiss. I've done things and made mistakes," Crosshair started, but Hunter interrupted.

"I have regrets, too, Crosshair. All we can do is keep trying to be better. And who knows? There might be hope for us yet,"

"We all have regrets and mistakes, Crosshair," Omega replied, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know," Crosshair replied. Suddenly, they got a message over the intercom.

"Can Clone Force 99 please head for the hangars for transport to the surface," came Kuan Si's voice.

"We'd better get going," Hunter replied, "Everyone OK?"

"Yeah, we're OK," Wrecker turned to face the others, who all gave small smiles in response as everyone departed.

While the squad walked down the corridor towards the hangar, Fennec and Boba joined them. The corridor was milder than the station's back room, and natural light flooded the corridor. The scents and sounds were more noticeable as they walked on the hard floor.

Omega quickly approached Boba and asked, "How are you doing after what happened on Mt. Tantiss?"

"Not great," Boba admitted, "I was there 81 rotations, and I'm having flashbacks every five minutes. How long were you two there?"

"216 rotations," Omega recalled, while Crosshair admitted, "I don't know. Based on the rough number I was at when Omega arrived, around 280 to 300 rotations,"

"Rough. Sorry to hear that," Boba replied before turning to Omega and lowering his voice to almost a whisper, just loud enough for Omega to hear.

"You mentioned you had worse done to you on Kamino. How long for? And how did you endure that?" Boba asked.

Omega did a rough estimate, "Depending on the type of abuse, 1646 to 3292 rotations,"

Boba was horrified, "How did you not break and wind up like Emerie?"

"I had a support network that helped," Omega admitted, "Khan, Shaak Ti, Plo Koon and Ninety-Nine were all there for me during those dark times. I would've died years ago if it wasn't for them,"

"We're glad we got you out of there, Omega," Hunter replied, sensing the tone of the conversation between the Fett twins, even if he couldn't hear them.

"I'm glad you did," Omega replied, "From Kamino and Mt. Tantiss,"

"Same on the latter," Boba replied.

"Our pleasure," Fennec replied, smiling at him.

Echo then approached Omega, "You didn't meet with me about your past last night,"

"Sorry," Omega admitted, "You were already in the cuddle pile when I joined you guys. I didn't want to wake you to talk, so I fell asleep,"

"It's fine," Echo chuckled, "Just, please, open up soon. You're burdened by more than just what happened on Mt. Tantiss. You've shown a lack of judgment about my time on Skako Minor. I won't for your time on Kamino,"

"Thank you, Echo," Omega hugged Echo, which he returned as they reached the hangar.

The hangar bay was huge, with more than several dozen freighters and craft of various sizes moving around or flying in or out. It was warmer again inside the hanger, with the star beating down on everyone as they entered. The sounds of craft engines echoed through, and the scent of craft fuel wafted as the group walked on the hard floor.

"OK, where do we go? This place is massive," Hunter asked.

"There you are," came a voice from nearby. Hunter turned and saw Kuan Si approach.

"Follow me. I have a replacement for your Havoc Marauder. It's bigger than the original ship, so everyone can have their own space while still flyable by one person. I hope you'll find it a suitable replacement," Kuan explained.

"Thank you," Hunter replied, heartened by Kuan's generosity.

"This is just the beginning," Kuan replied, "As I said earlier, you've got some shocks waiting for you on the surface,"

"We're aware," Hunter replied, "Where is the craft?"

"Follow me," Kuan replied as he guided eastward towards a small collection of craft across one of the hangar's walls. Omega followed, with the remainder of the squad following Omega.

At first, as they approached, Hunter thought that Kuan had somehow replaced the Havoc Marauder. When he got closer, however, he saw that it was considerably heftier than the Marauder, although the craft looked similar.

The cockpit still had the triangular shape of the Marauder but was closer to the main body. The remainder of the craft was wider, taller, and longer, allowing for more space inside. The top fin was significantly larger than on the Marauder, while the fin on each side had similar dimensions. Hunter noticed more laser cannons and a more powerful engine. Thankfully, there was a tailgun at the craft's rear. Kuan had painted the craft black and grey, which looked menacing when combined with the red cockpit.

"Wow," Hunter said, awed by the craft.

"It's a hell of a ship," Echo remarked, "Wonder what's inside to justify the size?"

"Well, let's find out, shall we?" Kuan let the door fly open to reveal the interior.

As Clone Force 99 entered the craft, Hunter noticed the interior didn't seem different from the Havoc Marauder. The seats were in the middle of the craft, and the cockpit looked similar enough to be mistaken for the Havoc Marauder. The craft was milder than outside, indicating air conditioning. Artificial lights lit the craft as the closing door muffled the craft. The scent of rugs and metal wafts as Hunter steps on the half floor.

"Well, so far, it's broadly similar," Hunter admitted.

"I think it's fine for continuity," Crosshair sneered.

"Guys, you might want to look at this," Omega called from the ship's rear. As the Batch members move to the rear, they discover the significant difference between this craft and the Havoc Marauder.

"Private sleeping quarters?" Hunter enquired. There were six doors in the back third of the craft, three on each side.

'There's only one way to find out," Omega opened the door. And sure enough, there's enough room for a bed and a small bedside table with a lamp.

"They are," Hunter admired, "Now we've all got some privacy. Especially you, Omega,"

"Agreed. Looks like beds are big enough for even Wrecker," Omega replied as she entered and lay on the bed.

"More comfortable to sleep on than the seat," Omega said.

"That's good to hear," Hunter replied.

"My room has a hammock instead of a bed. Nice touch," Echo commented as he looked in his room.

"Anyone notice there's seven rooms?" Crosshair commented as he pointed to a seventh room slightly further from the others.

"I've got a strange feeling about this," Hunter admitted.

"How are you finding the craft?" Kuan asked from the entrance.

"We're just wondering what the seventh room is for. Or why there's seven in the first place when we're only a crew of five," Hunter replied.

"Female Battle Medic for Omega," Kuan replied, "And if anyone else wants to join you for a time, you'll need the extra space. But I get the feeling that you'll be using those rooms before long,"

"Words cannot describe how thankful we are," Wrecker called, giving a hug to Kuan.

"Thanks, Wrecker. Just take care of my niece, alright?" Kuan replied.

"We will," Hunter said, resting a hand on Omega's shoulder.

"May the Force be with you," Kuan smiled gently before departing the craft.

"So, we're heading to the surface?" Wrecker asked.

"We'd better. There's something strange going on, and I want to find out what it is," Hunter replied as he headed for the pilot's seat. Soon, the Havoc Marauder Version Two departed the station and headed for the planetary surface.