Credit to: Absolute Privilege by KyberCrystals94
The storm over Mt. Tantiss echoed as Echo observed the scene before him. It was cold and stormy. Omega, Nala Se, Rampart, the other Batchers, the Tantiss kids, and even Emerie lay dead on the ground. The only upside was that Hemlock, Scorch, and Scalder were also dead.
"How? How did this happen?" Echo asked, grief overwhelming him as he banged the ground with his scomp. The sound of the thunderstorm mirrored the storm in his heart as he carefully embraced Omega and found the wound that ended her life. Her cause of death was trauma from a high fall, injuries that were similar to the Tantiss kids.
"I'm afraid I foresaw this happening," came a voice from behind. Echo turned and was shocked to see the Force Ghost of Syfo-Dias standing before him. But that surprise was nothing to the shock of seeing the Ghost of Fives standing next to him.
"Fives? What are you doing here?" Echo asked, astonished.
"We're here to make you an offer. There is a way to prevent this from happening again. Or at least, save a timeline," Fives replied.
"How?" Echo asked, still mentally processing everything.
"I will take you to the world between worlds. And from there, you can go back to the end of the Clone Wars. Keep in mind that small changes can have\ knock-on effects. Be aware of this as you work to fix this," Syfo-Dias replied calmly.
"But be aware. This is your last, no, only chance to fix this," Fives warned Echo.
"I'll keep it in mind," Echo replied as Syfo-Dias offered his hand. Echo hesitated momentarily, then took it. Syfo-Dias and Echo glowed blue, and the world around Echo changed. Soon, he was in what appeared to be a large room covered in what seemed to be portals. They were standing on a transparent, blue rail of what appeared to be blue light. It was warm and dry, a complete contrast to Mt. Tantiss.
"So, where do I go from here?" Echo asked.
"Through here," Syfo-Dias reassuringly replied, guiding Echo towards a portal that appeared to take him back in time. Echo looked around, took a deep breath, then walked through the portal and found himself alongside the Bad Batch on the Havoc Marauder heading for Kamino.
It was warm on the Havoc Marauder. Tech was sitting in the pilot's seat while he was in the co-pilot seat. Lights in the ceiling lit the craft, and the craft's engines echoed. The scent of metal wafted as Echo sat on the solid seat. Echo realised he needed to figure out how to convince Crosshair not to join the Empire.
The events proceed with meeting Omega and getting a mission assigned to them by Grand Moff Tarkin. Echo decides to implement the first part of his plan while heading back to Kamino from the mission.
Echo turned to Crosshair, who seemed to be sleeping on the chair behind him. Crosshair momentarily looked at Echo and asked, "What is it?"
"Can I talk to you at the back of the craft?" Echo asked. Crosshair sighed, "Can it wait?"
"I'm afraid it can't," Echo replied, glaring at Crosshair. Crosshair groaned, then got up and walked to the back of the craft, with Echo following.
It was milder at the rear of the Havoc Marauder. The engine hum was mildly louder here, and the faint scent of explosives wafted.
"What is it?" Crosshair sneered.
"It's about the Empire. And what will happen if you join them," Echo replied.
"We should be following orders like good soldiers," Crosshair replied, briefly holding his head.
"Not when those orders are unconscionable," Echo replied.
"Why do you care?" Crosshair growled.
"I have no trust in Tarkin or this Empire. Neither should you. If you go down this path, it only ends in oblivion for everyone," Echo sharply replied.
"You don't know that," Crosshair sneered.
"How do you know that the Empire is best for you?" Echo retorted.
"I don't," Crosshair conceded, "But I don't want to be running around without a purpose. I'll take my chances. A purpose,"
"I don't agree, but I understand," Echo admitted, frustrated that Crosshair was committing to this, "Keep in mind that this won't go well for you,"
"I'm willing to take the risk," Crosshair sneered. After a moment, Crosshair got up and headed back to the front of the craft.
Echo sighed, frustrated at Crosshair's insistence on being stubborn. As he thought about it more, Echo realised that maybe Crosshair needed to go over. He probably needed to fix what he could. The obvious question was, what could he work on?
Echo would struggle to figure out what he could influence without making it clear that he was from the future. After a little while, however, Echo realised that Omega would be the key to solving this. How was the question?
Echo would attempt to change the course of the story over the next several months, but every time, he would fail, leaving him frustrated. It's several months before Echo gets a chance to try another change. As they fly towards Serenno, Echo feels the frustration of not helping the other Clones. However, Echo also remembers the massive blow to her confidence and spirit that he had unintentionally inflicted on Omega when he told Hunter about Omega being the reason for their situation. Echo internally hoped that modifying his wording would tilt things towards a more positive future.
It was mild on the Havoc Marauder. Lights were in the ceiling, lighting the inside of the craft alongside the glow of Hyperspace. The hum of the engines echoed, and the scent of metal wafted as Echo stood with Hunter on the hard floor. Everyone could tell that there was tension on the craft, though only Echo, and probably Hunter, could tell that Omega was listening. Echo knew that he had to be more careful with his words about their situation.
"I know why you agreed to this mission. But we can do better things with Dooku's fortune than hide, Hunter. With what we're up against, we have to fight. That means numbers and weapons," Echo said.
"That's not the life Omega deserves," Hunter replied.
Echo paused momentarily, remembering the devastating effect his words last time had on Omega.
"We did the right thing by taking Omega with us when we left Kamino. And while her safety is important, others also need our help. If we join Rex, we can meaningfully resist the Empire, and Omega will get life experiences and training that she can't get with us. We should be doing more to help," Echo carefully replied. After a moment, he walked to the front of the craft.
To Echo's frustration, the mission to Serenno played out precisely as it went in Echo's timeline. Everything from Tech's broken leg to Omega getting rope burns as she attempted to recover the treasure to Echo having to convince Omega to leave the treasure behind. Even the reassurances from Echo went similarly, though thanks to additional reassurance from Tech, Omega realised that she wasn't as much of a burden as she thought in his timeline. Still, everything was going the same. And that disappointed Echo.
It was Kashyyyk when the first significant change offered itself. A change that Echo hoped would push the timeline towards a better future. They had finished beating back the Trandoshans when a strange sniper approached them.
"Who are you?" Echo asked.
"My name is Sev," the Commando replied, "I've lost my squad. I have been here for over a year, and I'm looking for a way off this world,"
"Whoa. You're a Commando?" Omega asked, amazed by his gear.
"I am," Sev smiled under his mask, looking at Omega, "But don't get too amazed. Half of this stuff doesn't work. It's been too long since I've been able to work on it,"
"Our sniper joined the Empire, so we need someone to cover him," Omega begged.
"We could do with support. But the choice is yours," Hunter replied.
Sev looked across the members and replied, "It appears you could do with assistance. Especially in training this kid. Who is she?"
"This is Omega. Omega was a Medical Assistant to Nala Se, and we escaped with her from Kamino. Now we're training her to survive on her own," Hunter replied.
Sizing Omega up, Sev said, "I thought you were familiar. You seem like you've got a lot of potential,"
"So, will you join us?" Hunter asked. Sev thought about this momentarily, then nodded.
"I will warn you. Although I'll join you, I will be in and out of this squad. I have other things to investigate. I've learned to work alone," Sev replied.
"We understand," Echo replied, relieved that something had finally gone right.
Unknown to the Batch, the mission to Kashyyyk would knock over a metaphorical domino. A domino that would cause double the chaos for everyone further down the road.
As the Batch gets back on the craft, Hunter gets distracted by Omega telling him what she and Gungi had managed to do to help fight off the Trandoshans. Echo doesn't hear much from the initial conversation, but when Hunter approaches him, Echo realises Hunter wants to tell him.
"What is it?" Echo asked.
"I know what you're planning. It would help if you told Omega what you're planning, why, and why it isn't her fault you're making the decision," Hunter said.
"What?" Echo asked, astonished and concerned.
"Omega still feels like a burden. I get the sense that partially fuelled her decisions around Gungi. I know that you want to join Rex. I'm considering having all of us join him and seeing if there's a way we can contact Phee without tipping Cid off about where we are," Hunter explained.
"Who is this Cid you're talking about?" Sev asked.
"Cid is a Trandoshan information broker we've been working for since we got attacked by a Bounty Hunter on Pantora," Hunter explained.
"Cid sounds like someone who would sell you out to the Empire immediately if given the right incentive," Sev replied.
"We know. But we didn't have anywhere else to go at the time. And it was my idea to find Cid," Echo admitted.
"By the way, Omega and Gungi managed to lead some of the Trandoshan and Imperial forces into the perfect trap," Hunter told Echo, whose eyes widened in surprise.
"She did? Wow. Credit to her," Echo replied.
"Are you guys training her to be a Commando?" Sev asked.
"We are. Omega needs to be capable of defending herself in this galaxy," Hunter replied.
"You're doing a great job so far," Sev replied.
"Thank you," Hunter replied.
It was milder inside the Marauder. The fairy lights lit her room, and the engines hummed. The scent of metal wafted as Echo sat on the solid floor. Echo approached Omega, avoiding Gonky as he did, noticing she was meditating.
"Meditating again?" Echo asked Omega.
"I'm trying," Omega sighed, "Gungi taught me how to meditate. But, it doesn't work for me like it did for him,"
"He's a Jedi," Echo reminded Omega, who nodded.
"I know. Still like Gungi," Omega replied, "Do you wanna try?"
"No," Echo sighed, "I dislike the solitude. I had enough of that on Skako Minor. I would still be a prisoner there if these guys hadn't rescued me. Or worse,"
Omega looked at him, "Is that why you joined them?"
"This is where I fit," Echo replied, growling gently, "Where I was needed,"
"Was?" Omega asked, "But not now?"
"I know what you're thinking, Omega," Echo replied, "You aren't pushing me away. Hunter is considering all of us joining Rex, including you. I think Hunter agrees that you could do with experiences outside us,"
"Sounds like you have abandonment issues," Sev turned to face Omega.
"How did you figure that out?" Omega was astonished. Her eyes widened.
"Your reaction to Echo even suggesting he was no longer needed here," Sev replied, "Is this the first time this has happened?"
"No," Omega sighed, "I had to abandon Nala Se on Kamino,"
"And you were upset by that, from what I remember," Echo replied.
"You were Nala Se's Lab Assistant. Now I know where I've seen you before," Sev replied, "Look, Omega. You're not a burden. You've been nothing but a blessing for this squad. You've been a positive influence on me. And I'm sure you'll be a positive influence on the regs,"
Omega chuckled upon hearing Sev use the word Regs.
"I guess," Omega sighed.
"Even if only I were joining Rex, it wouldn't be your fault. You wouldn't have pushed me away," Echo rested a hand on Omega's shoulder.
"Why do I feel that way?" Omega asked.
"Because it's understandable. You know you're still young and not fully trained, so certain precautions must be taken. But Omega, this doesn't mean you're a burden or pushing me away. You're part of this squad, and you always will be," Echo explained. It took several tense moments before Omega nodded and tightly hugged Echo. Echo was surprised but returned the embrace.
"It's OK, Omega. You did nothing wrong. Circumstances are rough, I know. But you don't need to beat yourself up over it," Echo reassured.
"Thank you, Echo," Omega replied.
"No problem, Omega," Echo replied.
The discussion had helped Omega start dealing with her issues, and Sev found that Echo trusted him more.
When it was decided that Omega would go with Riyo Chuchi to the Senate chambers, Sev took the opportunity to help mask Omega's appearance so it would be harder to tell who she was. Sev would then join Clone Force 99 on the mission to retrieve the command logs from Rampart's Venator.
"So, I need to warn you guys right now. I might be recognised. And if I am, I must pretend my Inhibitor Chip is active. I still have it, but it's damaged and malfunctioning. So if I suddenly turn on you with misaimed shots, you'll know why," Sev said.
"Right," Rex glared, "You're getting that Inhibitor Chip out when this mission ends,"
"Fine by me. I'll finally be free of the headaches," Sev replied.
The mission continued until the instant that the Batch and Rex had obtained the command logs. After crashing Rampart's Venator and using the escape pods to crash land far enough away to ensure escape, the Batch regrouped near the original landing site. The Batch took a secret path to the Imperial Senate, where the Batch found Omega waiting.
"Get this to Senator Chuchi," Rex told Omega, who nodded and ran towards the Senate chamber.
Immediately, everyone pulled their blasters out as they thought Stormtroopers had followed them. However, it was Sev.
"I thought I'd find you here. Don't worry, the Chip isn't controlling me. It never did," Sev put his hands up in surrender, and the Batchers lowered their blasters.
"You took a major risk doing that," Hunter said.
"I know. Do you trust me now?" Sev asked.
"More than I did," Hunter admitted, "What are you going to do now?"
"Get this stupid chip removed," Sev replied.
"I can get that arranged for you," Rex said.
"Appreciated," Sev sighed.
After getting Sev's Inhibitor Chip out, the Batch agreed to join Rex temporarily. This also meant detaching from Cid and contacting Phee so they could meet up in the future. On the first mission, which saw them storm an Imperial craft to rescue Clones being transported to Mt. Tantiss, Hunter noticed Sev was checking Imperial files alongside Tech.
"Looking for the other members of your squad?" Hunter asked once everyone was back on the Havoc Marauder.
"Yeah. Unfortunately, the Imperials knew we were coming. So most of the data has been deleted," Sev sighed.
"Hopefully, you can find out what happened," Omega replied.
"Thank you," Sev replied before he noticed Lula sitting on Wrecker's bed.
"Is that yours, Wrecker?" Sev asked, pointing at Lula.
"Yep," Wrecker excitedly replied, showing Sev Lula.
"She's cute. And it's lovely that you have this," Sev replied.
"I've given her to Omega sometimes. Poor girl's been through a lot, even before she joined us," Wrecker replied.
Sev looked at Omega empathically, "Sorry to hear that. Are you finding ways to start healing?"
"Echo's been helpful regarding that. But I have a long way to go. Many of the memories are still suppressed," Omega sighed, unconsciously rubbing her upper arms.
"That's good to hear," Sev replied.
The next couple of missions yielded the rescue of dozens of Clones. With Omega knowing about the Inhibitor Chips, these Clones were freed from the chips. On a following mission, Sev found what he was looking for.
An Imperial Transport is on its way to Mt. Tantiss. Howzer is one of the Clones aboard. Suddenly, the Havoc Marauder and another craft jump out of Hyperspace and open fire, taking out the Hyperdrive.
"What's going on?" an Imperial Commander asked.
"We're under attack, sir," a Stormtrooper replied.
"Then jump to Hyperspace," the Commander demanded.
"We can't. The Hyperdrive is out of action," the Stormtrooper replied.
"Then open fire and notify command," the Commander ordered.
A Laser Cannon then appeared from the top of the Imperial Transport and opened fire, scoring a few hits on the other craft and a hit on the Marauder.
On the Marauder, Sev said, "That sure got their attention,"
"Let's make this quick," Echo replied. The Marauder fired again as the two craft closed, taking out the Laser Cannon. The other craft then fired a salvo of Turbo Laser fire, crippling the Transport.
"Prepare the docking chamber. We need to be quick to rescue the prisoners before reinforcements show up," Tech called.
Rex's craft destroyed the laser cannons on the Transport while Hunter guided the Havoc Marauder into an attachment point on the Transport.
"Why have you stopped firing? Shoot that ship down!" the Imperial Commander ordered.
"The Laser Cannons have been destroyed. This ship has been crippled. We're dead in space," the Stormtrooper replied.
"This is the Rescue One. We have docked to the bottom of the Transport. Havoc Marauder, you'll find your connection point on the top," came Rex through the communicator.
"Good work," Tech stated as he maneuvered the craft onto the white-and-black pillar attached to the Transport.
"Ships have attached to the forward docks," a Stormtrooper called.
"Security alert! Security Alert! All Stormtroopers prepare to be boarded!" the Commander leaned forward and turned on the communicator as Stormtroopers ran for the forward docks.
Two Stormtroopers soon found one of the docking ports, only to be stunned by a dropped stun grenade from above. The Batch quickly descended and charged forward, constantly sending stun blasts ahead.
Other Stormtroopers attempted to open the forward docking gate. Only for it to open suddenly and two stun grenades to be thrown out, one in each direction. Several Stormtroopers were stunned, and the remaining troopers failed to get more than a few shots off before they were stunned by the Batch.
"We've been boarded! Multiple insurgents!" came a panicked Stormtrooper from the communicator before he was stunned.
Frustrated, the Imperial Commander said, "Activate the protocols! Erase the databanks!"
Boss nodded, leading a group of Stormtroopers towards the databanks to start erasing them.
Back to the squads, Rex called, "Fireball. You, Hunter, and Omega handle rescuing the prisoners. We'll take the Bridge,"
"Got it," Fireball called, and he led Hunter and Omega towards the prison cells. Meanwhile, Rex led the remainder of the Batch towards the Bridge.
Fireball, Hunter, and Omega encountered Stormtroopers and quickly stunned them.
Omega's bow now has a stun function, which was recommended by Sev and implemented by Tech.
"Fireball?" Howzer asked when Fireball opened the door to his prison cell.
"It's good to see you again, Captain," Fireball replied. Howzer then noticed Hunter and Omega.
"Weren't you two om Ryloth?" Howzer asked.
"We were," Hunter replied.
"Now, let's get out of here," Fireball replied.
"A girl Clone? Where did you come from?" another Clone asked Omega as they ran for the craft.
"Nala Se's lab assistant," Omega replied.
"That explains it," he replied.
It wasn't long before the others had breached the Bridge, stunning Boss and the other troopers.
"What the? That's Boss!" Sev remarked, astonished to see another member of his former squad. Boss, who wasn't stunned, gasped, "Sev? Is that you?"
"Yeah," Sev replied, "Where are the others?"
"Can't tell you that, sorry. But Scorch is there. I don't know where Fixer wound up," Boss replied as Echo went to work saving the data.
"Where is this ship headed?" Rex asked as he slowly approached the Commander, "Where were you taking those Clones?"
"They've been erasing the data. I don't know how much I can recover," Echo called as he got to work.
"Well, I guess we must get that intel out of you," Rex replied threateningly. Suddenly, the Imperial Commander bit something in his mouth, electrocuting him in seconds.
"We have the prisoners. We must evacuate," Fireball called from the craft.
"Not until I've recovered as much data as possible," Echo replied.
"Hurry, reinforcements are here!" Fireball called warningly as a Venator Class Star Destroyer jumped from Hyperspace.
"We have to go, Echo," Rex called.
"I need more time," Echo replied.
"Echo, Sev, hurry, where are you?" Omega called through the communicator.
"Leave me to the Empire. I know we will meet again. Find Fixer before you see us again. When the time comes, we will all be reunited," Boss said.
"Fine," Sev replied, firing one last stun onto Boss before retreating as the Venator unleashed a squadron of V-Wings.
"Wrecker," Hunter called.
"On it," Wrecker replied, running to the Gunner Nest and opening fire. The V-Wings started firing back, though it quickly became apparent they were targeting the Transport Vessel instead of the other craft.
"We don't have any," Rex replied. Echo grabbed the data stick and ran.
Echo and Rex barely managed to reach the other craft before the destruction of the Transport ship and only narrowly escaped the V-Wings and Venator to Hyperspace.
Meanwhile, Boss found an emergency starfighter, which he used to navigate to the Venator, escaping the destruction of the Transport ship.
Eventually, everyone returned to the Coruscant Underground, where Phee waited for them. When the Batch arrived, she said, "Heard you ditched Cid. Dangerous move,"
"The situation was no longer mutually beneficial," Hunter replied as Omega hugged her.
"I know somewhere where you can hide from the Empire. How about I take you there?" Phee asked.
"I'm not sure," Echo admitted, "I want to help Rex rescue other Clones,"
"Please, Echo, please come with us," Omega begged, her pleading eyes hard for Echo to resist.
"Echo, I'll hold the fort for you. I need to find Fixer, anyway. Wherever that Transport was going, Boss and Scorch were stationed there. So I know where two of my former squad are," Sev replied.
"Echo and I will need time to decode this information," Tech stated, "So some time at this new place would be beneficial,"
"Then I'll give you the coordinates, Brown Eyes, and we can head there," Phee replied as she walked past and entered the Havoc Marauder.
"Sounds good," Tech replied, following, with the other Batchers close behind.
"Hunter," Sev called.
"What is it?" Hunter asked.
"If you need me for a mission, call me. Alright?" Sev called.
"We will," Hunter reassured. Sev nodded and saluted, which Hunter returned before the door of the Havoc Marauder closed, and the craft departed.
Echo was left in a frustrated but optimistic position by Sev's departure. Echo was frustrated because they were left in the same situation as his timeline, but he was hopeful because not only had he managed to stay with Omega, but they could call on Sev if needed. If they were to tackle Eriadu, they would need him to help save Tech. That made Echo worry. It was the last thing Echo thought of to save this timeline.
Pabu turned out to be a place to rest and relax, and the place allowed Echo to help Omega with more of her trauma. Despite this, Echo was nervous. While everyone was on Pabu, Echo realised that the Empire would still have to capture Omega. Omega would be their connection inside and a perfect agent of chaos for the Empire.
On the day of the mission to Eriadu, the Batch flies towards Eriadu on the Havoc Marauder, having just reunited with Sev on a nearby Space Station. As it turned out, he had found Fixer and busted him out of a smaller Imperial base before bringing him to Coruscant.
Sev was keeping sniper watch as Wrecker and Omega headed for Dr Hemlock's craft when he spotted another Commando. He initially thought it was Boss again, but when he checked who the Commando was again, he realised it was Scorch. His brief distraction almost got Omega and Wrecker caught, and he suddenly had to stun the two approaching Stormtroopers, triggering an all-out firefight. With the Partisans having set bombs all over the facility, the Batch suddenly had to fight their way back to the Gondola.
"Damn that moron," Sev snapped as he covered the Batch's retreat, having to dodge fire from Scorch as he attempted to respond. The other Stormtroopers were quickly stunned as the facility was locked down, but Scorch and Sev continued to exchange fire.
Suddenly, Scorch stopped.
"Sev?" Scorch asked.
"Scorch?" Sev asked.
"You're alive. How did you get of Kashyyyk?" Scorch was astonished to see his fellow Commando again as he approached.
"Thanks to the squad you just fought," Sev replied, "I've also found Fixer. Is Boss with you?"
"He's back at base. But that's not important right now. What are you going to do?" Scorch asked.
"If you keep it secret that I'm alive, I'll leave with the others," Sev replied.
"Right, I guess," Scorch replied, 'Go now. You have sixty seconds before I fire on you. Alright?"
"Alright," Sev replied. Sev would make it to the Gondola with ten seconds left. Everything went as before until Tech was left dangling from the Gondola. Echo was almost paralysed with nerves. Was Sev going to save Tech?
The first step to that went well as Sev destroyed the last V-Wings.
"Tech. You cut the cable. I'll grab you with my rifle and reel you in. Wrecker, Omega, you retreat from the damaged Gondolas. Then we get moving," Sev demanded.
"Are you sure about this?" Tech asked.
"Positive," Sev replied, "And if that doesn't work, I can fire a parachute at you. That way, your fall will be survivable,"
"Fine," Tech replied as he cut the wire. Sev managed to catch Tech with a wire from his sniper rifle, and both Omega and Wrecker were waiting for him when Tech was pulled onboard.
"That was too close," Tech admitted.
"Yeah. We didn't want you Plan 99'ing yourself soon after getting a girlfriend," Wrecker replied.
"That is true. I need to apologise to Phee when we get back. I didn't treat her kindly in our last interaction," Tech said.
The Gondola would crash through the mountain wall as in Echo's timeline. Sev would take the brunt of the hit for Omega, but she would still be injured enough to force an emergency rush to Ord Mantell to pick up AZ-Pi. Sev had predicted that Cid would sell the Batch to the Empire and that Omega would be captured, and that was what happened.
However, this is where the metaphorical dominos start falling quickly.
Firstly, Sev assassinates Cid, ensuring she can't continue supplying intel to the Empire.
Secondly, indirectly, because the Zillo beast was caught earlier by the Empire and the events on Kashyyyk had gone slightly differently, a cascade of events would happen that would lead to Cad Bane capturing Boba Fett and sending him to Mt. Tantiss.
Thirdly, because Boba Fett wanted to know why he was brought to Mt. Tantiss, Dr Hemlock discovered that the blood of both Fetts could handle infusions of high Midichlorian counts without degrading far sooner, leading to Omega and Boba being imprisoned in the vault alongside Jax the Mirilan, Sami the Pantoran and Eva the Iktochi after only a few days.
It was warm inside the vault for an Autumn day. Artificial lights lit the vault. The hum of machines echoed, and the scent of transperisteel and metal wafted as Omega sat on the hard seat. Omega quickly got the trust of Jax, Sami, and Eva and softened Boba so they could be dual leaders. However, Omega also knew something was suspicious about Doctor Scalder specifically. Doctor Scalder appeared to be particularly interested in Omega and Jax, which Omega could tell made Jax uncomfortable.
Omega quickly noticed that Doctor Scalder had prepared "bonding activities" for her and Jax. Omega quickly discovered a sinister intent behind these activities and warned Jax to know Doctor Scalder's intentions.
About a month after being captured, Doctor Scalder approached Omega and Jax. It had cooled slightly inside the vault, though little else had changed. Eva, Sami, and Boba were distracted by other nurses checking their health and were screened from where Doctor Scalder was taking Omega and Jax.
"Omega, where is Doctor Scalder taking us?" Jax whispered to Omega.
"I don't know. But I have a bad feeling about this," Omega replied.
"What do we do?" Jax asked fearfully.
"We wait to see what Doctor Scalder has in store for us. But we might need to work together to overpower her," Omega replied.
"Are you sure?" Jax asked.
"I've been trained as a Clone Commando, and you're Force Sensitive. Stay calm, take a deep breath, and when the time comes to fight, the Force will be with you. Alright?" Omega replied.
Jax took a deep breath and then nodded. And it was a good thing he did because, upon entry into the laboratory that Doctor Scalder had brought Omega and Jax to, Omega immediately knew what Doctor Scalder was planning to have them do. The images all over the walls, the saxophone music being played in the background, the bed that was very out of place in a laboratory, and the faint scent of something that made Omega feel hot under the collar. She looked at Jax and was disappointed to see that whatever it was, it was working on Jax.
"Focus," Omega growled. Jax took a deep breath and used the Force to focus.
"Now, it's time for you two to have real fun," Doctor Scalder said, smiling maliciously.
"What do you mean by real fun?" Jax asked suspiciously, working to keep himself calm.
"The posters on the wall will guide you two about the fun you'll be having with each other," Doctor Scalder replied with a malicious smile. They were trapped with a monster. Jax looked at the images and turned to Doctor Scalder, scared and angry. Omega glared at Doctor Scalder, having recognised similar posters from the last time someone tried to do this to her.
"No!" Jax stated.
"What?" Doctor Scalder asked.
"I said, No!" Jax stated.
"You will. Both of you will," Doctor Scalder glared at Jax. Previously, this intimidation would've worked. But Jax stood his ground.
"Leave us alone. Take us back to the vault! NOW!" Jax stated, his voice getting louder.
"I'll isolate you two together if you don't cooperate," Doctor Scalder demanded.
"I'd rather that. Let us go or else," Jax replied.
"You will follow every instruction I give you two, or else," Doctor Scalder replied.
"No! I will not submit to your sick plans! I won't do that horrible shit to Omega. You can't make me, you monster!" Jax yelled before he used the Force to push Doctor Scalder away.
"Let's get out of here!" Omega called. Jax attempted to use the Force to open the door, but Doctor Scalder threw a pillow at him. The pillow hit and prevented Jax from force-opening the door.
"Jax," Omega called, charging into Doctor Scalder and tackling her to the ground. Doctor Scalder recovered and overpowered Omega, pinning her to the ground.
'Get off her!" Jax yelled, using the Force to get Doctor Scalder off Omega and allowing Omega to punch Doctor Scalder in the liver, causing her to stumble backward. Doctor Scalder managed to grab Jax and attempted to do something with his clothes.
"Get off him!" Omega hit Doctor Scalder in the back of the head with a pillow, and Jax used the Force to get Doctor Scalder off him. When Doctor Scalder doubled over, Omega kicked her in the face and knocked her unconscious.
"Are you OK?" Omega asked.
"Grab the posters," Jax replied, "I'll get the door open. We need to show this to Emerie,"
"Right," Omega replied. Once the posters were off the walls, Omega and Jax ran from the room and immediately into a panicked Emerie.
"Where have you two been?" Emerie asked, hugging Omega and Jax in relief.
"Emerie, Doctor Scalder tried to make us do these things with each other," Omega replied, showing the posters to Emerie. Emerie looked them over, her eyes narrowly angrily.
"We must show this to Doctor Hemlock. Doctor Scalder must be held accountable," Emerie replied, "I'll escort you two back to the vault, then show this to Hemlock,"
"Alright," Omega and Jax replied.
Sami, Eva, Boba and Nala Se were relieved to see Omega and Jax return to the vault. All four were horrified to discover that Doctor Scalder had planned to make them do things they were not OK with. Boba sat with Jax while Sami and Eva sat with Omega, both working to support and comfort them as the full impact of what Doctor Scalder had intended them to do hit.
A few hours later, Doctor Hemlock visited the vault.
"Where are Omega and Jax?" Doctor Hemlock asked. By now, Omega and Jax were talking inside the same room, both horrified and traumatised at what Doctor Scalder had not only intended for them but had gotten physical to make it happen. Sami pointed Hemlock towards the room they were occupying, and Hemlock approached.
Omega and Jax jumped when they saw Hemlock at the entrance to their room.
"It's OK. I'm here to update you two about Doctor Scalder," Hemlock said.
"What is it?" Omega and Jax asked.
"Emerie has told and shown me what Doctor Scalder intended to make you two do with each other. You two were right to fight her. Doctor Scalder will be moved off-world once she has recovered. You two don't have to worry about her anymore," Hemlock explained.
"That's a relief," Omega replied.
"Yeah. I was so scared. I'm old enough to know what Scalder intended us to do but not old enough to try anything like that," Jax added.
"You won't need to worry about that. Take care of yourselves, alright?" Hemlock replied.
"We will," Omega and Jax said. Hemlock nodded before departing. Once Hemlock had departed, Omega and Jax hugged and sighed.
"That was so scary," Jax said.
"I know, but it's over," Omega replied, "Now we can turn our attention to an escape plan,"
"I think you can handle that. Eva, Sami, and I will focus on stalling anyone who comes snooping," Jax replied. Omega nodded, and the duo exited the quarters and returned to Sami, Eva, and Boba.
Over the next week, Emerie and Nala Se would counsel Omega and Jax, helping restore their confidence and allowing Omega to return to her position as co-leader of the Tantiss batch.
Meanwhile, the Batch
It only took four weeks for the Batch, with Tech supporting them, to discover the location of Mt. Tantiss. Getting the information to Rex, a rescue plan was quickly developed. The mission is to connect to a craft on its way to Mt. Tantiss, which went off without a hitch. The Battle of Mt. Tantiss went off in multiple phases. Omega and Boba escaped the vault alongside Eva, Sami, and Jax. Omega and Boba followed up by unleashing the Zillo beast on Mt. Tantiss. The complication of the Zillo beast briefly delayed Rex's forces storming the mountain, but once the beast had escaped into the forest, Rex continued with the storming.
The sudden attack had caught Dr Hemlock off guard and resulted in his quick death. Nala Se sacrificed herself to destroy the databanks, and thanks to some quick thinking from Boba, Omega and the Tantiss kids weren't on the ladder that the Zillo beast snapped as it stormed up the facility. Because of that, everyone was reunited, and everyone, including the Clones and Crosshair, escaped. The ambush also led to the destruction of most of the facility. Sev and Fixer reasoned with Boss and Scorch and got them off-world, with Emerie joining them. The storming of Mt. Tantiss had been a success thanks to everyone involved, and the timeline was saved.
A few months later, everyone was sitting around the table at Phee's house. It was warm despite being Winter. The sun cast a glow over the Kitchen as it set. The crashing waves echoed as the scent of salt water wafted. Omega, Jax, Mox, Stak, and Deke were sitting or standing at one end of the table.
"What has the junior Batch got planned?" Hunter asked.
"We're going to some nearby systems to rescue Cadets left behind by the Empire," Mox replied.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Hunter asked, scanning everyone.
"The three of us survived months on that swamp planet. We can do this," Deke replied.
"And don't worry, Omega and Jax will be safe with us," Stak reassured Hunter.
"You worry too much, Hunter," Omega replied.
"I always will. You'll always be our kid," Hunter replied, making Omega smile.
