Prologue
Plot: Hunter falls on Eriadu instead of Tech, leaving his squad to pick up the broken pieces. Together on Pabu, they realize exactly how hard to impossible it is to grieve the loss of the one who held them together. Their lives as soldiers are meant to be over – until a mysterious assassin starts tracking them on Teth.
Her body is aching. Her head throbs a little, and her leg is still burning. Ugh. She's had more pleasant awakenings, but the rug or bed or whatever is soft beneath her, and her head is propped up on some sort of makeshift pillow.
The light is gold, and the room smells familiar. She remembers something about – about – AZI...
Ord Mantell. It looks like the back room of Cid's parlor.
Tech is beside her, sitting in a chair next to the bed she's lying on. He looks tired, and his arm is in a cast.
Wrecker is standing near her bedside. His neck is in a brace; it must've been broken.
What...
"Tech?" Omega asks, blinking a few times. "What... What happened?"
AZI flies into the room before he can answer. "Hello, Omega," he announces, shining his scanner light onto her, "I am relieved you are awake. You each sustained multiple injuries. However, you all will make a full recovery with proper treatment and rest."
Just the usual, then, though her leg still aches from something she can't quite remember.
Omega pushes herself up, and Wrecker reaches to steady her, moving closer to pull her into a brief but tight hug. "Don't scare us like that again."
Tech passes her the water bottle wordlessly, and she takes it from him. Her head is throbbing and...
"The last thing I remember we were on that railcar and – " She cuts off with a quiet gasp. "Where's Hunter?!"
They're quiet, not looking at her or each other, and Omega's gut plummets along with the panicking spike of her heart. No. No this – no. Not again. First Daro, then – No. No.
"Omega," Tech says, his usually soft voice uncharacteristically rough. "Hunter was not able to make it."
"Tell them to come back!"
"I can't do that."
"Wrecker, don't. It's too unsteady –"
Omega's hands clench over the water bottle. "No," she whispers. Her heart is pounding, and her entire body feels freezing and floaty. "We can't leave him! What if he's hurt? He – he needs us." Tech had been the most pressing to go back for Hunter after Daro, but now, he's –
He won't look at her. Neither will Wrecker when she desperately looks to her other little brother, silently begging him to say something – anything – else.
"We have to go back!"
"Omega," Tech says finally, "I understand your reluctance to accept what happened, but Hunter is gone."
"This is gonna tear both cars from the track. We have to cut the connection."
"Not until you're up here!"
"We will find another way, Hunter, as we always have."
"There's no time. Plan 99."
"Do not do this, Hunter."
"Get the others out of here. You know where to go. It's safe on Pabu."
"Hunter, no –"
"And if you ever find Crosshair –" The blaster clicks as the safety turns off. "– tell him I love him."
"Hunter's not gone!" Omega yells back at him. "He – he made it on Daro – he can't be." She's shaking. Crying. Her body is trembling, and her hands are freezing. Hunter – not – She can't think. For the first time in her entire life, she can't comprehend a single even semi-coherent thought.
Wrecker's crying. She sees him wiping his face off, but she can't –
Hunter.
Hunter's supposed to be here. He's supposed to be asking if she's okay and hovering until it drives her crazy. He's supposed to be telling them what to do, how to deal with this and move on. Hunter.
But he's not because he's –
Gone.
Not just gone, missing, like Daro. Actually gone and he's not coming back. Because he can't. Because he's –
No.
This can't have happened. It can't be real. It can't –
Her brothers have always been able to handle everything as long as she's been with them, Crosshair's loss aside, even if they get hurt sometimes. She remembers how still Hunter had been, after Bane shot him through the chest but he made it then. He was hurt, but he was fine in the end, but – Not this time. He's really... not coming back.
She feels cold all over. It feels unreal. None of this feels real. How could it be? Hunter's always been there, always taking care of all of them. But he – he's –
She can't stop crying now. She wants to tell them to go back, demand that they go back to Eriadu right now, but – She knows way inside that it's pointless. That wasn't like Daro. The fall was too far. They couldn't even see the ground from the railtrack. If anyone could survive that fall it would be Hunter but –
She sets the now empty bottle of water back down, hands still shaking. Doesn't think she could drink another swallow of anything even if it wasn't empty.
Hunter is gone.
"How could he do that?" she asks, looking helplessly up at them. "We – we needed him, and he didn't let us help him."
"We were out of time," Tech answers, "There was little other choice. Hunter put us ahead of himself, as he always has."
The silence is tense and it feels like something got ripped out. Her heart was ripped out and all its shredded pieces are being shoved back into her chest, and it hurts enough she thinks it actually hurts while also feeling entirely numb.
Hunter can't be gone. He can't be, and he should be here to tell them what to do, because Omega has no idea.
"What – what are we gonna do?" Omega asks desperately. She thought there was a chance they could get Crosshair back. That maybe they could all be together for the first time. She never thought going would mean – this. "Crosshair's still imprisoned." She thinks she's thirsty but doesn't have the energy to raise the bottle to her mouth again. She feels faint. She wants to sleep and wake up in a different, safe world where Hunter is with them. Nothing else matters.
"Hunter said we should return to Pabu," Tech replies, tone clipped. "Once you and Wrecker are there securely, I will find Crosshair."
What?
He is not leaving them behind and taking off all on his own!
"You're not goin' without us!" Wrecker protests.
"Echo will assist," Tech responds curtly, "Hunter made it clear he did not want to endanger you."
"He didn't want you in danger, either!" Omega objects. She's so angry. She wants to scream. To throw something. To – they were so close. She thought they could get Crosshair back, that they would finally be together for the first time in her life, but then everything fell, and Hunter fell.
Hunter's gone.
He'll never be here to tell them what to do again.
And Tech's talking about going off on his own, in the vain hopes of finding Crosshair when that's already how they lost Hunter.
"I am responsible for you now, and I cannot allow Crosshair to remain in Hemlock's hands."
"But we need you!" Omega yells, "We already – you can't go!"
"Crosshair needs me as well."
"Tech," Wrecker interjects, desperate and pleading enough it brings a new wave of tears to her eyes. "Ya can't go! We already lost Hunter. We can't lose you, too."
"You will not."
"We didn't think anything would happen when we came to Eriadu." Wrecker argues. "You don't know somethin' wouldn't happen now."
"Especially if you're alone," Omega adds. If Tech leaves, they literally wouldn't have a way to know if he was alright or anything. It was bad enough with Echo, but at least she had the other three. But now Hunter is gone, and it's the first time the thought that something actually can truly hurt them is starting to feel real. If something could happen to Hunter, something could happen to Tech or Echo too, and she and Wrecker wouldn't even be there to help.
"There is no other way," Tech retorts, "Hunter was lost so we could get Crosshair. I will not leave him there. But it is too dangerous for us all to go."
She doesn't want to leave Crosshair either but – Hunter's last order was to return to Pabu and realistically, she doesn't know what else they can do.
"Whatever we do, we can do it together," she protests. "And... you don't even know where to start looking." They lost their only lead to this place, something Echo's been looking for already.
Tech doesn't immediately deny it and a tense silence settles over them.
She hates this. She wishes they could go back to before Eriadu and just – something.. Anything, so that Hunter isn't gone.
Wrecker finally picks up the water bottle, leaving the room to presumably fill it.
Omega looks back at Tech, wanting to say something more, but all words fail her. All she can do is opt for just sitting in silence.
The sound of a blaster shot shatters the stillness.
Omega jumps off the bed, eyes wide.
People get in fights in Cid's parlor sometimes but that's not what this is. Something's wrong.
Tech spins toward the door, already drawing his blaster when two stormtroopers round the corner. They start shooting and Tech fires at the control panel, slamming the door closed in front of them.
That's the Empire. The Empire is here?! How could they have tracked them?!
And Wrecker is right out there, and where is Echo?! Did he already leave?
"What's happening?" she asks desperately, heart pounding.
"The Empire has evidently found us," Tech replies briskly, swiftly crossing the room to the tunnels they used that once in the past. "Take the tunnels to the spaceport and locate Echo. I will get Wrecker."
"But you're injured," Omega protests, "You can't fight them alone."
"Go," Tech orders sharply, "There is no time." He pushes her bow into her hands and she takes it, staring up at him, torn between doing it because there isn't time to have an argument about this and flatout refusing. She can't leave him and Wrecker to fight off the Imperials alone.
Not after Hunter.
Tech waits there for a moment until she starts to climb down the ladder, AZI flying after her, before he turns to go. The tunnel door slides closed over her, and it only makes her fear spike even more. They're going to be alone out there now, and she's just leaving them there.
"Omega?" AZI asks, shining its spotlight onto her, "We must keep moving."
"I can't do it, AZI," she says, sighing, "I already lost Hunter. I'm not gonna lose them, too." They need her. She's not going to just leave and save herself. "Come on." She clamors back up the ladder.
She ignores AZI's protests as she climbs into the vents, maneuvering her way through them until she can get a view on the main room of Cid's parlor where she hears voices.
"I was saddened to learn of your friend's demise," an unfamiliar voice is saying as she scoots closer, carefully peering down into the room. "What was his name? Oh yes, Hunter."
Her heart flares wildly with grief at the name, and anger at how flippantly an Imperial who killed him is talking.
Now that she can see into the room, she recognizes the man speaking. That's Hemlock, from the data Echo brought them. Stormtroopers are standing behind him, with Wrecker on his knees in front of them. Tech is standing on the opposite side of the room, blaster raised, but he's hopelessly outnumbered.
What are they going to do? They already have Wrecker and – It's definitely a good thing she came back.
"I'm afraid this was all I could salvage," Hemlock goes on, holding out Hunter's bandana
Omega breathes in sharply, heart lurching. The mere sight of it is enough to bring tears to her eyes. That's – She never thought they would see that again, see anything of his again aside from what they have here. And it means Hemlock found the – the body. She doesn't want to think about – that. Any of it.
"Consider is a gift," Hemlock goes on, tossing it across the room where it lands at Tech's feet. Wrecker snarls lowly, attempting to move but two of the stormtroopers shove him down with their blasters. It floods her with helpless fury to watch. "Your leader is gone. If you don't lower the blaster now, you will lose another member of your squad."
Tech is glowering at him but he very slowly lowers his blaster to the floor, despite how Wrecker shakes his head at him, picking up the red cloth. Seeing him holding it, knowing Hunter is never going to wear it again, makes her eyes burn with tears. The realness of his absence didn't truly start sinking in until now, when she actually sees one piece of evidence that this nightmare is real.
Hemlock gestures to the stormtroopers and they move forward to put Tech in binders, shoving him toward the door.
Another stormtrooper runs into view down below. "Sir, the girl's not in the office."
"You will never find her," Tech retaliates, "She is long gone."
Hemlock doesn't look pleased. "We'll see."
They're after her now?
She can only watch as Tech and Wrecker are led out of the room. She'll have to find a way to free them on her own. It's a good thing she didn't leave or she would have no idea what happened to them. She ducks back into the vent and crawls as fast as she can until she reaches an exit.
The stormtroopers are leading her little brothers through the street down below. She has a good shooting position from up here but she is outnumbered. The odds aren't in her favor and she knows that but she can't wait.
"AZI, find Echo," she tells the droid, "I'll try to stall them as long as I can."
Omega draws his bow, firing a warning shot at the troops below. It nearly comes close enough to take Hemlock's head off but he ducks in time. All of them whirl around, raising their blasters.
She can clearly see Wrecker's fear and Tech's concern, but what else was she supposed to do?
Hemlock gestures to the stormtroopers. "Lower your weapons. Hello, Omega. We were just talking about you."
Yes, she heard that. "Let them go," she hisses, glaring.
"Omega, go!" Tech orders sharply. One of the stormtroopers shoves him roughly with the end of his blaster, as though to shut him up.
But she can't do what he's demanding. She's not going to leave them here. "I won't let them take you!"
"How about an exchange? If you come with me, your friends will live."
Typical Empire claims from what she's heard and she doesn't buy it in the slightest. "I don't believe you," she snaps, hands clenching on her bow. She could start shooting but they do have the advantage. They'd probably hit her in moments. Hopefully AZI's found Echo by now. If he's here soon, if he can attack them from behind, them maybe –
"I did not come here for them, Omega. I came to return you to Nala Se. She needs your help."
Nala Se? Why would she need Omega's help? It's probably just another lie. It's not as if Omega would want to go back to her. All those years she was trapped in that lab on Kamino, all she wanted was to be free of there, to finally get to be with her brothers.
"All the Kaminoans are dead," Tech snaps back.
"Incorrect," Hemlock replies, "Nala Se is alive, and well cared for. As you will be."
Is that supposed to be reassuring? "I'm not going with you," she snaps.
"Omega, behind you – " Tech starts, alarm bleeding into his voice.
She whips around, but electricity jolts through her before she even finishes turning. Her knees buckle, and the world fades away into darkness.
**w**
Hunter is gone.
Omega is captured by the Empire.
Tech would never have expected both to happen in such swift succession, simply because he was hoping to get Crosshair back. He knew Eriadu would be dangerous but he did not realize this would be the consequence.
"There was no way to track Hemlock's ship," Echo speaks up. They barely made it to hyperspace over Ord Mantell before the Empire gaze chase, "He could have taken Omega anywhere."
He is well aware. They do not have any leads. Omega is undoubtedly being taken to the same place they already have Crosshair.
And Hunter is gone. Hunter never wanted to go to Eriadu, but Tech had insisted, and this is what it led to. Hunter had gone out of the railcar after Tech, to help get him inside and that is why he was the one who fell. Tech would have likely been the one to fall otherwise. And that is an outcome he could have accepted, for his brothers and sister, if it was the only way to get them out alive, but this... is not.
"We will find a way to determine where she is," Tech replies firmly. He will not settle at anything else. "We will not stop until she is safe." Hunter told them to go to Pabu, but that was before Omega was lost. Tech could have let her and Wrecker behind himself before, but now, that is no longer an option. Wrecker would not be willing or able to remain there alone, and they certainly cannot give up searching now. That, he knows Hunter would understand.
He is well aware that is what Hunter would have done himself.
Hunter was lost in an effort to find Crosshair, which also led to them losing Omega, and the least Tech will do is ensure that is not for nothing.
He still needs to tell Crosshair Hunter's last words to him.
"What're we gonna do?" Wrecker asks finally. He's slumped in his seat, gaze defeated.
"We've been looking for Tantiss for a long time," Echo is the first to speak, "None of our leads have gotten anywhere but we can keep looking."
"You gonna stay with us?" Wrecker asks.
"We have the same mission now," Echo replies, which is an answer enough. "Besides, I... don't want to leave you right now."
Tech turns his gaze to Hunter's bandana where it now sits on the dashboard. He had to put it there before piloting the ship for their escape. Its location is... fitting. Perhaps they should leave it there, or at least somewhere they can always see it.
He still does not know how to accept that Hunter is gone. Change is a natural part of life, but this kind of change is not something he ever believed he would have to face. Not Hunter. Crosshair choosing to leave them had always hurt, but Hunter is gone forever – because of Tech – and there is nothing he can do to bring him back.
That is not something Tech knows how he could ever accept.
Hunter has done so much for them. He always knew when no one else did. He was rational where Tech often failed to understand the consequences for his actions, whatever they may be.
Now, they no longer have any of that, and somehow, after having failed all of them repeatedly, Tech will have to find a way to keep them safe.
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