Chapter Text
Hevy laughs in triumph as Cutup’s forearm falls to the console. Omega shakes her head and returns to her drawings.
Her brothers are right: The assignment is hardly putting their skills to the test. However, Rishi could be worse.
How the squad got her off that siths-damned, waterlogged planet, they’ll never know. Most of it was 99’s intuition and creative planning, but it was still a risky operation.
Fives quickly became the “older” brother, despite being in the middle of the batch. Echo is protective of her, but just as much of a troublemaker as his twin. Cutup has made himself Omega’s twin, even though there’s no possible way for that to be true.
Hevy and ‘Bait were the ones to find her, after all.
They’re also not quite sure how they haven’t been court-martialed for technically stealing “Kaminoan property,” though no one wants to call Omega that. Sergeant O’niner is happy to keep the girl out of his reports, because he too understands rule No. 1.
Never leave Vode Behind.
The only proof that the sergeant needs of the abuse are the damaged purple veins running up the girl’s neck. They aren't natural looking in the slightest, and for weeks after the incident in the lab the area became so sore that she doensn’t let anyone touch it.
The Kaminoans have made no moves to reclaim the girl, and Fives guesses that’s because they can’t risk their inhumane actions being revealed. Not yet, at least.
However, keeping a child entertained on the galaxy’s least interesting base is something else entirely. She’s taken to drawing. More often than not, she sketches her brothers, though sometimes a barren moon landscape pops up in her datafiles.
“Hmm, what’dya know? All. Clear.” Hevy says, sarcasm dripping with each word as he gently elbows Omega. “Just like the last hundred times I looked at it.”
The boys fall into their usual banter as the music broadcast drones on in the background.
A minute later one voice catches everyone’s ears.
The Sergeant strides into the command center, prompting Cutup to shut off the radio station as the rest of the troopers stand it attention.
“Even though you’re all new here, I shouldn’t have to remind you that this quadrant is key to the Outer Rim. If the droids get past this station, they can surprise attcack the facilities where we were born on our homeworld of Kamino.” His gaze fixes on Omega for a second. She’s not exactly as fond of the planet as most clones, but she does have millions of brothers there and cares about them just the same. “There’s some officers on the way, so I want everything squared away for inspection. Understood?”
The troopers respond to their CO, and the older clone turns to Omega again.
“Kid, ah…you might want to stow away for this bit.”
Omega grins and stands at attention, just like her brothers.
“Yes sir.” She salutes, just like her squad, and collects her datapad, skipping off towards the barracks where her hideout in the wall waits.
Not too long later, Omega hears the alarms coming from the command station, but before she can react, the entire base rumbles. Her heart stutters in her chest.
That’s never happened before. She hesitates to leave her hiding spot. Fives would kill her if she does. As she contemplates what to do, blaster fire sounds from where the blast doors are at the end of the hall.
That’s definitely never happened before.
She can just hear her brothers rebuking her for leaving her hiding spot when she knows that something bad is happening, but a clear voice ringing in her head tells her that she needs to go find them or something even worse is going to happen. It’s a strange sensation. Almost like there’s another sense present in her mind, guiding her in moments that she would probably be panicking.
Omega shoves the datapad into her improvised medpack and starts towards the hall. Blaster bolts glance off the walls and the men are yelling, but it isn’t until she sees the droids that she realizes what’s going on. Droidbait looks frozen in place, and she even with his helmet on she can tell that he’s scared.
The voice speaks to her again. It doesn’t actually say anything, but she suddenly knows that she needs to get Droidbait to move.
“‘Bait! Droids on your left!” She yells as one of the commando droids raises its blaster. Her brother turns and puts two neat holes in each processor, before turning to her with an incredulous look.
She sprints, grabbing his armored bicep as she dashed past. Thankfully, he follows, and they join the rest of Domino at the end of the hall.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Fives barks as they slip through the ventilation grate. Echo wacks his twin accusingly.
“Take it easy on her, brother,” Cutup warns. “We were going to have to go back for her at some point. She came to us though. Smart girl.” Omega can practically see the wink that he would give if his bucket wasn’t on. She smiles. They pick through the tunnel, no one daring to say a word. The durasteel walls would amplify their voices like a loudspeaker. Once they come to the end, Hevy pushes the grate out and jumps down, followed by Fives, Echo, Droidbait and Cutup, who helps Omega down from the shaft.
The squad edges carefully along the surface of the moon. The air is cool but humid and her shirt slightly sticks to her skin. Something feels off deep inside her, but she chalks it up to nerves. Speaking of nerves, How was she so calm during that firefight?
She’s pulled out of her thoughts by Fives’ voice.
“What do we do without the Sarge?” He asks, turning slightly to make sure Omega is following. Cutup has moved to the back to keep Omega in between them.
Echo begins to go on about the Reg manual when a low hiss shakes the ground. That clear voice pops up in Omega head again, this time about Cutup.
“Wait, wait…”Hevy shushes his brother, “Did you hear that?”
Fives lowers his voice to a whisper.
“Yeah, what is that?”
Cutup’s voice shakes.
“That doesn’t sound like droids.”
“Don’t forget about those giant eels,” Hevy jokes in a mocking tone.
Fives opens his mouth to counter Hevy when a flash of movement catches Omega’s eye. All at once she latches herself around Cutup’s arm to yank him into an outcropping in the rock, shoving the rest of her brothers in as the Eel rears its ugly head. Its tongue snakes dangerously close to the squad, and Droidbait suddenly rips his own helmet off. With precise aim, he tosses it into one of the deep tunnels in the ground, high enough in the air that the eel sees and dives after it, leaving them in silence.
“What the hell was that?” Hevy shouts, taking quick, panting breaths.
“Uh, that was an eel,” Echo quips, “Now, that’s why we have the regulation not to go outside.”
“You don’t say?” Hevy says, dazed. “Cut, remind me to leave the jokes to you from now on.”
“I’ve officially seen an eel.” Fives says numbly. “Nice aim, ‘Bait.”
Droidbait mumbles his thanks, and says something along the lines of ‘shoulda had a rifle’. Cutup’s hand tilt’s Omega’s face towards the little light from the sky, checking for any injuries.
The girl smiles. “I’m fine, Cut. Promise.”
The sound of a ship’s engine nearby pulls the squad’s attention.
Fives inhales sharply. “Commander Cody…”
“Well have to give him a warm welcome then,” Cutup jokes, though nobody laughs. Not even him.
“It’s the inspection team,” Echo grimaces, “They’re going to walk right into that trap.”
Hevy leads them ahead,
“Let’s get closer.”
The squad watches as two Clones, one in deep blue painted armor and the other in a striking golden orange, exit the craft and walk towards the blast doors.
“We have to warn them,” Droidbait says, voice timid with anticipation.
Hevy nods at Echo “Get on the commink.”
After trying, their brother can't get the commlink to work.
“Fives, get your attack flare ready.” Hevy, taking the lead as always. “If we can fire it in their line of sight, they'll get the idea.
And as the glowing red streak screams in the sky, all the squad can do is hope that they'll make it out alive.