Nu Kyr'adyc, Shi Taab'echaaj'la

Part 8

It wasn't long before Hunter felt the ship set down and Echo walked out of the cockpit and over to Hunter. Hunter was so surprised by how calm and put together he was, unlike himself and Wrecker Echo hadn't shed a single tear and was working to help with the situation. "Wrecker, go and help Tech dig. I'll be out in a moment," Echo ordered. He was always good at taking charge when Hunter was unable.

Wrecker reluctantly got up and followed Tech, who had just emerged from the cockpit, outside of the ship. After they were gone Echo rested a hand on Hunter's shoulder. Hunter looked up at him with a frown. "How are you so calm?" He asked quietly.

Echo smiled sadly. "This isn't the first person I've lost in the line of duty. I'll take time to mourn later after I make sure that you all are okay."

Hunter nodded before looking down at Omega. He carefully brushed some of her hair to the side to better see the young girl's still face. "I just can't help but wish," Hunter said in what was almost a whisper, "that I'm going to wake up soon and everything is going to be okay. I keep hoping that she's going to wake up and ask me if everything is okay."

Echo pursed his lips. "You're in denial, Hunter. She's gone. It's hard to tell you this but although it feels like it this is no nightmare, this is reality. Omega," he paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "she's dead."

Hunter let out a small sob and a fresh wave of tears hit him. "I know," he whispered. "I know that she's gone."

Before Echo had a chance to say anything Tech and Wrecker walked back in, their expressions solem. Wrecker had tear stained cheeks and Tech's eyes had a puffy look to them. "We're done," Wrecker said hoarsely.

Echo looked down at Hunter. "It's time to go and say goodbye."

Hunter nodded before slowly getting to his feet, Omega still cradled in his arms. He followed after Echo as he was led over to where they would be laying Omega down to rest. "Do you want me to do it?" Wrecker asked, his voice still raw from crying.

Hunter shook his head. "No, I can do it." He then walked over to the small hole in the ground and laid Omega down in it. Her body was so tiny and fragile and Hunter started sobbing quietly. From behind him he heard Wrecker loudly crying and both Tech and Echo were staring blankly at the ground. Hunter grabbed Omega's hand in his and sat there for nobody knew how long.

He didn't want to let her go but eventually he straightened up and took a few steps back. "Goodbye, Omega," he whispered, "and goodnight. May you sleep peacefully with the stars that they might now watch over you." He then looked over at Tech and Wrecker and nodded. Telling them they could now bury her. It took them a moment to react but they started covering up the hole that they had laid Omega down in for her to rest. Hunter and Echo both refused to go back into the ship until they had finished and even for a bit after. For a few minutes all four of them just stood staring at the pile of rocks that marked Omega's grave.

Eventually they decided it was time to head back inside and they all slowly went back inside the ship. Instantly Tech grabbed his data pad and, surprisingly, headed up into the gunner's mount. Without saying a word he just started mindlessly scrolling through the information on the datapad. Wrecker grabbed his Lula and curled up on his bed, his whole body shaking with sobs. Hunter just collapsed onto the chair, numbness spreading through him as he still tried to wrap his mind around everything that had just happened. Echo, unlike everyone else, didn't sit down somewhere on the ship. Instead he walked back down the stairs to outside where the sun was slowly disappearing bathing everything in an orange light. Before he disappeared Hunter noticed that he had something clutched in his hand and he instantly knew what it was. It was the sketch he had been working on of armor for Omega. Armor that was now never going to be worn much less made.

Now it was time for Echo to take some time to mourn over the loss of his little sister. Hunter didn't know where he was going or how long he would be out but he didn't bother to ask. Echo would come back when he was ready and it wasn't like the rest of them were going anywhere for the next little bit.

Hunter must have passed out at one point because when he opened his eyes the sun was shining outside and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. He quickly sat up and looked over at the gunners mount hoping to see Omega there drawing or sleeping. Not seeing her he decided to call out for her. "Omega? Omega, come here."

Hunter wanted nothing more than to see the little girl run up the stairs, back into the ship, with a huge grin on her face but she didn't. Instead Echo walked in and looked at Hunter sympathetically. "She's not coming, Hunter," he said quietly, "I'm sorry, yesterday wasn't a dream. Omega's gone."

Suddenly something inside Hunter snapped and he glared at Echo. "Of course I know yesterday wasn't a dream," he snapped.

If Echo was taken aback by this reaction he didn't show it. Instead he sighed before shaking his head. "Just in case you wanted to know, we're going to leave to head back to Ord Mantell in about ten minutes. We got a message from Cid and she wants the payment. I would recommend saying your last goodbyes to Omega."

Hunter stood up and was about to go outside when he spotted Omega's bow laying on one of the crates. Apparently someone had grabbed it and set it there. Hunter scooped it up and then made his way off the ship and over to the stack of rocks. It seemed criminal that the weather was as nice as it was. Hunter collapsed onto his knees by the pile and set the bow down on top. His hands hovered over it for a moment before he pulled it away. Instead he just looked down at the rocks searching for the right words to say. Eventually he found them and he rested a hand on one of the rocks.

"I'm sorry for failing you, Omega," he whispered, "I hope that you rest well and remember that I-" he paused and swallowed before continuing, "-remember that I love you. Goodbye." His voice caught in his throat at the last word but he managed to force it out before heading back onto the ship. As soon as he got back on the ship Echo walked over to him.

"Rex wants to speak with you, Hunter."

Hunter sighed before following Echo into the cockpit where there was a hologram of Rex waiting for him. As soon as Rex saw Hunter he smiled at him sadly. "Echo told me everything that happened. I'm truly sorry for your loss. I've lost many brothers but I'm sure that pain is nothing compared to how you're feeling."

"What do you want, Rex?" Hunter asked, cutting Rex off.

Rex seemed slightly taken aback but he cleared his throat and moved on. "Anyway, I heard that you've spoken with Senator Organa. He reached out to me and asked me to ask you about the Rebellion. He wants to know if you're still open to possibly joining it."

Hunter's expression hardened. "I'm sorry, Rex, but I don't think I'll be joining your rebellion. I've already lost too much. I don't think I'm ready to lose anything else." Rex opened his mouth but Hunter continued, "Good luck with your rebellion, Rex, goodbye." Before Rex could even get another peep out Hunter shut the thing off and turned to Tech who was sitting in the pilot's seat, watching. "It's time to go, set course for Ord Mantell."

Tech nodded without saying anything and Hunter walked out of the cockpit. The first thing he noticed was Wrecker just sitting at the bottom of the ladder that led to the gunner's mount shaking with silent sobs. Echo was sitting next to him talking in a hushed voice. Hunter just stood and watched and eventually Echo patted Wrecker on the shoulder before walking over to Hunter. 'What did Rex want?"

Hunter shrugged. "He was asking about us joining the Rebellion and I told him that we weren't. I can't deal with losing everyone else. I've," he paused before correcting himself, "we've already lost Omega, I don't think that I can deal with losing anyone else that I care about. Besides, Crosshair," he spat the name, "will continue to make things difficult for us. He already murdered Omega who knows what else he'd do."

Echo sighed before nodding. Hunter knew that he had been the main contributor to trying to persuade Hunter to join Rex and the rest of the rebellion and Hunter could only assume how disappointed he was. But surely he understood where Hunter was coming from. Hunter had never actually lost anyone in his group before, sure they had some close calls but none of them ever died. This was Hunter's fault and as much as he was angry with Crosshair and even Cid for sending them here in the first place he was the most angry at himself. He had been the one that had let Omega down.