NOBLE: The Bad Batch

𝟏𝟑: No More Orders

MENTIONED OC's: Serinwee06 - MatteoSN7

19 BBY | Month 5, Day 22
Deep Space Leaving Kamino, Havoc Marauder
After the escape

In the cockpit, Noble sits motionless in the back seat nearest to the hull's blastdoor. She's in a fresh set of medic's clothes retrieved from one of the storage crates. Her new cybernetic eyes, bright and unsettling, catch the faint glimmer of light reflecting off the cockpit's consoles, having no idea how to use these implants, but she often forgets to blink.

Tech and Flash exchange a glance, both unsure how to approach her. There's something distinctly off. Tech calculates the probability of saying something comforting—and coming up empty—decides to try anyway.

"How are you... processing all of this?" he asks slowly and awkwardly.

Noble's gaze remains fixed on her hands. "I'm alive," she replies softly, then adds with a bitter whisper, "Unfortunately."

Flash shifts uneasily, gaze lingering on her altered appearance—her shorter brown hair, the absence of glasses, and the yellow glow of her eyes in replacement of the brown eyes she used to have. "Don't say that. We're glad you're alive, Noble..."

She doesn't respond; her thoughts are a mess. With a final concerned glance, Tech rises to his feet and goes to the back, joining the others to check on Wrecker. Omega moves into the cockpit slowly, looking past the co-pilot's seat to the stars beyond the viewport. For her, it's like peering into a new world of endless space, something Noble promised her to have, see, experience, and that promise came true. At a cost...

Hunter steps into the cockpit to check on Noble when he sees Omega's wondering gaze. "Your first time in space?"

"First time... anywhere," Omega responds, turning briefly before looking out the viewport once more.

Hunter tries to find the right words, struggling though. Crosshair turned on them. Noble's been changed, altered against her will. Omega—a child—is now under their protection. And yet, they survived. That has to count for something. "Impressive shot back there. Where'd you learn to do that?"

Omega glances up at him again. "I don't know. Jia? Noble? Hard to say... I've never fired a blaster before. But I always watched them. I guess I got lucky."

"She isn't the only one," Tech interjects as he returns to the cockpit, the rest of the team trailing behind him. Flash steps aside to let Tech slide into the pilot's seat, while Echo and Wrecker take their places in the cockpit entrance, Wrecker cradling his injured arm. The big guy lets out a hearty laugh. "Takes more than a blaster shot to keep me down."

"You were down," Echo and Flash retort in unison, sparing a brief glance at each other.

"Yeah, well... not for long," Wrecker grumbles, then winces, clutching his shoulder. He looks at Noble, the question of her well-being in his eyes. But when their gaze meets, he falls silent, unsure of what to say at the sight.

Noble looks back at them all, their familiar faces all presently taking her in, curious. She glances at her hands, then at the ground, the glow of her eyes reflecting off the floor. "What's the plan now?" she asks quietly.

Hunter takes a deep breath, his gaze lingering on Noble's changed form. There are a thousand things he wants to ask her—a thousand things they need to talk about. But not right now. Not when they're still trying to stay one step ahead of the Empire. He straightens, his voice firm as he addresses them all. "I thought we could go off on our own. Lay low. But with Crosshair gunning for us, I'm not so sure..."