Doomsday

Chapter 6 - Ord Mantell

Author's Note: You know the saying it gets worse before getting better? Well, sometimes, it gets better... before getting worse. ;) Especially when the collective owner of 60% of the Bad Batch's brain cells is MIA.

~ Rivana Rita

"What's a bounty hunter?" Omega asks finally, standing in the center of her brothers as they sit in the cockpit of the Marauder. It could have been worse, but it was still scary. And she doesn't understand what's happening.

"They are individuals hired to retrieve certain targets," Tech replies, "And you appear to be the target."

Omega jerks back. "Me?" She heard they were after her but who and why and – no one even knows about her.

"Hey, don't scare the kid," Wrecker scolds.

"Well," Echo says, "If there are bounty hunters after Omega, that... complicates things. We need to figure out who's after her. And I know someone who might be able to help with that. Plot a course for Ord Mantell. I know an informant there named Cid who might be able to help us."

"And you trust him?" Wrecker asks.

"Well, the Jedi trusted him."

"The Jedi, who are all dead?" Tech responds.

"Anyone have a better option?"

The youngest two glance at Tech. No one speaks.

"Alright," Echo says, "Then it's our best choice. We need to find answers."

"If Omega had a comm, it would never have gone that far," Tech points out.

"Well, we don't have a spare comm," Echo replies, "We'd have to buy one."

"Yes, we do," Crosshair interjects, and all eyes turn to him. "We have Hunter's. Clearly, he won't be needing it."

Have... Hunter's comm? Something inside Omega flips uncomfortably at that. "Can't we... get him back?" she asks quietly, because she can't help it. They have to get him back, even if she has no idea how, because she can't imagine losing even one of her brothers forever.

"He tried to kill us," Echo replies, with no small amount of bitterness.

"It's worth noting the possibility that Hunter's actions were influenced by his inhibitor chip," Tech interjects.

"It can do that?" Echo queries.

"That's what it was designed to do," Omega tells them. She doesn't know the full details of its operation, but she knows enough. It was... a very important part of the clones, and Nala Se kept checking on her brothers when they were little, to see if theirs were functional. And it was an important thing for the regs, too, even if her brothers were always allowed to be... different.

"So, it wasn't Hunter's fault?" Wrecker asks finally.

"Well," Omega answers, "Not really. They're programmed to make the clones follow orders."

"That's never worked on us before," Echo objects.

"That was before they were activated," Omega replies.

The silence that settles over them is heavy, and none of them break it. It feels like that's often true. She files it away for a different time, to ask if there's something they can do about Hunter. She doesn't want to put the rest of them in danger, but they can't... stay away forever, can they? Hunter was their leader. It's obvious that his absence makes them all feel lost.

Omega would retreat to her room if she felt safe being alone right now, but she doesn't.

Still. There's a tiny, dark part of her that can't help wondering what would have happened if she hadn't gone to see her brothers again on Kamino. They're safe out here – minus Hunter – away from the Empire, but... but will it stay true?