Doomsday

Chapter 13 - Kamino

Author's Note: In which poor Hunter deals with an almost literal zoo break –

~ Rivana Rita

Omega tries as hard as she can to just not think about where they're going. But still, they need some sort of plan. She knows a way in that the others don't, but that doesn't answer what happens after. They know their way around, but if the numbers there are as large as when they broke out, it'll be very, very dangerous.

"So, what now?" Wrecker asks, throwing himself into one of the chairs, "Who's in charge?"

"Not me," Tech answers immediately, "I will need to focus on pinpointing Hunter's location."

"What, are we a democracy now?" Wrecker queries.

Omega pushes herself up from where she was holding Lula in her room. "Democracy?" she repeats, poking her head out, but the others are too busy squabbling.

"The correct term is anarchy," Crosshair replies dryly.

"Crosshair is clearly the best choice," Tech states.

"See?" Crosshair asks flatly, twisting around to face Wrecker. "We're not a democracy if you don't ask my opinion."

"What's a democracy?" Omega asks again, setting Lula down and climbing out of the gunner's mount.

"A governing system in which the public elects a leader, which is entirely inapplicable to our situation," Tech informs her flatly.

She still doesn't understand that, but she won't ask. "I know a way in," Omega says finally, "We should be able to get to the cities unnoticed."

Omega can only hope that no one will be down there, though she doubts it. Considering she's not there, and how much the Empire has likely taken control of Kamino, Omega doubts they'll see Nala Se there.

When they finally exit hyperspace, she suppresses the immediate swell of dread she feels upon seeing Kamino. This... used to be her home, and she's lived there for many years, but she doesn't want to go back. She never wants to go back – that place has nothing to offer her, anyway.

She never meant anything there. Here, on the Marauder, with her brothers, she... this is her home. It's the only one that ever mattered to her.

And she's... scared. This is why the bounty hunters kept coming after her. They could have... hurt her brothers. And... if they find her, she might never be able to leave. They'll – kill her. Like their other failed experiments.

But getting Echo back is more important.

Still, Omega wishes she didn't have to come back here.

Stepping out onto the landing platform and into the rush of the wind and pounding of rain is so, so familiar, and it soaks her in seconds. But this place is familiar – she's been here many times over.

"Landing was only one problem. How are we going to get into the city?" Tech asks over the rain.

"We'll take the tube system," Omega replies, already moving to the area where the system starts. The pressure sensors take a few moments to activate, but the hatch finally opens with a whirr and a hiss, and they file inside.

"Nice," Wrecker compliments as they join her inside.

Omega gets to work on the controls, working over them with the familiarity she's had a thousand times before. Only this time – it's different. But either way, she's back here again.

Right where she never wanted to go. When Omega left this place, she thought it... would be for good. It's still her... home, but – but...

"This type of underwater transport system is not documented on any schematics," Tech says, "Omega, how did you know this existed?"