to heal; THE BAD BATCH

chapter two

→ the bad batch; season 2, PABU ←
→ 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞 ←

"Welcome to Pabu! My home away from home."

     The tranquillity of the planet was one surrounded by the thriving life of nature. Stretching vines outlined the small pale grottoes, the end of tree leaves possessed the most beautiful flowers with a delicate pink tint and the island was encircled by the infinite sea.

     Daina squinted as the sunlight blessed her eyes; the warmth soaked into her skin. She had underestimated the connections of Phee—the fact that a sheltered sanctuary was away from the Empires sharp radar, was an impressive sum to hide.

     As she quietly examined the peaceful environment, Daina felt a small hand latch onto hers. Snatching her attention, she glanced down and smiled softly at the sight of Omega's hand conjoining with hers, palm to palm.

     Daina reassuringly squeezed Omega's hand.

     "Most of the villagers on Pabu are refugees," Phee explained ( Daina smirked subtly at the woman, noticing how her attention was solemnly focused on Tech ), "Many of the items I recover are remnants of their cultures, and that's worth preserving. After all, I am a liberator—"

     "—Of ancient wonders."

     They were kindly introduced to the mayor of the paradise and his sweet daughter, Lyana, who hurried right up to Omega, eyes broad with childlike wonder.

     "Shep, Lyana, meet Omega, Daina, Hunter, Wrecker and Tech," Phee greeted Shep to us in a relaxed mannerism.

     Daina smiled softly and waved lightly.

     "Welcome," The mayors presence was free of hostility and intimidation—his persona was similar to a typical peacemaker, a man of the people and a loyal soul.

     Shep briefly cupped Daina's hands between his large ones before moving down the line. There was a tender fatherliness to his actions; one that had been particularly absent from the Bad Batch's life.

     "Phee's never brought any friends here before," Daina overheard Lyana quietly whisper to Omega.

     "Never? Not even Cid?"

     As if that slimy Trandoshan could be trusted with the location of a secret refuge and not be spelled by the alluring temptation of shiny credits to blabber out its coordinators.

     "Nope," Phee laced her arms together, admirable stubbornness burning in her bronze coloured irises.

     Hunter replicated her posture, "So why bring us?"

     "Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Phee teased coyly. Daina sometimes wished the lady-pirate would be more straightforward rather than riddle with her words.

     "She must really like you," Lyana muttered mischievously to Omega, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

     "All right," Phee scolded her niece playfully, "That's enough out of you."

     Surprisingly, the Bad Batch were invited to join Shep for his so called famous feast. At the announcement of food, Daina's stomach growled and ached—after endless months of suffering on drying rations, the hopeful prospect of real food cooked by the hands of love and cars was compatible to offering a miracle to every person.