The Plans We Made • TBB

24.Heartbroken

Wrecker fast asleep against a conked out rancor is the last thing Sunset expected to see as she flew the Marauder over. The straps were ready to wrap around Muchi, the big event of the day just about over.

    Landing the ship, Tech walked up the steps. Sunset stood up, adjusting the few pieces of armor she lazily slid on over her blacks. Passing her brother, his voice suddenly stops her from exiting the Marauder. "Have a seat. The others are perfectly capable of strapping the adolescent rancor to my ship."

    Sunset sighs, dropping into one of the other seats. Tech comes over, pressing his thumb into a few different spots on her bruised shoulder. She winces at every touch, teeth marks now on her bottom lip.

    "It is not broken," Tech determines, pulling his hand away. He pulls a cool-pack out of the medpack and hands it to her. Sunset holds it against the blacks, the coldness seeping through to her purple and blue beaten skin. "Severely bruised, but you're lucky."

    Sunset nods at his words, chewing on the inside of her cheek. They should have just gone to Idaflor and settled down, and yet here they are. She had a strong feeling that Muchi wouldn't be the last dangerous thing they encountered in this new era. Not for a really long time would she or any of the others be safe. And her heart broke for that, because somehow she knew this baby would not have an easy start at life.

Wrecker trips up the steps, his eyes heavy with sleep. He doesn't even get to a chair, he just sprawls out on the floor, making Hunter, Omega, and Echo step over his limbs to get into the cockpit. 

"Alright, Muchi. Time to go." Echo says, dropping down into the copilot seat as Tech lifts the ship off the ground. A creak of the chains is how they know Muchi was being lifted off her feet. With a rancor dangling in the air and Wrecker exhausted, Tech flew really slowly to both be careful and give the large clone some time to rest.

It took Sunset a few minutes to notice the weapon hooked onto Omega's arm. A Zygerrian crossbow. Her brow twitched, wondering if it was smart to turn this innocent child into a soldier like everyone else aboard this ship. A big part of her just wants Omega to be a kid, to grow up playing with toys. Not shooting people or running aimlessly around space.

An hour later the Bad Batch was back in the city, Omega riding on top of a tamed Muchi. Wrecker had a big smile plastered on his face, a hand wrapped around Omega's calf to make sure she stayed safe.

The rancor let out a loud, happy roar at the same time the squad arrived outside of Cid's parlor. A man speaking Huttese runs outside, his arms wide open to welcome Muchi back. Sunset infers this to be the man that owns the young rancor.

Cid comes out behind the man, her eyes briefly widening in shock. However, she quickly masks it. "See, Bib? All is well." She tells the man. Sunset then realizes this is more than likely Bib Fortuna, who works for Jabba on Tatooine. Muchi is Jabba the Hutt's pet. "Now, about the matter of payment."

Bib snaps his fingers to his two bodyguards, who pull out a case full of credits and hands it over to Cid. The three of them take off, leaving Cid with the Batchers in the dark and dirty alley.

"Gotta say, fellas. I wasn't sure you could pull this job off." Cid admits, a hint of pride in her monotone voice.

Echo frowned. "You could have told us we were going after a rancor."

Cid hums. "Must've slipped my mind." She shrugs, then points directly at Hunter. "You, dark and broody. My office." She turns and trails down the steps. Hunter nods to the squad and follows after the former Jedi informant.

Sunset, Wrecker, Echo, Tech, and Omega have a seat at the bar. The kid was playing with her clone doll while Echo and Tech debate some of the modifications that were made on the ship.