Bad Batch: Healer's Heart

Battle Scars

The Marauder jerked as Tech did his best to loose the Rhokai fighters on their tail. Hunter shot at them from the gunner's mount. "How much longer until we're in hyperspace, Tech?" He asked, his voice gruff with urgency.

"That depends on when Echo plans on getting the drive back online." Tech replied smoothly.

"I'm working on it!" The ARC growled.

Althea strapped in next to Omega, the creature they stole in a cage between them.

"I don't think Ruby likes this very much." The blonde remarked as the creature squawked angrily.

"You named that thing?" Althea asked.

The ship jolted, earning a grunt from Wrecker from where he sat across from the girls. "What's with these guys?"

"Well, we did steal from them." Omega said.

Ruby hissed as Tech offered an explanation from the cockpit. "Technically, the Rhokai stole the lizard first. We are merely intercepting it."

"They don't see it that way." Said Hunter as he blasted another ship away.

The Marauder shuddered, causing Ruby's cage to fall on to the floor. The door opened, most likely from not being latched properly, and the lizard escaped.

"It's loose!" Wrecker screamed. "It's loose!"

Ruby climbed on top of him, latching her claws into his face. Wrecker stood and screamed as the lizard clung to him. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"

"Calm down!" Said Omega. "You're scaring her."

Wrecker ignored her, opting to run into the cockpit instead. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!" He ran face first into a chair, knocking Ruby off. Althea lept from her seat and took the cage, slamming it on top of the lizard and trapping it.

"Got her." She declared.

"Hyperdrive's online." Said Echo.

Without another word, Tech launched the ship into hyperspace, taking them back to Ord Mantell.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"That is one strange looking lizard." Cid remarked as she looked in the cage. Althea bit back a snort. Did Cid not own a mirror?

"What's your client want it for?" Asked Echo.

"Maybe it's a pet." Cid guessed. "Maybe he wants to turn it into a stew. Don't know, don't care."

"As long as you get paid." Hunter said. Ever since the Martez sisters, the Sergeant had been questioning Cid's methods.

"Now you're catching on." The Trandoshan replied. "And guess what? That means you get paid too. Bring the lizard in the back." She walked away into her office. Echo grabbed the cage and Tech followed, but Hunter hung back. A cloaked figure near a back booth caught his attention, but it was soon dragged away by three presences behind him.

"Hunter?" Asked Omega as he turned. The Sergeant was faced with Wrecker, Althea, and Omega, all three of them wearing expectant smiles.

"What are you three up too?" Hunter asked.

"The missions over." The yellow eyed girl told him. "Can we go?"

"Again?"

"It's tradition." Wrecker argued. He brought his hand to his mouth and lowered his voice to a whisper. "It makes the kids happy."

Omega looked up at him questioningly and Althea rolled her eyes. Hunter raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Uh-huh." He said unconvinced. "The kids." He sighed. "Don't take long."