Homowingian

Part 6 - Live

Author's Note: Ahhhhhhhh apologies this part is cringey and too fast-paced and I hate it I was never able to make it flow ;-; I'm gonna do a sequel with Rex that properly deals with some of the stuff in the climax in here. I'll hafta explain it even if I don't write the details. Because I hate it.

~ Rivana Rita

When the Empire shows up on Pabu, there's nowhere left to run, not with Tech on their heels and their brother's mind isn't his own. There's more to the clone's creation than any of them realized, and Emerie knows a little more than she's let on. But with Rex's growing rebellion, Hunter knows they have allies, and the best chance they have to take out Tantiss.

Hunter goes after Tech. He hadn't meant to, but when he saw his little brother standing, his black wings spread tall and sinisterly behind him, he couldn't leave again.

He's not leaving Tech in Hemlock's hands. It doesn't matter what he is or did.

Tech starts shooting at them, and Hunter splits off to draw his fire. Or tries to. Tech goes for cover. The others are out now, and Hunter only has a minute of warning before an explosive is shot at them.

At the Marauder.

Omega, of all people, is the first to react.

She gasps, diving forward, fire flaring from her hands. The glowing mist spreads outwards, wrapping over the explosives. Hunter watches with a sort of twisted heart-stopping awe as the explosions go off, pressing against the white mist Omega's holding over them, shuddering and burning, but held back by a force field. Maybe their kid's more Force-sensitive than Hunter thought.

Omega gasps, stumbling and dropping. Wrecker and Emerie practically teleport to her side,

"Stay with the kid," Hunter orders, dodging another shot from Tech. "More will be on their way." Knowing the Empire, they don't have long. "Get the ship prepped. I'm going after Tech."

"Not alone," Crosshair hisses, jolting forward.

And, what? Take Crosshair with him? No. "No. Stay with Omega."

"Hunter," Wrecker's starting to say, worrying, but he's already taking off.

He won't risk Tech again. It's not like he can die, anyway. He's not risking losing any of them.

Tech's fast to track – he's leaving a trail up the mountainside, too far safe away from where the population is. Tech's good at hiding, and when he's flying, it's easy to throw Hunter off his tracks, but somehow, Hunter doesn't think he's trying, and the dark presence is pulsing in his mind. He can feel it anywhere. Tracked him half across the galaxy once. Could do it again.

Hunter draws his knife. He's gonna hafta apologize to Tech for this a thousand times over. When Tech steps out from behind the rocks, Hunter flicks his knife around and throws it cleanly into the edge of the rifle. It sparks, unusable, and Tech drops it.

Tech rips the knife out and lunges at him. Hunter dodges, swinging around him. He goes for his blaster, fully intent on stunning him, but Tech lashes out, a wave of black energy flinging him back. Hunter's wings spread, air friction catching him, but Tech jumps at him.

Hunter catches his arm, shoving the knife away from him.

Not again.

This is not happening again.

He swings out, half desperate and half terrified. Hunter kicks him, leveraging himself up and pinning Tech onto the rocky ground. "Stop this," he demands. He doesn't want to fight one of his little brothers again. "We can fix this together. Like we always have."