Miles Away From Yesterday

Chapter 12 - Like an Enemy

Author's Note: I would apologize for the cliffhanger, but I'm not really sorry. XD Thoughts about their life on Raada, y'all? :)

~ Amina Gila

It's sunset by the time Tech finishes the modifications that will allow him to scramble the Marauder's signature. He puts sensors in the entry of the cave to warn him if someone attempts entry, and Wrecker drags boulders to block off the opening. Their ship is safe. Hopefully, they don't need it, but Crosshair thinks he would miss it if he never saw it again. He already misses it. He misses Kamino, too, stupid though it sounds. He misses... home. They've never truly had a home, he supposes, but they had each other, and now, they don't even have that anymore. They had their barracks, their ship, and those are now gone.

Crosshair feels the weight of it on his shoulders as he walks with the others toward the village. The mood is subdued, almost depressed, though he tries to keep himself from getting lost in misery or thoughts of the past. It would be easier to push it aside and keep moving if they had a mission. But they don't. All they have is Omega and a tedious, mind-numbing life of being a farmer. How are they supposed to adjust to something like that? All he's ever known is war. He's only ever been a soldier.

Miara sees them coming, and she runs to greet them, waving, as they reach their new home. Home. It feels more temporary than anything else. It doesn't seem like that... hut could be considered home. Crosshair doesn't think he'll ever consider it home.

"I brought some food," she tells them, holding out a basket. Crosshair takes it reflexively. "Consider it a welcome gift. We put it together for you."

Tech hesitates, and Crosshair decides to step forward before Tech says something... considered not socially appropriate. "Thank you," he says, and he notices the way Tech almost relaxes. Tech's not good with social interaction, and they all know it. He has a strong dislike, actually, for talking to someone on their behalf. Talking about random information? Yes. He'll do that gladly. But trying to act as their leader? Not so much. He had to do it once when Hunter was injured, and he'd hated it. He didn't say so, but Crosshair could tell.

Crosshair isn't really an ideal option either because he has this way of getting under people's skin and making them punch him. It's not his fault. Really, it's not! People are just too sensitive sometimes. And Wrecker isn't even an option.

Speaking on their behalf was always –

Well, they'll have to manage it somehow now.

"Tell me if you need anything," Miara tells them, and she sounds so sincere. So earnest. It reminds him of Omega a little, and that's a comparison he carefully sets aside. It doesn't seem like she could be real, but... he thinks maybe she is? Maybe.

"We will," Omega chirps.

Crosshair sees a number of the other villagers watching them, and a few Twi'leks loitering in the shade of a hut a few yards away. He turns away toward their hut. It's small, but that's nothing new to them. Their barracks were smaller. It's dirty, too, but again, nothing new. The roof is sturdy, and the hut is defensible. Those things matter most.

They close the door behind them – close it because it's not an automatic door; stars, these people are so behind in technology – and Tech flips on a light. It's dim, and it flickers a bit, but it's enough for them to look around and see what it's like. There's a main living area with something that's probably meant as a kitchen on one side. Laughable. None of them know how to cook, not indoors. They have survival training, of course, but that's different.

Down a short hallway are three doors, two to the bedrooms and one to a 'fresher. The rooms are small, two beds in each, tucked into opposite corners. Aside from how they're not big, certainly not big enough for Wrecker, it would mean they'd have to split up. Something tightens inside of him at that, and he shifts a bit closer to his brothers instinctively.