The Bad Batch: Oneshots

Unlikely Comfort

     The rain hammered down on the Marauder; the large drops pattered on the glass window of the gunner's mount. Omega tossed and turned in her sleep, her face scrunching up as the images flashed by in her head.

"One last test, Omega, then we will be finished." The Kaminoan jabbed another needle into her arm, causing the tired girl to flinch back and misplace where the needle was supposed to go.

Nala Se gave her an icy glare as she reached over to prepare a new one. She didn't give the clone any warning as it was instead injected into her neck.

"Wait here. I need to run more tests," Nala Se said as she turned to leave.

"B-But you said that was the last one." Omega nervously reminded her, but only received a shake of the head.

"That was before you messed it up. Now I require more," the scientist said with a sharp tone as the metal door slammed shut.

Omega laid on the medical table in silence. All she wanted to do was sleep, but she knew if she did it would end with a painful punishment. The machines around her beeped, giving her something to keep count of. In a way it was peaceful, so much so that she didn't hear the door reopen.

Nala Se marched over to her, shaking the girl whose eyes were shut. "What have I said about sleeping?"

Omega jolted awake at the sound of her voice. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to...I'm just really tired."

The Kaminoan gave her a displeased look, sighing. "You know what the punishment is."

Omega trembled in fear as she was disconnected from the IV's and dragged over to a tube. She didn't resist as she was placed in it. All she could do was close her eyes and hope for it to end soon.

"They're not coming for you, little lady," a different voice said, one she knew and hated. The bounty hunter that had captured her on Bracca stood in front of her. Omega looked around, no longer in a tube. Now she was in some warehouse, her hands tied behind her to a pole.

"What do you mean?" she bravely asked, trying to show him that she wasn't scared this time.

"Bring them in," Cad Bane ordered. A few moments later Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker and Crosshair entered the room; guns pointed at each of their heads. They were all bruised and bloodied.

"Everything is going to be okay, Omega. I promise," Hunter said calmly, but she could hear the strain in his voice.

"Let them go!" Omega shouted, struggling to get to her brothers. "Please! I'm the bounty, so let them go!"

"'fraid not, kid. This isn't about the bounty anymore. This is about revenge." Cad Bane held his hand up. "Kill them all."

"NO!" Omega shrieked, thrashing against the ropes as the sounds of blaster fire went off.

Omega shot up panting. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would jump out of her chest. Her blanket was tossed to the side in her sudden awakening. She looked around, the gunner's mount seemed eerie in the dark with the howling storm outside, reminding her too much of a place she used to call home. Omega hugged Lula close to her chest as she buried her face into the stuffed tooka and cried, trying not to make too much of a fuss.

     Crosshair half asleep, walked out of the fresher holding a glass of water. He woke up due to a nearby rumble that didn't seem to wake anyone else up to his own luck. Of course he had to have his sleep disrupted. As he passed by the gunner's mount that was turned into a child's room, he heard the faint sounds of sobs causing him to stop. He contemplated just going back to bed, but a voice in his head that sounded annoyingly like Hunter's told him to check on the kid. He grumbled to himself as he climbed up the ladder and pulled back the curtain.

He was right about the crying. Omega was huddled up against the wall with her face in Wrecker's toy. She didn't seem to notice or hear him so he cleared his throat loud enough to catch her attention.

"Is something wrong?" he awkwardly asked.

Omega sniffled, wiping at her puffy eyes. "I had a nightmare. That's all. I'm sorry that I woke you up."

He wanted to reply with a snarky comment, but had to remember to hold back. She wasn't one of his brothers who were more used to his remarks.

"It's fine. I was already up." He paused trying to think of what to say next. "You want some water?" he asked, offering her the cup he had filled a few moments ago. The girl nodded, accepting the cup, taking a long sip before setting it aside.

"You were all in my dream," she said in the silence. "I couldn't do anything and then h-he just, he just—" Omega felt another tear fall from her eye.

Crosshair slowly moved further up the ladder, taking the spot next to the child. "The bounty hunter?" he prompted to which he received a quiet noise of confirmation. "It was just a dream. Whatever it was won't happen on our watch."

"But it seemed so real and part of it did happen. Hunter was already shot and Nala Se..." Omega shuddered thinking about it.

Crosshair couldn't help but tense up. He hated the Kaminoans with a passion. Nala Se especially. She had obviously left the girl traumatized, something that he wished she never had to go through.

"You don't have to worry about the longnecks anymore. I won't let one get within a hundred feet of you." He glanced down at Omega who had a small smile on her lips.

"Thank you," she whispered, letting out a yawn.

"Seems that someone's tired again. You best be going to bed." He reached over, handing her the blanket that was towards the entrance. He made to leave, but was stopped by a little hand lightly gripping his wrist.

"Um, could you possibly stay with me until I fall asleep?" He could hear the embarrassment in her voice, but also felt his heart soften at her request.

"Sure, for a few minutes." He sat back down as she settled in with her blanket and Lula. He sat listening to the rain as Omega's head fell onto his chest. He didn't even realize that he had placed an arm around her either until he found himself rubbing soft circles on her back. He didn't bother getting up at that point. The last thing he wanted to do was stir the kid. He laughed to himself. If his brothers saw him now, there would be no living it down. He would just be sure to wake up before the others did, but for the meantime he let sleep overcome his own mind.