Issues - The Bad Batch SW

2- So What?

The mess hall was alive, filled with noise and gossip. The good thing about Clone Force 99 is they were always easy to find in a crowd. Mave saw the squad almost the second she walked through the doors.

She felt relief. Genuine relief.

Worry was something Mave had been drowning in since the end of the war almost 3 cycles ago. However, all the dread and worry simply vanished when she saw The Bad Batch. More specifically, when she saw Hunter. There were multiple times over the last few years when she almost left the entire order. He was the reason she stayed. He was the one who made her smile, laugh even. She was infatuated with him though she would never admit it to anyone but Ahsoka.

Ahsoka, Who was probably dead.

Mave walked over to the group taking a seat next to Tech who was preoccupied with his data pad. Conversation could be heard from all directions filling the silence that had fallen over the table after Wreckers outburst. She couldn't decide wether to savour the partial peace or not.

"An Imperial's been sent to evaluate the clones." Hunter plopped his tray down, taking a seat next to Mave. Which she found odd due to there being lots more room on the opposite side of the table. "Everyones talking about it." Hunter reached for salt centred in the middle of the table.

"What kind of evaluation?" Echo asked, eager to know more.

"Hopefully not mental. Clearly we'd never pass that." Tech responded blandly. Mave let out a sound that could only be described as pure laughter. She always appreciated his comments.

Conversation carried on until a young blonde, Omega sat next to Hunter. Again, the unbalanced amount of people threw Mave off.

"Hello again!" Omega said with a wide smile plastered across her face. The confused looks everyone shared amused Mave, specifically Hunter's. She choked back a giggle. "Omega. From earlier..." the child reintroduced herself hoping to spark some kind of memory.

"Earlier?" Mave questioned, "is that where you wondered off to? During the meeting?"

"You two know each other?" Echo leaned forward.

The purple haired girl gave him a confused look. "Yes. We do. I've mentioned her before."

"You have?" Omega asked excitedly.

"Really?" The others responded at the same time as the young girl.

"Oh my god." Mave sighed going back to her food. The day was nowhere near finished yet the batch had already tired her. Still, she didn't wish she were anywhere else. They were annoying like that.

"Yeah, kid. We remember." The exhaustion in Hunter's tone was obvious. "Don't you have someplace to be?"

"No I'll stay." Omega responded briefly.

"You want to sit with us? That's never happened before." Tech added leaning across the uncomfortably long row of people.

Mave cleared her throat. Hello? I'm right here.

"Sorry." Tech looked to Mave. "It has only ever happened once."

"Honestly it's everyone else's loss." Mave took a bite of her food.

"I like you." Omega lifted her head to look at the group. "You don't fit in around here either."

"We certainly don't." The older medic muttered.

"What are you really doing here on Kamino, kid?" Hunter questioned. He didn't think that was the full story. "Don't you have a family somewhere? Parents?" He continued, eyes darting about the room.