Nothing • Tech

5.Aar'ika (Little Pain)

I know I'm a few hours later than normal but I'm at Disney World right now and I've been really busy all day haha

"Hmm. It appears all public transport is now restricted without chain codes." Tech hums, glancing up from his datapad. Malaina leans against the wall, observing the clone from afar. She found Tech most interesting to watch out of all of Clone Force 99.

"Which Cut can't sign up for. He'll be arrested when they discover he's a deserter." Suu sighed, falling back against her chair.

"The next shuttle leaves in a few hours. Codes or no codes, we need to be on it." Cut said strongly, pounding his fist on the table.

"Mom! Mom, it's Omega!" One of the twi'lek children shouted, running into the house. "She went out past the fence!"

That put all of the adults into action, jumping from their spots. Malaina was first out the door, already starting to sense some kind of upset creature nearby. A nexu.

The large feline creature stood a few feet from Omega, its tongue running over its sharp teeth as he prepared to eat the girl for its next meal.

Malaina wasn't going to have that, so she quickly climbed under the fence and put herself between Omega and the nexu.

The Inquisitor held a hand out toward the angry feline, taking deep calming breaths while calling out to the Force.

She felt a cold chill run down her spine that oddly still ached from her last injury, and then the feeling of her energy starting to draw near to the nexu.

The feline came closer with a girthy growl but Malaina didn't flinch. Instead, she inched closer until her hand was almost touching the wet black nose of the nexu. She wouldn't go any further, waiting for the oversized kitty cat to initiate the touch.

But the nexu's attention was pulled to someone approaching behind Malaina. Hunter. It sensed the clone's hostility and growled, any anger Malaina had alleviated returned.

The feline raised a paw and swiped, two claws slicing into Malaina's cheek before she could step back.

And then someone, Suu, started firing at the nexu and scared it off.

Malaina whirled around with a glare, seeing the vibroblade gripped tightly in Hunter's hand.

Blood ran down her cheek, under her jawline and began to slowly drip down her neck. She clenched her jaw, taking a challenging step closer to him. "I almost had it calmed down! Couldn't you and your heightened senses tell!? It's heart rate slowed, it's stress hormones dropped!"

"The last thing we need is you bonding with vicious animals like a nexu! It was too close to Omega." Hunter growled, sliding his vibroblade back into its spot on his waist. Then he turned to Omega, his expression still angered. "What were you doing out here? Do you realize you could've been killed?"

Omega hid her head behind the ball she had gone out to retrieve, her brows knitted in fear as she cowered away from Hunter.

Cut placed a hand on the Sergeant's shoulder. "Easy. She's not a soldier." He reminded, then knelt down to Omega's level and spoke in a softer tone. "Are you hurt? Now, let's take a look here." He said, turning Omega's head with his hand, scanning her for any injuries.

Omega held the ball close to her chest. "I'm sorry. I was trying to get the ball." She said quietly, burying her head in Cut's shoulder. He held onto her supportively. "I didn't know."

Malaina caught the way Tech's eyebrows were knitted in worry as he exchanged looks with a concerned Echo.

"You're safe. That's all that matters." Cut responded, picking the blonde up. "Come on." He says, beginning to carry her off as she hid her face from the others in embarrassment