╭ ─┉───── • ─────┉─ ╮
i.
lost in battle
╰ ─┉───── • ─────┉─ ╯
•••
"Wrecker, get out of there now!"
"I need to blow up this gate first!" Wrecker yelled back, "I have to wait until enough people are there so it can be effective."
"Why does your brain work only at the most crucial times," Tech said, trying to find a way out. Right after he finished that statement, shots were firing at them from either side,
"And when it's crucial, why is the right way always wrong?"
"I don't know Tech," Wrecker said, annoyed, "you think about it while I focus."
Hunter turned to Echo.
"Echo, get on the ship and tell Omega to start it up. I'll cover you."
Echo ran up the ramp to the ship. The Pykes were gaining on them, fast.
"Omega?" he called.
No response.
"Omega?" he called again, trying to get an answer.
Nothing.
"Omega!" he called once more, hoping she was still even on the ship.
Once again, there was just the sound of silence that filled the cabin.
"Shit," he muttered, "Hunter is going to kill me."
He went back down the ramp, and seeing how things had escalated the thirty seconds he was off the battlefield, kneeled beside the boxes Hunter was hiding behind, trying to avoid the blaster fire coming their way.
"Wrecker," Hunter said into his intercom, "have you blown up the gate yet?"
"I'm waiting for the right moment," he responded almost immediately.
"The right moment passed already. Tech is down, and the forces that are coming our way are too strong. So hurry up or leave," Hunter said.
Wrecker began to say something over the intercom, but Hunter shut his off before he could hear anything. He got up from behind the boxes to pick off a few pyke soldiers, then went back to hiding below the box.
"Tech is down?" Echo asked, taking his turn to shoot at the pyke forces.
"He's fine. He was just grazed on his arm, but nevermind that. Did you tell her?" he eagerly asked, more concerned about Omega.
"There's only one problem with that," Echo nervously replied, trying to ease into the tension of the question.
"What?"
"Omega isn't on the ship."
"You're kidding me," Hunter said as he got up, "cover for me this time. I'm going to go start the ship and look for Omega. When I've started the ship, Tech is over there. He's fine but he is losing blood so bring him on the ship quickly. Then we'll go get Wrecker from the tower."
"Hunter, I already told you she isn't there."
"And you made us go on this mission, you haven't been right lately."
As Echo did his best to cover him, Hunter raced from the cargo to the ramp of the ship, getting in as quickly as possible to avoid bullets at all costs.
"Omega?" Hunter called out, seeing if Echo was wrong about her absence. He was greeted by nothing other than silence.
"No, this can't be happening," he muttered to himself, "she probably just went to look for us. Yeah, that's right. There's no way she could be in trouble," he tried to convince himself, even though in the back of his mind he knew that this was possibly the most dangerous place they could've left Omega alone. He went to the cockpit and sat in the pilot's chair, and attempted his best shot at flying the ship.
"I'm not good at this flying stuff."
As the ship took off the ground, the pykes immediately changed their aim from the other members to the marauder. Hunter tried to dodge the shots fired at him, but seeing as their pilot was shot in the arm, not much could be done. He left the ramp open, hovering just above the ground so the other members could get in.
The fighting continued for a few seconds more, only to have Echo rush in, with Tech following soon after. Hunter then closed the ramp, and flew higher to get Wrecker from one of the surrounding towers of the pyke syndicate.
"Echo, you know where the bandages are. Can you help Tech so he can come fly this ship?" Hunter asked, trying his best to not crash into something.
"Yeah, just open the hatch for Wrecker."
"I'm not a dumbass Echo."
Hunter flew higher, opening the hatch for Wecker to get in.
"Wrecker, blow up the damn gate!" Hunter yelled.
"Okay, okay," he said. As he pressed the correct button, a series of explosions were created by bombs which he had carefully placed earlier. It effectively decreased the pyke's forces, making it easier for an escape. Wrecker jumped onto the ramp, and ran in. Hunter closed it and exited the planet as quickly as possible.
"Done," Echo exhaled, kneeling back from fixing Tech's arm. Tech looked down at the mess of bandages wrapped around his arm with a face filled with dislike.
"Well, I could've done a better job than this," Tech said.
"Save it Tech. Now go pilot the ship, since Hunter can't do shit."
"You were the one who made us do this job," Hunter said, "if we hadn't come, Omega wouldn't be gone. This is all your fault."
Echo crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "If you weren't so overprotective and worried then she could've come with us."
"If she came she could've been dead!"
"Do you know for sure if she's even still alive now?"
"We can at least hope so."
"Okay, quit arguing," Tech said, "I'm about to make the jump to hyperspace, so I would recommend sitting down."
"You aren't the only one with common sense Tech," Echo said.
"Well sometimes it seems that way."
•••
Omega's eyes fluttered open, only to be blinded by bright white lights. She moved her hands to rub her eyes, trying to be able to see clearly. She didn't know where she was or what had happened. Did the pykes take her? Where's everyone else?
She was lying on her back, on something extremely uncomfortable. As she stayed put, what she thought was the floor started to dig into her back. She attempted to sit up, but almost immediately hit her head.
"Ow," she muttered, rubbing her temple. Just then, her vision became clear.
She was in a cage.
Omega grabbed the bars in front of her, trying to shake them.
"Where am I?!" she shouted, trying to get someone's attention.
All she saw in return was a gun point at her face.
"You're going to be quiet from now on, you got it?" a voice hissed at her.
Taken aback by the response, she relaxed, lying back down. She saw the gun disappear, and heard footsteps going away, each one getting quieter.
"You handled that well," someone said next to her. It was a boy, a few years older than her.
"What do you mean?"
"Most people usually scream and cry and get killed."
"Who are you anyway?" Omega asked.
"Lux. Lux Bonteri. And you are?"
"I'm Omega."
"Just Omega? No last name?"
"Yes, just Omega," she responded. "So what is this place?"
"I'm not sure what it's called," Lux said, "but this is not a good situation. They go after people who have bounties on their heads. Their strategy is to take one of a certain group, and when everyone else shows up to rescue them, they turn everyone in to their boss for money. However, they usually take the one that's worth the most."
Omega sighed. "Well shit.
"They used to go after jedi," Lux added, "I used to know someone who was here once before. Her name was Ahs-"
As soon as he was about to say the next part, the hatch of the ship opened, letting in a breeze of cool air into the ship. The guards unlocked the cages, letting everyone out. There were about ten people on the ship.
"Good luck," Lux said.
"What?"
"You'll need it."
Omega, Lux, and the rest were escorted off the ship and onto a swampy land. The ship took off, exiting the atmosphere.
"Why were you wishing me good luck?" Omega asked, concerned.
"Because this is a hunt."
"I'm sorry, what?"
Just then, all ten people got ambushed. They all tried to scatter, trying to avoid bullets at the same time.
"Just run," Lux yelled to her, as they were now separated. "It's your best bet."
As shots continued to fire, Omega ran into the forest, getting as far away from the launchpad as possible.
•••
The four members entered the bar once again, ready to give Cid the spice she had given them the job to retrieve.
"I am sorry," Echo mumbled, "about Omega. But we were running low on supplies, so we had to do this."
"Shut up Echo," Hunter said in response. "No matter what you say it will be your fault and you'll have to live with it if she's dead."
"She could still be alive, you know," Wrecker said, trying to calm Hunter down.
Tech attempted to help too. "I mean the odds of her being alive are-"
"Not now," Echo said, cutting him off.
"I was going to say high, since she has a large bounty on her head. But it'll probably be difficult to find her."
"Tech, stop," Hunter tried to tell him.
"All I'm saying is that everyone who would want Omega would want her alive. It wouldn't make sense if she's dead."
"Will you guys stop arguing for one minute?" Cid said, coming into the bar from her office.
"We weren't even arguing," Wrecker mumbled.
"Nevermind that. Did you get the spice?" Cid asked, eager to see her bounty.
"I mean," Hunter said, looking over to Wreckers direction, "Wrecker insisted on bringing all five at one time, risking spilling all of it-"
"Am I going to get a lot of money for this," Cid said, rubbing her hands together in excitement.
"You better be happy, because we lost Omega," Hunter said.
"What?" Cid replied, her expression dropping. "I loved that kid. I'm sorry for your loss."
Tech rolled his eyes. "She isn't dead."
"You don't know that."
"Hey, Hunter, calm down," Cid said, "I'm sure she'll be fine. I'll let you guys know if I hear anything."
"That sounds good," Echo said. "Come one guys, let's go."
*2 weeks later*
"Hey, what are you guys doing in my bar," Cid exclaimed, "you have no job, and therefore no right to be here. Oh yeah go ahead make yourself comfortable."
"You said you would have contacted us if you had heard anything about Omega," Hunter angrily said, "we haven't heard back yet."
"Well that's because I haven't, uh, heard anything yet."
"She's lying," Tech said. Hunter almost forgot he was even there, since he camouflaged with the back corner.
"No shit Sherlock," Echo replied.
Hunter's annoyance level grew by the second. "Where is she?"
"You don't want to know."
"Cid, I'm going to ask you this one last time. Where. Is. She."
"I hate to say this, but you guys are seriously doomed."
•••
word count: 1751