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Hunter eased a hand on Omega’s shoulder, slowing her pace alongside him. She spared a glance up at him, watching as his helmet tilted down at her. When he spoke, his voice was low, just barely crackling through his helmet.
“We’re not alone.” Hunter squeezed her shoulder before he drew his second blaster pistol. “Stay behind me and follow my lead.”
Omega nodded. “Roger that.”
She held her bow tighter, moving in place behind Hunter as they continued carefully down the dimly lit corridor. Omega couldn’t blame Hunter for being on edge even before sensing anyone else. This place had been giving her the creeps ever since they had stepped foot off the Marauder. It was probably a good call to have Wrecker guarding the ship.
This specific job for Cid was twofold. If they managed to pull it off—both a data pull and an item retrieval—then they would double their pay, which, according to Tech’s earlier calculations, would allow them at least a few days off their feet. Given how endless their current cycle of missions had been, they were all eager for some rest.
Echo went with Tech to assist in the data pull, which left Hunter and Omega to secure the mysterious item. Hunter had told her when they opened the small container that it was some kind of high-value crystal. He didn’t tell her exactly why or how it was valuable, but Omega figured those were questions she could get answered later, when they weren’t in the middle of their exfil.
Omega kept her voice hushed as she looked up at Hunter. “What are you sensing, Hunter? Are we gonna run into some trouble?”
Hunter let out a quiet breath. “Not sure. I think we might still be able to…”
He trailed off, tensing as he came to an abrupt stop. Omega followed his lead, resisting the urge to ask him what was wrong, despite how badly she wanted to.
Hunter’s voice was tight when he finally spoke to her. “There are more behind us. We need to move.” He started hurrying forward. “Now.”
Omega obeyed. She had quickly learned that whenever Hunter used his sergeant voice, there was no time to hesitate or question what was going on. What she had to do was listen to his orders and comply. This was definitely one of those situations.
They approached the corner of the corridor. Hunter signaled back with one of his blaster pistols in hand, urging Omega to stay in place along the wall as he peered around it. After a heartbeat or two, he nodded at her, and they made the turn to continue down the corridor.
Suddenly, Hunter froze again, his helmet whipping between the two ends of the corridor before he looked to the side. He slammed his knuckles against a nearby access panel and ushered Omega through the door that opened up beside them. Once they were both inside, Hunter hit the access panel again, this time adding a blaster bolt to keep it secure.
“Okay, um…” Omega held her bow closer to herself. “What now?”
“Now, you surrender.”
The lights in the darkened room suddenly flickered on, and both Hunter and Omega raised their weapons as they turned their backs to the door. Unfortunately, though, they were vastly outnumbered by the same collective of armored guards who ran this facility. Hunter stepped in front of Omega, keeping both blasters lifted as she tried to get an aim around his imposing frame.
The same man who had spoken before chuckled. It crackled through the vocoder of the mask he wore, making the sound even more ominous as Omega found herself drifting even closer to Hunter. “It’s not everyday we get to have something as exciting as thieves running around here.” He gestured to Omega, or what he could see of her behind Hunter. “Especially one as small as you.”
Hunter growled. “We haven’t taken anything.”
The masked man scoffed. “You really think we believe that?”
Hunter shrugged. “Whether or not you believe me, that’s the truth.”
Their adversary hummed. “So, you two had nothing to do with the kyber crystal that was just reported missing?”
Omega tensed, even if she tried not to make it obvious. Hunter remained the picture of unbothered serenity as he tilted his helmet. “Must be a coincidence.”
“Must be.” The masked man sighed dramatically as he nodded in Hunter’s direction. “Now put down your blasters and step away from the girl.”
Hunter growled again, vicious enough to make chills run along Omega’s spine. “Not happening.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
The other armored guards in the room lifted their weapons higher. Omega’s heart raced inside her chest, quick enough that it felt as if it could take flight within her, but she calmed herself with the reassurance that Hunter would think of something crafty to get them out of this. That, or the others would come bursting through the door to save the day.
“You’re surrounded. Not just in here, but also on the other side of that door.” The masked man huffed. “Put down your blasters now, and we won’t hurt the girl.”
Omega whimpered quietly at that. She liked the sound of her being spared, but the last thing she would do was trust them. Hunter seemed to have the same idea. Still, she could see the hesitation within him as his protectiveness over her undoubtedly spun around the other ideas inside his mind.
Hunter let out a sigh of defeat as his posture began to relax. “Fine.”
Omega’s eyes widened in disbelief. The last thing she expected Hunter to do was to give in.
“But if you break your word, then I’ll take joy in killing you.”
The masked man chuckled. “I believe you. Easy, now.”
Hunter started to bend down, lowering his blasters as he did so. Omega watched him in pure horror, but just as his blasters started to touch the ground, she realized what he had been planning all along. His helmet just slightly turned in her direction, and his nod was subtle enough that only she would notice it.
That was her cue.
Omega raised her bow and pulled her arm back, aiming to distract as she prepared to let go and fire. Before she could, though, someone charged her, quick enough that they even managed to evade Hunter’s lunging attack. Omega’s shot went wide right, striking the wall of the room uselessly as she and her bow were tugged aside and separated. She grunted, then gasped, as someone else joined her first aggressor, gripping her arms tight enough to keep her from moving anywhere.
Omega cried out. “Hunter!”
It was a useless call, but one that Hunter heard anyway. She could tell by the way he fought harder against the no less than four different guards who were holding him back, wrestling him down to his knees across from where Omega was left standing. Hunter’s blasters had been kicked closer to the door, far out of his reach, and she noticed that his vibroblade had also been tossed somewhere near his twin weapons.
Omega hated nothing more than this, seeing Hunter apprehended in a way that rendered his combat skills useless. He never stopped struggling against their grasp, despite the fact that he was at an obvious disadvantage. Omega tried not to let her fear coil inside her, but this situation was starting to look worse and worse, especially with no way to communicate with the others.
The masked man stepped forward, tearing Hunter’s helmet from his head while someone else pulled off Hunter’s pack. The expression Hunter wore would have terrified Omega if she had been on the receiving end of it. His face was twisted into a snarl that promised danger the second he was free.
“Now, where were we, thief?” The masked man let out a scoff before he nodded at the guard who held Hunter’s pack. “Search that.”
The guard nodded and stepped away from Hunter, getting to work as he poured out the contents of Hunter’s pack. Meanwhile, the masked man faced Hunter again, who was still snarling as he glanced between their captor and Omega.
“You better not put one mark on her.” Hunter growled even more threateningly than he had before. “Because if you do…”
“Nothing will happen to the girl. I’ll keep my word.” The masked man spared a look back at Omega. She scowled at him the best she could, hoping it had at least half the effect as Hunter’s own intimidation. “Luckily for you, she’s quite useful to me right now, because I have questions.”
Omega scoffed. “And you think I’ll answer them?” She held her chin up higher. “You’re wrong.”
“Sir!” The guard with Hunter’s pack held up the crystal. “I found it!”
The masked man hummed in approval. He turned to look down at Hunter. “What was that about you two not being thieves?”
Hunter’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. His gaze was still burning with an anger that Omega could have believed was hot to touch.
“That’s alright. You know why?” The masked man slowly turned towards Omega. “Because that means you’re even more useful to me now.”
“I told you before.” Omega’s frown harshened. “I’m not answering any of your questions.”
The masked man chuckled, a sinister sound that pricked like something uncomfortable at the back of Omega’s neck. “Not yet.”
He motioned towards one of his other guards, gesturing over to where Hunter was still kneeling on the ground. Omega watched with dark dread as the guard walked over, securing his blaster to his back as he stood in front of Hunter. Omega didn’t realize what was about to happen until the guard pulled his arm back, and she gasped just as his fist made contact with Hunter’s jaw.
“No!” Omega growled as she pulled hard at the guards who held her. Their grips went tight enough to make her wince, but she didn’t stop fighting them. “Leave him alone!”
Hunter spit out blood at the guard’s boots and circled his jaw, shaking his head before he offered Omega a nod of reassurance. She whimpered at the sight of his bleeding lip, which was already split, and the bruising that had started to appear along his jawline. “It’s okay, kid. I can take it.”
“For now.” The masked man turned to face Omega, his hands crossed over his chest as if this was nothing more than a diplomatic exchange. It made her blood boil even more. “The better you are at answering our questions, the less he has to get hurt. Are we clear?”
Omega barred her teeth at the man, but said nothing. He nodded at her.
“Great. Now that we understand each other…” The masked man gestured to the door. “How many others are you working with?”
Omega’s eyes narrowed. “We’re not working with anyone else.” Her gaze flickered over to Hunter. “It’s just us.”
The masked man inhaled a sharp breath through his teeth, a sound that crackled through his modulator. “Ah, you see, that can’t be true, because any good thief knows that you need a getaway pilot.” He tilted his head. “So if there’s even just one more of you, we need to know. Now.”
Omega snarled. “There isn’t.”
The masked man waited a beat before exhaling a disappointed breath. “Alright, then. Be like that.”
He nodded at the guard who stood over Hunter. Omega tensed even before the man administered yet another blow, this time to the other side of Hunter’s face. He grunted, but that was the only sign of pain he showed. His gaze remained as vicious as it had been before—if not more so now.
Omega wanted to be encouraged by it, the flame of his insubordination, but knowing that it was her refusal to answer the man’s questions that was getting Hunter hurt… well, it was already clawing painfully at her chest, making her wither as she desperately sought Hunter’s gaze.
He met it, and once he did, he offered her another reassuring nod. It was subtle, but it was just enough to ease Omega, if only for right now. Surely, the others had to have caught on to the fact that something was amiss by now, and neither she nor Hunter would have to go through this for much longer.
“Maybe that question was too much. Let’s go for something more simple.” The masked man nodded towards the crystal that remained in the other guard’s grasp. “Why are you stealing this?”
Omega hesitated. Her stare quickly flickered over to Hunter’s again, but there was no good way to get an indication of what she was supposed to say. She did her best to think of something as she managed a shrug. “It was shiny. I thought it would be worth a lot.”
The masked man huffed. “So, this was your decision?”
Omega’s brow rose. “Does that surprise you?”
“I’ll admit, little girl, it does.”
Omega hissed. “I’m not a little girl.”
Their captor chuckled. “You’re also not a good liar.”
He looked at the guard by Hunter, and that was apparently enough of a signal. Omega couldn’t help but gasp at the ferocity with which the guard drove his knee towards Hunter, sending his head back as blood spurt from somewhere on his face. She tried to wrestle against the guards who held her back, whimpering as Hunter’s head fell forward again. His nose was already bruising as blood streamed out of it.
Still, Hunter remained resolute. He lifted his chin as his gaze met Omega’s, projecting a kind of strength that she wasn’t sure she could ever match. She started to falter, shaking her head subtly at him as she watched the blood drip from his face onto the floor. His brow furrowed in concern for her.
Omega’s horror boiled over into frustration as she snapped her head in the masked man’s direction. “Stop hurting him!”
“Then stop lying to us.” The man came closer, kneeling down in front of Omega until they were eye-level—at least, level with the long, dark visor of his helmet. She barred her teeth, barely resisting the urge to try lunging for him. “As soon as we get the truth, this will all be over.”
Omega scoffed. “And you think I’m the bad liar.”
Their captor chuckled. “Fair point.”
He glanced over his shoulder, and Omega followed his stare. The guard took that as an invitation to kick Hunter in his middle, in the stretch where his armor didn’t cover him. She growled at the same time he did, unable to keep herself from pulling on her captors again as she tried to reach the man who was just in front of her. “I said stop! You didn’t even ask me a question that time!”
The masked man shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, anyway, does it? Isn’t that what we just established?”
He reached out to pat her cheek in a way that was so much more patronizing than any kind of gesture from her brothers could ever be. That small inch of contact was enough to send Hunter over the edge.
Omega could hear the twisted snarl that left his lips as he pulled hard at the guards who held him down. “If you lay a single finger on her again—.”
Hunter didn’t get to finish. She watched with further horror as the guard punched him again, but this time, he didn’t stop. Omega cried out in protest, her vision going blurry with tears of anger and worry as Hunter took hit after hit.
“Stop it!” Omega shouted, pushing past the sobs that welled up in her throat as she lunged herself forward again. There would no doubt be bruises left behind on her arms from where they held her, but she didn’t care. Not when Hunter’s eyelids were starting to flutter from how severe of a beating he was taking. “Stop! Please!”
Omega heaved out a breath, trying to fight the tears that sat along her waterline, but finding herself unable to. She felt the warmth of them rolling over her face even as she kept fighting the guards at her sides.
“You have what you want!” Omega nodded towards the crystal. “Why won’t you just let us go?”
The masked man finally stood again, humming in consideration of her words. “Because I know there’s more you’re not telling me, and I’m tired of waiting.”
He pointed at Hunter, who looked half-conscious as the guard now stood behind him with an arm wrapped around his throat. It didn’t seem to be adding too much pressure, at least not yet, but Omega understood the implication without having to be told.
“This will end when you tell us the truth, child.” The masked man pointed towards the door. “Where are the others?”
Omega was about to yell that she was still wondering the same thing, but the sudden darkness in the room kept her from saying anything. Before she knew it, the door was sliding open, followed by a smoke bomb igniting.
That was unmistakably another cue. Omega ducked down as far as she could go, rolling backwards as her arms slipped from the guards’ lax grips. She tried to fumble around in the darkness for her bow, using the illumination of the shots her brothers fired off to guide her, but someone grabbed her arm again before she could find it.
Omega cried out, tugging hard. “Let me go! Let me go!”
“Easy, Omega. It is only us.”
That was Tech’s voice alongside her. Omega instantly relaxed as she tried to ease the heaving in her chest. Tech held her where she was until Echo spoke up from somewhere else inside the room.
“Clear.”
Tech’s hand continued to hold onto Omega as the other swapped his blaster pistol for his datapad, and in just a few clicks, the lights came back on inside the room. Omega was amazed to see that every guard inside that room, and the masked man, had all been taken down by Echo and Tech.
But her sights weren’t on them for long. What got her to successfully pull away from Tech’s grasp and get back on her feet was the image of Hunter doubled over on the floor, his elbow supporting his weight as he hung his head and caught his breath.
“Hunter!”
Omega ran forward, sliding on her knees beside him as she gently held the side of his face. She didn’t care about the blood that stained her palm as she eased his head up, allowing his dazed gaze to meet her own. Seeing the severity of the damage up close, with nearly his entire face covered in blood and bruises, made it even worse, and it fractured what little composure she had left.
Omega’s voice broke on a sob as she threw her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry, Hunter.” She squeezed, even if she was still mindful of his injuries. “I’m so sorry.”
Hunter patted her back, though the motion was much weaker than usual. “It’s not your fault, Omega.” He held her tighter against him. “You did good.”
Omega couldn’t believe his words—at least, not yet. She hiccuped on more sobs as she clutched onto him, reluctant to let go after everything she had just witnessed.
But there was soon a hand on her shoulder that was guiding her away, and Omega understood that this wasn’t the time for fighting anymore. She obeyed, moving back to where Echo had been guiding her.
That allowed Tech to step in at Hunter’s side, assessing his injuries with a quick scan. His eyes narrowed behind his goggles at the readout before he looked back up at Hunter. “Can you make it back to the ship?”
Hunter nodded, though the motion was half-hearted. He didn’t say anything as he started to lift his arm over Tech’s awaiting shoulders. In the meantime, Tech nodded at both Echo and Omega.
“Be certain to grab his gear and the crystal.”
“I’ve already got those.” Echo looked down at Omega and nodded. “Grab your bow, and let’s get going. Their reinforcements are on the way.”
Omega managed a nod of her own as she reluctantly stepped even further away from Hunter’s side to retrieve her bow. She held it within her trembling grasp as Echo kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Hunter’s helmet was clipped to his belt and his pack hung from Echo’s shoulder as Tech helped Hunter to stand again.
The four of them were then on their way back to the Marauder. They thankfully weren’t far from the hangar where they had originally docked, which was yet another layer to the tragedy of the trouble Hunter and Omega had run into. Omega tried not to dwell on it as she numbly followed her brothers.
The hangar echoed with the sounds of blasterfire upon their arrival. Echo quickly tucked Omega behind him as he returned fire, and Omega did the best she could with her bow on his other side. They hurried towards the Marauder’s open hatch, where Wrecker was laying down the best coverfire he could for them.
“Finally! There ya’ are!” Wrecker grunted as he leaned out to pop a few more blaster bolts towards the distant guards. He froze, however, when he caught sight of Hunter’s bloody face. Omega watched the tension build instantly within his shoulders. “What—?”
“There is no time.” Tech huffed as he helped Hunter up the steps of the ship. “Echo, you must get us in the air.”
“On it.”
Echo and Omega were quick to follow Tech and Hunter into the Marauder, and Omega stayed with Wrecker to deal out more fire until the hatch closed. Echo guided the ship into the air and out into the open expanse of space, but Omega couldn't breathe easy until they had jumped into hyperspace.
Even then, she still wasn’t at ease. Omega practically threw her bow onto the nearest chair and ripped her helmet off with it before she ran into midship.
Tech had Hunter sitting on the edge of a bunk as he started to clean the blood from his face the best he could. Hunter’s hands were lazily holding onto the edge as he leaned forward into the gauze Tech had placed over his bleeding nose. Omega winced, suddenly coming to a stop quite a few paces away as she held her hands close to herself.
She had already been responsible for enough of Hunter’s hurt today. She wasn’t sure that she should dare to cause any more somehow, especially if he wanted his space.
But Hunter’s gaze had already caught hers. His brow rose before he lifted a hand from the bunk to wave her closer.
Omega hesitated, but once the invitation was extended, she couldn’t stop herself. She stepped forward until she was just beside Tech. Hunter, however, patted the open space on the bunk next to himself, and Omega hopped up diligently alongside him.
To Omega’s surprise, Hunter didn’t put his hand back where it was. Instead, he extended it towards her, almost like a peace offering. Omega flashed him a small yet grateful smile as she accepted it and threaded her fingers through his.
“It seems as if the vast majority of your wounds are simply surface level.” Tech was quick to circulate the used gauze with fresh wads as he continued to stave off the bleeding. “Aside from the concussion you have undoubtedly sustained from such repeated beatings.”
Omega audibly winced at that. Hunter gently squeezed her hand and shrugged. His voice was nasally from the way Tech continued to gently pinch his nose. “Could’ve been worse.”
“Indeed.” Tech’s gaze flashed with amusement behind his goggles. “You are fortunate Echo and I were able to come to the rescue when we did.”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “Great. Because an ego boost is just what you two needed.”
Echo hummed as he strolled in to join them at midship. “That’s a weird way of saying ‘thank you.’”
Omega didn’t need to see her own expression to know that it was reflecting the pure disbelief she felt upon watching her brothers treat this situation with such a lack of severity. It nearly made her angry. How could they pretend that she hadn’t just watched Hunter be beaten nearly to unconsciousness, all because she refused to answer that masked man’s probing questions?
Wrecker walked in with a grimace. He at least seemed more concerned than the others. “What happened, anyway?”
Omega quietly cleared her throat, earning the rapt attention of everyone on board. She swallowed hard and held Hunter’s hand tighter before she spoke. “They caught us. They asked me questions. When I didn’t answer them the way they wanted me to…”
Omega trailed off. She couldn’t say it. They could be casual about it if they wanted, but Omega couldn’t find any kind of humor in what she had seen, nor what Hunter had endured.
Hunter gave her hand another squeeze. “They would’ve done what they did regardless, no matter how you answered.” He let out a gentler breath. “But you shouldn’t have been put in that position to begin with.”
Omega stared down at their entwined hands. She couldn’t bear to look anywhere else. All of a sudden, the sympathy she had been seeking before from everyone else felt like far too much.
“Well, you’re gonna have some nice shiners, Sarge.” Wrecker laughed, embracing the same sense of humor the others had before. At least it took the attention off Omega for now. “Can’t remember the last time that happened.”
Hunter huffed. “Yeah. Tech, you still got that tally going on your datapad?”
Tech scoffed. “Of course I do.” He set aside whatever he was doing to assist Hunter and instead picked up his datapad. “Though it has been quite some time since we added to it. We may require further updates than just this instance.”
“We’ll discuss it.” Echo’s tone was still thick with amusement. “We never got to add the shiner I got from accidentally waking up Tech when he fell asleep with the spanner.”
Tech lifted a finger without looking away from his datapad. “That does not count.”
“Yes it does!”
Omega’s eyes squeezed shut as her frustration and devastation finally overwhelmed her. She exhaled an audible breath before she reopened her eyes and faced her brothers with the full weight of her ire. “How is this just a game to you all? Don’t you see how badly he’s hurt?”
Wrecker, Echo, and Tech simply stared at her in shock. It was Hunter who tried to speak. “Omega…”
“None of you understand because you weren’t there!” Omega sniffled, refusing to let herself break—no matter how badly her throat started to burn. “Every time they hurt him, it was… it was my fault.” She looked down, already embarrassed by her outburst. “How can you find that funny?”
Her words rendered the group silent for a long moment. Omega still wasn’t facing them, but she could tell they were sharing wary glances before Echo attempted words again. “Omega, we don’t find it ‘funny.’ We just… well, this is stuff we were trained for. We’re used to it.”
Omega’s voice grew smaller as she held Hunter’s hand just a bit tighter. “Well, I’m not.”
Another hushed silence fell over her brothers. This time, Hunter lifted his free hand towards them, quietly dismissing them from midship. Wrecker and Echo were quick to obey, but Tech hesitated, glancing between Hunter and the open medpac beside him.
Hunter’s voice was quiet, but it still carried significant weight. “Just a few minutes.”
That was all he needed. Tech nodded, offering a fresh wad of gauze to Hunter before he stood. Hunter held it in his free hand as Tech joined the others, leaving just Hunter and Omega in midship.
Hunter set the gauze aside and instead eased his free hand over his and Omega’s. She took a deep, trembling breath before she gained the faith to look up at him. She couldn’t hold back the quiet whimper she let out at the sight of his bruised face, though it at least had been mostly cleaned of the blood that had once stained it.
Hunter’s soothing gaze searched hers as his brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, Omega, that you were put in that position. And I’m sorry we didn’t take it more seriously.” He let out a soft sigh, his stare flickering to their hands. “But like I said before, none of this is on you. They would’ve done what they did to me no matter how you answered their questions.”
Omega sniffed again and wiped her eyes with the sleeve on her free arm. Hunter’s expression softened even more as he nodded.
“Bruises and concussions like these are about as standard to a soldier’s life as a small cut is to a civilian’s.” Hunter squeezed her hand. “I’m fine, okay?” He lifted a hand to ruffle her hair away from her face. “Promise.”
Omega managed a deep breath, one that was much lighter thanks to the genuine comfort she found within Hunter’s words. “Still, Hunter.” She finally let go of his hand, allowing herself to wrap her arms around him as she buried her face within the scarf along his neck. “I’m sorry they hurt you like that.”
Hunter leaned into her and patted her back. “It’s okay, kid. Like I told you when we were in there, I can take it.” He exhaled a breath of his own as Omega felt his chin rest upon her head. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”
Omega closed her eyes and held him tighter. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault, either.”
She wasn’t sure if her words were convincing enough for Hunter, but they sat together in soothing silence anyway, comforting one another with their presence alone. Omega didn’t want to ever have to go through something like that again, nor did she want Hunter to, but at least she knew now that if it did happen, he was undoubtedly strong enough to get through it.
And he wasn’t the only one, because Omega promised herself that next time, she would be strong like him, too.