tw: lightly implied and mentioned major character death

***

Omega had promised Hera that she'd be careful, but just like her brothers, she'd never been good at following orders.

Her job was simple: sneak in, set the charges, get out without being seen.

Two steps out of the three had been followed without hitch, but on her way back to the rendezvous, Omega had nearly run into a group of stormtroopers patrolling the route she'd originally taken, which meant she would have to take a few detours. The landing pad and her stolen shuttle were just a couple hundred meters away, but the last section of the base she had to cross had her doubling over in both sympathy and disgust.

The prison quarters here were connected to the medbay and the sight of so many sickly-looking clones stuck together in tiny, rancid-smelling cells was beyond repulsive. These were the valiant troopers who'd give up their lives in an instant if it meant their sacrifice was for the greater good; loyal until the end, they'd given what little they had to the Republic and were the driving force in winning crucial battles.

They deserved medals of honour, all of them, and those who didn't make it deserved a hero's burial.

Was this how the oh-so-mighty Empire treated human beings? Heroes and war vets, nonetheless?

It claimed to be just, it claimed to provide a better life for all, but people were being treated worse than vermin here, and Omega refused to let them suffer any longer. If there was one thing she would always firmly believe in, is that if she could help, she would.

So instead of dashing to the ship, she headed to the detention wing and after checking for Imperial officers, she began unlocking the cells, one by one.

She'd just miscalculated one thing: the timers on the detonators.

And Omega realized this too late; as she was heralding the last of the prisoners on the final stretch, the 30-second countdown began. They still had about fifty meters to go and normally, the sprint would've been easy even for a cadet, but these troopers were all injured and needed much more time and support to move.

20 seconds.

She could see her ship much clearer now. She stayed to encourage the men and watch their backs.

10 seconds.

Nearly halfway there.

5 seconds.

The ragtag group passed the last of the detonators. She had to ensure all the clones made it out and with a final shove, she pushed them out of the bomb's range.

3 seconds.

She could hear them calling out to her, but it was too late.

2 seconds.

She closes her eyes—

1 second.

—braces herself— and lets the blast take her.

BOOM!

***

The light pressing against her eyelids isn't blinding like she thought it'd be.

Instead, as her eyes flutter open, she's surprised to see a bright white moon shining against an inky blue sky with a vast open ocean extending in all directions for miles directly beneath it.

Is she... alive? Or dead?

Because that blast should've been more than strong enough to kill her, yet when she flexes her fingers, they move. They respond to her brain's every command seamlessly, and she falters. There's simply no way she made it out of that explosion completely unscathed and the fact that she's apparently still mobile catches her off guard.

But if her fingers work...

Omega tests her theory on her arms and legs next, and she's stunned to realize they work perfectly fine, too.

How is that possible?

With a soft groan, she manages to pull herself up and stand. Now that her vision has cleared, the young pilot looks around to take in her surroundings and with a start, she realizes where this is.

She'd recognize this place anywhere.

Pabu.

More specifically, the little cliff ledge on which she'd bid goodbye to Hunter.

Omega's chest suddenly feels tight. Hunter. She hadn't seen him since— since—

"Hey, kid," a familiar voice she hasn't heard in years utters softly, "it's... been a while."

Her pulse stutters, and Omega's almost certain that her ears are misleading her. It can't be him. It's just not possible. But she turns, heart in her throat, and—

—sure enough, there he stands, a twinkle in his warm brown eyes and a small smile full of such pride it makes her feel faint.

Her feet feel like they've gotten planted in molasses because she's suddenly rooted to the spot, unable to move or breathe.

He looks exactly the same as the day she left.

Was she hallucinating?

"... Hunter...?" she breathes, voice barely more than a whisper. "Are you- are you really here, or is this some kind of cruel trick?"

His hopeful expression crumbled. It was almost imperceptible but after living with him for so many years, Omega could read him as easily as she could an open diary. The light in his eyes had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle after a strong gust of wind, and knowing that she was that wind hurt more than words could describe. "Yeah, ad'ika," he murmurs. "It's me."

All she wants is to close the distance, to feel the warmth of his arms wrapped tightly around her with no intention of ever letting go, but she's terrified. Terrified that if she even so much as blinks, he'll vanish, leaving her to deal with the remnants of her bruised heart alone.

If this Hunter was but a figment of her imagination, conjured by grief...

She didn't dare risk it.

Testing the waters, she stepped tentatively towards him and he mirrored the movement easily, eyes never once leaving hers.

Another step.

And another.

Until she finally worked up enough courage to outstretch a hand, a silent offering of peace.

Hunter grips her palm in both of his without hesitation. As his thumb traces soothing circles over her knuckles, he asks softly, "Is this enough to convince you that I'm right here?"

Yes, Omega wants to scream, YES! But the tightening knot in her throat has cut off her voice completely. There's so much she wants to—needs to— say, but her thoughts have melted into incoherent fragments, pooling into a sticky puddle on her tongue that refuses to be expressed. Tears well in the corners of her eyes, and she blinks repeatedly in a desperate attempt to quell the surge of emotions, but the battle is already lost.

Months' worth of unprocessed grief and the joy of seeing Hunter again burst forth in a cry, a sound of relief, anguish, and yearning all in one. Driven by instinct, she bridges the gap and flings her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest while relief floods through her.

Immediately, strong arms circle her waist and pull her against him. When his chin comes to rest lightly atop her head, something within her snaps.

This was the same hug he'd give her multiple times a day as she grew up, and for a precious, fleeting moment, she was a little girl again, seeking refuge in her oldest brother's arms while he shielded her from the darkness of the world. He knew how much these hugs meant to her and how safe, how loved she always felt; even after all this time, it was still perfect in every way.

It's been nearly a year since she last got to hug him like this, and now, to get the chance to do it again after so much time apart?

It was as comforting as it was devastating.

Her tears are flowing freely now, but the dampness on her cheeks is hardly noticed until a hand shifts to rub gentle circles on her upper back. "You're shaking, sweetheart," he whispers by her ear, "what's the matter?"

"I—" she hiccups, struggling to get words out between gasps, "I just missed you. S-so much. I'm scared th-that this is just a dream too good to be true, and you'll be g-gone again... before I even get to tell you how- how much I love you."

Months later, the memory of Lyana telling her to comm immediately still sent chills racing down her spine. When her friend's hologram appeared, her eyes were downcast, not daring to connect their gazes, and when she finally spoke, her words were hollow. Emotionless, yet somehow brimming with feeling at the same time. Then came the four words that made Omega's heart stop: "Hunter— he— he's gone."

The accelerated aging had taken him, and she hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye. Worse still, the Rebellion was in the midst of a gruelling campaign and they couldn't afford to lose their top strategist, instantly dashing any hope of an immediate return to Pabu.

Every day she's unable to go back, her grip on the thin string keeping herself from tumbling into the void slips.

Every day she's unable to go back, part of her spirit withers.

He tightens his hold, feeling his heart splinter as he does so. A few lengthy moments pass before he can gather himself, and he speaks quietly, voice strained by emotion. "I'm here. I'm right here, my little one, and I'm not going anywhere."

It's how the next few minutes are spent, her tears staining his sweater as he gently rocks them back and forth, softly murmuring sweet reassurances. The steady beating of his heart and the feeling of his hand gently working its way through her hair ground her, and for the first time since she joined the Rebellion, the tension starts draining from her shoulders.

By the time her tears are nothing more than dried streaks, she's scraped up just enough confidence to ask the burning questions sitting on her tongue.

"Hunter?"

"What is it, cyar'ika?"

"Where are we? Well, obviously Pabu, but how did we get here? How did I get here? That blast— it should've... killed me, or at least, severely injured me."

It was then that he pulled away and rested a hand on her shoulder instead, his grip both reassuring and unyielding. "Omega," he starts gravely, each word deliberately measured. Your heart... it's in the right place, but you cannot keep being so reckless and throwing yourself into danger like this."

He threw his palm up, already knowing she was going to argue. "I understand your motives," he said, tone firm but not unkind. "But your compassion cannot come at the cost of your safety. One injury could be fatal in the wrong circumstances, and you have so much to live for."

"But—"

"No buts. Of course those regs deserved better; no human should ever have to experience anything remotely similar to that, but if you're going to help, you have to be in peak condition to fight. You aren't much use to them otherwise."

The steely glint in Omega's eyes softens slightly, and Hunter takes her lack of rebuttal as a good sign. "I... suppose," she says, her gaze casting downward in the briefest of moments.

He uses the pause to sweep her into another hug. "You've been so strong, my brave girl," he murmurs, lips finding the crown of her head. "Keep going. Stay out of trouble."

She chuckles, and lays her head on his shoulder. "A bit hard to do, given my role in the Alliance."

Although she can't see it, he smirks back. "You know what I mean."

The silence between father and daughter is comfortable, soothing, as they bask in the comfort of each other's presence... that is, until Omega's head jolts up.

"Why does it feel like I'm about to pass right through you?" she demanded, "what's happening?"

Hunter sends a sad smile her way. "Maybe now is a good time to answer the rest of your question. For starters, you aren't actually on Pabu. I think you figured that much out yourself, at least subconsciously."

When the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, the horrifying realization dawned in her widening eyes. She could only watch helplessly as her worst nightmare became reality.

"No," she breathes, "No. You feel— you felt so real."

"I wish I could be." The lump in his throat was making it increasingly hard to swallow. "I'd give anything to spend more time with you, ad'ika, but... my time is up."

There's no choking back the sob bubbling up her throat anymore, and the weight of his words feel like a boot crushing her airways. "I just got you back. I can't lose you again. Hunter... please."

Though she can't feel his warmth anymore, he steps forward anyway. "I... might no longer be there with you physically, but I'll always be with you here," he says, placing a hand gently over her heart. "We will always be connected. Our hearts beat to the same rhythm, never doubt that."

"Why are you leaving now? Why come at all?"

Hunter threads a hand lovingly through her hair. "I had to come see you again, cyar'ika. And it's not your time to join me yet; you have a mission to accomplish. Defeat the Empire. Live the rest of your days in peace. We'll see each other again."

Omega feels like her 13-year-old self curled up in the Marauder's pilot seat again, staring at Hunter with hopeful vulnerability the same way she did almost fifteen years ago. "Promise?"

"I promise."

So when her eyes flutter open with the concerned faces of the clones she'd saved appear overhead, she smiles. She has a new mission, a new sense of purpose driving her.

Around 5 years later, as her small squadron is being shot down one after another by TIE fighters, she forces her concern to the side while she and Luke Skywalker zip down the narrow trench of the Death Star, intent on blowing it to pieces. They fire two precise shots each — and the space station explodes. She can hear his cheering in her headset and can't help but smile, the victory blossoming in her chest. They were one step closer to taking down the Empire for good, but her joy is short-lived. Of all times it could've happened, it's now that her old X-Wing's cranky engine falters, spluttering and coughing black fumes, before it dies for good as she's racing back down the trench, and she tells Luke as much. "Don't wait for me," she says above his protests. "I've accomplished my mission."

The flames were surging steadily toward her, but Omega wasn't too scared. She could rest easy now, knowing how vital the part she'd played had been in striking a devastating blow to the Empire, and now, finally, she would be reunited with her brothers.

She closes her eyes for the final time, a soft smile on her face as the heat licks at her skin. When she opens them again, the first thing she sees is a streak of red, dark hair, and a half skull tattoo smiling proudly down at her, the rest of Clone Force 99 not far behind.

"Welcome home, kid," Hunter says, "Welcome home."

***

sooo... hi! i'm back from the dead :) writers block is a biotch and i was struggling bc i absolutely HATED the way i wrote certain parts of this, but i think i'm ok w it now... hopefully the length (like 2.4k words) makes up for the lack of updates!!

what did we think? not too horribly depressing, i hope? i'd love to hear ur thoughts and comments :)

unbeta'd (for now) cuz it's late and i have to get back on the hw grind early tmrw morning, so my apologies if there are mistakes or something doesn't make sense.

may the force be w you, and until the next update!

love,
jazzy

p.s.: next chapters gonna focus on hunter and crosshair hehehe ;)