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Febuwhump Day 10: Difficulty Breathing

Fandom: Star Wars

Timeline: The Bad Batch

Warnings: Attempted murder and drowning

The sea of Kamino could be  beautiful. When it wasn't storming the sky's blue could compliment the sea very well. The storms however were common, making seeing the wonder of Kamino rare.

    It was a rather windy day. The sky was mostly clear with a possibility of rain in the later part of the day. Currently it was late morning; around 9:00. Tech liked watching the water. Today the waters were rough and choppy.

    Tech paid no attention to the regs that whispered behind him; he had no reason to. He walked closer and closer to the edge of the platform. The regs followed.

    Crosshair had a bad feeling. The rest of his brothers sat inside their barracks with him. Hunter was listening to the regs. He didn't think anything of it. The regs were mostly all talk. The man simply continued laying on the floor. Wrecker and Echo told each other stories and Crosshair cleaned his rifle.

    The regs inched closer to Tech. "Do you need something?" Tech turned around to face them. The clone closest to Tech smirked. "Can I help you?" Tech asked again.

    "Na I'm good." The clone answered. Tech recognized the trooper as Kitty.

    "Then why are you here?"

    "For this." With that Kitty pushed Tech over the edge. It didn't take long for him to hit the water. Had this been the normal platforms the soldier would have died on impact. This one was closer to the sea. He chose this platform because it made it easier to see the water.

    Hunter heard his brother's scream and sat up. He had left the barracks not to long ago simply to take a walk. The clone broke out into a sprint, raising his arm to contact Crosshair. "Cross get your rifle and meet me outside, one of the regs pushed Tech into the sea."

    "Understood." Crosshair answered immediately.

    The water was cold. Really cold. Tech's mind was both full and empty as he struggled to fight against the waves. His body was submerged in the water. He'd pull his head above the liquid only for the it to grab him again.

    Water entered his lungs making it difficult to breathe. Fighting in the fight of water vs man, water was winning and quickly.

    He felt like his life was flashing before his eyes. Tech felt helpless. With the lack of oxygen and the physical properties of trying to survive, Tech started to feel tired. He had to survive this; for his family, for himself, for the knowledge he hadn't learned yet, and for the people he was yet to help.

    Hunter ran out to the platform. He found the regs laughing, watching his younger brother drown. "Crosshair where are you?" Hunter's voice was laced with panic.

    "I'm almost there." Not even 30 seconds later Crosshair ran to meet Hunter.

    "Stay back" Hunter hissed at the regs. He'd watch them as Crosshair scanned the sea for Tech.

    He couldn't fight much longer. His body was exhausted and his lungs overworked. He seemed to both accept the fate that he thought was laid in front of him and not. He was both angry and eerily calm.

    Crosshair found Tech. He aimed and took his shot. The grappling hook grabbed him harshly and started to pull him up. Tech wasn't sure what was really going on until he saw Crosshair. Then he knew he was safe.

    The struggle was not over yet as Tech fought to breathe. His lungs had been working as hard as they could. He coughed, water coming up and out of his mouth. Even when the water was gone Tech breathed heavily.

   Air rapidly moved in and out of his lungs. The clone felt as if he couldn't breathe. It frustrated and scared him. Tech could barely hear Hunter calmly telling him to breathe.

    Hunter looked over Tech. The regs had abandoned the platform quickly after Hunter and Crosshair had arrived.

    Eventually Tech could breathe normally again. He hadn't moved from his place against the metal. Finally he noted how cold he felt. The wind only and this feeling worse. Standing Tech looked over to his brothers and thanked them.

    "I love you two. I may not stay that often or do much to reinforce this statement but I do." Tech stumbled closer to them.

    "I love you too Tech." Hunter put his arm under the others and helped him walk.

    "Love you" Crosshair grumbled.

    When the other members of the batch met up with the three Tech would repeat the same sentiment to them.

    "Awww love you too buddy!" Wrecker yelled. He went in for a hug but decided it would wait until Tech felt better.

    "Love you too Tech." Echo smiled and laid his hand on Tech's shoulder.

    For the first time Tech really thought about how lucky he was to end up with the four of them. Though it was sometimes hard to remember he tried to keep the thought of how lucky he was to be living and breathing with him.

Febuwhump Day 14: Captivity

Fandom: Star Wars

Timeline: The Bad Batch

  The floor was cold. That's the first thing Tech noticed when he woke up. He sat up and looked around. The cell was completely empty other than him. The man's googles had been cracked on the right side, making it somewhat difficult to see.

    Tech had simply been walking back to Cid's bar when he was captured. Omega had been having a bad day so he went to go get her some Mantell mix. Walking past a dark alley he heard what seemed to be a child crying. The clone's first mistake was not notifying someone he was into an alley. He was skeptical but walked down the alley anyway. Once deemed far enough in some soldiers cornered and stunned him.

    It would be a while before anyone would pay Tech a visit. He walked around the cell attempting to find a way out. Nothing.

    The room was deadly silent. 'There has to be something I can do' thought Tech. Something finally came to mind. Hide behind the door and wait for someone to enter. When someone enters sneek out. From there he needed to find his armor, find his weapons, and find his way out.

    Plans however don't always work the way they are supposed to. Despite Tech's best effort he was not able to escape. As soon as the soldiers noticed the mercenary wasn't in the cell they turned around and ran after him. Other troops were not too far away and stopped him. He was dragged back to the cell to be interrogated.

    Back in the cell he was chained to the wall. Fighting against the metal was practically useless. In the end it would just hurt him and make him tired. The torment was inevitable once he was chained so what was the point?

    "Where are the rest of ya?" Asked the interrogator.

    "I'll never tell." Tech stared at the other. The man appeared to be a clone.

    "What were you doing on Ord Mantell? Working for the rebels?".

    "I was on Ord Mantell for a mercenary mission." Technically he wasn't really wrong. He was a mercenary on a mission. That mission however was just to make his sister's day a bit better.

    The interrogator didn't believe him. The torture would begin. The batch had been trained to hold up under torture. Though it wasn't pleasant training Tech was glad he had it right now.

    Time passed and finally the interrogator let up. The man unchained Tech and he fell to the floor. His body ached and his breathing was labored. Speaks of color distorted his vision. They would go away soon now that he could breathe again. The doors shut and he was alone.

    Tech pulled himself against the wall and assessed his injuries. Large deep cuts were scattered across his body. Bruises were beginning to form all across him; the largest being around his neck. Small electrical burns could be found but not many. The man worked to get his breathing back under his control.

    Crosshair learned of what was done to his brother. He knew that they wouldn't be working with the rebels, they had a child to protect after all. For the first time he really seemed to question the empire. He roamed the dark halls deep in thought. The sniper didn't want Tech to die. Despite everything he still loved him. One thought led to another and now he found himself standing in front of Tech's cell.

    Inside Tech had gotten his breathing back under control. He had torn the sleeves off his shirt and tied them around the injuries he could. When Crosshair entered Tech was trying to do the same to the ends of his pants.

    Of all the people Tech would have thought to rescue him he never expected Crosshair to be the one too. When he saw his brother he thought the torture was about to continue. What Crosshair didn't expect was for Tech to draw into himself, arms slightly out in defiance.

    Now Crosshair was mad. Mad at the empire and mad at himself for letting it go this far. "Hello. I'm not here to hurt you, relax." He stated as softly as he could.

    Tech raised his head and looked at his brother. If he wasn't there to harm him, why was he there?

    "Can you stand?"

    The clone slowly stood. Walking proved to be harder. "Why are you here?" Tech asked.

    "I'm rescuing you."

    "But I'm a traitor. You work for the empire don't you?"

    "You're my brother and not anymore." Crosshair admitted.

    "Ah okay. Why the change?" Tech was curious. Crosshair had been loyal to a fault.

    "A moment of realization. Now stop asking questions. We need to leave." With that the two would leave the cell block. When Tech could no longer walk Crosshair would carry him the rest of the way. He stole a small imperial shuttle and left for Ord Mantell. On the ship the deserter would take care of his brother's injuries the best he could.

    Back on Ord Mantell the family was gathered at the bar thinking of a plan to find Tech. They weren't sure where he had gone or who had taken him. What they didn't expect was for Tech to walk in, being assisted by Crosshair.

    Everyone was happy to see both of them. After talking Crosshair was allowed to stay. They were back together again. Now the six would create new stories together as a family and not as enemies. 

Febuwhump Day 18: Can't stay awake

Fandom: Star Wars

Timeline: The Bad Batch

Warning: This story deals heavily with graphic depictions of suicide and self harm. Please proceed with caution.

This is what he wanted right? The blood that spiled from his wrist started to make him dizzy. Tech was tired of feeling ostracized by the regs, by his brother's. No one seemed to understand him. Sure he expressed things differently and sure he didn't

always know when or what to say but the man did his best.

    Not only was he done with people he was done with the war. The sights he'd seen through his googles frightened him. The blood, tears, the evil, and the lack of empathy was something no amount of training could properly prepare you for.

    Was this what he wanted? It's what the regs wanted. They never failed to let Tech know he was less than them, that he'd be better off dead. His eyes fluttered. At first he didn't agree but as time went on the regs words started to sting. When they no longer stung they burned into his mind and heart. Physical fights became waiting out the storm and taking care of himself later.

    Tech knew the signs and saw them in himself. He thought of telling his brother but in the end decided he'd deal with it on his own. When the man started to think more seriously of killing himself and of harming himself he knew it was time to tell them. Every time he tried his throat closed and tears welled. At the end he walked away to try again another day.

    The first time he gave into the thoughts saying he deserved to bleed, deserved the horrors of what the regs and what the war did to him; the blade calmed his mind in a way unexpected. From then on though he knew it was unhealthy and a problem, he didn't really care.

    Tech started caring less about his safety. This stressed Hunter out as he started seeing the signs as well. The sergeant wasn't sure what to do so he just watched him carefully.

    Now four neatly folded notes laid at the end of his bunk. The others had gone to the mess hall for dinner.

    Was this what he truly wanted? What about the brothers he had written to? Would they be okay? None of them really knew what was going on in his head, hell Echo hadn't seen him any other way than he was now, but all had done their best to help him. He pushed them away.

    No this wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to feel better. If he died he wouldn't feel better, he wouldn't feel anything. Now he tried to fight against the looming tiredness that hung over him. Tech just had to last until his brothers returned. What would they think? That doesn't matter.

    "I think I'm gonna go back to our barracks, I'm not really hungry" Echo excused himself.

    In the barracks Tech's breathing slowed. He couldn't stay awake. If he succumbed to the exhaustion it was all over. His eyelids felt heavy as they tried to shut out the world for good. The clone was already curled up. He inched one of his hands down to the worse of the two wrists. It would only help a little for he could put much pressure on it.

    Tech's comm sat on the table closest to the bed. He wanted to reach for it but couldn't muster the energy to. Next it the comm sat the piece of shrapnel that he used to make the lacerations. Finding blades with no heat element to them was difficult so Tech got... Creative. Next to the comm and sharapnal rested his blaster and broken googles.

    The clones breaking point was when Kitty broke them. Kitty hatted the batch and for no good reason. He was an angry man and the batch seemed to be his favorite target. The four never provoked him. Echo got rapped into his torment when he joined the family. Breaking the googles felt simbolic. The shatter of the glass to the shatter of his hope, the breaking of his heart and brain.

    Echo walked though the halls. Something felt wrong. Without realizing it his pace quickened. Arriving at the room he opened the door and greeted Tech. Brown eyes landed to the notes at the end of the bed. From the bed they drifted to his brother, then to the table. Broken googles and bloody shrapnel confirmed Echo's suspicions. He ran to the others side and pushed him to his back.

    Something was going on. Tech saw a face. Slowly he relieved who it was. "Stay with me Tech alright." He spoke softly. Echo had seen this before. Suicide wasn't exactly uncommon for soldiers. Now he just had to keep him alive. Rather Tech liked it or not.

    Tech tried to nod. He wanted to answer Echo. He wanted to get to know Echo. With the little coherent thoughts he could have he regretted his decision to let it get this far.

    "I know it's hard but try to stay awake Tech. You're gonna be okay." Echo grabbed his own blanket quickly and pressed it against the cuts.

    The world was fading. Echo's comforting voice was starting to be drowned out by silence and his eyelids finally won and closed.

    Echo kept an eye on the others pulse. It was weak but it was there. Medics would arrive and take the injured to the medic bay.

    Now to inform his brothers. They were still in the mess hall. He sat down. Hunter immediately noted the blood on Echo's hand. "What happened?" Concern laced the man's voice.

    He looked at the three. He had all of their attention. Worry grew on their faces. "Tech tried to kill himself. He's in the medical bay. It's not looking good."

    Tears formed in Wrecker's eyes. "What?" He muttered.

    "What's wrong sad batch?" Kitty antagonized.

    Crosshair stood. He walked over to the bully, "If he dies you're next!" Wrecker snatched Crosshair and the four walked to the medical bay.

    When Tech would wake he found his family surrounding him, faces panted with worry. What does he tell them? How does he explain everything?

    "Hey Tech." Hunter softly smiled. Tech returned the sentiment. The four had been informed of the numerous other scars that littered his body. They mixed with war injuries. Well both were war injuries, one a war against the separatists and one a war against himself.

    "Why didn't you tell us?" Hearing Crosshair sound so soft calmed and spooked Tech.

    "I.. I didn't know how." His voice came out shaky and quiet.

    The family talked for a while before letting Tech get some rest. They would help him through the battle with his mind and when rummers flew about what happened they defended him. All of them would make it through this. Together.

Febuwhump Day 23: "You'll Have to go Through me."

Fandom: Star Wars

Timeline: The Bad Batch

Warning: Major character death

Tech laid on the ground. Trying to pull his self back up to fight he looked up at Crosshair. "Finished?" The sniper antagonized.

    The mercenary's hand slipped in the mud as he fell again. Crosshair walked closer as Tech thought of a plan. For once in his life he didn't know what to do.

    The two had found each other by chance. Both had been on their own mission. Tech was instructed to extract some information from an old separatist base while Crosshair was there to assist some commandos with rounding up some civilians. A child had escaped so the clone had gone to find her.

    When the two met they quickly managed to disarm each other. Vibro-knifes and guns fell to the ground, both knowing the other was too dangerous armed. Hand-to-hand combat is not Tech's strong suit. Though Crosshair was the sniper he found pleasure in hand-to-hand combat so he spent a lot of his free time learning. It didn't take long for the brothers to get where they were now.

    Tech started at his brother who had gone to pick up a vibro-knife. Why he chose the knife instead of his rifle confused Tech. His weapon of choice had always been his rifle so most likely it was to antagonize him.

    Omega ran out to where the two had fought. She slipped slightly in the mid then planted her feet in front of her older brother and glared at the other. "You'll have to go through me if you wanna get to him!" She flung her arms out to take up more space.

    "Omega" Tech struggled to sit up. Crosshair, at least like this, wouldn't hesitate to kill her. Being her older brother meant he had to protect her not the other way. Again his arm gave out from under him and he slipped.

    "Brave girl. If you want to protect him then you shall die with him."

    Omega stood firm. She never wavered. Tech kept trying to get up, injuring himself more in the process. He'd never felt so helpless before. Omega was going to die and it was his fault.

    Crosshair walked up to her until he was uncomfortably close to her. The girl just looked up at him. Her eyes met his and something changed. The sniper had never seen Omega so angry. Hate filled her eyes the same way it filled his.

    The child pushed Crosshair away from her and looked around. Her eyes laid on one of Tech's blasters. Not wanting to leave Tech defenseless she walked towards her imperial brother. Unconsciously Crosshair moved back. This gave her the space she needed. Sprinting over to the gun Omega purposely slid to grab it. Right after she checked quickly to make sure the gun was set to stun.

    Tech was so proud of his little sister. She used her surroundings to her advantage. Not only that the kid managed to take Crosshair off guard, something few people could do.

    Omega wouldn't get the chance to shoot before Crosshair's knife sunk into her chest. The mud around her lifeless body splashed as she hit the ground. Tech could do nothing but watch, knowing she died for him.

     Crosshair turned back to his brother. "She said I'd have to go through her so I did." Tech tried to find anything that may hint to any regret or remorse his brother may have for killing their sister. Nothing. Had Crosshair really become so cold? Was the man in front of him, the man that was about to kill him, the man that just killed a little girl, the man he grew up with. He'd seen Cross eat glue before, to think he was capable of killing his family stung. It didn't more than sting it hurt. The pain carved into Tech's heart and made itself at home.

    Crosshair walked over to the child's body and removed the knife from her chest. He slowly walked back to Tech to finish what he started. Dropping to his knees he grabbed Tech's face.

    Tears leaked into the man's googles as he started at the monster in front of him. "Murderer" he hissed.

    "I know." The imperial pulled his former team mate into a sitting position and looked him dead in his eyes. Neither recognized the other's gaze anymore. Crosshair's eyes once had a hidden softness. Now they only reflected hate. Technalways had a sort of deadpan look in his and now they reflected the pain of loss.

    "Goodbye Tech." Tech closed his eyes. Omega's sacrifice wouldn't be for nothing. From behind Echo stunned Crosshair. He collapsed into the reddish mud. Tech fell with him.

    Echo rushed to his brother's side. "Tech, are you alright?" Kneeling down to the other side of him he put pressure on a large wound with his only hand. Seeing the water in Tech's googles he pulled them off.

    Hunter and Wrecker joined the others in the field. Hunter looked around to learn more about their surroundings. That's when he saw her. With no explanation the sargent rushed over to the little girl. As soon as he saw the location of her wound he knew she was gone. Hunter checked for a pulse anyway. Feeling her skin already growing cold startled him.

    Wrecker grabbed Tech and walked over to the other two. Echo followed. "Is she?" Wrecker already knew the answer. The lack of an effort to tend to Omega's wound and the sound of soft crying spoke the words Hunter couldn't say. Carefully Hunter grabbed his little sister and stood. He nodded and they left.

    Back on the Marauder the men mourned their sister. Once Tech had the strength he explained to them what happened. No matter how hard the three tried to explain it wasn't his fault, it was Crosshair's, he wouldn't see it that way. Omega made the decision to save his life. Tech would have to come to accept her decision. Even though he wanted to there was no way to switch places with her. After all he should be the one the family buried deep in the dirt of Kashyyyk.

Whumpril Day 1: Destress Signal/Panic Attack

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Note: this story may not make much sense if you haven't seen episode 14 of season 2.

Summary: What would have happened if Tech checked their old comm lines earlier?

  Tech checked the batch's old comm line sometimes. There was never anything on it. He looked because just maybe Crosshair would reach out to them, not caring what he said. This time when he turned the comm on and checked there was something. Almost immediately Tech played the message.

    "Plan 88, you have to hide. They're after Om-"

    "Plan 88?" Tech whispered. As he was about to play the message again he realized it was still playing. The sound of a door closing and then a hissing noise could be heard. That was it.

    Tech listened to the message over and over. Anxiety crept in and he started to lose control of his breathing. Crosshair didn't try to get them to help him nor did he bother to give them his location. The man sounded week. Not only that catching the last part of the message meant that they wanted one of them. The O made him believe it was Omega.

    The clone moved from the chair he sat in the floor and against the wall, holding the comm in front of him. Tech's breathing got worse. Air moved swiftly through his lungs as he listened again. Tears began welling in his eyes and he pulled his knees up to his chest.

He felt sick, his heart ponded, and he started to feel dizzy.

    Tech threw the comm across the room. When he heard it hit the ground his mind attacked his body harder. What if he broke it? They needed to find Crosshair. Despite the man's current condition he attempted to stand. Failing he fell back to the ground.

    With tears filling his googles he hastily pulled them off and stopped himself from throwing them as well. Placing them beside himself he lifted his hands up to his face. Tech knew how to deal with panic attacks, he had helped his brothers many times and had calmed himself down before. This time was different, this time he just couldn't.

    Alone in that dark room Tech fought to think clearly. How could he help Crosshair if he was stuck in this room? The walls felt like they were closing in and his hands felt tingly.

    Phee had been instructed to check on Tech. What she didn't expect was to hear sobbing when she got close to the room he occupied. Rushing in she kneeled in front of him. "Brown eyes?" He looked up. "I'm going to need you to breathe, okay?"

    "I" he stifled, "I can't."

    "I know it's hard but you have too. Breathe with me."

    When nothing changed in his behavior Phee called for Hunter. "Honey please you have to breathe. We can work through this."

    When Hunter got the call he dropped everything and ran to the Marauder. When he would arrive Tech was breathing a little earlier. It had been a while since he had seen his brother like this. He didn't miss it. The scene in front of him always broke his heart. "I'm here. What's going on Tech?"

    "He just keeps trying to say something about some Crosshair, Omega, and a plan."

    Hunter nodded then switched places with Phee. She wanted, more than anything, to be able to help Tech but right now he needed his brother. "I got you. Breathe okay. Tell me what's going on once you're able to."

    The two would sit there for another few minutes before Tech could really think clearly again. Tears still fell from his eyes but his breathing was under control now and he felt less ill.

    Finally Tech could explain. "We need to find Crosshair. I checked our old comm channel and found a distress signal from not too long ago." Getting up he went to check on the comm. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as he realized it was still in one piece. After that he played the message for the other two.

    The three talked then went to find the rest of the batch. Echo would arrive soon after and once handed the information to decode the puzzle was completed. Crosshair was on Mount Tantus. Now they just had to go get him.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 9: Held Down/Bruises/"Who Did This To You?"

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warning: Violence

Summary: A story of how the regs treated Tech when they were younger.

Tech stared at the reg that held him to the floor. The floor was cold and hard and the reg was harsh and judgmental. The fight that had broken out wasn't long but wasn't short. Tech's googles laid broken on the ground. Blood spilled from his split lip and nose. The regs hands were bloody from the landing blows he had given the other.

Grabbing Tech's head, he shoved it into the ground. Tech struggled to get out from underneath the clone. His body was in so much pain. Friends of the reg watched and laughed. The struggle continued as the clone beat his 'brother'.

Thinking of what to do next Tech moved to the side slightly which surprised his attacker. Despite his condition, Tech moved out from underneath the clone and stood. One of the other boys grabbed him and had him pinned to the wall almost immediately after he stood.

Tech breathed heavily and waited to figure out his next move. The regs were stronger than him. They would have to leave him alone eventually so for now he gave up and let them tear him apart. Fighting felt useless. He would just have to deal with the injuries given to him.

Once the regs had had their fun they let him go. Tech slid down the wall they never let him leave and stayed there until he felt safe to get up. He stood and grabbed his googles. Looking down at them there was a small crack in the glass. He sighed and started to walk back to his barracks.

Back in the barracks, Tech started to take care of his injuries. He stood up and walked over to the table that some bandages rested on. Then Crosshair walked in. "Tech?" He walked over to his brother. Going to grab a bandaid he brushed his brother's arm. Tech flinched and moved back slightly.

Crosshair stopped and took a look at the other. "Who did this to you?" he sneered.

"Some regs."

"Well no shit. Do you know which ones?"

"I do."

"Well then who did this to you?" Crosshair started to raise his voice.

"No. You will fight them."

"Tech, tell me who did this to you?"

"No, you will fight them. I do not want you to fight them."

"Fine, I won't fight them. Now who the fuck did this to you?" The frustration took control of his vocal cords and the boy yelled at Tech.

Tech flinched at the noise. He pulled his arms slightly upwards, "I'm sorry!" He yelped, panicked.

"Fuck" Crosshair whispered. He hadn't meant to scare him. "Fine. Don't tell me."

Tech relaxed and looked at his brother, "I'm sorry. I know you won't hurt me. That was a response to the attack from earlier."

"It's fine."

Later the two would meet with their other two batch mates for training. When asked what happened Tech simply explained that some of the other cadets had beaten him up. He said that he didn't want to talk about it and luckily neither Wrecker nor Hunter pressed.

The tight blacks and armor rubbed against his skin, hitting every bruise. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe; but Tech had to ignore the pain for the sake of training in the same way he would ignore it for the sake of a mission. The bruises stung as reminders that he wasn't strong enough. How could he be a soldier if his supposed comrades hated him? And for what; because he was different?

The batch never failed a training exercise and this one would be no expectation. The pain from moving around so much caused Tech to almost collapse at the door on the way out. Wrecker tried to help him up but the pressure on the bruises hurt more than standing.

Back in the barracks, Tech laid down on his bunk and tried to get some rest. Laying on his back startled the boy so he laid on his side. He would heal but for now the fear of the regs was to stay. The batch watched him closer; not that he'd ever know. Tech was an easy target, he wasn't the strongest and he didn't always understand what was going on until too late. They loved their brother dearly and hated to see people using his differences to pick at him.

Whumpril Day 10: "I'm Scared."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warning: Major character death

Summary: Tech and Omega are sent off to find their target for the mission. Things don't go well.

  When the batch took this mission, they knew it was dangerous. Echo had hated to ask them but the rebels needed this mission to succeed and his brothers and sister would be perfect for it. It didn't take much convincing before they agreed. After being informed they were rescuing a youngling they knew they had to.

    The mission started off smoothly. Of course it couldn't stay that way. Quickly the batch found themselves running and trying to hide. They had to survive to find the youngling after all.

    "Tech, Omega, go find the kid. Wrecker, Echo, and I will cause a diversion. Let us know when you have the youngling and we'll meet back up on the Marauder." With that they split.

    Tech knew where everything in the facility should be. He had studied the interior before they got there. The halls all looked the same but they made their way to the cell block the child was held in.

    Just as the two entered the block some stormtroopers turned the corner. Both turned around to fire. Tech focused on the troopers. Then he heard a yelp and a body hit the floor. He looked over to where his sister had been standing and realized it was her.

    Without thought, Tech quickly moved her off to the side and finished off the bucket heads. Rushing back over to her he kneeled by her side to assess her injuries. "Omega?"

    "Tech? Tech, I'm scared."

    I'm scared. The words rang through Tech's head. He knew Omega had been scared before but she never told them. The kid had walked through hell without showing her fear. She was brave and it showed. Hearing her admit to being afraid made his heart sink. "You will be fine."

    "I'm scared" she whispered. Faint crying was all that could be heard in the hall. Everything else was dead silent. It was as if time had stopped. Perhaps it had.

    "I know. I am.. also afraid" Tech admitted. "It is okay to be scared. I promise we will be okay. I'll take care of you."

    Looking at the injury, Tech knew he didn't have much time. He was surprised the shot hadn't killed her on impact.

    "Tech, I don't wanna go." Omega shook.

    "You will be alright Omega." Tech reached into one of his pouches and pulled a bacta patch out as well as some bandages. The hallway wasn't the best place to tend to the wound; it was dirty and troopers could be there any minute but there was nowhere else to move.

    He turned back to face the little girl in front of him. "Omega?" Tech spoke softly. Placing the medical supplies next to him, he reached his hand out and placed it against her neck. It felt like his own heart stopped beating. Know he knew time had stopped. He would never be the same after this moment.

    "Omega?" Tech's voice cracked. He started CPR on her. Only a few seconds later stormtroopers would enter the hall again. Tech shot them down and grabbed Omega's body. He ran to the cell the youngling was held and opened it. "Hello. I'm here to help you." Then Tech looked at the youngling. The report was wrong, the child was a padawan; a padawan he knew well.

   "Tech?" Caleb asked.

    "Hello. Now come on, we need to leave."

    Caleb looked at him for a minute before stepping closer to him. "Can I trust you?"

    "Yes, you can."

    "Who is the girl?"

    "Omega, my sister."

    "You have a sister?"

    "Yes. That is not important right now."

    Caleb walked outside of the cell. Tech grabbed him and handed him his lightsaber. "Is she okay?" Caleb asked.

    "No."

    After informing Hunter that he had found the padawan, the two ran to the Marauder. On the way they ran into more stormtroopers. Cornered Tech looked over at Caleb. He was shaking. "Are you alright?"

    "I'm scared." The boy's voice mixed with the dead girl's. Tech's head was playing tricks on him.

    "You will be fine." He may not have been able to save Omega but he wouldn't fail Caleb, not this time. Placing Omega's body beside him he looked around the corner and put together a plan to take them out. Crosshair would have been proud of the shots he made to end their lives.

    Caleb looked down at Omega's body. He realized that the girl was his age. Then he realized that she was dead. Startled he jumped back and looked over at Tech. He had finished off the soldiers and turned to pick her back up. "I'm sorry about Omega."

    Tech said nothing. The two made it back to the Marauder without any other problems. The other three were already there.

    On the ship Tech walked right past his brothers and laid Omega down on her bed. He rested the blanket over her growing cold body. Grabbing Lula the clone walked to face his brothers.

    When he walked out with Lula they knew she was gone. Tech handed the tooka doll to his brother and walked to the cockpit to pilot the ship. Caleb tried to help the family with their loss.

    Nothing would ever be the same. Tech felt trapped in that moment. For him time stopped and just couldn't start again. When someone was scared he became extremely protective over them, swearing no one would die scared under his watch. He would join Echo in the fight against the empire for that very reason. It would be a long fight and a hard one but so would healing.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 17: Cry For Help/Self Treatment/"I Can't Do This."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warnings: Spoilers for the last episode of season two, character injuries.

Note: If you want more from this story I will write it! Don't hesitate to let me know! No beta reader we die like Mayday

Summary: Tech survives the fall and now he's gotta live past just the fall.

    Tech had calculated the chances of surviving the well over 1,000 foot fall. They were less than 1% but he didn't care. There was no time and he needed his family to make it back alive. They all had bright futures ahead of them and they needed to bring Crosshair home. He didn't hesitate to shoot the remainder of the metal connecting the car. Then he fell. It took around 50 seconds.

    Then he woke up. Tech was in agonizing pain but he was alive. He heard voices around him. Then they were gone. The clone felt like he couldn't move. The slightest movement was simply too much pain to bear. However he needed to.

    Attempting to move his right arm he came to the conclusion he couldn't. The man moved his left fingers, then hand, then wrist. Screaming in pain he pushed himself slowly up to lean against the remainder of the rail car. If it had landed on him he would have been unrecognizable.

    Tears flower down his face and cough in lacerations.  The liquid mixed with blood. Tech forced his head up and looked at his body. His left leg was practically destroyed. His right was salvageable. The bones in his salvageable limbs had multiple breaks in them. Tech could already tell there were multiple breaks in his back as well. However they didn't affect his ability to move so none of them affected the spinal cord.

    Looking at his torso he was overwhelmed. It was hard to see through the blood. He was covered in larger and smaller gashes.

'I can't do this.' the thought flashed through his head. 'I can't do this. It's too much.' Tech's breathing was shaky and uneven. His vision was blurry from a mix of his injuries and the lack of his goggles.

    'You have to it. It is possible' the more logical thought took over his mind. Determination had to beat pain, it had to. His head and heart had to battle his body. 'For them.'

    Tech tugged at the top of his right pouch and opened it. His hissed and grabbed the little medical supplies inside. Looking over at the other legs pouch he decided it was worth a try.

    Nothing was usable from that side. All the supplies were demolished. That was the pouch that he kept little items to comfort his family with. A small, soft piece of fabric, as well as a pair of earplugs for Hunter, tooth picks for Crosshair, a small, 3-D puzzle for Wrecker, a pocket sized reg manual for Echo, and a small clone trooper doll for Omega. He also kept three hair ties; all black, just in case some one needed them.

Wrapping the largest and most threatening wound took a large amount of time and energy. By the end of it Tech was exhausted.

The sun was mostly gone at that point. He started to hear voices from somewhere around him. Unsure of what else to do Tech pushed himself to speak. "Help" he whispered, desperately.

No one heard him. "Help" Tech's voice broke as he spoke at his normal speaking level. He tried again and no real sound came out.

"Help!" He screamed. The voices grew closer. With all his strength Tech called out again, "help!"

A tall, blue Twi'lek walked over cautiously followed by a black Wookiee, a teenage, human boy, a; if Tech had to guess clone, and a rather short Rodian.

"Come on, we have to help him." The human child spoke. He walked beside the injured clone and kneeled down, "he'll die if we don't."

The Twi'lek looked over to the clone beside her, "do you recognize him? You look surprised."

"No, but I know someone's gonna be missing him. Grawarr, grab him." The Wookiee walked over and gently picked up Tech. He screamed in pain as he was being picked up. Grawarr hummer softly, as if to apologize.

The six made their way back to the village that was around an hour away. The pain forced tears out of Tech's eyes. He slipped unconscious about ten minutes into the journey. He was safe for now. He would need to heal and then find his way back to them and he wouldn't stop until he did.

@whumpril

Whumpril Day 25: On The Run/"We're being Watched."

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Summary: The batch gets into a stick situation after taking a mission for Cid. Tech does something and almost gets taken out by some clones. Luckily a friend helps out.

    Cid loved sending the batch on strange pickup missions. The terrain was rocky but a pleasant temperature. The trees stood tall and the grass a little taller than Omega's ankles.

     Hunter led the group with Wrecker following them close behind. Tech, Omega, and Echo walked between them. The leader put his arm out to stop them. "We're being watched." An erie feeling fell over them as they all realized it too.

    Tech and Echo moved closer to Omega and the group continued. Not long later they would run into imperial clones. They ran and fought.

    Then they entered the forest. It was dence and thorny. Echo kept Omega close while they tried to slip away. They all thought it had worked until the turned back at Wrecker. "Where is Tech?" Hunter hissed.

    "He said he'd get them off our trail and that he'd meat us on the Marauder."

    "Alright."

    Tech moved swiftly through the trees. He skidded to a stop. A river, to big to jump over was in the way. As he got ready to move to the left side he stopped. The three remaining soldiers moved to corner him.

   The mercenary grabbed his guns but looked past the clones and closed his eyes. The odds weren't in his favor and he decided the last thing he was going to see wasn't his killers. Three shots were fired and three imperial soldiers fell to the ground. Tech looked to the nearby ledge that the guns sound had come from. There was Crosshair.

    Tech smiled and nodded. Of course Crosshair would be there when he was needed most and of course he would wait tell last second. Tech reached his arm out to him, the gesture meaning for him to come with them.

    Crosshair smirked but started to leave. Then another shot went off. After that one more. He turned around quickly to see Tech on the ground. He needed to get down there.

    A million thoughts ran through Crosshair's mind as he ran to the river. Had he missed and one of the shots not been fatle? How could he have missed when it was that important? Was Tech okay? Was he alive? He would just have to find out when he got down there.

    Tech sat up and looked at his leg. He had been shot in his left thigh. Even though he had already taken care of the soldier who shot him he still held the gun towards him.

    Crosshair sighed with relief when he saw Tech sitting up. He was glad he was okay. "Let's get you to the Marauder."

    Tech stood slowly and took one step forward. He stumbled and Crosshair moved next to him to support him. Some voices could be heard nearby. "Tech, are you alright?"

    Tech nodded, "I'm fine."

    The two headed into the woods. Tech informed Crosshair which way they needed to be heading. They snuck around, trying not to be caught.

    "Down." Tech forced Crosshair into a nearby bush. Then he tumbled into the bush himself. The two watched as the soldiers walked by them. One of them stopped right before the bush and Crosshair looked over at his brother. Tech, painfully sitting on both legs had his guns ready to fire.

    Then Crosshair looked at Tech's hands. He was shaking. More than likely it was the pain from his injury. It still hurt Cross to his brother that way.

    "Check that bush" one of the clones commanded. A shot rushed out of Tech's gun. Crosshair grabbed Tech and pulled him out of the bush and somewhat dragged him away from the others.

     And they were running again. To Tech it felt like that was all he and the batch did; run. They ran from the empire, from enemies they had made, from their past and their problems. They couldn't afford to stop or slow down.

    Avoiding the clones was difficult. Avoiding the trees and briers proved to be hard as well. The adrenaline running though Tech's veins somewhat cancelled out the pain.

    "Where are you?" Hunter asked over the comm.

    "We ran into some difficulties." Tech answered.

    "We?" Echo asked, very concerned for the answer.

    "Crosshair and I."

    "Crosshair?" Wrecker asked hopeful.

    "Correct. We are almost there."

    "Alright, just hurt." Hunter turned the comm off and sighed into the pilot's chair.

     Crosshair and Tech made their way back to the Marauder. Once there, they took care of Tech's leg. They left the planet and headed back to Ord Mentell with a new, old member. Other than Tech's leg the mission was refreshing success.

Winter Whumperland Day 5: Ebenezer Scrooge (Time Loop)

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Warnings: Multiple character deaths as well as suicide.

Summary: After being killed by the empire, Tech finds himself stuck in a time loop.

It had been six months after the end of the war. Tech had been with his family when the empire came to Ord Mantell.

Sitting at Cid's bar, clone troopers in gray and white armor entered. Then Crosshair had. His armor was no longer its familiar red and black.

Wrecker was the one to go down first. He pulled his gun, ready to shoot. Then he was gone. Omega leaned in closer to Tech who grabbed her unconsciously.

Echo was next. Then Hunter. Everything happened too fast. Before Tech could react he was on the floor, trying to protect Omega. Then she was gone. He had been shot in the side.

Tech looked up at

But when he opened his eyes it was morning again. He listened to the sound of Wrecker laughing and Echo telling him "don't do that! Hunter and Tech are still asleep."

That wasn't possible. They had just died didn't they? Was it all just a twisted nightmare.

What Tech knew for sure was that he needed to get up. It had all felt so real. But that was impossible. Or at least that's what Tech thought.

As the family went though their day, the clone slowly got more and more nervous. He wasn't able to shake the feeling of the nightmare. No matter what he did, even when the day seemed to be over, Tech couldn't calm down.

That was until it happened again. The clone reacted differently this time. As soon as the door opened and he heard the footsteps, he told them they needed to go. They needed to leave.

But it was too late. This time Tech had grabbed Omega sooner. He tried to get her behind the bar. As Wrecker was killed, Tech pushed Omega behind him. If anything he wouldn't let her die.

Hunter tried to move to Echo's side. He ordered Tech to take Omega and get her out of the bar.

"I'm trying" Tech shot back.

Echo shot a few of the troopers down before he was killed. As his body fell, Hunter instinctively tried to catch him. He didn't even know why he tried to. He knew he was gone.

For a moment time seemed too slow for them. Hunter sat on the ground, stunned. Then they shot him.

Tech had gotten Omega out the back door. He looked down at his comm to see what time it was. It seemed so insignificant, yet like something he should do. 2100 hours.

As the two turned the corner, Crosshair was waiting for them. Tech grabbed Omega and tried to get her out of the line of fire. Once more his efforts were in vain.

She hadn't been killed immediately. This time, Tech couldn't do anything but watch as she died. He held herz trying to figure out what to do. Crosshair had paused his attack, realizing the girl was still alive.

What was maybe thirty seconds felt like hours. Tech has never been good with the dieing. But he held her. He looked at Crosshair when she had stopped breathing and went to stand. A bullet met his skull.

Then he woke up. He didn't understand what was happening or why it was happening to him. Wrecker was laughing again.

"Don't do that! Hunter and Tech are still asleep." He heard Echo say.

It was morning again.

Tech remembered the time that the attack happened. Unnerved, he went to find Omega. When he found her he just pulled her into a hug. He only held her for a moment but she was still confused.

"Are you feeling okay Tech?" Echo asked.

"Yes" Tech answered quickly. He then walked back to his bed. What did he do about this? The day seemed to be repeated. Every time he died, the day started over. He walked back to the others.

"How about we, go somewhere" Tech proposed.

"And where should we go Tech?" Hunter asked.

"Somewhere."

"Are you sure you're okay? You're acting kinda funny?" Wrecker stood to walk over to him.

"Yes I am."

"We could explore more of Ord Mantell?" Omega said excitedly.

"No!" Tech said loudly. "How about the, near by moon?"

The others looked at each other. "how about we do that tomorrow?" Echo said.

"No. We should go now."

"How about we go see if Cid needs something?" Hunter suggested.

"Fine" Tech answered. Then the group left the Marauder. Cid told them to run a few on world errands for her and despite Tech's protests, they did.

2100 hours came around quickly. For an hour before that, Tech has been trying to get them to leave the bar. But Wrecker was having fun talking to someone, Echo and Hunter were throwing darts, and Omega had been talking to Cid until a few minutes ago.

When Tech hears the footsteps, he pulled his gun, ready. As soon as he could confirm it was the empire, he started shooting. It helped this time.

They got to Cids office before they started to die. Tech couldn't remember what happened when he woke up.

"Don't do that! Hunter and Tech are still asleep." Echo sounded annoyed as he tried to get Wrecker to stop whatever he had been doing.

Over and over Tech tried to stop them from dying. Over and over he failed them. It felt like fighting a fire with matches. As he grew tired he tried to find different ways to deal with the attacks. He tried almost every angle he could to get them off Ord Mantell. No matter what they seemed to stay.

It had been so long. Why had he been chosen for this? What even could cause such a time loop and why were they so important? It had to be something like the will of the force but why were they the ones to live?

"Don't do that! Hunter and Tech are still asleep."

Tech didn't get up this time. He had tried and tried and tried. After a few hours of trying to come up with a plan, he walked out to the others. He tried to get them to listen to him. He tried to get them off world. But they were still at the damn bar by 2100 hours.

Before the others knew it, they were going out the back door. The fight was taken to the streets. One by one, they fell. First Wrecker, then Echo, then Hunter, then Omega. It was just him and Crosshair.

Diving behind some building Tech, with shacking hands pulled his gun to his head. Every memory of every attempt flooded his head. Before Crosshair got the chance to take him out once more, he shot.

He woke up on the Marauder as he knew he would. He fell asleep for a while.

Hours after he was supposed to wake up, he walked to the cockpit. He made sure everyone was in the ship before simply taking off. He didn't care when they asked where he was taking them.

When Cid commed the group to warn them to not go back to Ord Mantell, the batch asked Tech how he had known and asked why he didn't just tell them. Tech shook. Even though he wanted to explain, it all sounded too crazy.

Instead he walked back to his bed and laid down. He tossed his gun to the other side of the room, trying to find the strength to not circum to the memories of something that no longer existed.

The batch watched him carefully for a while. Slowly Tech tried to recover. He felt like he had.

Now he was hanging off of a rail car. As he realized what he had to do, Tech thought of the cruel irony of the situation. He had saved them so many times by dying. It was time to do it again.

But something told him he wouldn't be waking up again. This was it. Tech had saved them all so many times just to die one final time.

As he shot the only part of the car that held the other on to the rail, he sighed. Maybe he would just get to rest this time.

Febuwhump Day 10: Killing in self defense

Fandom: The Bad Batch.

Warning: Cannon typical violence and character death.

Summary: The regs never liked the batch but Tech didn't think they would try to kill him for being different.

Note: This takes place before the war. They are teenagers.

    Regs had always hated clone force 99. They started to think they always would. That didn't bother the group of clones anymore. The cruel treatment that the 'defective' clone reserved from people who were supposed to be their brothers, never seemed to stop.

    It was a beautiful day in Kamino. One of the few they had since it was always raining. The sky was a pretty shade of blue. So to make the most of the day, and because Hunter wanted him to get some fresh air if he was going to keep reading, Tech went outside. He didn't regret his choice, even if it was slightly chilly. It may have been a nice day but that didn't mean the wind wouldn't be blowing.

    Whispers seemed to follow the batch. It made sense, at least in Tech's mind. The regs would not be used to seeing people who were different then them. They were defective in the regs eyes. People tended to be scared of the unknown and they were beings that confused the others.

    Tech didn't blame them for being nervous around them. He did however blame them for the treatment they gave them. It was unfair. Even if he understood where it came from, they didn't deserve it.

     Sitting against a wall near the side of the city, Tech read up on the different species of fish that were native to Kamino. It was fascinating to learn just how many there were.

"Oh look!" A slightly older reg laughed. "It's a member of the sad batch!"

"Yeah!" The other two clones that were with him agreed. Tech ignored them. He had fish to read up on.

"Should we show him where he belongs?" The leader smirked. The other two boys nodded and they started to walk towards him.

"Can I help you?" Tech finally asked.

"Grab him!" The older boy ordered. So the other two went to.

Sighing, Tech slid his data pad further into the deck and ducked under them. Standing, he turned around. He didn't want to find out 'where he belonged'. As soon as he turned his back on the boys, they grabbed him. "Let go of me" Tech said as he kicked at them.

They took him closer to the side. Wiggling his way out of there arms, Tech once more tried to escape. This time the older boy tripped him. He fell to the metal. Fixing his goggles, Tech turned around and went to get up. Instead a harsh kick met his side. He cried out in pain and tried to move away from them. "Leave me alone" he begged.

They didn't stop. It started with the kick to the side, but it's didn't stop there. They forced him from the ground and continued to beat him. Tech wasn't helpless, he was just weaker. Knowing how to beat them was what he was supposed to be good at. However the fear and pain kept him from thinking straight.

When the shoved Tech to the ground, he was bloody and bruised. Every part of him hurt. It was a nice day. So why wasn't anyone around? Why was he alone? It had been a nice day and weather wise, it still was.

The leader of the group motioned from the other two to hold him. They picked him up. The clone grabbed Tech's bruised face. ""Someone should have put you down a long time ago, defect."

True fear filled Tech's heart as the regs threw him to the side. The metal burned him as he just barely grabbed the side of the deck. A foot came down on his fingers and suddenly he was just handing on by one hand. Fearful tears fell from his eyes, gathering in his googles. He grabbed the leg of the older clones who had stomped on his hand and pulled himself up.

When the reg grabbed a large piece of metal from the landing zone and tried to hit him with it, Tech kicked his knee in from the ground. The clone lost his balance and fell to the deck. Then, Tech forced him off the side of the city, dooming him to a watery demise. He listened to the clone scream as he fell then they all heard the splash as he fell in the water.

"You just fucking killed him!" The regs took a step back. "Murderer!" They screamed at him.

"He was going to kill me." Tech breathed. Taking off his googles, he set them beside him. The clones kept stepping back.

There was a dead child in the water. A man Tech had killed. Yes, he had to. Yes, he was going to die if he hadn't. But that didn't change the fact that he had just killed an adolescent. Tech started to breathe harder then he was before. He had just killed someone.

Hunter ran out to his brother. He first tried to make sure he was okay. Crosshair and Wrecker stepped in-between the two groups. "I was walking around and heard what was going on. I got here as soon as I could. Are you okay?"

"He murdered Jimmy!" The clone on the left yelled. Wrecker looked back at Tech.

"Yeah sure" Crosshair scoffed.

"Get out of here!" Wrecker demanded, shoving one of the boys. They ran away from the scene. "They shouldn't be bothering you anymore.

It was silent other than the crashing of waves and Tech's sobs. "What happened?" Hunter asked.

But Tech couldn't talk. No words come out. He tried to explain but trying to talk seemed impossible. So instead they sat there. Hunter held Tech as he grappled with what he had done.

The oldest boy looked up from his place on the ground. They were 14 yet they already had to defend themselves from people who wanted them dead. That wasn't supposed to happen for at least four more years or whenever the war was to start.

What a way to live. What a waste of childhood.

@febuwhump

Familiar chapter one

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: Pabu was eerily familiar to CX-2. Clone Force 99 felt like someone to him. Why they mattered, he couldn't remember.

Notes: Spoilers for the episode Point of No Return

Chapter two: Research of the Past (coming soon)

  Why was Pabu so, familiar? That was the only question going through CX-2's head. It felt like he should care about it and its people; like somewhere deep down, he didn't want to be there to hurt someone.

    Still, he was there to find the target. A girl named Omega was an m-count target, so he had to take her to Tantus. It shouldn't feel so wrong. Just like fighting Ct-9904 shouldn't have felt like a betrayal to himself.

    Seeing the pirate was already so eerily familiar. Being in her presence made him smile and he felt warm. Her sweet but sassy voice, her beautiful hair, they seemed like they meant something to him. Maybe they had.

    CX-2' stood on the wall that separated lower and upper Pabu. There, near the water, was the Havoc Marauder. It was the ship that the group of rogue clones flew and from the information that the man had, lived out of. It was a modified Omicron-class attack shuttle. Ct-9902 had made the changes to the ship.

    Maybe there was a reason CX-2 hesitated to shoot the ship. By the ramp, Ct-9903 stood. The man had been named Wrecker, which fit him well. There was something unsettling about the thought of him blowing up, like he had personal feelings about. Maybe that was why he shot the ship's wing where he did.

    It was easy to see and it wasn't in his blind spot. Seeing him notice the explosive and grab the power droid and jump away from his home, made blowing the ship up slightly easier. It shouldn't have.

    Why was he so reluctant to hurt them? Clone Force 99 were traitors. The Bad Batch had killed imperial soldiers and officers, they had destroyed the empires properly. Killing them, would be good for the galaxy, yet CX-2 hesitated to do so.

    So he walked away. Finding Omega was his mission. Destroying the Marauder was to ensure they stayed on the planet. Making the call to be ready to burn the island and its people to the ground, was not one he had wanted to make.

    There was a place near the top of the mountain. Maybe, CX-2 thought, I should go up there. Maybe the girl would be there.

    The leaves of the tree that stood on the platform swayed. It was a beautiful and proud Weeping Maya Tree. Near the top of the mountain was a communal space. Walking inside, the man looked around for the target. The room was filled with artifacts.

    A jade tree sat on a shelf that almost made him smile. Shaking it off, his eyes scanned the shelves and landed on a stuffed Tooka doll and a pair of shattered goggles.

    CX-2 took a step back. Then he walked towards the shelf. With much kinder hands than he had been treated with, he picked up the goggles and stared at them. The weight of the glasses in his hands was uncomfortably familiar.

    Startled, he laid them back down. Looking at the doll, CX-2's breath started to catch and tears welled in his eyes. The name of the Tooka was on the top of his tongue and he knew it shouldn't be.

    When he woke up, Hemlock had told him who he was didn't matter. He had said that he had been an imperial soldier who had amnesia from his last mission. When he asked what his name was, he was told it was CX-2. Something always felt wrong about that.

    Removing his helmet, CX-2 placed it beside the googles. Picking up the stuffed toy, he pulled it closer to him. "L-" her name was the only thing he could think about. With his mission long forgotten, he tried to piece the rest of the tooka's name together.

    "Lula?"

    The room was silent. The lighting was warmer than he had remembered and all the noise of the outside had disappeared. Without the helmet, everything was blurry. However it felt like CX-2 could see clearer than he had remembered.

    The reason he hated the thought of hurting Clone Force 99, the reason he knew Lula's name, the reason the pira- liberator of ancient wonders was important to him; he had known them. The people had been something to him at some point in his life. But who were they?

    CX-2 needed to know. Still holding Lula, he stood there overwhelmed by his discovery. As his breathing continued to speed up, he sat on the floor. Clutching the doll he tried to think. Where did he go from here?

    The man could go back to the empire and complete him mission or he could lie and say that he had made a mistake, leave, and escape come his next assignment. Staying and fighting for the empire meant he would likely never get his answers. However, staying with them also meant he would survive.

    Standing, the man set Lula down next to the googles. Clearing the tears from his face, he placed him helmet back on his head and reached from his comm. Then he let his hand fall back to his side. If someone had already found her and he told them she wasn't on the island, he'd be killed for treason.

    Finding Omega became his next objective. While that may have already been his mission, now he only intended to keep her safe. Leaving the building, CX-2 sighed. In truth he was scared. He knew what Hemlock could and would do to him if he was caught.

    But he needed to know who he was. Learning who these people were to him meant betraying what he knew. Committing an act of treason didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

    Walking though the streets of Pabu, he ordered the flame throwers to be put down. There was no need just yet to burn down the island.

    Almost twenty minutes later, CX-2 found the girl. She stood in the middle of the street, ready to give herself up for the safety of the people. Before she got a chance to give herself away, the clone grabbed her and pulled her away from the street. "Shhhh."

    Confused Omega was silent.

    "You are an adolescent. I am going to inform the others that I was mistaken in identifying you. Stay hidden."

    "What?" Was all Omega could think of saying.

    "You are a child, I will not subject you to the experiments of Tantiss. You will be safe here once I'm through with my tasks."

    Taking the alley, Omega asked "where is it?"

    "What?"

    "Tantiss. I need to know."

    "Where Tantiss is, is of no concern to you. I need you to stay hidden."

    Ignoring him, Omega asked again. "I'll walk into the street and give myself up right now. If you really want to keep me safe, you'll tell me."

    "One day you will know. Currently, it is safer this way. Accept the opportunity that it being given to you. It is not the time."

    "Then when is?"

    "When you have a plan."

    "I have a plan! I-"

    "Is it a good one?"

    Omega was silent. "Fine."

    "Find a place to hide."

    The girl nodded. While she was sceptical of the sleeper agent's intentions, at least Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair wouldn't be so worried.

    Walking away, CX-2 reached for his comm. "I had mistaken a similar looking civilian for the girl. The target is not here." He sighed. "Gather your men and be ready to leave."

    "Yes sir."

    Hoping this risk would pay off, the man pondered what answers The Bad Batch could have for him. Soon, he would have his answer. Maybe while he waited for his next mission, he should do most digging into who these people really are.