#hunter is omega's Dad

[leapingbadger]

The Melody

Summary: Omega wakes from a nightmare of her time on Tantiss. Hunter tries to help her though it, with some insight into his own trauma.

Read on AO3

Omega’s eyes fluttered open, the moonlight giving the walls the grey pallor of her cell on Tantiss. She sat up with a start, her heart beating frantically. Panic rising and threatening to steal her voice, as Hemlock had stollen her freedom.

“You okay, Kid?”

A soft, quiet voice asked from her doorway. She didn’t need to look to know Hunter stood there, leaning against the doorframe. She nodded, unable to rasp out the simplest word of acknowledgement.

She dug her hands into the sheets on her bed, sniffed the air for the faint hint of salty ocean breeze and blossom from the weeping maya tree. She listened to the jingle of Batcher’s collar as she shifted in her bed in the corner of the room and took a deep breath.

She was safe. She was home. Hunter was here.

Hunter crossed into the room, playing with something in his left hand. His shaggy hair was hanging over his eyes without his trademark bandana. He ran his hand through the loose curls in an attempt to tame them, but they fell back where they had been, and he didn’t bother to do it again. His wrinkled shirt and loose shorts gave him a relaxed appearance she was still getting used to. So different from the armor-clad Sergeant she had grown up with.

He perched on the edge of her bed, giving her enough space to move but being close enough to draw her into a hug, should she want one. He gently brushed her sweat soaked hair off her forehead, tucking the loose tendrils behind her ear. They were well rehearsed in this scenario now, settling into a familiar rhythm whenever the specter of her confinement came to bite in the dark.

All of her brothers had helped her weather to storm of her nightmares at some point, but Hunter was the most consistent. Omega wasn’t sure whether it was because his enhanced senses were attuned to her or whether the trauma of his own experience kept him up way into the night when the others had gone to bed. Either way, she felt comfort in his presence, as she always had.

Omega took another deep breath and finally felt the cool panic that had taken over her body dissipate.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hunter asked quietly, his concerned eyes tracing her face.

She paused for a moment, weighing his question. She wasn’t sure talking really helped. Nothing was going to take away the terror of being ripped away from her family, of being used as a laboratory experiment, or seeing her brothers tortured as they tried to save her. But sharing the burden of those things with someone, with Hunter, did make her feel less alone.

“I just…I thought I was back there…Tantiss,” she said, her voice shaking unexpectedly.

Hunter nodded his understanding and placed his right hand gently on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Come with me,” he said, taking her hand and helping her out of bed.

She followed obediently. He led her through the common room, the game from the previous night still scattered over the caf table. They wended their way past the kitchen, out the front door and to the patio.

The night was warm as always. Hunter guided her onto the bench that faced the ocean and sat down next to her. The waves below crashed into the black rock of the island. Above, the stars glittered and twinkled while the full moon shone down, illuminating the island like a jewel.

Omega looked up at Hunter, her eyes taking in the tattooed side of his face. His gaze was set on the water.

“What are we…” she began.

“Shhh,” he said gently, taking her hand in his and resting it on his knee. “Just listen.”

Omega turned to the water, unsure what she was supposed to be hearing. She turned her head left and then right, seeking the unknown sound.

Hunter sat completely still, except for his thumb gently brushing against the back of her hand. The warmth and rhythm were soothing. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, the crashing waves becoming calming, like a lullaby the island was gifting them with.

“Hunter. I don’t understand.” She said finally. Unable to hear whatever he was talking about.

He smiled, the skull like teeth of the tattoo spreading into a warm grin. He had something grasped in his other hand and played with it absentmindedly, but she was unable to see what it was in the dark.

“When I was a cadet,” he began quietly, still looking forward at the water, “I was subjected to a lot of…unusual experiments. The Kaminoans wanted to know how my enhancements worked, wanted to know the limitations of them. I’ll spare you the details, but sometimes during those tests I would be so overwhelmed, in so much pain and discomfort that the only way to get through it was to lock on to something tangible. Something real.”

Hunter’s face turned towards her, as though gauging her reaction. She wasn’t sure where this story was going but knew it must be somewhere important. Hunter rarely spoke of his time as a cadet and even less time discussing his experience with the Kaminoan testing. It was something he held deep inside, cornered off in a box, never to be touched or dealt with.

Crosshair and Wrecker had told her bits and pieces over the years but never delved into Hutner’s experience, saying it was his information to share.

“Did you know Kamino had a song?” he asked.

Omega felt her browns knit together in confusion and shook her head.

Hunter chuckled, “it’s probably not something anyone else could hear. But it was the one thing that kept me going during the experiments, a constant noise to fix on to. I fully believe I survived because of that song.”

“What did it sound like?” Omega asked, fascinated with the idea that her former home had a hidden melody that only her brother could hear.

Hunter sighed, “It’s hard to describe. It was the rhythmic beat of the ocean colliding against the struts of Tipoca City, way under the crest of the waves. The metal would creak and move, imperceptibly to most, but it sounded like a violin, playing a tune, just for me.”

Omega noticed his eyes turn glassy with the memory.

“Hunter, I still…I still don’t understand.”

He nodded, his eyes searching the island for a way to communicate in a simpler way.

“You have suffered horrors in your young life that many would have found impossible to survive. But you’re here and you’re thriving.” He said with pride, “In the moments when the past come back to haunt you, and it will, at the most inopportune moment sometimes, you need to find the song that will bring you back. Something to hold on to. Mine will always be the sound of Kamino, no matter how long it’s been.”

“What should mine be?” she asked, unable to think of anything that would have such power over her to free her in a time of despair.

“I’m afraid I can’t help you with that, Omega. But here. This might,” he said, handing her a small piece of metal he had been playing with.

“What is it?” she asked, her browns furrowed in confusion.

“It’s a piece of your home,” he said simply.

Omega looked down at the cool piece of durasteel in her hand. The edges were rounded, but a faint slash of paint was viable, along with some carbon scoring.

“Is this?” she paused and looked up at Hunter and noticed his intense gaze on her.

“It’s a piece of the Marauder. It washed up on the beach a few days ago. I thought maybe you should have it.”

Omega smiled as she reverently ran her fingers over the piece of metal. It wouldn’t have been anything remarkable to anyone else, just a piece of debris rounded with the constant beating of the saltwater waves. But to her, to her it was time spent with her brothers. It was her very first bedroom and midnight snacks in the cockpit. It was comforting talks with Hunter, laughter with Wrecker, lectures with Echo, discovery with Tech and healing with Crosshair. It was warmth and love and family.

She heard the roar of the Marauder’s engines, the beeps, whistles and chimes of the control panels, and the clang of her footsteps on the grated metal floor. And suddenly she realized the song was there all along, hiding in her memory, just like Hunter had said.

When she had longed for escape, longed for her brothers during her endless imprisonment, the Marauder was the ubiquitous common factor. They would rescue her on their ship, she was returning home to them on that ship and even though Pabu was now their home, and she loved it, the Marauder would always be her first real home, the place that had given her a family.

She smiled up at Hunter as she realized and threw her arms around his chest. He leaned down and she gently felt his lips graze her hair.

“I understand now,” she said with a grin, holding the small piece of the ship to her heart. “I think I’m ready to go back to bed.” She said.

Hunter nodded and followed her back into the house. She tucked the piece of the Marauder under her pillow, as though its mere presence would ward off any returning nightmares. Hunter sat on the floor next to her bed, gently stroking her arm as her eyes fluttered closed.

Her dreams were quick to take her home. She was curled up in the gunner’s mount of the Marauder, Lula carefully tucked under her arm. She could hear the quiet laughter of her brothers behind the curtain. Wrecker’s booming laugh, Crosshair’s snide comments, Hunter’s deep chuckle, Echo’s hearty laugh and the clipped proper dialect of Tech, unsure what was so funny. She smiled and pulled Lula closer, as the whir of the engines and chimes of the control panel lulled her back to sleep.

[bittybug-sunflower-blog]

Every 6 people group has one of these

The over protective dad -

*some kid steals omega’s toy*

Hunter: *runs up pushed child down and takes toy back*

The alcoholic mom who has to tolerate the other 5 -

Bartender: sir this is your seventh drink.

*wrecker and tech arguing*

Echo: keep it coming

The hungry one -

Wrecker: when do we eat

*five minutes after eating

Wrecker: when do I get a snack

The emo/goth one -

Crosshair, self explanatory

The one who knows stuff that people don’t need or want to know-

Tech: Did you know that some pig rectums are actually edible.

Echo: we needed to know this why?

The I always get kidnapped one-

Omega: *stands still immediately get kidnapped*

[ashyybees-art]

How each of the batch will hold Omega, Pt.1: Hunter

“You’re causing trouble again, aren’t you?”

Hunter was actually the hardest to decide, and then I thought about how he held Omega after pulling her out of the water on Kamino. He’ll just scoop her up into his arms, still allowing for close cuddles.~

[tragedy-for-sale]

Bye, Bye, Baby

It feels like you're becoming part of my past...

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

He should've known better. He should've been better. The Marauder had never before been this quiet, never before only had only three people in it. Hunter sat in his chair, facing away from Tech's chair, he hated seeing Echo in it. Hunter wiped his eyes, he remembered how often he used to cry, he slipped so easily into his tears. His quiet sobs came back like a bad habit. His head hung low, he undid his bandana and he cried.

Echo dared not to cry, he wouldn't stop and he needed to be put together for Hunter. He didn't cry because Hunter was and he didn't want Hunter to pull himself together, he wanted to let Hunter feel all he needed to. Wrecker stood on the other side of the door, unable to come in. He wanted to scream and break something. He wanted to-

Wrecker froze as he saw Hunter walk down Havoc towards Omega's room. He climbed the steps and sat down, grabbing Omega's pillow. Hunter let out a cry, "I'm sorry," hugging the pillow, "I'm sorry." Hunter missed her, he failed her and now he had to miss her. He'd missed up so much lately. This morning they were only missing one, now they missing three. Hunter hugged her pillow tighter, "I miss you so much..." He looked at her room and he instantly wanted better for her, he wanted Pabu for her. He wanted starlight and kyber for his little girl.

"I can't fight anymore, Wrecker," He spoke slow. Wrecker's head shot up, "I can't do this anymore-" Hunter didn't wipe his eyes, Wrecker was blurry, but it was for the best he couldn't see Wrecker's defeated face, "I don't- I just want my family-" He let out a whimper and Wrecker rushed to his brother and scooped him up in a hug.

"I know," Wrecker sighed, rubbing Hunter's back. As a leader, he'd failed. He was never supposed to lose Omega, if he had been a better leader, if he had been a better father-

"How are we going to find her? Wrecker, how are we going to find her? I have no idea what to do-" He sobbed, "I can't do this, I don't have any ideas, I don't, I don't-" Hunter shook his head and let out a violent sob, one that, on instinct, made Wrecker hug Hunter tighter. A violent sob that beckoned Echo to join their hug.

Echo wasn't good at a whole lot, but he thought he was a pretty good brother. He thought he handled losing brothers pretty well. But Hunter, Hunter had never lost anyone in his family, ever. They were so lucky like that. Echo hugged his brothers tightly, losing a brother for the first time was the hardest, and it only got harder. So Echo did what he knew he could do, hold his brother and never let go.

Hunter missed his little girl, "She must be so scared and she's gonna try her best to escape and they're gonna hurt her-" Hunter broke from the hug, "They're gonna hurt her and I'm not gonna be there to protect her!" He yelled, jumping to his feet. He felt so useless! "They're gonna hurt her and I can't do anything!" He smacked the side of his head as he tried to think. "They're gonna make her cry-" He whimpered

Wrecker let out a sniffle, unable to speak. He was so good with Tech and Crosshair, but he'd always failed Hunter. And he'd continue to. "What are we going to do?!" Hunter went to the computer, like a fool he wanted a miracle. He had to keep fighting, he had to get to Omega, he had to protect her, he had to be there for her. He had to. There was nothing else Hunter wanted more in his life than to be Omega's father, and he was failing. He was failing at the one choice he chose to make.

Hunter fell to his knees, he hadn't felt this useless in years. He hadn't been this lost in years. He hadn't failed this badly in years. He was always better than this, smarter, more put together. He failed Tech, he failed Crosshair, he failed Omega and he failed himself. Hunter held his head and tried desperately to be better. But he failed. Doubt set in and Hunter realized all he'd ever do is fail and that's all he was meant to do. He had already been a great brother, that moment passed.

He had tried so hard to create a life for his family. Late at night, talking finances with Tech, schooling for Omega with Echo, possible homes with Wrecker. Crosshair rescue plans with Omega. He had talked to everyone about creating a new life for all of them, and now, no one was here.

He stared at the floor and the puddle of tears he'd created. He could feel Echo and Wrecker watching him and he wanted to pull himself together, but his homeland was gone, he had nothing to defend. He had no family to protect. He lost his little brothers and Omega. He lost Omega- "No-" He whispered, "Please, no.." He needed her to be okay. He needed her to come back home. Tech was never coming home, Crosshair would never forgive him, Wrecker and Echo would never see him more than the mess he was right now. They'd lost everything. Today, they lost. Never before had he ever had to say goodbye, but recently,

He never had the chance to

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

[timetodiverge]

Excuse me sir, that's my Emotional Support vicious lurca hound

....soooo Batcher is fully Crosshair's puppy now, yes???

-spending the morning at the beach with him instead of Omega -sitting next to him at the table -staying near him while everyone was yelling -squaring off against the wyrm ("YEAH YOU BETTER RUN!!"), then going right to Crosshair to check in, then STAYING THERE while Crosshair has his moment with Hunter

[riyo-soka]

Asajj Ventress trouncing the main characters in a fight, straight up lying to people, and deciding to get the fuck out of there so the plot couldn’t catch her is so Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) of her and I couldn’t be happier

[magicandmundane]

Happy Father’s Day to them specifically ❤️

[131-vr]

Its Omega care day.

[ct99r2d2]

this means EVERYTHING to me

[leapingbadger]

Unconditional Love

Happy Valentines Day!

This is my entry for Pabu's Festival of Love. The prompt was "Friendship Bracelets". I hope you enjoy!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Read It on AO3!

Hunter woke with a start. It didn’t happen much these days unless a moon-yo had gotten into the house or Wrecker had forgotten to duck and whacked his head on the door frame into the kitchen while in search of a midnight snack.

This sound wasn’t any of those though. He reached for his vibroknife, more out of habit than because he thought he’d actually need it. The light was on in the common room and as he quietly opened the door to his bedroom, he saw Omega sitting on the floor in front of the caf table, her arms flying around her as she tried to collect something.

“Omega?” he asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He looked at the chrono in the corner, “Why are you up at three in the morning?”

“It’s okay, Hunter. She whispered, “Don’t come in. Go back to sleep.”

The sleepiness he was still holding onto disappeared instantly at her words. If anything was going to wake him, it was knowing his kid was trying to keep him out of whatever she was doing. He put down his knife and walked around the back of the sofa.

“No, no, no. You’re not supposed to see,” she said, throwing herself over the table in the hopes of hiding whatever she as doing.

She sat cross legged on the floor, Batcher’s sleeping head resting on her knee, colorful beads were littered all over the table and scattered on the floor.

Hunter again looked at the chrono, sure he had gotten the time wrong because there was no reason for her to be up at this time playing with beads.

“Kid, what are you doing? You have school in the morning.” He said, instantly recoiling at how much he sounded like Shep. He made a mental note to tell him he was a bad influence the next time he saw him.

“It’s for love day. You weren’t supposed to see. It was going to be a surprise.”

Hunter blinked at her, sighed and sat down on the couch behind her. “Okay, you’re going to have to start from the beginning. What is a love day?” he asked, grabbing the hair tie from her wrist and pulling his long, dark hair off his neck.

She turned to look at him, looking slightly embarrassed. It wasn’t a face she pulled often, maybe once or twice if her brothers came to collect her from school or when Crosshair tried to flirt with the woman who owns the bakery in the marketplace.

“Love day. It’s a day where you tell people you love them or something. I don’t know. It’s a Pabu thing. It’s this Saturday.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” he said.

“That’s because you don’t talk to anyone but Shep and Phee.” She said teasingly.

“I talk to plenty of people.” Hunter said with a chuckle. “I talked to your teacher the other day.”

Omega rolled her eyes, “Yeah, you need to stop that. She has a crush on you and it’s an embarrassment for all involved.”

“How is it an embarrassment to me? I don’t have the crush.” He said, not quite believing he was having this particular conversation in the middle of the night.

She gave him the look only a teenager could, “trust me.”

He sighed; the kind of sigh he used to reserve for conversations with Crosshair but had recently been extended to Omega. “Okay, so it’s love day. Why does that mean you’re up in the middle of the night?”

“Remember, Phee brought me that bead kit a while back? Well, I thought I’d make bracelets as gifts.”

Hunter smiled. She may be growing up too fast for his liking but there was still something of his little girl in there, even if it was usually hidden behind eye rolls and sarcasm these days.

“That’s sweet Kid, but you can make bracelets for your friends at school. You don’t need to be doing it tonight”

Now it was Omega’s turn to sigh and Hunter was suddenly struck by how many of his own mannerisms she had picked up over the years. If she pinched the bridge of her nose, it would be like looking in a mirror.

“They’re not for my friends. They’re for you. All of you.” She said sweetly. “But now they’re everywhere and the one I was making is buried in the rug.”

“Do you…need help?” he asked.

“Really? You’d help me with this?” she asked, her bright eyes wide.

Hunter couldn’t say picking up beads or making bracelets was what he really wanted to do at this time of the morning, but if it meant getting her back to bed sooner, he was willing to try. He nodded reluctantly.

“Well, first we need to pick everything up, then put them in piles according to color and then string them.”

“Omega, that’s going to take hours.” He said.

She nodded happily and started picking individual beads off the floor. Hunter rolled off the couch and got on his hands and knees, feeling around for the beads.

“You know, Crosshair would probably be more helpful with this,” he said jokingly.

“Should we wake him?” Omega asked, carefully reaching for a bead that had fallen on Batcher’s nose.

“I think you know the answer to that, Omega,” Hunter said with a grin.

She nodded and they continued.

It didn’t take long before the piles had been formed. Omega pulled out some thin cords and handed a piece to Hunter.

“Whose bracelet do you want to make?”

Hunter shrugged, “it doesn’t matter,” he said.  

She pushed a small pile of green beads across the table to him and then another pile of black beads.

“This is for Wrecker.” She said. “It’s Jade. It’s supposed to represent health, love and wisdom.” She said with her eyebrows raised.

“Who told you that?” Hunter asked.

She shrugged, “it came with the kit. All the stones have meanings. I didn’t have enough to go around so I bought some black stones from the market. They’re made from the rock of Pabu.”

Hunter stopped threading a bead and looked at her in wonder. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” he said in admiration.

She shrugged again but the apples of her cheeks turned pink, “it’s important to me.” She said, “You’re all important to me.”

“You’re important to us too, kid.” Hunter said, as he continued to thread the beads. “So, what do the other stones mean?”

Omega’s eyes lit up as she picked up the list from the packaging. “The Orange one, Carnelian, is for Echo. It represents courage and clarity. It can uplift the mind and improve the spirit.”

“Well, the courage part certainly fits.” Hunter said and he threaded another bead.

Omega nodded in agreement, “the clear quartz is for Crosshair. I didn’t think he’d like the other colors. Besides, it’s supposed to help with healing. Mental, physical and emotional…I just thought…I mean, it can’t hurt, right?”

Hunter smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Kid. I’m sure he’ll love it. What about the pink one? Is that for you?”

Omega hesitated. “No…” she said suddenly apprehensive.

“Oh, it’s mine?”

“No,” she said again, “It’s…It’s Tech’s,” she said.

Hunter blinked at her for a moment. Wishing he could think of something to say but failing to come up with anything.

“You’ll probably think it’s stupid,” she said.

Hunter sighed and put down Wrecker’s bracelet, “I would never say that.”

She smiled, the same sad smile that always accompanied a conversation about their lost brother. They tried to talk about him often, to bring him up in conversation to keep him alive, because to forget…well, they just couldn’t do that. He was a part of them, a part of their family, and no matter how much time passed, they always wanted him there, even if it was in name only.

Hunter had started to worry that he would soon forget the sound of his voice, or the distinct beat of his heart. He had all the heartbeats of his family memorized, initially out of necessity from their days as Kaminoan test subjects, but later as a failsafe. He could tell if something was wrong by the patter of their hearts.

He could hear Omega’s heart pounding against her chest, flustered at the turn in conversation. “What does the pink stand for, Omega?” He asked gently. He tried to keep his tone neutral, even though the devastation at the loss of his brother threatened to bubble up again. It was never too far from the surface, despite how many years had passed.

She smiled, her eyes suddenly watery, “It’s rose quartz. I…I chose it because it represents… unconditional love.” She whispered.

Hunter could tell her voice was getting stuck in her throat. She choked on a sob, and he crossed to her in time to feel the first tear fall on his shoulder. He rubbed her back as she dissolved, leaning into him as her body convulsed.

“Shh, it’s okay.” He said softly, rocking her back and forth.

After a few minutes she gave a shuddering breath and pulled away, wiping her nose on her sleeve, just like she used to when she was a kid.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

Hunter gently wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and cupped her face in his hand. “It’s okay to miss him, Omega. I miss him every day.” He said softly.

“We didn’t get to say goodbye,” she said, her tears threatening to fall again.

Hunter nodded, “I know.”

“We didn’t even memorialize him,” she said, this time the tears won, and she started crying again.

Hunter paused and realized she was right. The time after Tech’s death was so fraught they didn’t have time to think about it. Hunter and Wrecker were so immersed in their search for Omega, Tech’s absence only came up during quiet moments in hyperspace when the vacuum of his presence could be felt more readily.

By the time they got Omega and Crosshair back they were on to the next thing, the next mission, the search for Tantis, and then Omega was gone again. Once they finally settled on Pabu, free and hopeful, Tech’s goggles remained a talisman, but they’d never really said goodbye.

“Maybe we should fix that,” Hunter said as he brushed her wet, tear-soaked hair from her face.

She sniffed, “what do you mean?”

“We’ll do something for Tech, on Saturday. Love day.” He said.

She nodded her approval, unable to vocalize it and sat upright, taking another shuddering breath.

They stayed there until the sunlight licked the horizon and the moon-yos started chirping happily,  talking and laughing as they threaded the beads onto the strings.

By the end they had four completed bracelets for Wrecker, Crosshair, Echo and Tech. Omega refused to let Hunter know what beads he was getting, telling him it would be a surprise for Love day.

***

Hunter chose sunset as the time for Tech’s memorial. It had always been his favorite time of day on Pabu, when the sun had started to sink below the horizon, scattering light over the sea, the waves twinkling in the light, while the sky was dark enough to see the flickering stars above.

Echo hadn’t needed any encouragement to show up. He arrived the day after Hunter’s comm, dropping his bag in the doorway and standing, arms wide for Omega to dive into. She brushed a hasty tear away as she buried her face in his neck and if nothing else came of this memorial, he was glad to have all his brothers back in one place.

Omega had spent the day with friends at the marketplace. Musicians had been set up along with a dance floor and special delicacies from the planets of Pabu’s refugees. It was a true community event, the kind of thing Hunter still struggled to fully partake in. He preferred to observe from the fringe, leaning up against the weeping mya tree. He noticed Omega’s teacher wave and waved back, careful to heed Omega’s warning. He appreciated having an excuse to escape early.

The beach was empty when he arrived, he could hear the music from the party pulsing in his enhanced senses. Could feel the rhythm in the ground and much as in his ears.

Crosshair, Echo and Wrecker were quick to join him. If they thought it was a silly idea, they hadn’t said anything. The memorial wasn’t really for Tech anyway, it was for Omega. For all of them.

Omega arrived at the beach breathless and happy, her cheeks pink for spending all day in the sun. Her long, loose, blonde curls hung past her shoulders. She wore a frilly pink dress she must have been loaned by Lyana. She giggled like a little girl as Wrecker twirled her around in greeting. Hunter clocked the green and black bracelet on his wrist.

He checked Crosshair and Echo and they too proudly wore their love day bracelets. He wasn’t sure if Omega had shared the meanings of the stone, and it didn’t much matter. She could have given them a rock and they would have carried it proudly.

Omega came to stand beside him at the shore. The clear waves rolling over his feet. She held up her dress slightly to keep it dry.

“You left before I could give this to you this morning,” she said, holding out her palm and showing him a turquoise and black bracelet. The beads were the color of his old armor and Tech’s favorite color. He wasn’t sure if that was an accident or not.

“Thanks, Kid. What does this one mean?” he asked, rolling the smooth beads over in his fingers before putting it on his right wrist.

“It’s called Amazonite. It represents Hope.” She said, her big eyes looking up at him nervously.

Hunter nodded and smiled, “Do you think I need hope? Or do I already have it?” he asked curiously.

Omega shrugged. She took hold of his hand, something she hadn’t done in a long time, and intertwined her fingers in his. “It said if trouble appears, this helps you navigate it with confidence and makes sure you’re on the right path. That’s what you do, Hunter. What you’ve always done.”

Hunter felt his voice catch in his throat, “thanks, Kid.” He said, pulling her into a hug. He held her hand in his, noticing for the first time the bracelet on her wrist. It was black, green, orange, pink, clear and turquoise. Omega’s bracelet carried the colors of all of her brother. Hunter wasn’t sure how he could possibly love her more.

Turning around he noticed the rest of his guests had arrived. Shep and Lyanna stood off to the side, talking to Crosshair and Echo.

Phee had cut a treasure hunting trip short, giving up a score for a formal goodbye to her beloved Brown Eyes. Hunter wished Tech had gotten his happy ending with Phee. But he was glad to still have her in his life and that of the rest of his family.

Hunter crossed to the others, picking up a small wreath made of purple vines that grew on some of the gardens around the island. Lyana had been kind enough to braid it together. He held it out for Omega and watched as her trembling hands twisted the pink and black bracelet in between the leaves, making sure the beads stayed in place.

With a jerk of his head, Omega, Echo, Crosshair and Wrecker followed him to the shore. He handed the wreath to Omega.

“Is there anything you want to say?” he asked.

She nodded and opened her mouth, only for words to fail her. Again, she had a sob stuck in her throat. Wrecker’s shovel sized hand patted her gently on the shoulder and tears fell into the sand.

“I…I can’t,” she squeaked, looking up at Hunter for support.

Hunter sighed. He had thought this might happen. He didn’t have anything prepared, wasn’t really one for giving speeches, Ironically, that had always been Tech’s job.

“We wanted to take this opportunity to say goodbye to Tech, or Brown Eyes, as some of you may remember him,” he said with a wink to Phee. Her cheeks blushed; her twinkling eyes downcast but a smile spreading on her lips as she stared at the sand.

“There isn’t much I can say about him that you don’t already know. He was forthright, stubborn and always the smartest person in the room. But he was also kind, thoughtful and caring in his own way. He loved deeply, even if he couldn’t always express it. He saved us all because of that.” Hunter stopped, hearing “plan 99” in the comm and the distance cries of Omega and Wrecker, the screeching sound of metal on metal. The crash. He physically shook his head to rid himself of the memory.

“He was the person I always looked for over my  shoulder. Still do, actually…” Hunter said, more to himself than anyone. “…and he was a great brother.” He turned to look at Omega, Crosshair, Echo and Wrecker in turn.

The bruiser wiped an errant tear from his cheek. Crosshair’s eyes were downturned while Echo’s amber gaze was attentive. He gave Hunter a nod of encouragement to continue.

“I don’t know what happens when you die. But I do know that sometimes, when the sea is still and the island is calm, I can still sense my brother. And if that isn’t love persevering, I don’t know what is.”

Hunter kneeled down and wiped more tears from Omega’s cheeks “Ready?” he asked. She nodded wordlessly.

The four brothers flanked her as they waded into the water. The skirt of Omega’s pink dress floated up around her, but she didn’t seem to mind. She carefully laid the wreath in the water, adjusted the bracelet of unconditional love she had created for her fallen brother, and pushed.

They watched as the sun continued to fall under the horizon, the purple wreath bobbing as it slowly wended its way out to sea. Omega took hold of Hunter’s hand, pulling his arm to her and hugging it.

“Thank you,” she whispered, a single tear tracking down her cheek.

Hunter pulled her into a hug, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. They continued to stay there, in the water, watching as the wreath ebbed and flowed until it was out of sight, disappearing into the setting sun.

❤️❤️❤️

[cloud-bees]

Omega: Can I have ice cream? Crosshair: What did Hunter say? Omega: No... Crosshair: Then why are you asking me? Omega: Because Hunter's not the boss of you. Crosshair, internally: this is a trap this is a trap this is a trap

[immagods]

This hug is everything to me

[miss-musings]

Crosshair looks at Omega and sees Hunter:

Kind, brave and a true leader.

Hunter looks at Omega and sees Crosshair:

Insightful, determined and loyal.

Wrecker looks at Omega and sees Echo:

Chaos Unleashed™️

[cloudystarsky]

"I risked everything to send you that message. You let Omega be taken to Tantiss."

"She went through what she did because you failed."

"You're angry because she escaped with my help, not yours."

ohhhh Cross is so gonna get yelled at.

[codywaan]

"Is there anything so undoing as a daughter?"

[riyo-soka]

Star Wars protagonists are usually on the front lines inventing new and exiting ways to have daddy issues (what with the dead masters/parents/guardians, evil masters/parents/guardians, disownment, being a child soldier, codependency, and whatever the fuck Anakin was doing with Luke, Leia, and Ahsoka) but somehow Omega managed to become a well-adjusted adult with a supportive living father figure, which in hindsight is the most unintentionally hilarious ending the writers could have given her. Somebody get Hunter and co a 5 pack of “world’s okayest dad” mugs for breaking the curse after almost 50 years completely by accident