Hello my beloved readers and fellow batchers!! Ya'll know the drill for this long chapter:
  
Fasten your seatbelts.

Prepare for Omega cuteness.

  And keep your arms and legs inside the havoc murader at all times.
   Happy reading!!

Everyone is gathered in the center of the shuttle, preparing to exit. Echo walks up to me, holding out his hand.
  In it is a small hand blaster. It is commonly used for concealed carry purposes and undercover missions.

  "You might need this." I nod at him, taking the blaster and sliding it into the holster on my hip.

  Hunter places his hand on the panel next to the door, and it slides open.  Bright sunlight fills the cabin, and I can hear creatures moving and making noises outside.

   But it is the sunlight that captures my attention. My body wants to move towards it, like a plant that is starved for its warmth.

  All the light in Kamino was fake, and for the last year, all the sun I had received was bulbs and screens.

  Tech gestures for me to go first. I follow Hunter out the door and down the steps.

  Stepping onto the firm ground, with the warmth of the sun on my skin, I inhale deeply, before looking around at our surroundings. We landed in a clearing, but there are clumps of tall, alien like plants not far from us. Small, green creatures, with round bodies and long, disproportionate legs ran away from us.
  One let out a loud squeaking noise.

   "So," I say to Hunter, placing a hand on my hip.
"How far is this 'friend'?"

  He opens his mouth to speak, but gets distracted by something behind me. I turn on my heel, watching Omega move tentatively down the steps. I smile at her reaction to stepping onto the ground. She gasps in surprise, kneeling down and grabbing at the dirt.

  "What is this?" She asks in surprise.

  "That, would be dirt." Tech replies, adjusting his goggles.

  The small girl gasps as it falls through her fingers, creating a small cloud.
     "It's.... Amazing!" I smile at her.

  "Come on, love!" I call. "It's time to get moving!"
She scrambles to her feet, excitement written over her features. Trotting to me, she grasps my hand.
    "Lead the way, Hunter!" I say. The Sargent waves his hand, leading our small group forward through the bush.

   The alien bushes have large bulbs, their weight making the bushes bend. Omega reaches out her hand, gently stroking one as we walk past.

  "Delta," Omega whispers. "Are all planets like this?"

  I shrug. "Some are, but some are completely different. Some are covered in jungles and wetlands, while others are entirely frozen. Or, like Kamino, they can be cover in Ocean."

   "Wow." Omega breathes. A giant smile cover her face, and she starts skipping. "I'm going to see them all."

  "I'm sure." I say encouragingly, lapsing into silence. My attention is drawn to the conversation the boys are having in front of us.

   "Staying off the radar isn't our specialty, but he has been doing it for years." Hunter calls over his shoulder to Echo.
  Omega lets go of my hand, weaving pass Tech and Echo, and then coming to a trot next to Wrecker.

  "Why does he hide?" Echo asks.

  "Hiding. That's what deserters do."  Tech answers.

  "Why did he desert?" I say, fingering my blaster as some kind of creature makes noise off the path.
  Before Tech can answer, Hunter holds up his fist, bringing the group to a halt.
   Omega rushes to his side, looking at something near the ground. I peer around Echo but I still can't see anything. He notices and moves to the side, and I slip next by him, coming to a stop next to Hunter.

    "What is it?" She asks curiously.

  "A booby trap." Hunter replies.
   "One little trip wire?" Wrecker asks as he steps over it. "That's all they've got?"

  It all happens very fast. Hunter shouting 'No!' And four dummy B-1 battle droids popping up out of the ground. Wrecker panics, pulling out his blaster and yelling as he shoots down half of the droids.

"Wrecker!" Hunter yells, finally calming his frantic brother.
"I-I-I'm sorry." Wrecker stutters.

There's movement in the corner of my eye, and I turn, pointing my blaster at the purple Twi'lek that emerges. She freezes, her grip tightening on her long rifle.

"Del, put the gun down." Hunter coaxes gently, placing a hand on my arm and lowering it. A man emerges from behind the Twi'lek. I am surprised to see, even with his hat and facial hair, he has the face of a clone.

"What do we have here?" The Twi'lek says with a bit of an accent. "A couple more clones who have lost their way."

"It's been a while, fellas."

I holster my blaster, my face heating up in shame.
The Twi'lek glances at me, and she has the kind eyes of a mother. She spares me a small smile, and I hesitantly return it.

"Let's go home." She says, addressing the group. "You can fill us in there."

****
(Time skips brought to you by Echo and his helpfulness.)

A few minutes later, you arrive at their home. A tall metal fence surrounds their property, protecting a small house. A few of the strange, long legged creatures scatter the yard, pecking at the ground.

"Please excuse the mess." The Twi'lek says, smiling. "We weren't expecting company."
Omega nods, taking in the humble abode. Four stairs lead up to a small room, which appears to be used as a kitchen.

"Please, take a seat." Our hostess says, moving to a cupboard in the center of the room. Hunter pulls out a seat at the table, gesturing for me to take a seat. I shake my head, leaning against the wall. I'm not quite comfortable enough yet. He nods, sitting in the seat himself. The rest of the squad, including the man, Cut, join us.
I watch Omega walk around the table, observing the house.

"So," the Twi'lek says. "I see a few new faces." Hunter nods, taking the drink she offered him.

"Cut, Su, this is Delta, Echo, and Omega."

"Hello." I say quietly, and Echo nods at her:
"Ma'am."

Cut set his drink down, glancing at each of us.
"Where's Crosshair?"

I found, crossing my arms across my chest uncomfortably.

  "He is.... still, on Kamino. He's been acting weird since the regs were ordered to kill the Jedi." Cut gives a knowing nod as Hunter finishes.

  "Aye. Rex was telling us about it."

  "Rex?" Echo stands fast. "Captain Rex? He was here?"

  "Sure, he was just here yesterday. Going on about some, behavioral implant."

  "Oh," Omega chirps. "He must mean the Inhibitor chips."

  "The what?"

  "Inhibitor chips. The kamoans used them to modify the clones behavior."

    Hunter turns to Tech.
  "Tech, you said the Regs were programmed, but you never mentioned a chip."

  "How else did you think it worked?"

  I jump as two children run through the door.

   "Mom! Dad!" They screech. "There's a ship outside!"  The larger girl runs to Cut, wrapping her arms around his neck and staring at me with wide eyes, while her little brother hides behind Su.

  Wrecker smiles, standing up from his spot in the corner.
   "Shaeeah, Jek! Remember me?"

The blue Twi'lek child squeaks in excitement.
    "Uncle Wrecker!" They both run to him before jumping into his arms, and he gives them a gentle hug. I watch Omega peer around Hunter, her eyes wide with wonder. The tan child, Jek , notices for first.

    "Who are you?" He asks.

     "Omega." She says uncertainly.

     " Whoa." Shaeeah steps closer to her. "We never see kids around here!" She exclaims, grabbing Omega's hand, beginning to tow her towards the door.
     Omega glances at Hunter for reassurance, and he gives her a small nod.
   I'm watching the two girls exit the house when Jek grabs my hand.

  "You can come too. You don't have to stay with the boring grown ups." I give him a small smile, letting him pull me out the door and into the yard.

   "We just play catch." Jek tells me, before releasing my hand and running in front of me.

   "Shaeeah, throw it!" He shouts. Shaeeah chucks the large brown ball and he catches it.

   "Here! You catch!" He shouts to me, throwing the ball into my outstretched hand.  My armor clanks loudly, and I throw it back to him.

  "I'll be right back!" I call, moving towards the steps as I unstrap my chest plate. As I place my armor down, I hear footsteps and look up to see Hunter. He gives me a small smile.

  As I remove my shoulder guards, I look up at him.

  "I don't know much about you." I comment, tilting my head. His eyes meet mine, and he has a slightly amused look on his face.

  "Same with you, Del."

  After removing my hand pieces, I look up at him.
   "What's your favorite color?"
   I expect him to laugh at me, but instead he ponders my question. His hazel eyes are on the kids as he answers.

  "Grey. A dark grey." I smile at him.

  "I like it. It matches your dark and broody personality."  I jog back out onto the field, without my armor from the waist up.

  "Wait!" Hunter calls, and I pause, turning to look at him.

  "What about you?"

I smile at him.

  "Hazel."

***

"Here, Omega! Catch!" I lightly throw the ball to her, cheering as she caught it in her hands.

When a gentle hand is placed on my shoulder I spin around to be greeted by the kind face of Su.

"Hunter and Cut are headed into town. I can watch Omega if you would like to join them."
I give her a small smile.

"I would love too, but..." I look down at my blacks. "I don't have any other clothes."
She steps back, looking me up and down.

"We are about the same size. Come." I glance uncertainly at Omega before following her to the house.

Passing the boys in the kitchen, I glance at Hunter. He is wearing what appears to be civilian clothes. I realize how broad he is, even without his armor. He makes eye contact with me, a small smile covering his features.
My heart beat quickens before I quickly look away, and I pray to the stars that he couldn't hear it.

Su leads me to a small room at the back of the house. A bed covered in a green and brown patchwork quilt occupies most of the space. She pulls a chest out from under the bed, popping it open.

"Here." She says, handing me a small pile of clothes.

"Thank you." I say quietly, and she places a hand on my shoulder.

"Anytime, Delta." She leaves the room, closing the door behind her. I lock it before I quickly remove the rest of my armor and blacks, sliding on the clothes: A tight fitting black undershirt, a loose gray T-shirt, and black pants. I smooth out my shirt, unlocking the door, before pausing. I tighten my belt around my waist and slip the gun Echo had given to me into the holster.

I open the door, stepping out just as Hunter steps around the corner. I stumble backwards, and as fast as light he catches me. He lets out a breath of relief.

"Stars, Delta, I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, you are fine." I say, trying to ignore the fact that his hands are placed on my waist. "It was my fault, anyway."
He is quiet for a second as he seems to study my face.

Someone clears their throat, and we leap apart.
Cut stands at the end of the hallway, a knowing smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but we should probably get moving if we want to book a shuttle before nightfall."

I'll try to conceal my blush by looking down at the floor, following Cut into the kitchen. I risk a glance at Hunter, and his face is dusted with red.

I slip out of the house and down the Steps.
"Omega!" She bounds over to me, a joyous smile on her face. I crouch down to her level, smiling at her.

"You having fun?" I ask. She nods enthusiastically.

"I have caught the ball Eight times now!"

"Good job, love!" I pause. "Hunter and I are going into town with Cut. Stay here, and behave. If you need anything, go find Su or your brothers. Okay?"

She nods, giving me a hug.

"Delta!" Cut calls me, and I turn to see him and Hunter standing at the edge of the property. I jog over to them, slipping through the fence. Single file, we trek down the narrow trail, our boots crunching the leaf litter.

After a bit, the sound of speeders reaches my ears, and we step off the trail onto a dirt road. Cut looks both ways before stepping out into the street. I come next to him, watching the passing citizens.

"Stay close." Cut remarks, before starting down the road. Hunter walks next to me, his confident stride reassuring.

"Clone troopers?" Hunter asked in disbelief, and I turn my head to see where he's looking. "They should be pulling their forces, not securing a post. The war is over."

Cut chuckles darkly. "It sure doesn't feel like it."

We are quiet for a minute, before Hunter speaks up again.
"Where will you and your family go?"

"Somewhere off world, maybe buy a remote piece of land. That's all we really need."

"So, that's the key to staying hidden?"

I loose interest in their conversation, trying to pinpoint the sound of a man's voice. I have heard it for a bit now, and it's getting noticeably louder as we near the city center. It sounds so familiar, but I can't place where I've heard it before.

Hunter places a hand on the small of my back, guiding me with them.

"Sorry." I murmur, picking up my pace.

"Delta, stop apologizing." He says, removing his hand.

We are passing stalls with vendors, selling an assortment of goods. There's the sound of an engine, and I look up to see a large police shuttle. In its hold is a small ship.

"What are they doing, Cut?" I ask.

"They started seizing ships about a week ago."

"Military ships?" Hunter asks. Cut shakes his head.

"All ships. They are registering them in the impound lot." He points to a guarded ship yard.

"That's strange." I mutter. Cut motions us towards a stand, appearing to inspect a melon while two troopers walked by. Hunter tenses next to me, his eyes following the soldiers.

"What do you want?" A warbling voice asks. A small alien jumps on a crate, looking up at Cut.
He looks around, before pulling out a hand full of credits.
"I need transport off world."

Alien glances around nervously.

"Those credits won't do you any good without a chain code."

"A what?"

"A chain code." She points to a large holographic image in the city center. I stare, surprised. It's vice admiral rampart.
"— After registering for a chain code, you can change your invalid currency for imperial credits.. Thanks to the generosity of the new galactic empire."
There's a quiet buzz, and the tall blue hologram turns off. There is shouting, and I see a male passenger struggling with security.

"You don't understand! I booked travel on this transport!" He cries.

"No planitary travel without a chain code." A clone trooper replies roughly.

"You don't understand! I need to be on that ship." He tries to push past the two clone guards, but they shove him to the ground. I tense, moving to go help him.

A warm, calloused hand grabs mine. I look up at Hunter, and he frowns at me.

"It's not your fight, Del." He whispers. He turns to Cut, gently pulling me with him. "It's not just ship. They are registering people, too."

****
(Time skips brought to you by my cringe writing,)

I sigh, rubbing my temples to soothe the oncoming headache.

"In order to get on that shuttle, you have to have a chain code." Hunter explains. We are crowded around the table, trying to formulate a plan to get Cut and his family off of saleucami.

"Cut can't sign up for that! He will be arrested when they find out he's a deserter." Su says, concern evident in her voice.

"Tech," Hunter says, spinning to face his brother. "Do you think you can form some chain codes?" Tech adjusts his goggles

"I've only learned about them moments ago, but yes."

"Shaeeah, go get your brother. It's time to pack."
Shaeeah runs to the doorstep, calling out to Jek. Su slides drink towards me, and I give her a small smile. As I take a sip of the bitter drink, I hear Jek yell Omega's name. It sounds panicked, and I tilt my head.

Shaeeah runs in the door, her eyes wide. "Mom! It's Omega, she—" I don't wait to hear anymore. I bolt past her, jumping down the steps. My eyes land on Omega. She is outside the fence, about twenty five feet out. She has the ball in her arms, and she takes a terrified step backwards as a creature emerges from the undergrowth.

It is a large, feline like creature, blue grey in coloration. It's four red eyes are fixed on Omega as it growls. A single thought goes through my mind as I start running, harder and faster then I ever have before: I have to reach her before it does.

I don't know why, but I've hated my writing lately.

There's no way I'm re-reading this cause I might be tempted just to delete it. The feminine urge just to delete this whole story and be done.

So please, excuse the typos.

Kena: ❤️